"RED" (2010) ReviewLoosely inspired by the three-part DC Comics comic book series created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, "RED" told the story about a former black-ops C.I.A. agent named Frank Moses, who reassembles his old team in a last ditch effort to survive a series of assassination attempts on him. Thanks to one member of his team, Marvin Boggs, Frank learns that a mysterious figure is sending both assassins and a C.I.A. black-ops agent named William Cooper to wipe out all members of a secret mission in Guatemala that Frank participated in back in 1981."RED" turned out to be a pretty solid action-comedy film that greatly benefitted from veteran cast members that included Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Ernest Borgnine and Richard Dreyfuss. The cast also included the likes of Mary Louise Parker, Julian McMahon and Karl Urban. Surprisingly, the only members of the cast that seemed to have a persistent presence throughout the movie were Willis (the main star), Parker, Malkovich and Urban. Everyone else seemed to be making cameo or guest appearances in the movie. Regardless of the amount of time spent in the movie, each cast member gave a first-class performance in the movie. I was especially impressed by Willis as the weary ex-agent who is stimulated back into life at the prospect of learning the identity of the person behind the assassination attempts upon him. Malkovich gave my favorite performance as the paranoid Marvin Boggs, who seemingly ridiculous theories about any potential danger end up being correct. And I also enjoyed Helen Mirren as a former MI-6 assassin Victoria, who seemed just as thrilled as Frank to be back in action.German-born Robert Schwentke displayed a quirky sense of humor in his direction of "RED". I had expected some humor in the movie, but Schwentke stylized the violence in a way that reminded me of movies like "PAYBACK" or "SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD". Scribes Jon and Erich Hoeber did a solid job in adapting Ellis and Hammer’s comic tale. Some fans of the comic novel may have taken umbrage at their loose adaptation. But since I have never read the three comic books . . . . it did not bother me that much. However, I found the showdown inside the Chicago hotel parking garage rather confusing. The overall action did not confuse me, but the main villain’s reasoning and personal actions did. This did not ruin the movie for me, but it came damn close. Overall, "RED" was a pretty solid movie, but I have seen better comic films.
"NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS" (2007) Review
Released in movie theaters nearly eleven years ago, "NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS" was the 2007 sequel to the 2004 Disney hit film, "NATIONAL TREASURE". Directed by Jon Turteltaub, the movie starred Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha and Jon Voight.
"NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS" opens with a black market dealer named Mitch Wilkinson revealing to Benjamin and Patrick Gates that their 19th century ancestory, Thomas Gates, may have been the mastermind behind Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Wilkinson's alleged proof came from assassin John Wilkes Booth's diary. To prove their ancestor's innocence and family honor, Ben and Patrick recruit the aid of family friend Riley Poole and Ben's estranged girlfriend Abigail Chase to help them find that proof. Their investigation leads to the discovery that one of Riley's conspiracy theories - the existence of a secret presidential publication called "the Book of Secrets" might lead to a treasure of gold and vindication of Thomas Gates and the family's name.
Like its 2004 predecessor, "NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS" was not perfect. One . . . why end the movie at Mount Rushmore? Why end it with the discovery of the City of Gold? I understand that in the movie, Confederates had learned about the City of Gold and wished to use it for their goals. But a part of me wishes that the story had remained on the East Coast and used or created another treasure for the protagonists to find. Perhaps I would have been spared the boredom of the protagonists and the villain struggling inside some cavern longer than I thought necessary. And if I must be honest, the revelation of the City of Gold proved to be less dramatic that the Templar treasure's revelation in "NATIONAL TREASURE". This movie's finale struck me as more anti-climatic than climatic.
Despite my disappointment with the film's finale, I must admit that overall, it turned out to be just as fun and exciting as the first movie. In their goal to exonerate Thomas Gates and the family name; Ben Gates, and company followed clues that led them from Paris, to London, back to Washington D.C. and finally to Mount Rushmore in the Dakota Black Hills. The movie featured some exciting and funny sequences that I found utterly entertaining. Among my favorites were Ben's successful soothing of a Parisian traffic cop's ego; Ben, Abigail and Riley's successful attempt to gain access to one of the Buckingham Palace rooms; Ben and Abigail's minor adventure inside the White House with the latter's current boyfriend; and their adventure at the Library of Congress.
If I had to select two sequences that I found truly outstanding, they had to be the London car chase. In this funny and very exciting sequence; Ben, Riley and Abigail raced to evade the film's main antagonist, Mitch Wilkinson and his minions through the crowded streets of London. Very well executed by director Jon Turtletaub. Another sequence that I truly enjoyed proved to be the one in which the others help Ben crash the U.S. President's birthday bash held at Mount Vernon. From the moment in which the quartet manipulated the White House staff into holding the party at George Washington's former home to which Ben "kidnapped" the President in order to learn information about the so-called "Book of Secrets". The whole thing was a joy to watch, especially Nicholas Cage and Bruce Greenwood's performances.
