Month: April 2018

Released: May 2017

Director: Chris Nahon

Rated R

Run Time: 100 Minutes

Distributor: Vertical Entertainment

Genre: Action

Cast:
Amy Johnston: Jane
Muriel Hofmann: Shu
Jenny Wu: Ling
Kathy Wu: Wai
Jet Tranter: Cassidy
Mayling Ng: Svietta

As far as I’m concerned, there’s not enough focus on female-led action films.  It’s not that they don’t exist, they do, but they don’t really get to share the spotlight with films that are led by men.  Now, we’re starting to see a change of sorts.  This year we got Tomb Raider, headlined by Alicia Vikander as well as last year’s Wonder Woman, which was led by Gal Gadot.  You’ve also got ladies like Milla Jovovich, who led films like Resident Evil.  Back in the day, women like Cynthia Rothrock, Karen Sheperd and Michelle Yeoh who led the way for women in action movies.  Now, folks like Jeeja Yanin and Gina Carano are taking it to another level.  The one gal that I’m paying attention to right now, though is Amy Johnston.  Why?  Look at movies like Lady Bloodfight and Accident Man.  Not only can she act, but she can kick some serious ass and go toe to toe with the boys.

Lady Bloodfight follows Jane, an American waitress who heads to Hong Kong to find out what happened to her father, who disappeared years before.  Hoping to find answers by participating in the brutal underground tournament known as the Kumite, Jane has the odds stacked against her as she takes on a large number of other fighters in a fight to the finish.  If you look at the plot summary of this film and what comes to mind is Bloodsport with Jean-Claude Van Damme, you really aren’t far off the mark.  The difference being is that all the fighters in this film are women.  What sets this film apart from Bloodsport, though, is in the way it handles its story and character development.  The story is as simple as it gets, but it’s handled in a way that I was completely engaged by it.  Even in the best fight movies, they are still driven by a story, regardless of how simple it may be.  There are plenty of interesting things that happen on Jane’s journey and none of them seem really out of place.  It’s a pretty solid story.

While I would say that the acting across the board in Lady Bloodfight is fairly average, there are a few standouts in the film that really make it worth watching.  First is Muriel Hofmann as Jane’s teacher Shu.  She plays a fairly quiet and unassuming martial arts master, who had participated in the Kumite only for it to end in a draw.  As a result, she’s resigned to the fact that she’s had to take on Jane as a student.  She gives the role a very quiet, yet somewhat humorous flair that really works.  Kathy Wu plays Shu’s rival, Wai, who was expecting to win that last fight.  Like Shu, Wai has had to take on a student of her own in order to win.  Mayling Ng is positively intimidating as the brutal Svietta.  She has this incredible Amazonian physique that would give Bolo Yeung’s Chong Li pause.  The real standout of the film though is Amy Johnston.  A stunt-woman, actress and martial artist herself, Amy Johnston just powers her way through the film.  Yeah, her character’s a serious bad-ass, but she’s also given moments of vulnerability which Amy just nails.  She’s as good an actress as she is a martial artist and after seeing her in this and Accident Man, I can’t wait to see what she’s got coming down the line.  She’s got the potential to be one of the top female action stars of the 21st century and I don’t say that lightly.

The fight sequences in Lady Bloodfight are something that the film somewhat struggles with.  It’s not that the choreography is bad.  Far from it.  These are some pretty brutal fight scenes.  The problem is the way in which the director chose to shoot the action.  I’ve always been of the mind that shaky-cam has absolutely no place in a movie like this, and I meant it.  I hate having to bring it up every time I see it in a fight movie.  I have to, because some people seem to think that it’s really a good idea to get right in there all up in the fighters’ business.  Normally, this would used to hide some pretty bad choreography, but that’s not the problem.  The problem is the constant shaking and close-ups that get in the way.  Other-wise the fights are just fine.  Thankfully, the action scenes with Amy Johnston are shot fairly well, but some of the other sequences are a little hard to follow.  Some of the editing could use a little work too.

One of the other things I like about this movie is that except for Svietta, there really isn’t a fully defined villain.  Yeah, you’ve got your typical corrupt business scumbag who wants to win big bucks, but that’s just a matter of greed.  Svietta is a cold-hearted lady through-and-through.  Shu’s rival Wai is also given a pretty decent arc and the film does have a fairly satisfying conclusion.  Overall, I would say that Lady Bloodfight is a pretty decent fight movie with a pretty strong story and even stronger performance by Amy Johnston.  I could see this lady headlining a big budget action film if Hollywood ever decides that it’s changed its mind about women headlining action movies.  That being said, Lady Bloodfight is surprisingly worth your time.  Just be aware of some of the issues regarding camera-work.

