Executive Decision, 1996

EXECUTIVE DECISION
Kurt Russell, Halle Berry

ACTION

Terrorists have hijacked a Boeing 747 en route to Washington D.C. and demand the release of one of their own from American custody.

When officials realize that there's a weapon of mass destruction on board and a plan to strike at the U.S. capital, its up to an elite team of special forces commandos and a daring mid-air insertion to defuse the threat before its too late.







THE GOOD : Typical '90s era actioner with plenty of over the top scenes, a fun and tense ride.
THE BAD : Not much in the way of story and acting won't win at the critics.

-6/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILERS :

Not bad as a popcorn movie / dvd rental. The film's main attraction is of course the physics defying mid air transfer of commandos from a specially modified stealth fighter to the hijacked airliner without drawing attention from the terrorists inside.

Always nice to see John Leguizamo around. I personally find his amount of feistiness/energy often over the top and humourous. Another notable is Halle Berry in one of her earlier roles before Monster's Ball.

The Social Network, 2010

THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake

DRAMA

Upset after a breakup with his girlfriend, Havard student Mark Zuckerberg retires to his dorm for an alcohol fueled rant on his blog and hacks into residence hall databases to create a website where participants can rate the attractiveness of female students. Zuckerberg gains the ire of his female colleagues and a 6 month academic probation for the disruption to the university network.

Taking notice of the stint and its viral popularity, a group of seniors hire Zuckerberg as a programmer for their own social networking page, the HarvardConnection. Progress on the website is minimal and while the situation seems stale, Zuckerberg approaches his friend with an idea to launch Thefacebook, his own idea of a social networking website. The implications are soon realized and just as fast as the site expands, the legal troubles begin to stack up.

THE GOOD : Great performances, dynamic script, tight and fast paced.
THE BAD : A Story about Facebook has its doubters.

-9/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILERS :

I admit I doubted the movie as well. I mean what could possibly have happened that could be made into a feature length movie and 2 hours at that?

I was wrong. The movie is a tapestry of memories and recollections weaving in and out of legal hearings where Zuckerberg and his opponents are trapped in a battle over egos and intellectual property. There's a dynamic about the characters that will have you dying to find out what's next.

14 Blades / 錦衣衛, 2010

錦衣衛
(cant. "Gam-Yee-Wai" / mand. "Jin-Yi-Wei" / eng. "Brocade-Clad Guard")
Donnie Yen, Zhao Wei

Action, Wuxia

Legend has it that the Emperors of the Ming Dynasty employed secret imperial police to keep order and stability within the empire. Trained in combat since childhood, these 'Jin Yi Wei' were bestowed the power to arrest and persecute in the name of the emperor.

During a time of corruption and incompetence in the late Ming Dynasty, the Jin Yi Wei, taking orders from the eunuch faction, struggle to maintain stability amidst a period of countless rebellions. Qinglong, the leader of the Jin Yi Wei, receives orders from the chief eunuch to kill a rebellious Imperial Councilor and retrieve a box containing a list of names deemed enemies of the state.

Qinglong and his team seize the box at great cost of life only to realize he had been used in a conspiracy to steal the Imperial Seal. The Jin Yi Wei leader finds himself on the run as he struggles to piece together who set him up and outrun his fellow Jin Yi Wei which are now hot on his tail.


THE GOOD : Interesting premise, some tense battles and nice action choreography
THE BAD : Too much CGI takes away from movie and the fight scenes, similar plotlines, Donnie Yen can fight but don't ask him to try romance.

-4/10

l'Immortel, 2010

L'IMMORTEL
Jeno Reno

ACTION, DRAMA

Once feared mob boss Charly Mattei turned in his life in the Marseille mafia for a chance to spend time with his wife and their two kids. Echoes of his old life come back to haunt him when he is gunned down in an underground parking lot.

Miraculously, he survives and a long recovery ordeal later, he is reunited with family but also with those who want him out for good.







THE GOOD : Decent actioner, crime drama. Poetic cinematography along with a good performance by Jean Reno.
THE BAD : Plot not new, tense but predictable.

-6/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILERS :
L'immortel ain't no Leon but has Jean Reno in a similar role of menace turned civilian but encounters the criminal element and must do battle once more. Here, he's more the family man and to a certain point, you find Jean almost endearing in his role as a conflicted ex-mafia boss. Not a bad film.

The Mechanic, 2011

THE MECHANIC
Jason Statham, Ben Foster

ACTION

The world has its ups and downs and business is good for those ready and able to deal with the problems. Arthur Bishop is one of those men. Employed by a secretive organization, Bishop gets handed assignments few men dare to even suggest. He is the best at what he does, that is until he's forced to take out one of his own and finds himself dealing with the aftermath, the troubled son.

Taking him under his wing, Bishop trains the youngster in the business of killing knowing full well he is on a collision course with his past.


THE GOOD : Some intense action sequences, the two man hit team is a treat to watch in action.
THE BAD : The film loses steam and the plot fizzles as things are just starting to heat up.

-4/10

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THOUGHTS/SPOILERS :

The movie starts off on key but sooner or later the notes become stuttered and short and the piece starts to fragment just as the action kicks off which is rather unfortunate. Situations become a bit far fetched and the rest of the movie becomes a predictable drag you can't wait to see finish.

This movie finds the same tragic flaws as did other similar assassin genre pieces like Wanted where the premise of the film starts off well but fails to hold up. Some of Statham's other generic action movies actually play through in a more coherent manner despite a more fantasized story like the movie Death Race. (I haven't seen Transporter 2/3 at this time so will not comment. Not in a rush to either.)

Memento, 2000

MEMENTO
Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano

THRILLER

Leonard has anterograde amnesia. He remembers everything from his past, who he was, right up until the attack that cost him his wife and his mind. Unable to form new memories, he has no idea what has happened since, who he's met, what he has done.

With only a handful of polaroids and the notes scrawled on the back, Leonard struggles in his search for the truth and to learn from his records in an ever shifting world of deception.





THE GOOD : Original and revolutionary multi-layered plot, solid performances from the cast, not to be missed!
THE BAD : Hard to find the DVD

-9/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILERS :

Can't really say much without spoiling the movie. The progression of the movie will leave you as utterly confused as the protagonist who struggles day to day in his search for answers all the while being hampered by deteriorating memories. As you piece things together, the genius of Nolan's film begins to pan out. Be prepared to have watch it again (and maybe again) to pick up on all the subtleties.

Unstoppable, 2010

UNSTOPPABLE
Denzel Washington, Chris Pine

DRAMA, THILLER

A veteran engineer and a young conductor are out on field training at a locomotive yard when they are called to reign in an unmanned freight train set loose from an ill advised stunt by a worker trying to cut back on a shift.

The pair are put through a test of their wits and trust in each other as they race to stop the speeding freight train, loaded with hazardous materials, from barreling into their hometown of Stanton.




The Good : Great cinematography and the tense atmosphere doesn't let up despite the simple plot.
The Bad : Predictable story and the trailer spoils some of the good bits.

-8/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILER WARNING :

This is director Tony Scott's latest film and probably one of his most successful pieces where the marriage of his trademark jittery camera work and fast paced editing help rampant up the tension and suspense despite what would be a simple and predictable plot.

The film is deepened by the steady revealing some of the history behind the two main characters and adds a lot more emotional weight to the story. The soundtrack is a another great Harry Gregson Williams addition chiming in at the right times to ratchet up tension or go in for the poignant piano stretches.

Overall, it's not a overly deep or complex film but what it has, it does very well.