Tag: Action

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Movie Review

Last Seen Alive (2022) Movie Review

Last Seen Alive – Movie Review

Last Seen Alive

Director: Brian Goodman

Writer: Marc Frydman (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife mysteriously vanishes at a gas station. He delves into the town’s criminal underbelly while running from the authorities in a race against time to find her.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Last Seen Alive starts when Will Spann (Butler) is taking his wife Lisa (Alexander) to the airport to have a break from their marriage. However, when they stop at a gas station, Lisa goes missing. Will brings in Detective Paterson (Hornsby) to help with the investigation.

As Will looks to wait for answers, he decides to take matters into his own hands. The cast ends up showing that Lisa was taken and now the race is on to see who is involved with her abduction.

Verdict on Last Seen Alive

Last Seen Alive is an action thriller following a husband searching for answers about his missing wife. However, not everything is as it seems for him, as he finds himself in the middle of a bigger crime underworld.

This is a strange thriller because it falls into a position where it gives away something big in the opening sequence. However, it also makes it too big to be the final outcome of everything. There is a big mystery, but it just doesn’t seem to give us enough to keep us guessing. While the story tries its hardest to make both sides look suspicious about everything going on. Gerard Butler continues to make these fun action movies that have a darker edge to them. although, this won’t go down as one of his better ones.

Final Thoughts –Last Seen Alive is a great late-night action movie.

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Movie Review

13 Bombs (2023) Movie Review

13 Bombs – Movie Review

Discover the thrilling plot of 13 Bombs: an organization races against time to uncover the mastermind behind 13 bombs in Jakarta.

Director: Angga Dwimas Sasongko (Ben and Jody)

Writer: Angga Dwimas Sasongko, Mohammad Irfan Ramly (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An organization races against time to uncover the mastermind behind the placement of 13 bombs in Jakarta before the city falls into chaos.

Runtime: 2 Hours 23 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: 13 Bombs starts when a terrorist group attacks a money transport leaving the public to take what they left. The authorities led by Damaskus (Rosadi) try to figure out what happened, with Emil (Bimo) investigating the case. However, the terrorist leaves the authorities a video message claiming to set off a bomb every 8 hours unless their demands are met.

Damaskus and Emil start investigating the company the Bitcoin request would go through. This involves understanding how William (Pramono), Agnes (Lutesha) and Oscar (Kurniawan) made their fortune. However, the clock is ticking and the race to protect Jakarta is on.

Verdict on 13 Bombs

13 Bombs is an action thriller following terrorists who hold Jakarta to ransom. They have been committing many crimes, but nothing has reached the heights of their latest attacks. However, they have their own motivations that could see them in a different light.

This movie takes the real-time factor of an action situation and throws a city into a potential panic. It has the same feeling as Die Hard 3, where the terrorists have the city on alert and authorities race to stop them. However, this presents a different series of motivations behind the attacks. The story keeps you guessing and is filled with twists. Even if it does end up being longer than it needs to be. The action scenes are what we have come to expect over the years and are mostly different forms of shootouts.

Where to Watch

13 Bombs is available to watch on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – 13 Bombs is an all-out action-packed thriller.

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Movie Review

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2023) Movie Review

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead – Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Action – Z

Bullied corporate drone Akira Tendo's adventure into zombie outbreak in Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. Experience the Movie Review

Director: Yûsuke Ishida (Afuro Tanaka)

Writer: Tatsuro Mishima (Screenplay)

Writer: Haro Aso, Kotaro Takata (Manga)

Cast

Plot: Bullied by his boss, worked around the clock, he’s nothing more than a corporate drone. All it takes is a zombie outbreak for him to finally feel alive.

Runtime: 2 Hours 8 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead starts when overworked ambitious young man Akira Tendo (Akaso) wakes up to a life he never imagined. After a year of being pushed through overtime and chaos, he finds the world taken over by zombies. However, he decides to make the most of it, by doing everything he hasn’t done for the last year.

After a couple of days of freedom, Akira decides to look for his best friend Kenichiro (Yanagi) and they set up a safety plan. However, finding safety becomes more difficult and the lone survivor Shizuka Mikazuki (Shiraishi) is forced into doing the heavy lifting for them.

Verdict on Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is an action horror comedy. It follows a zombie outbreak in Japan as a group of survivors come together to survive. However, they look to make it more entertaining, rather than life-threatening or so they thought.

This is a movie that thrives off the concepts created in the Manga. It doesn’t take anything too seriously, which helps give us a comical creation in the world. There are parts which feel like ‘I Am Legend’ with operating around an open world, while it also includes the wacky adventures a ‘Zombieland’ gave us. However, it is the big boss fight which stands out as original and unlike anything we have witnessed before. This is wildly entertaining from start to finish.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Watch If You Liked: Zombieland

Final Thoughts – Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is wacky, hilarious and unforgettable.

