Ever since the mid 90s, Roland Emmerich has attempted time and time again to repackage and recapture the ideas from Independence Day. After many failed attempts, I wonder why there’s still a theatrical market for films like this. Or rather, it’s odd that Hollywood thinks there’s still a market for it, given that all of Emmerich’s films since 2012 have flopped at the box office. And, he’s about to add another one to his resume. This should’ve gotten a streaming release at best, as it belongs in the same category as a film like The Tomorrow War. It’s background noise you throw on while you’re doing the dishes or folding the laundry. It's too disposable, phony, poorly acted and boring to pay any serious attention to, let alone pay money for. There's a sense of authenticity and fun to dumb action movies like Independence Day that you're never going to capture with the way these kind of films are made now. You have to applaud Emmerich for making a big, original studio film, but it’s still generic schlock that doesn’t have a single ounce of personality. Fuck whoever financed this.
Edit: after a little bit of digging I found out that the primary investor of this thing is a Chinese company called Tencent Pictures. They’re also responsible for financing other great films such as Terminator: Dark Fate, Warcraft, Kong: Skull Island, Men in Black: International, Monster Hunter and the 2 Venom movies. To put it mildly, it appears that it’s this company’s sole purpose to flood the market with trash, and not exactly the fun kind. Now I know what you’re thinking: maybe their involvement helps with receiving a Chinese release from the CCP? But here’s the problem: Venom 2 was banned in China. So, they’re clearly just a bunch of incompetent investors, given that all of their films (the Venom films excluded) have been massive financial and critical flops. The takeaway for Hollywood should be pretty simple: if Tencent wants to invest in your production, cancel all plans before you have another Moonfall on your hands.
2.5/10
Watch it if you’re a fan of Toto, or genuinly laugh at any point during the first scene.
This is the Unforgiven of superhero movies, a brutal yet tender portrayal of former heroes growing old. Logan is tired and world weary, waiting for death to take away his pain. Charles is 90, riddled with drugs to mute his mind, his "super weapon." Despite their friendship their relationship is fractured. Into their lives comes a new mutant and a road trip begins.
I don't want to say much more, having given away a little of the premise already explored in the films trailers. This is a tough, violent and sad film with few moments of humour. There is action but not of the blockbuster kind, one key car chase is like something from a 70's thriller.
This is the swan song of Logan and Charles, both actors giving it their all in their final performances as these characters. To bring them back after this film would undermine their work and the story here.
The film is brilliant and I can't recommend it enough - don't expect a traditional X-Men movie and you will be blown away. If the film itself were a mutant I would say its genes had been spliced with Mad Max and Shane, with a little bit of Children of the Corn (and I mean that in a good way). Excelsior!
Gun Fu, Gun Porn, Stylized Ultra violence, call it whatever you want, but, one thing is certain, John Wick 3 delivered it all, and then brought you second and third helpings. Tom Cruise gets a lot of cred for doing his own increasingly elaborate stunts for each M.I. installment, but I'll see you EVERY stunt the couch jumping Mr. Cruise has done his ENTIRE career, for the first two action sequences in this movie ALONE! Also, Keanu Reeves isn't just harnessed to a plane or rappelling down the side of a building and leaping across roof tops. Reeves weapons handling and combined intricate fight sequences aren't the result of Steven Seagal style quick cuts, Fast and Furious edits, post SFX, or tricky camera angles to disguise whats actually happening. It's VISCERAL, because the camera lingers on the mayhem so that the viewer can savor each strike, slash, stab, and gunshot, and ALL the accompanying carnage. Not in Sam Peckinpah slo-mo, but in real time, yet, somehow, one is still able to take it all in, and then the sequence would end, just about the same time you remembered to BREATHE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=nrawit53W7s
Yes, it's over the top, but this is the world John Wick inhabits. A culture of hired assassins, an entire society, existing just beneath the surface of the one you and I can see, the one the rest of us inhabit. A society with rank and file members, management, service, and executive classes, and RULES. And it is the rules, which have kept order from devolving into chaos for hundreds of years, that have made them "different from the animals".
For the love of his deceased wife, a car, and a puppy, John Wick reached his proverbial "last straw". (John Wick 1) For his loyalty to a blood oath, which was broken, he violated a cardinal rule, and was marked for death. (John Wick 2) Yet, using those same rules and oaths, (and his particularly unique set of skills) he was able to braid for himself a life-line, tenuous as it was, but a life-line nevertheless. The powers that be cannot allow that to happen, and seek to intimidate, punish, and if necessary eliminate each of those who extended him a thread of that line, even if they technically only "stretched" the rules. What they have failed to realize is that John Wick's reputation as the "Baba Yaga", the proverbial Boogie-man, is not only well earned, but, if anything, it is UNDER stated.