Commenting on Cage and Greenwood's performances in the Mount Vernon sequence made me realize that the film's most valuable asset was its cast. Cage gave a very energetic and entertaining performance as Dr. Benjamin "Ben" Gates, who is determined to clear his family's name. Watching Justin Bartha's subtle, yet hilarious performance as Ben's close friend and tech specialist, Riley Poole, made me realized that he had been vastly underused in "THE HANGOVER" movie franchise. Diane Kruger gave a very charming and this time, a funnier performance as Ben's love of his life and ex-girlfriend, Dr. Abigail Chase.
For the first time, Jon Voight played a major role in the adventure as Ben's father and fellow historian, Dr. Patrick Gates. He was especially effective in his scenes with Helen Mirren, who portrayed his estranged ex-wife and Ben's mother. The latter was a blast as the no-nonsense Dr. Emily Appleton-Gates, who seemed to focus all of her affection upon her son. Ed Harris gave a first-rate performance as the ruthless and manipulative black market dealer, Mitch Wilkinson. Ironically, his reason for manipulating the Gates family into finding the treasure proved to be surprisingly poignant. I had earlier commented on Bruce Greenwood's performance as the President. Let me add that I found his performance very humorous and very sly. The movie also featured solid performances from the likes of Peter Woodward; Alicia Coppola; Albert Hall; Armando Riesco; a rather funny Ty Burrell; Joel Gretch, who portrayed the family's 19th century descendant Thomas Gates; and the always dependable Harvey Keitel, who returned as FBI Special Agent Sadusky.
Aside from my gripe about the film's finale sequence and the treasure itself, I must admit that I enjoyed "NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS". Thanks to Jon Turtletaub's lively direction, Cormac and Marianne Wibberley's screenplay and an outstanding cast led by Nicholas Cage, this 2007 sequel proved to be just as entertaining as the first film.
"THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS" (2017) Review
When I first learned that Universal Pictures planned to release an eighth film for its FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, a collective groan swelled within me. I was not in the mood for this franchise to continue. Hell, I was not in the mood for a seventh film, two years ago. And to be perfectly frank, I was not that impressed by that seventh film, "FURIOUS 7". In fact, I was willing to delay my viewing of this latest film, until it was released on DVD. However, a family member was determined to see "THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS" in the theaters. And . . . you can assume the rest.
Directed by F. Gary Gray ("STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON"), "THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS" began with veteran street car racer Dominic ("Dom") Torretto and his wife, Letty Ortiz, enjoying their long-delayed honeymoon in Havana, Cuba. After winning a local street race, Dom is approached by an American woman named Cypher. It turns out that she is a cyberterrorist who has mysteriously coerced Dom into working for her. When Dom, Letty and their friends are recruited by Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs to help him retrieve an EMP device from a military outpost in Berlin, Dom betrays the others by stealing the device for Cypher. Hobbs is arrested and locked up in the same high-security prison he had helped imprison Deckard Shaw in "FURIOUS 7". Another character from the seventh film, After escaping, both are recruited by intelligence operative Frank Petty/Mr. Nobody and his protégé, Eric Reisner/Little Nobody, to help the team find Dom and capture Cipher.
"THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS" was not perfect. Like many other films in the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, it was filled with silly dialogue and over-the-top machismo, thanks to the characters portrayed by Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Jason Stratham. Now, I realize that the franchise originated with the theme of street car racing. But what is really necessary to start the movie off with a street race in Havana, Cuba? Perhaps I am being a killjoy, but I cannot help but feel that Dom Toretto is getting a touched too old to be competing in street races. I am also curious about another matter. Is Dom of Italian descent, Spanish descent or both? Because I was surprised to learn that he and Letty were visiting his cousin in Cuba. Cuba?
There were other aspects of the film that I either did not like or rubbed me the wrong way. One, the Elena Neves character portrayed by Elsa Pataky proved to be the plot device used by Cipher to blackmail Dom into assisting her. As it turned out, she and Dom had conceived a son before the events of "FAST AND FURIOUS 6". He never found out about the kid until this movie. Yet, the movie never revealed if Luke Hobbs had ever learned about the baby, considering he and Elena were partners at the DDS between the events of FAST AND FURIOUS 6" and "FURIOUS 7". Frankly, I am confused. Speaking of the DDS, have Dom, Letty and the others become private contractors for the DDS? I was surprised that Hobbs had automatically recruited the group to help him steal that EMP device in Berlin without offering them something in return.
