Category: Movie Review

Categories
Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Action – O – Olympus Has Fallen (2013) Movie Review

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Writer: Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt (Screenplay)

Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Rick Yune, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell

Plot: Disgraced Secret Service agent (and former presidential guard) Mike Banning finds himself trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack; using his inside knowledge, Banning works with national security to rescue the President from his kidnappers.


Tagline – When our flag falls our nation will rise. 

Runtime: 1 Hour 59 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Action-Packed Thriller

Story: Olympus Has Fallen starts after disgraced secret service agent Mike Banning (Butler) has found an office job near the White House after failing to save President Benjamin Asher’s (Eckhart) wife after an accident. With the President holding talks with the South Korean Prime Minister, Washington comes under attack with the President finding safety is the bunker, only to learn known terrorist Kang (Yune) has been planning this attack for a long time.

Mike Banning finds his way into a battered White House to help save the President’s son first before looking to rescue the President with his only communication being from the current leaders of the country, can he save the day from this ruthless terrorist.

Thoughts on Olympus Has Fallen

Characters – Mike Banning was once the President’s closest friend in the secret service, the one his trust, he lost this trust after an accident sees Mike choosing to save the President over his wife (even though that is his job). He is left disgraced, but always ready to protect his country and his president, which he will have to do today, showing off all of his military training to take on the full army of enemies stood in his way. Mike is clearly designed to be like John McClane too, with how he goes about dealing with the enemies. President Benjamin Asher is a much-loved President, he is looking to help South Korea with the problem they are facing from the North only to find himself held captive, he doesn’t want to see his team injured or killed, forcing them to help give away the codes Kang wants, trying to prove America won’t negotiate with terrorists. Kang is the terrorist that has been known to the world by name, never face, until today, he takes over the White House with his men and wants the President to help him withdraw forces in the oceans around South Korea, he isn’t afraid to kill people to get what he wants and will make the President watch too. Speaker Trumbull takes control of the country with the President and Vice-President held captive, he must help make the difficult decisions which could see people killed.

Performances – Gerard Butler is intense as the action hero, we know he is always going to be strong in these type of films and here is no different. Aaron Eckhart as the president is always going to be a good choice because he does have a calming presence which we saw in places during The Dark Knight. Rick Yune as the villain is strong showing his cold side through the film, while Morgan Freeman does lead a strong cast through the table of power.

Story – The story here follows a disgraced secret service agent that will get the chance to redeem his name after the President is taken hostage in the White House by a terrorist. This is a pure action film, it does everything that we saw in the likes of Die Hard, with one man needing to do everything he can to save the hostage, which just so happens to be the President. We don’t get many twists or turns along the way, with everything just being what we need to keep us guessing to what will happen next, because we know Mike isn’t going to be losing along the way. The side of the story which does shine, comes from just how deadly the terrorists are by how many people they are willing to kill.

Action – The action in the film does include large scale destruction with bodies flying everywhere, we do calm this down with a much more scaled down approach within the walls, but this is still showing us how good Butler is at action.

Settings – The film is set in the White House, one of the safest places and hardest to break into, this does help show how dangerous this situation has become because the people being held hostage have the power to destroy the world.

Special Effects – When it comes to the special effects, this could well be the weakest part of the film because we see a clearly CGI attack happening from the outset, which looks like it has dated badly.


Scene of the Movie – The attack might well have CGI issues, but the scale is brilliant.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Seems too easy to pull off.

Final Thoughts – This is a pure fun action movie that easily knows what it is, with it being action packed fun, it is one man verses an army which is all we need at times.

Overall: Big action spectacle.

Categories
Movie Review

It Stains the Sands Red (2016)

Director: Colin Minihan

Writer: Colin Minihan, Stuart Ortiz (Screenplay)

Starring: Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir, Kristopher Higgins, Andrew Supanz, Nico David

 

Plot: In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, a troubled woman from Las Vegas with a dark past finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone and ravenous zombie on her tail.


Tagline – If the heat doesn’t kill you, something else will.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Tense Thriller

 

Story: It Stains the Sands Red starts as Molly (Allen) and Nick (Mondesir) are getting out of Las Vegas after a zombie outbreak, breaking down on the side of the road through the desert, the two find themselves being stalked by a single zombie. Nick killed, leaves Molly alone, the problem is she can’t shake the zombie who she nicknames Smalls (Riedinger), who just follows her through the desert.

Continuing her journey Molly learns the hard way that Smalls isn’t the only danger she is facing in the desert. Can she make it to the airport before it is too late.

