Archive for Action & Adventure

Taken – Bryan Mills

Posted on Jun 09, 2009 under Action & Adventure | No Comment

Taken - Rent Now

What can be as scary as going to a country and being taken for the oldest trade, the sex trade.  Taken takes you into this underground world were the rich buy and sell innocent women to make prostitutes.

But their has been a catch.  The thieves did not count on the professional Liam Neeson.  He is an ex spy that has retired to spend more time with his estranged teenage daughter that he has neglected his entire career.  As he starts to build his relationship he is blind sided by a trip that she wants to take to Paris with a friend.  What she doesn't tell him is that she is not just going to see the sights of Paris but she plans to follow around a band and become a groupy for a month as the band travels on its UK tour.  Liam Neeson finds this out as she is about to board the plan and makes her promise that she stay in constant contact with him, calling when she get up and when she goes to bed and throughout the day.

The trip is cut short as soon as his daughter and friend make it to their hotel.  A few hours later both are kidnapped by slavers as Bryan Mills (Neeson) listens on the phone, Mills uses all his connections and skills to turn the city of lights upside down and rescue her.  Taken drips with lurid violence (a bit toned-down to get a PG-13 rating, but there's still plenty of it), deranged sentimentality, and stereotypes of all kinds.  But the movie is a thrill ride from beginning to end.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Posted on Aug 21, 2008 under Action & Adventure, Family, Fantasy | No Comment

The Spiderwick Chronicles

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Widescreen Edition)

From the beloved, best-selling series of books comes an extraordinary fantasy adventure, revealing the unseen world that exists all around us. From the moment the Grace family moves into a secluded old house peculiar things start to happen. Unable to explain the accidents and strange disappearances, the Grace children, Jared, Simon and Mallory start to investigate and find the unbelievable truth of the Spiderwick Estate and the amazing creatures that inhabit it.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The Bank Job – Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore

Posted on Aug 18, 2008 under Action & Adventure, Crime, Mystory, Suspence | No Comment

The Bank Job - Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore

The Bank Job

A cheerful, energetic, and completely entertaining movie, The Bank Job follows some small-time hoods who think they've lucked into a big-time opportunity when they learn a bank's security system will be temporarily suspended--little suspecting that they're being manipulated by government agents for their own ends. The result is that the movie doubles its pleasures: While the robbery itself has the usual suspense of a heist film, when the robbery is over the hoods find themselves being hunted by the police, the government, and brutal criminal kingpins who were storing dangerous information in a safety deposit box. The Bank Job won't win any awards, but it's enormously fun. Director Roger Donaldson (No Way Out, Species) propels the action along with vigor, editing zippily with perfect clarity among multiple storylines and various colorful characters. Jason Statham (Snatch, The Transporter), as the leader of the bank robbers, successfully steps away from his usual bone-crunching roles to a more human presence. The rest of the cast--including Saffron Burrows (Deep Blue Sea), Keeley Hawes (Tipping the Velvet), David Suchet (Poirot), and many faces familiar from British film and television--give their characters the right degree of personality and flavor without getting fussy or detracting from the headlong rush of the story. A little sex, a lot of action, a sly sense of humor, and a twisty plot; if more movies had these basic pleasures, the world would be a happier place. --Bret Fetzer

Popularity: 8% [?]

Jet Li’s Fearless Movie Review

Posted on Aug 13, 2008 under Action & Adventure | 1 Comment

Watching "Fearless" is an enjoyable ride; it has some fantastic fight sequences, some well composed, grand visuals, and strong human themes based in historical reality. It's a shame that the film's characters are handled so melodramatically and the execution of the story is so two-dimensional. Jet Li does an amicable job in the lead role as Huo Yuanjia, the most famous Chinese kung fu master of the early twentieth century who restored national pride in China following several years of infighting and infiltration by the West. Although the film is loosely based on his life, the story that has been dramatised in this film had the potential to be a sweeping epic with strong character and dramatic overtones but is let down by some cheesy acting and shallow story execution. That is not to say this film is not worth watching, but the way it has been done make it completely forgettable, which is a shame because it could have been so much more.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41XBYf4FayL._SL160_.jpgThe strongest aspect of this film pertains to Yuanjia's personal journey through life. From a very young age, Yuanjia wants to fight but his father never allows it because of Yuanjia's asthmatic condition. Yuanjia begins practising in secret with his best friend Nong Jinsun (Yong Dong) doing his homework while he practises his fighting style. Yuanjia becomes a selfish brat, misunderstanding the basic principles behind kung fu; it is not about fighting, it is about discipline and helping others. Yuanjia's brat attitude is exacerbated when he witnesses his father voluntarily lose a challenge match in a town square; after boasting of his father's abilities to all the other kids, he gets beaten by the son of his father's opponent and from that day forward, Yuanjia vows never to be defeated again. Over time, he becomes an undefeated fighter but his ego has grown out of control. All of his pursuits are selfish and immature, which ultimately leads to a tragic showdown where in retaliation for Yuanjia killing an opponent during a fight, his mother and daughter are brutally murdered in his estate. As a shattered man, Yuanjia rebuilds his life away from everything he has come to know, eventually finding the path towards enlightenment and becoming one of the most famous, and humble fighting heroes in Chinese history.

