Author: Darren Lucas

Big Film fan and general entertainment fan

Categories
Movie Review

Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring; Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb, Michael Irby, Gregory Itzin, Regina Hall, Emerald-Angel Young, Christian Stolte, Annie Corley, Richard Portnow, Viola Davis, Josh Stewart

While simply looking after his daughter and getting ready for the family meal a door bell rings and Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) answers the door only to get attacking by two men restrained and beaten the men move into the house killing his wife and young daughter. Clarence Darby (Christian Stolte) and Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart) are caught and taken to a trial. Hot shot lawyer Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is offered a deal which gives him his guarantee success rate which is all that matters to him. This deal with Clarence means Rupert is put to death while he goes free after three years in jail. Clyde is less than impressed but has little choice but to accept.

Ten years down the line Rupert Ames is about to be executed and Nick and his mentor Jonas Cantrell (Bruce McGill) and his new apprentice Sarah Lowell (Leslie Bibb) all go to view, only something goes wrong leading to a less human death for Ames. The police go after Clarence thinking he might know or be involved in the crime only for him to be given an escape by a mystery police man who turned out to be Clyde. Clyde ends up butchering Clarence and filming it.

Police then arrest Clyde Nick questions Clyde only for Clyde to use a play on words to sound guilty but never actually admitting anything. The Tape Clyde filmed was sent to Nicks Family his wife Kelly (Regina Hall) and daughter Denise (Emerald-Angel Young) who watch it only for the tape to reveal no image of the murderer. On to the bail hearing where Clyde gets Judge Laura Burch (Annie Corley) to grant bail with legal material he has learnt himself. Only to laugh and shove it in her face question how they can let someone accused of murder free.

Clyde is now in jail waiting for trial but starts offering deals to Nick if these deals are not met people involved in the original case will die, will Nick continue to take the deals or not? who will be the ones to suffer for Nick’s pride and Clyde revenge.

The Story will keep you on the edge of your seat and also keep you question who to cheer for as Nick is by the book not getting hands dirty guy while Clyde is trying to bring the justice system down so there are no more deals. I personally cheer for Clyde as his character sums up the feeling anyone who had something similar happen to them would drive them to the edge.

My overall rating is a perfect action thriller 93%

Categories
Movie Review

Twelve Rounds (2009)

Director: Renny Harlin
Starring: John Cena, Aidan Gillen, Ashley Scott, Steve Harris, Brian White, Gonzalo Menendez, Taylor Cole, Kyle Russell-Clements

Starting out with the FBI trying to catch Miles Jackson (Aidan Gillen) an international arms salesman which goes wrong, Miles and his girlfriend Erica (Taylor Cole) are having a steady get away when they just happen to stop next to a patrol car. In this patrol car are Danny Fisher (John Cena) and his partner Hank Carver (Brian White) and the two go for a routine pull over which also goes wrong leaving Hank Shot and the patrol car totalled. Danny sets out on foot to catch the car cutting through houses and gardens, After a few blocks he catches up only for disaster to strike Erica is killed in an accident leaving Miles swearing revenge.

One year later Danny and Hank are now detectives after capturing Miles. Thinking this will be just another day Danny and his wife Molly (Ashley Scott) set out on their ways Molly catches the ferry to work, when Danny gets a phone call not just any phone call it is Miles. Miles ends up blowing up their house and capturing Molly forcing Danny to go twelve rounds against him completing tasks ranging from stopping a street tram with no brakes to jumping out of a twenty storey building. Danny, Hank and two FBI agents George Aiken (Steve Harris), Ray Santiago (Gonzalo Menendez) all set out to stop what called be city wide destruction.

Director Renny Harlin credits include Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and Deep Blue Sea. Twelve Rounds really follows this movies up nicely with endless edge of the seat action. John Cena lacks any real acting ability but really lives up to the term action star and is actually believable as a cop pushed to the limit to save his wife. Aidan Gillan also shines as a almost psychopathic villain who has nothing to learn and a very good plan set out.

As Story this is over the top but is very watchable to anyone who is a fan of an all out action movie, with very little to really think about storyline wise you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. Hopefully people can look pasted the fact John Cena is a wrestler and look at him as an action star because he could well become a good one.

My Overall Rating for this movie is a solid 84%

Categories
Movie Review

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

 

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Starring: Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Sarah Birightman, Paris Hilton, Bill Moseley, Nivek Ogre, Terrance Zdunich, Sarah Power

After the a worldwide epidemic a biotech company GenCo offer an organ transplant with the payment set out as a loan. However there is a catch if you miss a re-payment a repoman will come and take the organ back. With the black market offering zydrate a new painkilling drug taken from dead bodies. We enter the world very different to what we are used to seeing.

