"JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK" (2016) Review

"JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK" (2016) Review

Four years after the release of the 2012 hit, "JACK REACHER", Tom Cruise starred in a second movie featuring the main character in "JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK". The movie is an adaptation of Lee Childs' 2013 novel, "Never Go Back". 

Directed by Edward Zwick, who worked with Cruise in the 2003 movie "THE LAST SAMURAI", "JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK" begins with former Army officer-turned vigilante drifter setting up a small town law officer to be arrested for human trafficking. It turns out that this latest case was one of several in which he had been assisting an Army officer named Major Susan Turner. When he finally arrives in Washington D.C. to meet her, Reacher discovers from a Colonel Sam Morgan that Turner had been accused of espionage and arrested. Turner's attorney, Colonel Bob Moorcroft, later reveals that Turner might be involved in the murder of two soldiers in Afghanistan. Reacher believes that Turner has been framed. He also learns from Moorcroft that an old acquaintance named Candice Dayton has filed a paternity suit against him, claiming that he is the father of her 15 year-old daughter Samantha.

When Moorcroft is murdered by an unknown assassin, Reacher is blamed, arrested and transported to the same prison where Turner is being detained. Assassins arrive to kill her, but Reacher rescues Turner and the pair escape and make their way to Morgan's home upon realizing that he is a part of the conspiracy. Unfortunately, following their meeting with Morgan, the latter is murdered by the assassin. Worse, Reacher and Turner's enemies become aware of Samantha and try to use her as a means to control the former. Reacher and Turner intervene before the adolescent girl could be snatched. With Samantha in tow, the pair set out to discover the details behind the conspiracy that has framed both of them; and evade an Army unit led by one Captain Anthony Espin, who was under Turner's command.

After watching this movie in the theaters, I had overheard another theater patron claim that the 2012 movie was better. Apparently, many critics seemed to share the guy's feelings since the movie had garnered mixed reviews. And yet . . . I personally found it hard to share their views. I would not say that "NEVER GO BACK" was better than "JACK REACHER". But I do not believe it was inferior to the other film. However, I am not going to waste my time in examining why others believe it was the inferior of the two films. After all, what is the point?

I certainly had no problem with the film's production values. "JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK" was set in Washington D.C. and New Orleans. As someone who has always enjoyed visiting both cities, I must say that Oliver Wood's sharp and colorful photography did justice to both cities. I also impressed by Billy Weber's film editing. I thought his work was especially impressive in the sequence that featured Reacher breaking Turner out of a military jail and the pair's attempt to save Samantha from the mysterious assassin during a Mardi Gras parade on the streets of New Orleans.

But like the 2012 movie, "JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK" had a well-written plot that I found intriguing. What I found interesting about this story is that the actual crime(s) that kick-started the story had occurred before the movie's first reel - namely the murder of two U.S. Army soldiers in Afghanistan, who had been investigating a military contractor on her unit's behalf. Thanks to the script written by Zwick, Richard Wenk and Marshall Herskovitz; I came to the conclusion that the movie had been set up to resemble a cold case. While Reacher and Turner struggle to evade arrest by a pursuing Captain Espin or murder by the mysterious assassin . . . and take care of the young Samantha, they also investigate the two soldiers' murders. The entire scenario seems to be one balancing act. 

If I must be brutally honest, I do have one problem with the story. "NEVER GO BACK" started with Reacher helping Turner arrest a lawman for human trafficking. I never understood why an Army officer would be involved in such a case in the first place. It seemed like one for the F.B.I. More importantly, Reacher and Turner had yet to meet face-to-face. Unless a piece of dialogue had evaded me, the movie never explained how the pair became acquainted with each other in the first place. I understand that they had first became aware of each other in one of Lee Childs' previous "Jack Reacher" novels. But I wish the movie's screenplay had been more clear about the matter in this film.

The performances featured in "JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK" struck me as pretty first-rate. Tom Cruise did his usual excellent job in portraying the ex-military vigilante. He was ably supported by Cobie Smulders' excellent performance as Army officer Major Susan Turner, who seemed outraged by the criminal charges against her. Both Cruise and Smulders had one great scene in which their characters argued over who would remain in their New Orleans hotel to guard Samantha, while the other conduct their investigation. I found their performances rather entertaining to watch.