There is so much rich material in Yuanjia's journey to engage with, least of all being that Yuanjia's self-absorbed, ego-driven lifestyle ultimately led to some very tragic consequences. Yuanjia may not have directly caused his family's death, but it was his self-absorbed actions that brought it about. This is a powerful message and the strongest one within the film; anger, revenge and selfishness will ultimately bring about tragedy and misery. For a character like this it seems the greater the ego, the greater tragedy is required to put him on the right path. Only when Yuanjia starts fighting for greater ideals such as national pride and honour that he regains the respect of his old community, including his best friend Jinsun who accepts Yuanjia as his friend once again after cutting him off during his ego-driven hey day.

The visuals in this film are outstanding. Right from the outset, much care has gone in to recreating early twentieth century China with some sweeping images that are only augmented by computer graphics for a few shots here and there. The colours are rich and vibrant, giving a visual texture to the film that puts it in another class from other Asian kung-fu films. The big shots of cities are the most impressive, with even the CG shots not standing out as a clever effect but as picturesque landscapes. The images of the rural country-side where Yuanjia rediscovers himself are likewise grand in scale.

The downsides to this film lie in its shallow story execution and melodramatic acting. For a story with such potential depth, it's a shame that no attempt was made at giving the narrative a sense of balance and dimension. It's not until over half way through the film that Yuanjia's family is brutally murdered, starting him on his spiritual journey. His most important achievements as a fighter of restoring Chinese national pride are skimmed over in the last thirty minutes or so; the lack of care and time spent developing this part of the story makes the film unengaging. You enjoy the kung fu but dramatically the film has lost you. It becomes only a clinical exercise in execution which is unfortunate because the story themes were strong enough to make for a far better film. The melodramatic acting does not help either. The issues lie in the first half of the film where Jet Li has the unenviable task of playing a spoilt brat. It's a mixed affair; some times it works, some times it doesn't. The actors around him do not fare as well, particularly Yuanjia's disciples who are over-acted to the extreme. Only Collin Chou who plays Yuanjia's father displays any sense of character depth. The second half of the film is better, particularly in the sequences between Yuanjia and Japanese fighter Anno Tanaka (Nakamura Shido) who fight to the end but have a mutual respect for one another. One cannot help but wonder what kind of epic this film would have been had more time been spent developing the script and characters; it would have elevated this film in to a new category.

"Fearless" is a solid kung-fu film that's useful for whiling away a few spare hours but is ultimately forgettable thanks to its lack of story development and execution.

For the original DVD review, click this link: http://www.allaboutmovies.net/dvdreviewfearless.htm

Alex DeMattia is the lead DVD reviewer at the film/DVD review web site All About Movies.net - He is also an administrator of the web site http://www.approachingsexywomen.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

Iron Man (Special Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray] (2008)

Posted on Aug 07, 2008 under Action & Adventure, Blu-ray | 1 Comment

Iron Man

Iron Man (Special Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

You know you're going to get a different kind of superhero when you cast Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. And Iron Man is different, in welcome ways. Cleverly updated from Marvel Comics' longstanding series, Iron Man puts billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (that's Downey) in the path of some Middle Eastern terrorists; in a brilliantly paced section, Stark invents an indestructible suit that allows him to escape. If the rest of the movie never quit hits that precise rhythm again, it nevertheless offers plenty of pleasure, as the renewed Stark swears off his past as a weapons manufacturer, develops his new Iron Man suit, and puzzles both his business partner (Jeff Bridges in great form) and executive assistant (Gwyneth Paltrow). Director Jon Favreau geeks out in fun ways with the hardware, but never lets it overpower the movie, and there's always a goofy one-liner or a slapstick pratfall around to break the tension. As for Downey, he doesn't get to jitterbug around too much in his improv way, but he brings enough of his unpredictable personality to keep the thing fresh. And listen up, hardcore Marvel mavens: even if you know the Stan Lee cameo is coming, you won't be able to guess it until it's on the screen. It all builds to a splendid final scene, with a concluding line delivery by Downey that just feels absolutely right.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The Wire – The Complete Fifth Season (2008)

