Tuesday 10 September 2013

Fast and Furious 6 (2013)


Movie begins with Fast and Furious crew enjoying retirement and living large off the loot from Fast and Furious 5. Of course they are recruited by The Rock to take on a doppelganger of ex military. Michelle Rodriquez who was missing from 5 reappears as Letty, except this time she is working for the bad guys. Will Dom rescue her? Gina Carano continues to impress me as an action star. Her fight scenes are so authentic. Overall I liked 5 better, but the action sequences in this are as good as it gets. If you liked 1 and 5 this is right up your alley. Rotten Tomatoes gave is 69% and that's about where I would place it. It did $238 million domestic, not bad for a franchise I would put not far ahead of Transformers for lightness.Be sure to watch the credits because FF7 is previewed and Justin Statham will be in it.

Three point one Stars


Wednesday 4 September 2013

The Iceman (2013)


A movie based upon the 100 plus kills of the hitman/serial killer Richard Kuklinski. The main weakness of the film belongs to director Ariel Vromen. The storytelling gets a little disjointed and it might have been better if they followed the true story more carefully. However I would watch a movie only knowing that he was the director. Micheal Shannon who fans of Boardwalk Empire will recognize, makes a very convincing hit-man. Ray Liotta who I like in everything is a mob boss. David Schwimmer has a nice bit role as a screw up. A barely recognizable  Winnona Ryder has the role of Kuklinski's naive wife. I loved the cinematography, it looked like  I remember the colors of the 70's. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 67% and I would not argue. It was a total bomb at the box office not even $2 million domestic and about the same international. Still for the summer of 2013 one of the better movies out there.

Three Stars

World War Z (2013)


Fundamentally it is a very good movie. There is constant suspense that had me squirming from beginning to end. Marc Forster has made some great movies like Quantum of Silence and the Kite Runner, this may be his best work to date. The effects creating waves of maniacal zombies are fantastic. I am not saying she was terrible but I did not like Mirelle Enos playing the wife to Brad Pitt. I did not like the children either, I found all three really annoying. The Zombies are fast movers, even faster than the 28 days later, and super-strong like the I am legend Zombies. From the time a human is bit until they turn is only 15 sec. I found this prototype of Zombie a little bit of blasphemy. Rotten Tomatoes gave is 67% I would have it close to 80. The movie cost $190 million and brought in $200 domestic. So hopefully the trilogy will be completed. Not as good as 28 day/weeks but better than I am Legend.

Four Stars