The movie also featured solid performances from Aldis Hodge, who portrayed the pursuing young and intense Army officer Captain Anthony Espin; Patrick Heusinger as the ruthless and barely stoppable assassin; Holt McCallany as the corrupt Colonel Sam Morgan; Austin Hebert as former soldier-turned-homeless drug addict Daniel Prudhomme; and Robert Catrini as Turner's attorney, Colonel Bob Moorcroft. There were two performances that really caught my attention, but for different reasons. Robert Knepper, of whom I am usually a fan, seemed a bit over-the-top to me as a military contractor named former General James Harkness. On the other hand, I was very impressed by Danika Yarosh's performance as the embittered adolescent Samantha Dayton, who may or may not be Reacher's biological daughter.

Well . . . I cannot dictate the opinions of movie critics or any filmgoers. I can express my own view of "JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK". And although I feel that the movie's beginning was a little shaky about Jack Reacher's acquaintance with Susan Turner, I cannot deny that overall, I was very impressed with the film. And I believe that Edward Zwick's top-notch direction, along with a pretty solid script and a talented cast led by Tom Cruise, made this movie just as enjoyable as its 2012 predecessor.

"JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK" (2016) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK", the 2016 adaptation of "Never Go Back", Lee Childs' 2013 novel. Directed by Edward Zwick, the movie stars Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher: 


"JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK" (2016) Photo Gallery

"GANGSTER SQUAD" (2013) Review

"GANGSTER SQUAD" (2013) Review

Every now and then, Hollywood would release a movie with a story based upon a particular event or individual from Los Angeles' history. Movies such as "CHINATOWN", "L.A. CONFIDENTIAL", and "CHANGELING" are examples. Recently, Hollywood released a new movie about a moment in Los Angeles' history called "GANGSTER SQUAD".

I must admit that I found myself surprised that the origin of the plot for "GANGSTER SQUAD" came from L.A. history. According to the book, "Tales from the Gangster Squad" by Paul Lieberman, Chief William Parker and the Los Angeles Police Department formed a group of officers and detective called the "Gangster Squad unit" in an effort to keep Los Angeles safe from gangster Mickey Cohen and his gang in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Screenwriter Will Beall took elements of Lieberman's book and wrote a movie about the L.A.P.D.'s efforts to fight organized crime in the Southland. The movie starts in 1949 Los Angeles, where Cohen has become the most powerful figure in the California criminal underworld. Cohen has plans to expand his enterprises across the Western United States via the gambling rackets. Because the gangster has eliminated witnesses and bribed both the courts and the police, Chief Parker and the L.A.P.D. have not been able to stop Cohen's rise. In a desperate move, Parker recruits the incorruptible and ruthless Sergeant John O'Mara to form a unit to wage guerilla warfare on Cohen's operations and drive the gangster out of Southern California.

O'Hara, with the help of his very pregnant wife Connie, recruit the following men for his new unit:

*Coleman Harris, a tough beat cop from the South Central Los Angeles neighborhood

*Conway Keeler, a brainy wire-tapper

*Max Kennard, a legendary veteran gangster killer and sharp-shooter

Kennard's young partner, Navidad Ramirez tracks down the squad and O'Hara reluctantly allows him to join. The sergeant tries to recruit his close friend, Sergeant Jerry Wooters, but the latter declines his offer out of disillusionment with the recent war and the police force. But when Cohen's attempted hit on rival gang leader Jack Dragna results in the death of a young shoeshine boy, Wooters decides to accept O'Hara's offer to join the squad. Also, Wooters has become romantically involved with Cohen's etiquette coach and girlfriend, Grace Faraday. The squad's campaign of terror against Cohen encounter a good deal of road blocks, including an unsuccessful raid against Cohen's Burbank casino, the gangster's penchant for paranoia, Wooters' secret romance with Grace, Connie O'Hara's desire for her husband to leave the police force and a deadly trap set up by Cohen in Chinatown. Despite the setbacks, violence and death, the squad eventually persevere over Cohen.

When I first saw the trailer for "GANGSTER SQUAD", I immediately viewed it as one of those splashy, yet cheesy crime dramas trying to cash in on the success of movies like "L.A. CONFIDENTIAL" and "THE UNTOUCHABLES" by setting it before the present time. After seeing the movie, I suspect that my assumption was correct. There were elements in the movie's story that I found unoriginal. Honestly. One could easily imagine "GANGSTER SQUAD" to be a post-World War II Los Angeles version of the 1987 movie, "THE UNTOUCHABLES". Well . . . almost. And there were moments when I found "GANGSTER SQUAD" rather cheesy. This was obvious in some of the dialogue that came out of the mouth of actor Sean Penn, who portrayed Mickey Cohen; and in the movie's narration spoken by Josh Brolin, who portrayed John O'Hara. And I might as well be honest. Penn's dialogue was not helped by the occasional hammy acting that also marred his performance. For a movie that is supposed to be based on a historical book, I could not regard it as historically correct . . . especially in regard to the fates of both Cohen and rival Jack Dragna. I am a fan of Nick Nolte's work, but I believe that he was a least two to three decades too old to be portraying Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker, who would have been in his mid-40s in 1949. Also, Parker did not become the city's police chief until 1950.