Otherwise, "THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS" turned out to be a pretty decent movie. I was more impressed by it than the previous film. Chris Morgan really stepped up his game by creating a surprisingly original tale in which Dom found himself opposing his friends . . . against his will. This twist in the narrative not only provided something new in the franchise, but also dialed down the machismo aspect of the Dom Toretto character and made him a more ambiguous character . . . well, at least until the film's last act.
One cannot talk about a FAST AND FURIOUS movie without bringing up the topic of action sequences. And "THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS" featured some pretty first-rate action sequences. Mind you, I was not that impressed with the Havana street race and the Berlin sequence. But I did enjoy the movie's final action sequence in Russia in which Letty, Roman and the others attempt to stop Cipher and Dom from disabling and hijacking a nuclear submarine to trigger a nuclear war. I also enjoyed how Morgan interacted this sequence with Deckard and Owen Shaw's attempt to save Dom's son from Cipher. But for me, the best action sequence occurred in New York City where Letty, Roman and the others try to stop Dom and Cipher from stealing a Nuclear football from the visiting Russian Minister of Defence. If I must be honest, I found that particular sequence rather mind blowing and tense . . . especially since it was filmed on the streets of Manhattan and at the same time, Dom had to make an important contact with Magdalene Shaw behind Cipher's back. Director F. Gary Gray really outdid himself in this particular sequence.
Earlier, I had expressed my contempt toward the air of machismo featured in "THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS". That contempt still stands and it was really rampant in a few scenes featuring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Jason Stratham. This was especially apparent in the Havana street car sequence and the scene that featured Shaw's attempt to escape from prison and Hobbs' attempt to stop him. Thankfully, the machismo level in "THE FATE AND THE FURIOUS" was few and far between. All three actors - especially Diesel - managed to prove that yes . . . they can be first-rate actors when given the chance. For Johnson, this was especially apparent in a scene in which Luke Hobbs was torn between being with his daughter during her soccer match and embarking upon a mission for the DDS. Stratham proved that his Deckard Shaw is more than just a macho man in his scenes with Luke Evans, as he played big brother to Evans' younger brother. And in the same sequence, he proved to be both funny and tender as his character rescued Dom's son from Cipher's clutches. As for Diesel, his character's situation - being blackmailed by the main villain - allowed the actor to prove that he can give a subtle and skillful performance. And aside from a few scenes, his Dom seemed like a . . . well, like a complex human being. I have to give kudos to Michelle Rodriguez for her emotional performance as Letty Ortiz-Toretto, who is torn between her confusion over her husband's behavior and her determination to get him back.
There were other performances that impressed me. Charlize Theron really impressed me by her portrayal of the villainous Cipher. I thought she skillfully conveyed Cipher's manipulative and cold-blooded personality with great ease. I regard Theron's Cipher as among the best villains in a franchise filled with first-rate villains. I was upset to see that screenwriter Chris Morgan had continued his portrayal of the Roman Pearce character as the franchise's clown. I just recently watched 2003's "2 FAST AND 2 FURIOUS"and found myself longing for that younger Roman, who was verbose, impulsive and belligerent at times, but certainly not a clown. And yet, Tyrese Gibson went on to prove that despite Morgan's depiction of his character, he was still the best actor among the franchise's long-standing cast. Once again, Kurt Russell provided a much-needed sense of sharp wit and class when he reprised his role as government honcho Frank Petty aka Mr. Nobody.
Despite the fact that her character had been used as nothing more than a plot devise, I have to give kudos to Elsa Pataky for giving an emotionally satisfying performance as Dom's former lover, Rio cop-turned-DDS agent, Elena Neves. Helen Mirren provided a good deal of sharp humor as the Shaw brothers' domineering mother, Magdalene Shaw. The movie also featured satisfying performances from Chris Bridges and Nathalie Emmanuel as Tej Parker and Ramsey (from "FURIOUS 7"), Luke Evans as Owen Shaw, and also Scott Eastwood, who portrayed Eric Reisner aka Little Nobody, Agent Petty's assistant. Speaking of Mr. Eastwood, I was surprised that he and Gibson managed to create this . . . interesting and rather funny screen team during the film. I mean . . . it took me completely by surprise. And if you look real sharp, you just might spot both Tego Calderón and Don Omar as Tego Leo and Rico Santo, last seen in 2011's "FAST FIVE".
"THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS" is not perfect. There were scenes and some dialogue that I found somewhat off-putting. And if I must be honest, I found myself missing the late Paul Walker. I found it odd that the Luke Hobbs character was able to recruit Dom and his friends for a mission that really had nothing to do with them. But I must admit that I really enjoyed the story created by Chris Morgan. Like "FAST FIVE", it went beyond the franchise's usual shtick of the later films. And thanks to F. Gary Gray, it also featured at least two or three first-rate action sequences and surprisingly excellent performances from a cast led by Vin Diesel. Personally, I thought it was one of the franchise's better films.
