Month: April 2020

Categories
Movie Review

Union Bridge (2019) Movie Review

Director: Brian Levin

Writer: Brian Levin (Screenplay)

Starring: Scott Friend, Emma Duncan, Alex Breaux, Elisabeth Noone, Bobby J Brown, Lateicia Ford

Plot: After burning out in the city, Will Shipe is summoned back home where he uncovers dark truths about his family and the town he grew up in.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Slow Burner

Story: Union Bridge starts when Will Shipe (Friend) returns to his hometown to refresh his life, he learns one of his oldest friends Nick (Breaux) has lost the plot, turning to hopes of unearthing gold on the land, while Will meets Mary Burke (Duncan) that gives him the conversation he needs in his life right now.

The longer Will spends in the town, the stranger his nights become Will wants to get to the bottom of what is really going on in his old town before it is too late.

Thoughts on Union Bridge

Characters – Will grew up in this town, he moved away and started his own life, only when it got too much, he returns home, he sees his friend struggling with his own mentality and meets a new woman in his life. He sees something good from his return, only it is coming at a price with his sleeping turning into nightmares. Mary Burke is the woman that comes into Will’s life, she has mystery about herself, which may have a connection to why Will isn’t sleeping. Nick is the old friend that has now lost his job, he is searching for gold, mostly to take his mind off his dying mother.

Performances – Scott Friend in the leading role does a solid job, showing us how his character always seems to be learning about what is happening in his life. Emma Duncan works well as the mysterious woman entering somebody’s life. Alex Breaux shows the unstable side to his character well through the film.

Story – The story here follows a man returning to his home town, where he starts seeing the changes in the town and trying to understand what has driven people to change the ways they have. In this story we do get to do the memory lane, it has the air of mystery about what is going on and leaves plenty out there for people to piece together. Everything builds up to make a conclusion that will give Will the most difficult decision of his life. The pace can be slow for large points in the film leading to things feeling like they are dragging along.

Thriller – The film does create tension around what is happening within the town, Will is always on edge about what is happening.

Settings – The film uses the small town setting to show us just how the return will see how Will remember moments and learn of change.


Scene of the Movie – The final night.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The slow building can take too long.

Final Thoughts – This is a slow burner that doesn’t quite spark the way it would like to, it ends up dragging along more than it needs to, without getting to the point quick enough.

Overall: Overly slow.

Categories
Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Action – M – Max Steel (2016) Movie Review

Director: Stewart Hendler

Writer: Christopher L Yost (Screenplay)

Starring: Ben Winchell, Josh Brener, Maria Bello, Andy Garcia, Ana Villafane, Mike Doyle, Phillip DeVona

Plot: The adventures of teenager Max McGrath and his alien companion, Steel, who must harness and combine their tremendous new powers to evolve into the turbo-charged superhero Max Steel.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Basic Action Sci-Fi

Story: Max Steel starts when teenager Max McGrath (Winchell) moves back home with his mother Molly (Bello) where he must go through the typical high school routines, his father’s former colleague Dr Miles Edwards (Garcia) and a new ability he has gain, where he can control electricity.

When the ability to control his energy starts getting out of control a robot Steel arrives to protect him and guide him about why his body is reacting the way it is.

Thoughts on Max Steel

Characters – Max McGrath is a teenager moving to another high school to hopeful stay this time, it doesn’t take him long to start having a new reaction to the surroundings, one that lets him control electricity, he must learn about this new skill to understand what is going on and fight back to save himself and loved ones. Steel is the robot set to protect Max, teaching him about his abilities and fits into the same group of, new robot doesn’t understand the world group. Molly is the mother that has always looked out for her son, making sure he is safe after what happened to his father. Dr Miles Edwards used to work with Max’s father and now he always watches over the family making sure they are looked after.

Performances – Ben Winchell doesn’t get started in the leading role not being the character on a strong enough level, Maria Bello and Andy Garcia both seem to be here for the pay check without doing anything difficult.