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Movie Review

In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023) Movie Review

In the Land of Saints & Sinners – Movie Review

Discover the captivating world of In the Land of Saints & Sinners. A powerful movie exploring redemption, sin, and the price of forgiveness.

Director: Robert Lorenz (Trouble with the Curve)

Writer: Mark Michael McNally, Terry Loane (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: In a remote Irish village, a damaged father is forced to fight for redemption after a lifetime of sins, but what price is he willing to pay? In the land of saints and sinners, some sins can’t be buried.

Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: In the Land of Saints & Sinners starts when the latest attack on an Irish town occurs. Doireann McCann (Condon) escapes to a remote village. Meanwhile, Finbar Murphy (Neeson) and best friend Vincent O’Shea (Hinds) notice somebody new in town.

However, Finbar works for Robert McQue (Meaney) cleaning up troublemakers who pass through. He starts questioning his position in the battle and a young man Kevin Lynch (Gleeson) gets too close to him. Finbar soon learns he has got to close to Doireann’s crew and the battle for independence in Ireland has arrived in the small town.

Verdict on In the Land of Saints & Sinners

In the Land of Saints & Sinners is an action thriller following a cell of the IRA going into hiding in a small Irish town. However, they end up crossing paths with a hitman who has been cleaning up problems that pass through.

This movie brings us the idea of a small town getting unwanted visitors creating a wider-scale problem. It balances this with the tensions in Ireland between the two sides. This does follow a more traditional storyline, as we see everything escalating throughout the tension. Liam Neeson works well as the ageing hitman living a secret life. While Kerry Condon is fantastic as the psychotic lead of the terrorist cell. It is also great to see Jack Gleeson back acting after his years in Game of Thrones.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – In the Land of Saints & Sinners is an intense tale of rival side in Ireland.

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Movie Review

Prey! (2024) Movie Review

Prey! – Movie Review

Read the intense review of the movie 'Prey', a thrilling story about a young couple fighting for survival in the Kalahari Desert.

Director: Mukunda Michael Dewil (Vehicle 19)

Writer: Mukunda Michael Dewil (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A young couple is compelled to leave their Christian missionary station in the Kalahari Desert after being threatened with death by an extremist militant gang. After crashing their aircraft they must battle man and beast for their lives.

Runtime: 1 Hour 26 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Prey! Starts when Andy (Phillippe) and Sue (Suvari) must abandon their Christian Missionary post in Africa when their lives come under threat. Their escape is with shady smuggler Grun (Hirsch) who has strict rules for people to follow. However, the flight crash lands in the middle of a big game reserve surrounded by the deadliest hunters in Africa.

Sue is trapped in the wreckage, which sees Andy decide to wait with her. Meanwhile, Grun leads the others to safety, with the hope of sending back a rescue team. It becomes a race against time, as the predators are preparing for night when they can come out to hunt.

Verdict on Prey!

Prey! Is an action thriller following a group of plane crash survivors who find themselves in a big game reserve. They must figure out how to survive the predators waiting to pick them off, but time is running out.

This survival thriller looks to channel the same magic the Idris Elba lead ‘Beast’ did. Sadly, it doesn’t achieve this because it holds too much back. Even if it has a couple of surprise moments, nearly everything happens off-camera and it is more the reaction to what happened. All the promise of needing to survive against big game predators turns into a movie without any intensity to talk about. A series of characters we never learn enough about and decisions that make no sense. It is disappointing because this looked like it was going to be a lot of fun.

Where to Watch

Prey! is available on Digital Platforms and DVD 29 April. Distributed by Signature Entertainment.

Final Thoughts – Prey! Fails to land the promising concept without bringing any intensity to the situation.

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Movie Review

Year of the Gun (1991) Movie Review

Year of the Gun – ABC Film Challenge – Action – Y – Year of the Gun – Movie Review 

Year of the Gun

Director: John Frankenheimer

Writer: Michael Mewshaw, David Ambrose (Screenplay)

Cast

 

Plot: Two young Americans, he a journalist and she a photojournalist, experience Red Brigades terrorists close up in Rome, 1978.  

Runtime: 1 Hour 51 Minutes  

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review 

Story: Year of the Gun starts as two American journalists David (McCarthy) and Alison (Stone) find themselves getting involved in investigating the Red Brigade. David has been in Rome for a while now, while Alison has only recently arrived and is willing to take extra risks.

However, when they start getting too close to the story. The Red Brigades come for them, looking to clean up all the loose ends before they can get exposed. This ends up becoming a cat-n-mouse chase around Rome in a battle to survive.  

Verdict on Year of the Gun

Year of the Gun is an action thriller following two journalists that get caught up in the Red Brigades in Rome. They find themselves trying to figure out who is the leader and what they want from their actions. It sees them risking their lives and now they find themselves targeted.

This does get to dive into the troubling times going on in Rome at the time. It shows the risk journalists can take for a big story.  There is plenty of twists and turns when trying to uncover the truth that leaves us surprised with certain reveals. This does offer a brief glimpse into what was occurring during that time and shows the disturbing way things were dealt with.  