"GANGSTER SQUAD" was not a perfect film, but I liked it very much. I enjoyed it. I found it very entertaining. And I found it gorgeous and colorful to look at. Thanks to production designer Maher Ahmad's work, the film beautifully re-created post-World War II Los Angeles at the end of the 1940s. I was especially impressed by Ahmad's elegant, yet colorful designs for the Slapsy Maxie's nightclub, Cohen's Spanish Colonial house and the Chinatown sequence. Ahmad's work was enhanced by Gene Serdena's set decorations, the movie's art direction team and especially Dion Beebe's photography. And Mary Zophres' costume designs were absolutely gorgeous. Just to give you a hint, take a look at one of her designs for actress Emma Stone:



Even though "GANGSTER SQUAD" seemed to be marred by cheesy dialogue, lack of originality and historical accuracy, I cannot deny that Will Beall wrote a very entertaining and exciting crime story. He did a pretty solid job of setting up the main narrative with Sergeant O'Hara's disruption of one of Mickey Cohen's illegitimate businesses - a whorehouse staffed by naive girls fresh off the bus or train and eager to make it big in the movies. This disruption catches Police Chief Bill Parker's attention, prompting him to recruit O'Hara to organize and lead the "Gangster Squad" unit against Cohen's operations. Beall also filled the story with exciting action sequences that included a nail-biting shootout in Chinatown, a forbidden romance between Jerry Wooters and Cohen's girlfriend Grace Faraday, strong characterizations and more importantly, a good solid narrative. Rueben Fleischer did a first-rate job in transferring Beall's script to the movie screen. And Fleischer did this with a great deal of flair and strong pacing.

The cast for "GANGSTER SQUAD" proved to be first-rate. Josh Brolin led the cast as the strong-willed, yet emotional police detective Sergeant John O'Hara. Utilizing his talent for projecting a no-nonsense demeanor with flashes of humor, Brolin was very effective as leader of "Gangster Squad" unit. Brolin also managed to generate on-screen chemistry with other members of the cast - including Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi and especially actress Mireille Enos, who beautifully portrayed O'Hara's equally strong-willed wife Connie. "GANGSTER SQUAD" marked the second time Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone worked together since they were co-stars in the 2011 comedy "CRAZY STUPID LOVE". And once again, they proved to be quite the effective screen team, as they burned up the screen as the cynical lovers Sergeant Jerry Wooster and mob moll Grace Faraday. I also enjoyed Anthony Mackie's colorful portrayal of tough beat cop Coleman Harris, who developed an aversion to Burbank, following the squad's unpleasant encounter with that city's law enforcement. Giovanni Ribisi gave a poignant performance as the squad's brainy wiretapper, Conwell Keeler. Both Robert Patrick and Michael Peña created a solid screen team as police sharpshooter Max Kennard and his clever protégé Navidad Ramirez. Although I found him slightly too old for the role, I must admit that I found Nick Nolte's portrayal of Police Chief William Parker rather entertaining in a garroulous way. And despite some of the cheesy dialogue he was forced to spew, I must say that Sean Penn struck me as an effective villain in his performance as the violent Mickey Cohen. Especially when the cheese and ham were missing from his lines.

If you expect "GANGSTER SQUAD" to be a crime drama masterpiece, you will be disappointed. It is no masterpiece, I assure you. But . . . I thought it proved to be an entertaining, yet splashy crime thriller that recaptured the era of post-World War II Los Angeles. I guess one could thank Will Beall for his solid script, colorful direction by Rueben Fleischer, and an entertaining cast led by Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Sean Penn.

"GANGSTER SQUAD" (2013) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the new crime drama called "GANGSTER SQUAD". Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the movie stars Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Sean Penn



"GANGSTER SQUAD" (2013) Photo Gallery

"THE LOSERS" (2010) Review

”THE LOSERS” (2010) Review

For the umpteenth time, Hollywood took a comic book series and adapted it for the screen. One of the latest comic book movies to appear in the movie theater happened to be an adaptation of a Vertigo Comics series created by Andy Diggle called ”THE LOSERS”.