Story – The story here follows a teenager that returns to his birthplace with his mum and starts to learn more about his own father by learning his has the ability to control energy. This is a story that is completely by the book, it never gets going and just seems to copy most of the other stories which have done the same concept. It just becomes completely forgettable and could easily be the weak pilot episode of a television show.

Action/Sci-Fi – The action in the film is also very basic, with the main fight being hard to even focus on, with the sci-fi elements of the film does show an alien hybrid coming to Earth.

Settings – The film just puts us in small town America and with this, we get let into this life that the family is planning to start his life again.

Special Effects – The effects are also weak through the film, showing the ideas seemed to be outside the budget.


Scene of the Movie – Hard to find one.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is just boring.

Final Thoughts – This is a simple action sci-fi movie without being anything special.

Overall: Simple and forgettable.

Categories
Movie Review

Robert Downey Jr Weekend – Tropic Thunder (2008) Movie Review

Director: Ben Stiller

Writer: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Etan Cohen (Screenplay)

Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr, Jay Baruchel, Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan, Brandon T Jackson

Plot: Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.


Tagline – The movie they think they’re making… isn’t a movie anymore.

Runtime: 1 Hour 47 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Laugh Out Loud Funny

Story: Tropic Thunder starts as three very different actors, the academy winner Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr), Tugg Speedman (Stiller) who has is trying to recover from flops and grossed out comedian Jeff Portnoy (Black) are working on a war epic under rookie director Damien Cockburn (Coogan), when the filming becomes a disaster after only one week.

The plan to get the actors to take things serious, it to leave them in the jungle without assistants or contact to the outside world, only they find themselves in the middle of a real war against the locals who still believe the war is going on.

Thoughts on Tropic Thunder

Characters – Tugg Speedman is an actor who has always been trying to make a bigger name out of himself, only he has been on a string of flops and clashes with Kirk’s style on screen. He does come off like a dumb actor who will believe in only what he thinks to get through the shoot, while becoming the leader his character is meant to be in the film. Kirk Lazarus is a method actor that has had black pigmentation put into his skin for the latest role as a black man, his style does clash with Tugg, understanding the situation more than anyone else. Jeff Portnoy is the grossed-out comedy star who is battling his own addiction with drugs and drink, always getting himself into trouble in the press. Less Grossman is the studio head that demands money from his investment, he is loud and will abuse anyone who doesn’t follow his orders.

Performances – Ben Stiller does give us a wonderful role, which does give us moments that feel like Zoolander, poking fun at certain actors reality of life. Robert Downey Jr is great too, as he got an Oscar nomination for playing an actor who will go to extreme lengths to get the job done, Jack Black does give us a little bit too much at times, while Tom Cruise could well have given us the most surprising of his career.

Story – The story here follows five actors who believe they are making a war movie, only to find themselves trapped in the jungle being hunted down by the locals and they must put together everything they have learnt to make it out alive. The story here does manage to turn the filmmaking process on its head, by showing us just how difficult the actors can be to work with and then only to become more extreme when they must fight against people who want to kill them, while also showing the behind the screens process too, while also willing to leave everything as over the top as it could be.

Action/Comedy – The action in the film does give us military and over the top action clichés which is fun to watch and does add to the comedy we are experiencing through the film.

Settings – The film use the jungle setting to show us just how alone the actors become after trying to become a more extreme shot.

Special Effects – The effects are used for the explosions, which are cinematic just like the idea behind the movie being made.


Scene of the Movie – The rescue.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Jeff’s character is a lot to deal with.

Final Thoughts – This is a clever comedy that manages to build up the idea of making a film and the switch to a reality through actors who will do anything to get the perfect shot.

Overall: Comedy that hits.

Categories
Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Action – L – London Has Fallen (2016) Revisited

Director: Babak Najafi

Writer: Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt, Christian Gudegast, Chad St John (Screenplay) Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt (Story)

Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Alon Aboutboul, Radha Mitchell, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Colin Salmon

Plot: In London for the Prime Minister’s funeral, Mike Banning is caught up in a plot to assassinate all the attending world leaders.