Final Thoughts – Year of the Gun shows a disturbing series of events in Rome in 1978.

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Movie Review

City Hunter (2024) Movie Review

City Hunter – Movie Review

Experience the excitement of City Hunter. Follow Ryo Saeba on his quest for justice as he teams up with Kaori to uncover the truth behind his partner's death.

Director: Yûichi Satô

Writer: Tatsuro Mishima (Screenplay)

Writer: Tsukasa Hôjô (Manga)

Cast

Plot: An exceptional marksman and hopeless playboy, private eye Ryo Saeba reluctantly forms an alliance with his late partner’s sister to investigate his death.

Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes  

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: City Hunter starts as Ryo Saeba (Suzuki) and Hideyuki Makimura (Ando) run a private investigation service. Their latest job sees them running into a series of people with unique abilities. However, it leads to them becoming the hunters and Ryo needing to tackle the threat.

Ryo must team up with Hideyuki’s sister Kaori (Morita) to solve his murder. However, it means he must break his promise to his friend and let her enter the criminal world he promised never to let her enter.

Verdict on City Hunter

City Hunter is an action comedy following a playboy detective teaming up with his murdered partner’s sister to try and solve his murder. However, the mystery shows a dangerous substance circulating the city. One that gives people aggressive abilities.

This movie takes us into a weird wacky world, as we follow the investigation. It shows the danger of testing drugs and how deadly the people covering it would become. With this being based on a Manga, we can see things getting out of hand easily, without it ever looking out of place. The comedy hits well and gives plenty of laughs along the way. Ryohei Suzuki is hilarious in the leading role embracing the comedy required and the action needed.

Where to Watch

City Hunter is available to watch on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – City Hunter is an enjoyable wacky action comedy.

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Movie Review

White Elephant (2022) Movie Review

White Elephant – ABC Film Challenge – Action – W – White Elephant – Movie Review

White Elephant – ABC Film Challenge – Action – W – White Elephant - Movie Review

Director: Jesse V Johnson

Writer: Jesse V Johnson, Erik Martinez, Katharine Lee McEwan (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An ex-marine enforcer must battle his conscience and code of honor when he is forced to do things for the mob.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: White Elephant starts when Glen Follett (Malkovich) pulls the trigger on targeting a rival mob. He assigns Gabriel Tancredi (Rooker) to eliminate them, however, the hitman gets noticed by two cops including Vanessa Flynn (Kurylenko).

However, after the job goes wrong the crime boss Arnold Solomon (Willis) sends out everyone to kill Vanessa. She must figure out who she can trust and stop the people who killed her partner.

Verdict on White Elephant

White Elephant is an action thriller following a criminal mob trying to clean up their latest job. However, they find themselves against a resourceful skilful cop who isn’t going down without a fight.  Meanwhile, one of the group starts to grow a conscious about their methods.

This is a movie following the idea that a crime syndicate looks to eliminate the competition. However, the competition fights back and now a lone cop could be the one person to bring everything down. This feels like a typical late-night action movie, it uses a style of action that isn’t as intense as it looks. We get the big named actors to peak interest and a few cheeky one-liners along the way.

Final Thoughts –White Elephant is a typical late-night action movie.

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Movie Review

Land of Bad (2024) Movie Review

Land of Bad – Movie Review

Uncover the thrilling Land of Bad film. Follow a special forces mission as they navigate danger and reliance on a remote Air Force drone operator.

Director: William Eubank (Underwater)

Writer: David Frigerio, William Eubank (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A US Army special forces unit is ambushed during a mission to retrieve an intelligence asset and their only remaining hope lies with a remote Air Force drone operator assisting them through a brutal 48-hour battle for survival.

Runtime: 1 Hour 53 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Land of Bad starts when Master Sgt John Sweet (Ventimiglia) leads a special forces mission. His team includes JJ Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), Abell (Luke Hemsworth), and Bishop (Whittle). While Captain Eddie Grimm ‘Reaper’ (Crowe) and Nia Branson (Ikogwe) operate a drone above them.

However, the mission gets compromised, and Eddie must guide Kinney out of the area. Eddie uses his calm persona to guide from the skies, as Kinney navigates the area surrounded by enemies.

Verdict on Land of Bad

Land of Bad is an action thriller following a special force team whose mission gets compromised. They are guided from the skies by a drone pilot, as they look to survive against a ruthless enemy. However, the race against time proves to be a lot more challenging than anyone imagined.

This movie feels like an updated version of ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ using a lot more of the modern conflict methods. The action is intense and ruthless once the mission goes wrong. Meanwhile, the drone team has a much more complex reflection on how casual certain members of the team are. Even if this can draw back the intensity of the movie, as one side of the story becomes comical at times.

Where to Watch

Land of Bad streaming on Prime Video 26 April.

Final Thoughts –Land of Bad is a relentless action thriller.