Our heroine is Shilo (Alexa Vega) and sick young girl who unable to go outside due to her sickness but secretly sneaks off to her mothers grave. Her curiosity of bugs lands her in trouble when she bumps into the GraveRobber (Terrance Zdunich) doing what he does best collecting zydrate, only the alarms go off and all grave trespassers get shot on site. Shilo gets caught but the Repo Man stops them killing her.

The Repo Man (Anthony Head) is Shilo father (but she doesn’t know it)  job is given to him by Rotti (Paul Sorvino) after Repo Man who’s everyday name is Nathan believes he is responsible for Marni his wife’s death. Rotti himself is dying he has to find an heir for his job as head of GenCo and his three children are only disappointing. Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton) addicted to surgery and zydrate. Luigi (Bill Moseley) is hot headed and just kills people in a heart beat. Pavi who wears a different face for each event he attends. also to make Rotti’s job harder his poster girl Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman) wants to leave.

Rotti sets out the talk Shilo into being the new poster girl for his company by promising to cure her sickness, while he sends Nathan out to kill Blind Mag lets the opera start who will be left standing when all the blood is spilt? Who will be in charge of GenCo?

The thing that makes this movie stand out above the rest is the rock opera with everything being sung through out the film with some very catchy songs and some bad ones but hey. Each location is very dark showing how down the world has become. the story is easy to follow told in a simple enough format but also keeps the twists in the story a surprise.

This movie came from a play created by Terrance Zdunich which was meant to have to more in the series a sequel and prequel but due to it poor performance at the box office it looks very unlikely we will get the second and third film.

I personal enjoy this movie as it is original and we don’t get many rock opera movies i will give this movie a 89%

Categories
Movie Review

Watchmen (2009)

Director: Zack Synder

Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer, Stephen McHattie,

The year is 1985 but this isn’t the world we lived through. Costume Vigilantes have been closed down by the government, but after the death of the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) the team is reunited trying to solve the murder of their former partner. As the plot thickens a bigger and more shocking plan is underway.

Told from Rorcshach (Jackie Earle Haley) diaries looking back at how the team was and looking at the new team learning origins and specialist abilities of all members. The original team included The Comedian, Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino), Night Owl (Stephen McHattie), Moloch (Matt Frewer) and Dr Manhattan (Billy Crudup). While the new team include the original names of Silk Spectre ll (Malin Akerman) Night Owl ll (Patrick Wilson), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) and still Dr Manhattan.

Rorcshach is the main investigator believing there is a bigger plot and that someone really is out to kill the original Watchmen each twist and turn keeps you guessing on what really is happening and the love triangle between Dr Manhatten, Night Owl ll and Silk Spectre ll shows how human this heroes are too.

Based on a graphic novel and one the most popular at that director Zack Snyder delivers an absolute masterpiece that will keep you coming back to watch again and again. Visually this movie delivers whether its the alternate New York, Mars or whether the next scene takes you. the storyline is brilliant and goes against ever superhero movie you may have seen before. Each over the top fight sequences doesn’t shy away from any limits be it taken on run of the mill criminals or fighting the enemy.

Overall i would say this is the best graphic novel to movie adaptations and a must see 94%

Categories
Movie Review

Tooth Fairy (2010)

Director: Michael Lembeck

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd, Stephen Merchant, Ryan Sheckler, Seth MacFarlane, Julie Andrews, Billy Crystal,

Derek Thompson (Dwayne Johnson) is an aging ice hockey star playing in the minor leagues, he shatters children’s dreams because his was taken from him. With a new superstar joining the team and a building relationship with his girlfriend Carly (Ashley Judd) and her two children Randy and Tess, Derek starts to notice his age.

He then gets summered to be a tooth fairy to make up for his dream breaking. transformed to the fairy land he meets Tracey (Stephen Merchant) who becomes his almost like parole officer for his sentence give to him by head tooth fairy Lily (Julie Andrews). Now Derek must learn to become a better person.

This is the last Disney comedy Dwayne Johnson appeared in and yet again he appears as an aging sports star like the Game Plan. With a great cameo like role for Billy Crystal as Jerry the guy who goes through the different tools to make Derek a better tooth fairy.

It offers a strong family message with the whole never give up on your dreams and has the typical comedy scenarios and everyone performs well throughout the movie.

My overall rating would be a 75%

Categories
Movie Review

2012 (2009)

Director:  Roland Emmerich

Starring:John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Thomas McCarthy, Woody Harrleson, Danny Glover, Liam James, Stephen McHattie

Based on Mayan superstition this is the end of the world, now how do man survive this?

First off Dr Adrien Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and one of his associates discover the world is overheating from the inside due to solar flares. so he gets a solution to the end of the world started up with governments all around the world. Now in 2012 things start to accelerate and time is running out.