Tagline – Prepare for bloody hell.

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Action Packed Sequel

Story: London Has Fallen starts when the prime minister of England dies suddenly meaning the world leaders are going to be heading to London for the funeral, President Benjamin Asher (Eckhart) along with his most trusted bodyguard Mike Banning (Butler), they are going without a true plan because every leader wants certain plans put in place, with none being offered.

When the world leaders start getting killed off by Aamir Barkawi (Aboutboul) and his men, destroying major parts of London, leaving Mike the last man standing to protect the President as they search for a way out of the city, can Mike perform him duties once again and save the President from another group of terrorists.

Thoughts on London Has Fallen

Characters – Mike Banning is the bodyguard to the President, he will always be there for him and has a strong friendship with him too. He isn’t comfortable with this visit and shows why, he will go on to show he combat skills and planning skills to keep his President safe. President Benjamin Asher is doing the right thing going to the funeral, he knows and trusts Mike to keep him safe despite the odds they will be facing. Aamir Barkawi is a terrorist that has been targeted in the past, he has planned this revenge on the world leaders, wanting to bring the war to countries targeting him. We do see the world leaders, the people trying to find a solution to what has happened and finding a way to get people out safely.

Performances – Gerard Butler is once again great in this leading role, he is a great choice for any action role. Aaron Eckhart once again bring sus a President we could believe in, while the rest of the returning cast don’t do anything wrong.

Story – The story here follows the President and his most trusted bodyguard needing to navigate the streets of London after a massive terrorist attack has targeted world leaders. This is a simple enough story for action, it is literally just the two needing to stay ahead of the countless enemies coming after them, while more of the technical side of the story being handled about who is involved and why. It does feel like an episode of 24 at times, this one, but that isn’t always a bad thing.

Action – The action is the big part of this film, be it the excellent opening attack that doesn’t hold back on the body count, right down to the tight street combat scenes too.

Settings – The film is set in London, hence the title, we do see landmarks destroyed before falling into the narrow streets in hope for safety against the enemies coming their way.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are stronger than the last one, though it does have moments that does look CGI including a bridge sequence, which doesn’t stand up.


Scene of the Movie – The opening attack.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Referring to London as the capital of Britain, not England.

Final Thoughts – This is an action packed sequel that builds on the action from the first film and shows the bond between Mike and Aaron.

Overall: Great sequel, even though I didn’t like it first time around.

Categories
Movie Review

Robert Downey Jr Weekend – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) Movie Review

Director: Guy Ritchie

Writer: Michele Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney (Screenplay) Arthur Conan Doyle (Characters)

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry

Plot: Detective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.

Runtime: 2 Hours 9 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Feels Like a Game I Lost

Story: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows starts with Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr) on the tail of Professor Moriarty (Harris) following Irene Adler (McAdams) around believing there is an involvement in the terrorist attacks going across Europe.

Back home Sherlock has forgotten his responsibility to be the best man for Dr Watson’s (Law) wedding and ends up dragging him into the battle with Moriarty, one that is getting out of his control.

Thoughts on Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Characters – Sherlock Holmes has become entrapped in a battle of wits with Moriarty, this has seen him turn to disguise to elude him, turning to the one person he knows he can trust to help him, Dr Watson, he will risk his life to uncover the truth using his ability to see what will happen. Dr Watson is about to get married and is left disappointed by Sherlock for not preparing his part in the wedding preparations, he reluctantly joins Sherlock in the battle against Moriarty. Madam Heron finds herself caught in the middle of the battle with her brother going missing after working with Moriarty. Professor Moriarty is considered one of Holmes greatest rivals, here we see him in the middle of a grand plan which has seen Europe on the verge of war, always staying ahead of Holmes, letting him investigate just what he wants him to.

Performances – Robert Downey Jr is mostly annoying in this role, he is trying to make Sherlock quirky and it just doesn’t seem to work. Jude Law is solid enough in the sidekick role, without making Holmes seem very interesting. Noomi Rapace does everything she needs to without making an impact in the film. Jared Harris is the most interesting performance in the film, with him needing to be calculated throughout.