Directed by Sylvain White, ”THE LOSERS” told the story of five members of an elite U.S. Special Forces team that is sent into the Bolivian jungle to search and destroy a notorious drug lord. But when their CIA handler, a wealthy man named Max, betrayed them with an attempt on their lives, the team made plans to even the score. They are joined by a mysterious woman who offered financial aid for an operation to ensure Max’s death and foil his plans to start a new high-tech global war.

”THE LOSERS” is obviously one of the latest in a never ending line of movie adaptations of comic book series and graphic novels. In other words, these adaptations are becoming a dime-a-dozen. But I had no idea that the movie was based upon a comic book series when I saw the trailers. Had I known, would I have avoided the movie? I rather doubt it. The trailer struck me as rather appealing, if I must be honest. Do I regret seeing the movie? Not at all.

I had expected to be mildly entertained by ”THE LOSERS”. Instead, I found it a great deal of fun to watch. Mind you, I had some problems with it. Sylvain White’s use of slow motion action became worrisome at times. The most annoying use of slow motion involved a love scene between the two leads – the leader of the Special Forces team and the mysterious woman. I mean . . . honestly. Slow motion sex? It brought back memories of certain love scenes from television dramas and miniseries in the 1970s and 80s. I was not particularly impressed by John Ottman’s score for the movie. And I never understood the need for a fight scene between the two leads – when the mysterious woman approached the team leader in order to form an alliance against Max.

Quibbles aside, I still enjoyed the movie very much. One, screenwriters Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt created a very entertaining story filled with sharp humor and plenty of exciting action. Even better, Berg and Vanderbilt provided plenty of angst, revenge, mistrust and betrayal that gave extra bites to the movie. The action featured in the movie struck me as pretty first-rate. I was especially impressed with the action sequences in Bolivia and the movie’s final showdown in Los Angeles.

By the way, I have to say that the cast turned out to be the movie’s best asset. Jeffrey Dean Morgan led the cast as Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Clay, leader of the Losers. Morgan’s Clay is as tough and ruthless as they come. Yet, the actor did a great job in balancing his character’s ruthlessness with streaks of idealism and compassion that sometimes proved to be his Achilles heel. Idris Elba portrayed Captain William Roque, the team’s second-in-command. Elba’s subtle portrayal of Roque is a cooler personality with a dangerous and self-serving edge that made him quite unpredictable. And his screen personality proved to be just as strong and dynamic as Morgan’s. Chris Evans proved to be hilarious as ever, portraying the team’s computer expert, Corporal Jake Jensen. Evans also created a funny screen chemistry with Columbus Short, who portrayed Sergeant Linwood 'Pooch' Porteous, the team’s transportation expert. I was also impressed by Short, whose performance struck me as wry and very witty. And Óscar Jaenada gave a charismatic performance as Sergeant Carlos 'Cougar' Alvarez, the team’s gifted marksman with only a few lines. But the most impressive performance in my book belonged to Zoe Saldaña, who portrayed Aisha, the mysterious woman who recruited the Losers to seek revenge against Max. Her Aisha was not only a skilled arms handler and fighter, she was also intense and extremely complex. However, she certainly had stiff competition from not only Morgan and Elba, but from also Jason Patric. Who, by the way, gave a sardonic, yet off-beat performance as the team’s murderous, yet manipulative CIA handler, Max.

While watching ”THE LOSERS”, it occurred to me that its film style strongly reminded me of another comic adaptation, 2008’s ”WANTED”. Granted, the older movie seemed to have superior production values and bigger stars. But I still found ”THE LOSERS” more enjoyable. Why? Aside from the hotel fight scene between Morgan and Saldaña, Sylvain White did not indulge in too much over-the-top action sequences and graphic gore. Also, ”THE LOSERS” definitely possessed a sharper sense of humor and a more solid story, thanks to Berg and Vanderbilt’s script. Those traits, along with a strong cast made ”THE LOSERS” one of my favorite movies of this year’s spring season.

"THE LOSERS" (2010) Photo Gallery

Below are photos from the new action movie, "THE LOSERS". Directed by Sylvain White, the movie stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldaña, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Óscar Jaenada and Jason Patric:

"THE LOSERS" (2010) Photo Gallery