Meanwhile a struggling divorced writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) gets a weekend camping with his two children. He takes them down to Yellowstone only to find out the Lake has nearly all gone and after approaching the army take them back to a base. Here he meets Dr Helmsley a fan and sounding like his only fan of his book. After the chatty chatty big fan speech the family get escorted of the land back tot he camp area. After arriving conspiracy nut Charlie Frost (Woody Harrleson) asks what is there and tells Jackson what he believes to be happening, Jackson just assumes he is crazy and ignores his warnings.

After dropping his kids back home he goes to his day job as a limo driver only to discover that Charlie might be making some sense, he rushes back to the house and get his kids ex wife and boyfriend. now we have one of the most amazing over the top car chase action sequences ever with a limo driving through town avoiding everything possible making it to an airport and fly away to safety for now.

After flying to the Yellowstone abandoned army base to refuel Jackson goes in search of Charlie. After finding him on top of a mountain over looking Yellowstone he learns of the crafts for safety or future of mankind, now for the next chase against nature this time in a camper van with a volcanic cloud after them,

Flying of to the next airport Jackson meets his employer who needs an extra pilot for the trip to China where the vessels are kept, after yet another over the top action sequence they are left to fend for themselves in the middle of the mountains of China, meeting a family who has worked on vessels and created a plan to sneak on a vessel.

Roland Emmerich follows up action blockbuster like Independence day, Godzilla and Day after tomorrow with another action blockbuster and he sure dose like destroying America in his movies.

This is a truly epic survival adventure if not very hard to believe it is full of cliche and cheesy one liners and overall just a good fun movie to watch, he throws up the question ‘what would we do in this situation?’ and puts out how money can buy you safety.

Overall i would give it an 82% as it keeps you holing onto what will happen next.

Categories
Movie Review

Buried (2010)

Director:Rodrigo Cortes

Starring: Ryan Reynolds

A man Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is buried in a coffin and has 90minutes to raise $5 million simple sounding movie right?

From the opening scene or Paul stirring awake realising where he is you just know you have to see this through to the end. Finding out he has a lighter, cellphone and the contents of his pockets. After making several phone calls trying to he starts finding solutions but just as one closes another one started.

This movie is one the most suspense driven movies you could possibly see Ryan Reynolds shines in this outstanding performance that will have you seating on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Rating a nail bitting 90%

Categories
Movie Review

Red (2010)

Retired and Extremely Dangerous that is Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) Marvin Boggs ( John Malkovich) Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Joe Matherson (Morgan Freeman) these characters are trying to figure out why the C.I.A after trying to kill them. Being lead by William Cooper (Karl Urban) our veterans play a game of cat and mouse which slowly unfolds the reasons for the hunt down by the C.I.A.

Full of lots of action sequences and one liners and a storyline that keeps you interested all the way through. Brucie does what he does best, John Malkovich shines as the one who has lost his mind and Karl Urban does a very good job as the government guy.

with all the twists and turns this movie is one for all action movie fans i will give it a solid 82%

Categories
Movie Review

G.I Joe The rise of Cobra (2009)

Director:Stephen Sommers

Starring: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Byung-hun Lee, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rachel Nicholls, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid

From the director of ‘the mummy’, ‘the mummy returns’ and ‘van helsing’ Stephen Sommers brings us G.I Joe the rise of cobra. first of i have no idea any back story of an G.I Joe so all the characters i talk about are new to me.

We start of learning how Mccullen family traded weapons to both sides on war and getting caught and having to wear a mask for the rest of his life. fast forward to ‘the near future’ we see James MCcullen (Christopher Eccleston) owner of MCcullen Enterprise who develop weapons and they have now created a nano byte weapon capable of eating through metal. Leaving his weapons in the hands of a team of elite marines to deliver lead by Captain Duke Hause (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans). The convoy comes under attacking by a team lead by The Baroness (Sienna Miller) using weapons they are unfamiliar with, Duke and Ripcord try to fight back only to be saved by the Joes Heavy Duty, Scarlett, Breaker and Snake Eyes.

After returning with the Joes to the base meeting General Abernathy (Dennis Quaid) the pass over the weapons after communication with MCcullen. Duke and Ripcord request to join the Joes and they were once scouted before they give them a chance cue the montage of the training program.

On the other side of the fence we learn that MCcullen actually organised the attack on the convoy. He and the mysterious Doctor (Joseph Gordon Levitt) have created super soldiers who know no fear. Along with the Baroness he has Storm Shadow and Zartan in his villain squad. The team attacks the Joes base stealing the weapons.

In there investigation into the Baroness who also happens to be Duke ex-fiancee the Joes stumble upon the team and of we go with a high speed chase through Paris.

overall this is a fun movie with some very well used flashbacks connection between Duke and Baroness also Storm Shadow and Snake eyes. yes this is an over the top action movie but it also doesn’t lose the viewer due to something always going on. filled with simple one liners you get the Stephen Sommers feel from start to finish.

My score will be 93%