Story – The story here follows Sherlock Holmes facing off against his most famous enemy Professor Moriarty as he tries to uncover his plan which takes Holmes around Europe to do battle with the calculated villain. Now the first problem here comes from the fact the story is told with way too many, if you see it from this angle you will learn the truth, without giving us any hint that this is going on. When it comes to the back and fourth between the two, we are left wondering just how they got into the rivalry in the first place, wondering why Holmes and Watson have become separate after all these years. We don’t seem to get a true threat of Moriarty either, which should see him getting the upper hand a lot more, we are left feeling like this story does drag along for too long.

Action/Mystery – The action in this film does feel frustrating because nearly all the best bits are shot as if they have happened and then rewind it for something else, with the mystery in the film just not being as interesting as it should be.

Settings – The film does use the era based settings well enough be it London or Paris which does make it understandable that bigger plans are in play.

Special Effects – The effects are what are used for the rewinds, they don’t help make the action entertaining in anyway, leaving us feeling empty by the end of the film.


Scene of the Movie – Didn’t have one.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – How quirky Sherlock is made to be.

Final Thoughts – This is a disappointing version of one of the most famous fictional detectives, it is shot badly leaving us all over the place.

Overall: Bad version of Holmes.

Categories
ABC Film Challenge

ABC Film Challenge – Action – K – K-9 (1989) Movie Rob’s Pick

Head over to Movie Rob’s site for more reviews

K-9 (1989)

“Alright, let’s get one thing straight: The woman is mine! Now we’re both members of the animal kingdom. You know that and I know that. And we both know that this thing is really primal. So if you think you’re such a badass you just try that one more time and you’re gonna end up in a pet cemetary! You remember the movie Old Yeller? You remember when they shot him in the end? I didn’t cry! Now come on!” – Dooley

Number of Times Seen – Twice (8 Oct 1992 and 7 Apr 2020)

Brief Synopsis – A detective teams up with a police dog in order to stop drug traffickers.

My Take on it – This is a film that I’ve been meaning to rewatch for years and never got around to it.

I’d only seen it once, nearly 28 years ago yet always remembered some of the funny scenes in the film.

The film has a somewhat predictable and typical 80’s cop film plot, yet they find ways to help keep things a bit more unique along the way largely due to the great performance of Jim Belushi in the lead role.

He is able to give us a serious performance with a comedic tone that helps keep things fun and interesting.

His chemistry with his canine partner works really well in helping to make the story more fun to watch unfold because of their antics together along with their report with one another.

The story could probably have been done in a more intense fashion that might have enhanced things, but they seem to keep things toned done due to the choice to make this a family style action comedy.

The soundtrack is very nostalgic to listen to and helps keep the pace of the story moving along.

It also is able to transport us back to the feel good days of the days of the 80’s

Bottom Line – Interesting idea that actually works much better than one might assume largely due to the fact that Belushi fits into the lead role so perfectly. He has amazing chemistry with his canine partner and there are some really fun scenes between them. The plot of this film is a bit weak and seems like a typical 80’s cop film that has been tamed down a bit since it’s meant as a family style comedy. The action scenes are done well despite things feeling a bit too predictable for it’s own good.  Great soundtrack helps keep things moving along while also transporting us back to the 80’s. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – At the dinner party given by the gangster, there is a butler walking across a room behind a doorway. The butler was Michael J.R. Gill who was working with the catering staff hired for the film. After the filming, he actually served the food used in the scene to the cast and crew. Gill was not an actor, but was actually a real English butler and for seven years was butler to British actor Laurence Harvey, prior to his death. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)

Categories
Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Action – K – Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)

Director: Greg Mottola

Writer: Michael LeSieur (Screenplay)

Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot, Patton Oswalt, Ming Zhao, Matt Walsh

 

Plot: A suburban couple becomes embroiled in an international espionage plot when they discover that their seemingly perfect new neighbors are government spies.


Tagline – License to kill. License to chill.

Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Enjoyable Comedy

 

Story: Keeping Up with the Joneses starts when average married couple Jeff (Galifianakis) and Karen (Fisher) who live in a quiet neighbourhood get new neighbours. This is the buzz of the cul-de-sac and the Jones’ Tim (Hamm) and Natalie (Gadot) are not like the normal in the area.

Karen believes that the Jones’ are not normal and starts spying on them, for good reason as Jeff becomes the pawn in an espionage mission for the undercover agents.

 

Thoughts on Keeping Up with the Joneses

 

Characters – Jeff is the everyday human resource man for a government facility, he has a normal life with his wife in a quiet suburban neighbourhood and tries to stay positive. He reluctantly finds himself in the middle of espionage where he learns that not everyone in his life is who they believe they are. Karen is his wife and an interior designer that works from home giving her a birds eye view of the new neighbours, to whom she doesn’t trust. Tim Jones is the secret agent that befriends Jeff when he is searching for criminals, he is tired of the life of crime. Natalie is his wife and weapons expert who enjoys the life even though she doesn’t fit in the suburban neighbourhood.

Performances – Zach Galifianakis in the leading role of the couple works very well, he knows how to give us everyday comedy and his weight loss is fantastic. Isla Fisher is good to feeling like they have great chemistry together. Jon Hamm (Confess Fletch) is great as the agent being the slick figure you would imagine he would need to be, while Gal Gadot shows us that she is capable of the kick ass woman we saw in 2017  with Wonder Woman.

Story – The story shows how a quiet neighbourhood can be turned on its head by new neighbours and them being spies only causes our main couple finding new excitement in their life. It shows how this field will be the hardest to blend into for the spies and how the everyday person could get in their hearts and job. There is an espionage story which can get lost at times which doesn’t feel like the most important part of the story.

Action/Comedy – The action when used is generic easy to put together to keep things safe, we have a car chase which is the highlight of the action. The comedy is mostly the reactions to what is happening to characters which will get chuckles in places.

Settings – The film is designed to make the spy genre being set in the suburbs, which gives us everything we need it too.

Special Effects – The effects work when needed and add to the action sequences.


Scene of the Movie – The car chase.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The villain is almost no existence

Final Thoughts – This is a fun action comedy that hits the marks it needs to without being one of the greatest, it easily isn’t one of the worst.

 

Overall: Fun throughout.

Rating

 

 

Categories
Movie Review

The Droving (2020) Movie Review

Director: George Popov

Writer: George Popov, Jonathan Russell (Screenplay)

Starring: Daniel Oldroyd, Suzie Frances Garton, Amy Tyger, Jonathan Lawrence Risdon, Bobby Robertson

Plot: A man returns from the military in search for his lost sister, who mysteriously went missing around the time of a strange traditional festival called ‘The Droving’.

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Suspenseful

Story: The Droving starts as Martin (Oldroyd) returns home from a military stint in search for his sister Megan (Tyger) who has gone missing, Tess (Garton) gives Martin the information she knows about, which includes a strange festival that was happening at the same time, which sees Martin starting his investigation.

As Martin heads into the wilderness, he starts to learn about the locals, with some offering clues, while others teach him about the ritual that is meant to be happening soon, each step is giving Martin the clues to what might have happened to Megan.

Thoughts on The Droving

Characters – Martin is a soldier that is going in search for his missing sister, he is trained in military defence which gets highlight in how he deals with threats and will push the limits in looking for answers, as we learn more about his past when he was in the services. Tess is the friend that gives Martin an update with what she does know about Megan’s disappearance, she is clear with everything that she knows. Megan is the sister that has done missing, we learn about her more from Martin knowing how she thinks and in flashback of their times together. We do meet other people that could offer clues along the way for Martin.

Performances – Daniel Oldroyd in the leading role is the star of the show, he carries the film with his delivery, which will make you a mix of scared and respect for his character through the film. When it comes to the rest of the cast, they all do a good job as they will being filling in the story through the film.