Those who were paying attention saw that we actually DID get quite a bit of origin/back story on the eponymous Mr. Wick, as well as a glimpse into the world of the contract killers, as to how the contracts are put out, and the hierarchy that pulls the strings behind the scenes. I look forward to seeing this expanded upon in future installments
Kudos and Props this installment to Iron Chef Mark Dacascos and a host of other Asian Martial Artists as the closest thing John has to true competition, yet, they are at the same time fanboys who geek out at getting a chance to fight him.
To Halle Berry, for NAILING her fight sequences, then being a trooper and not quitting when her scenes cost her a couple of broken ribs. Her character obviously has some issues with the menfolk, considering how many she shot in the "kibbles and bits. Also props to the trainers of her two pups, and the stunt men for allowing same said puppers to gnaw precariously close to their kibbles and bits until she shot them. OUCH!
In case you doubt me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=66&v=xa2RJPrY2Og
To Laurence Fishburne, for making sure that Neo still has Morpheus as a Mentor, even if you "sometimes have to cut a Mo Fo".. All we need now is Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity to show up in the inevitable Part 4, and all will be right in the Universe. (make it happen writers)
10 out of 10 - Best of the 3 so far IMO
This isn't actually a comment, it's a rant...
The movie goes from interesting and mysterious to stupid and idiotic.
3 guys working shifts on the lighthouse of a small island find a small chest with a dozen gold bars, recovered from a salvaged loot that hit their shore. The apparently dead body near their loot isn't dead and tries to murder one of them, but gets killed in the process. They keep the secret and the gold. Soon after two strangers arrive looking for their dead mate, and more importantly, the looted gold. One thing leads to another and they soon become involved in a fight for their lives. After prevailing, a shadow appears outside of the lighthouse... afraid, they chase that figure until the character portrayed by Gerard Butler kills the runner with a swift cut of the neck using his crab-hunting hook. The figure he killed was a ~12yo child, I'm guessing the child came with the two other deceased pirates, even though it's stupid enough. From there on James (GB's char) enters a delusional state that jeopardizes the 3 companions. The rationale behind the steering direction into sheer stupidity wants us to (vaguely) believe that mercury poisoning was somehow involved, although the most stupid character (Gerard Butler's) was not necessarily in direct contact with the substance, and certainly not as much as other characters might have been. Unclear.
TL;DR: Scenery, music, and acting is great... you enjoy half the movie and then it steers into a great anti-climatic and frustrating 2nd half, ending in the same direction as Gerard's character. I would have unseen the movie if it were possible because the bad parts cancel the good ones. Negative, but candor, a waste of my time - despite the beautiful cinematography.
8.3/10
I will readily admit, I was initially just interested in this movie because of Jennifer Lawrence.
The beginning was a tad bit slow, but don't let that deter you. The rest of the film you will be trying to catch up to what is going on. I will need to see this a second time to begin to understand all the intricacies of the plot, which was unpredictable (my favorite characteristic of any plot).
Throughout, the intentions of Dominica are never clear. She seems to genuinely serve both sides, and yet, equally betrays both sides. I don't think she cares about anyone but her mother. Even the 'love' she shows to Nate, turns out to be a means to an end. I personally loved that I could not tell what was in her head because it kept me guessing.
Some of the acting felt disingenuous, but the main leads (especially Lawrence), were astonishing. The soundtrack worked well, and there really wasn't any 'fake' action to take away from a beautiful plot.
By the end of the film, you will be confused beyond all reason. Lawrence's character developed into a psychopath - a product of the system she was put in.
I loved this movie.
It has just the enough amount of action for - not the have the whole movie revolve around it, and still enjoy great guns, gunning, and sniper rifles.
The movie had no "comic" (AKA Idiotic) character, for which i'm thankful. The characters were believable enough and convinced me they acted in a senseable and logical way. Our lead character is the unlike superhero which we're used to see, and has his personal problems, which really made me like him.
The story was nice enough and i really looked forward to see what happens!
I liked Ben here, him being serious and kind'a down spirited. I think the since Good Will Hunting, when his buddy Matt won the raffle of playing the suffering genius, he (Ben) wanted to act this part. So they gave it to him + many guns !
Overall - Not the banal action movie but a good and classy one. I recommend.
P.S Good for Jonny B, who else but TWD's Shane, for acting yet another douchey bad guy.
Spoiler edit: is it just me or that the J K Simmons storyline had hardly anything to do with the main plot?!? OK They had their thing in the 10 years ago past, but since then - only that lame phone call! what gives??