 

Thoughts on It Stains the Sands Red

 

Characters – Molly is our main character, she is party animal and stripper with a drug addiction using Nick to get out of the chaos that is zombie riddled Las Vegas. She is left along to make her way for the desert in hopes of finding the airport which should offer her safety. The problem is that she is joined by a zombie that follows her like a dog becoming almost like her guardian angel. Smalls is the zombie that is following Molly, he appears from nowhere only to constantly following her through the desert, he starts to listen to instructions to stay with her. Anyone else we meet are only used in small amounts of scenes including Nick the man that was taking Molly to safety and others along the journey.  

Performances – Brittany Allen in the leading role is excellent, she must carry the film with her performance and even though her characters starts as an unlikeable character as the film continues her performance makes you care for the character. Juan Riedinger as the zombie is the next closest to any getting screen time and with the help of the make-up department never looks out of place in his role.

Story – The story here is very simple, we follow one woman during a zombie outbreak that finds herself stranded in the middle of the desert with a single zombie following her at a pace that she can easily outpace. The simplistic survival instinct that is shown by Molly from early in the movie. We have a character that must face her own demons that she gets to face in her search for survival, proving that her past can be what she needs to keep her going.

Horror – The horror in this movie focuses on the desperate attempt to survive in a zombie infested world, while we get to look at the idea that zombies are not the only threat within this new chaos.

Settings – The film keeps us in the desert for the most part, it shows us just how desperate Molly is to survive in this world that one of the most dangerous places in the world could be her only hope.

Special Effects – The effects are practical for the most part, we don’t get many and they are used for a mix of the zombies and the kills.


Scene of the Movie – The locked room.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The people Molly meets hits a checklist for zombie movies.

Final Thoughts – This is a good twist on the zombie genre, following the solo woman that must get survive with her lone follower a zombie.

 

Overall: Standout zombie movie.

Rating

 

 

Categories
Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Action – N – Valhalla Rising (2009) Movie Review

This is under N because of the director Nicolas Winding Refn.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Writer: Nicolas Winding Refn, Roy Jacobsen (Screenplay)

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Alexander Morton, Stewart Porter, Maarten Stevenson, Matthew Zajac, Gordon Brown, Gary McCormack

Plot: Forced for some time to be a fighting slave, a pagan warrior escapes his captors with a boy and joins a group of Crusaders on their quest to the Holy Land.

Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: What Was This?

Story: Valhalla Rising starts as One Eye (Mikkelsen) is forced into fights to prove his owner has the strongest fighter, waiting for his chance to escape, he does joined by The Boy (Stevenson) the two go in search for something more, when they join Kare (Lewis) as a Crusader heading to the Holy Land.

As the journey continues, One Eye slowly sees the Crusaders start to lose their own minds, believing they are doing God’s will, with their blind following, while One Eye proves just how dangerous he is.

Thoughts on Valhalla Rising

Characters – One Eye is a slave in early mankind, he is forced into fights, where he always kills the enemies, after he escapes, he becomes a warrior that leads people in a direction they aren’t ready to go down. He doesn’t say a word. Kare, Gorm and Eirik are Christian Vikings from the Crusades looking for the Holy Land, they each believe there is something different in the message sent to them with One Eye, which sees them lose control between themselves.

Performances – Mads Mikkelsen is the highlight of the film here, he keeps his character looking mysterious, while also being deadly. The rest of the cast might handle the dialogue which fills in a lot of the story, they don’t do much else in the film.

Story – The story follows a slave kept for fighting that breaks free going on his own adventure leading a group of Crusaders into the depths of a place they haven’t been to before. This is a story that doesn’t seem to get very deep, with most of the story being travelling and see how blind the Crusaders would be in their beliefs and see one man break free and becoming a leader, the ending will leave you scratching your head though.

Action/Fantasy – The action in the film follows the fight sequences that One Eye goes through, though a lot of action is being held back from what could happen, with the fantasy side of the film showing us just how the world doesn’t seem as real as the characters believe it is.

Settings – The film uses the settings to show the new discoveries that the character go on along their journey.

Special Effects – The effects are used for the brutality of the fights, which show us just what is going on in the fights.


Scene of the Movie – One Eye’s first fight.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – There is a lot of walking.

Final Thoughts – This isn’t the most engaging film you will see, it seems to have plenty of walking and symbolism around the early era of the Crusades.

Overall: Something or Nothing.

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
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