Story – The story here follows a soldier that goes in search of sister after she went missing, his investigation takes him into a festival which will see him diving into superstitions. When we look at this story, the best way to describe it would be to say it has the same feeling as ‘The Kill List’ with how it seems to start very normal, before diving into the supernatural incidents. The story is explained in the way that Martin will learn things, does help us question everything we are learning, even if it does also fall into the story telling style of, go here, then here, learn this, go here, see this person, learn more. It does keep it simple to follow and does balance the lines between reality and superstitions.

Mystery – The mystery in this film comes from seeing how Martin is trying to learn the truth about his sister, we learn like he does and it will go in a direction that he wasn’t expecting.

Settings – The film uses the settings to show us how village can still believe in strange beliefs which will see them being unwelcoming to strangers, add an air of tension to the film.


Scene of the Movie – The Hermit chat.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The dumb kid’s behaviour.

Final Thoughts – This is a suspenseful mystery that does keep us guessing through the film, we will be left wondering what did and will happen as the investigation continues.

Overall: Erie Thriller.

Categories
Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Action – J – Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019) Movie Review

This is under J because of the director John Herzfeld.

Director: John Herzfeld

Writer: John Herzfeld, Miles Chapman (Screenplay)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, 50 Cent, Jin Zhang, Harry Shum jr, Devon Sawa, Jaime King, Lydia Hull

Plot: After security expert Ray Breslin is hired to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Hong Kong tech mogul from a formidable Latvian prison, Breslin’s girlfriend is also captured.


Tagline – Prepare for the Damage!
Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Gritty

Story: Escape Plan: The Extractors starts as a Hong Kong businesswoman Daya Zhang (Melise) is kidnapped, Shen (Zhang) and Bao (Shum Jr) are forced to turn to Ray Breslin (Stallone) to help locate her, joined by Trent DeRosa (Bautista) they look into their past where they will need to face Lester Clark Jr (Sawa).

As Lester puts his plan into action, he takes Abigail (King), Ray’s girlfriend in an attempt to get leverage over him, only Ray isn’t giving up on the job and will look to prove him reputation when it comes to escaping jails.

Thoughts on Escape Plan: The Extractors

Characters – Ray Breslin still works on the field of getting people out of impossible situations, with his latest case being about rescuing a businesswoman kidnapped, only he will need to face his past as one of his old deals with see Lester Clark Jr target him, for what happened to his father. He sees the job becoming more personal, which shows he will not stop. Trent is the old friend that will always turn up when Ray calls, kick ass and leave, we really don’t see enough of this character. Lester Clark Jr has set up a masterplan to get revenge on Ray Breslin for what happened to his father, he will kill people that don’t follow his instructions or give him the information he requires. Shen and Bao are two men that will look to protect Daya, they have both failed and now they are doing what it takes to save her.

Performances – Sylvester Stallone in the leading role is trying to make up for the last outing, he does all the basics well, but it could have been any action film he has ever done, not letting him hit his high notes, Dave Bautista just doesn’t get enough screen time, while Devon Sawa is the only character you want to watch because of his character’s actions.

Story – The story here follows Ray Breslin as he gets his latest job to break into a prison and rescue a kidnapped businesswoman from an old enemy. This story does want to continue to use the ideas that was created with the first film, only it doesn’t seem to feel as slick as it was, we fall into a more gritty idea that just does feel like a routine action film that we would have seen before, it is nothing we haven’t seen before and doesn’t leave us with enough twists along the way, become rather plain by the end, despite being an improvement on the last outing in the franchise.

Action/Crime – The action is everything you would expect to see from a Stallone movie, his fighting works well enough, we do have the Hong Kong based character doing their fighting, while Dave Bautista gets to do the power on power fighting.

Settings – The film is set in the one location which is the prison where Lester operates, it doesn’t have the elaborate ideas the previous ones did, which does take away something from the concept behind the film.


Scene of the Movie – Trent versus the big guy.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is a generic action film.

Final Thoughts – This a generic sequel that does improve on the messy that was the second film, but it still along way away from the style of the first film.

Overall: Generic Action.