Posted on Aug 07, 2008 under Action & Adventure, Drama, Television | No Comment

The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season (2008)

The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season

In the projects. On the docks. In City Hall. In the schools. And now in the media. The places and faces have changed but the game remains the same. Times are tough for the detail. Mayor Carcetti has slashed the departments budget to the bone. Police are operating without overtime some without cars and radios. Angered McNulty is off the rails again and headed down a dangerous path of deception and lies that will ally him with an unscrupulous reporter. The drug trade still rules the corners all you have to do is read between the lines.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett

Posted on Aug 06, 2008 under Action & Adventure | No Comment

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Nearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell, less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp (War of the Worlds) set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob and sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts. Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences knew and loved. There's plenty of comedy, delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the return of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in film today. With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The Bucket List – Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman

Posted on Jul 14, 2008 under Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama | No Comment


The Bucket List

Academy Award winners Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star in the comedic drama The Bucket List, directed by Rob Reiner, a touching, no-holds-barred adventure that shows it’s never too late to live life to its fullest.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Jumper – Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell

Posted on Jul 14, 2008 under Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers | No Comment

Jumper (Single-Disc Edition)

The science fiction thriller leaps to a new realm with Jumper, which begins the epic adventures of a man who discovers that he has the exhilirating ability to intstantly teleport anywhere in the world he can imagine. From New York to Tokyo, from the ruins of Rome to the heart of the Saharan Desert, anywhere is possible for David Rice (Hayden Christensen), until he begins to see his freedom is not total, and that he's not alone... but part of an ongoing, global war that threatens the very survival of his rare and extraordinary kind.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Movie Review)

Posted on May 16, 2008 under Action & Adventure, Thrillers | No Comment

Nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, and winner of four Oscars, Raiders Of The Lost Ark is one of those rare commercial smash hits that also manages to win widespread critical acclaim from even the most hardened of film critics. After all, any film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by George Lucas has to be an ingenious creation, right? In this case, absolutely. Not only is Raiders Of The Lost Ark one of the more memorable films in history, but its lead character Indiana Jones will go down in history as one of, if not the, most beloved hero in movie history…

Renowned archeologist and college history professor Indiana Jones (expert in recovering ancient objects) is approached by the United States government in regard to retrieving one of the greatest treasures in human history - the Ark of the Covenant. The government fears the Ark will fall into the wrong hands seeing as how Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich are feverishly searching for the Ark themselves…

With a hefty knowledge of the history involving the Ark, Jones sets out to borrow an amulet instrumental in the Ark's discovery from family friend and ex-lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). But the Nazis also seek the amulet, and Jones arrives just in the nick of time. Now Marion and Indiana will have to work together if they have any hope of saving the Ark from the evil clutches of the Nazi regime. In so doing, they encounter countless Nazis, booby traps, double-crossers, and the worst element of all - snakes!

With an original score by John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc.), the theme song from Raiders Of The Lost Ark may well be one of the most recognizable in the history of cinema. Williams's genius is present throughout every scene of the film (which is one of Spielberg's greatest triumphs - getting Hollywood to place greater emphasis on sound and music, i.e. emotion, the same as it does for dialogue, character, plot, etc.) Raiders Of The Lost Ark also features the underrated actress Karen Allen (Animal House, Scrooged, The Perfect Storm, etc.) whose career has spanned parts of four decades. In this film, she shines as the headstrong love interest of Indiana Jones…

Home to Harrison Ford's breakout role, Raiders Of The Lost Ark features the up-and-coming Hollywood talent at his best. Although Star Wars placed Ford in the limelight, Raiders Of The Lost Ark puts Ford in the lead role - where he belongs. A likeable man, exhibiting unrivaled onscreen charisma, Harrison Ford adds the final touches of genius to a film that is as close to perfect as any movie can come. Don't miss out on this first glimpse of Indiana Jones. A brilliant tale of heroism and adventure, Raiders Of The Lost Ark is a definite must-see movie…

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site where you can find more articles like this one of the Raiders Of The Lost Ark (DVD) Review

Popularity: 4% [?]

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