My Final Recommendation:  Hell hath no fury like women that can kick some serious ass. 8/10

Released: April 2018

Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo

Run Time: 150 Minutes

Rated PG-13

Distributor: Disney/Marvel Studios

Genre: Action/Adventure

Cast:
Robert Downey, Jr.: Tony Stark/Iron Man
Chris Hemsworth: Thor
Chris Evans: Steve Rogers/Captain America
Paul Bettany: Vision
Tom Holland: Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Chris Pratt: Peter Quill/Star-Lord
Josh Brolin: Thanos
Chadwick Boseman: T’Challa/Black Panther
Mark Ruffalo: Bruce Banner/The Hulk
Scarlett Johanssen: Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
Benedict Cumberbatch: Doctor Strange
Don Cheadle: James Rhodes/War Machine
Zoe Saldana: Gamorra
Karen Gillan: Nebula
Tom Hiddleston: Loki
Elizabeth Olsen: Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Anthony Mackie: Sam Wilson/Falcon

10 years.  It’s been 10 years since Marvel kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man.  For 10 years, we’ve been on a journey with some of the biggest superheroes in comic book history.  Marvel had been on a role with movies for 18 films straight.  While some of those films varied in terms of quality, people still went out to see these movies, because people wanted to see what was coming next and how each movie related to each other.  After 18 movies, we come to what many consider to be the biggest movie in the MCU: Avengers: Infinity War.  This film has been one of the most anticipated comic book films since 2012.  Was it always the plan to finally do the Infinity War story-line?  I honestly believe it was, but Marvel played it smartly and didn’t jump the gun too early.  This was a film that was a decade in the making.  Does it live up to the hype?

Normally, in this section I tend to describe the story in some fashion, but outside of Thanos finally making his move, I don’t feel comfortable talking about the story…at least, not yet.  There’s a lot that’s going on in this film.  To try and talk about a mere fraction of it would be detrimental to you, my readers.  I want you guys to see this film first.  I may do a follow-up to this review as far as the story goes in a future post because….holy shit.  What I will say, is that if you felt that previous films in the MCU didn’t take enough risks with their characters and stories, Infinity War takes the biggest risks of any Marvel film I’ve seen in a decade.  Ultimately, I think those risks really paid off in the long run.  The story and film do run at a very brisk pace and there is plenty of humor to be found here.  It’s never boring.

This movie is packed.  This is the biggest cross-over comic book film ever made.  Not only do you have The Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, War Machine, and the Hulk, you also have new folks like Black Panther, Spider-Man, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Doctor Strange.  The movie also throws in the folks from Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-Lord, Gamorra, Nebula, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot.  The funny thing is, even with all these characters and story elements, the film never feels completely over-stuffed.  Everything that you see on the screen is integral to the main story-line.  Honestly, I would love to see what they cut out, because I can imagine there’s quite a bit of material that was left on the cutting room floor.  While the film has a lot of visual spectacle, and I will get to that later on, the performances are what really drive the film here.  There is not a weak link in the film.  At all.  Robert Downey, Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Evans and everyone else puts in 150 percent.  While there is definitely plenty of humor in the film, there’s also drama and real character moments that bring the feels.

Speaking of performances, one of the best performances in the film is Josh Brolin as the film’s big bad, Thanos.  Thanos is finally unleashed in the MCU and it is epic.  Thing is, for a guy that’s willing to destroy half of the universe to maintain some kind of twisted “balance,” you find yourself not completely disagreeing with him.  Yeah, he’s prepared to murder trillions of people, but this is a character that has thought things through and feels that there is no other way to preserve life in the universe, so he goes after the Infinity Stones.  The way the character is written, combined Brolin’s performance, we have one of the best villains in the MCU.  Often, the best villains believe that what they are doing is the right thing to do, but this is applied to Thanos on an intergalactic level.  There are some really quiet moments with Thanos, in which we see a side of the character that we really don’t expect.  Outside of Loki and Killmonger, Thanos is the best villain the MCU has to offer.

This wouldn’t be an Avengers film if it didn’t deliver on the action.  Oh, Infinity War delivers and then some.  When I said that Infinity War is the biggest film in the MCU right now, I wasn’t kidding.  The action and the visual effects are several steps above amazing.  This is easily the most epic comic-book film to date, and I still can’t believe they pulled it off.  You’ve got some really solid hand-to-hand combat as well as some really huge battle sequences.  The coolest  part is that the film only slows down enough for us to have a brief moment to catch our breath and then it’s on to the next battle sequence.  That is how it is throughout the entire film.  When it comes to straight-up spectacle, I don’t think there’s a movie coming down the pipe this year that is going to match what Infinity War has just delivered.  The bar has been raised.

Are there any negatives in this film?  Honestly, I think it ended too soon.  The Russo Brothers, who also directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War, have delivered the biggest and most ambitious entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  As much as I like the DC movies like Justice League and Wonder Woman, Infinity War basically shut the door in DC’s face saying, “You had your shot, but you screwed up.  We are here to stay.”  Honestly, I can’t see DC and Warner Bros overcoming this any time soon.

The next Avengers film is slated for May of 2019, so we have about a year to really adjust and process what happened in Infinity War.  I’m genuinely excited for the next movie.  I have my theories about where Avengers 4 will go, but I’m going those theories to myself until more and more people have seen the film.  I don’t want to give anything away.  This has been one of the hardest reviews that I’ve ever written.  There is so much to talk about, but I don’t want to say anything, and that limits the amount of information that I can provide about the film, aside from telling you to go see it.  This is one of the best action films of the decade and easily one of the best films in the MCU.  If you loved the previous films, this one is absolutely bonkers, but it also provides a great deal of depth to a lot of the characters, even the main villain.  So…does the film live up to the hype?  Hell yeah, it does.  Go see it, it’s highly recommended.

My Final Recommendation: Spoiler-Free. 10/10

Released: April 2018

Director: Deon Taylor

Rated R

Run Time: 96 Minutes

Distributor: Lionsgate Studios/Summit Entertainment

Genre: Action/Thriller

Cast:
Paula Patton: Brea
Omar Epps: John
Luke Goss: Red
William Fichtner: Mr. Waynewright
Rosalyn Sanchez: Malia
Laz Alonso: Darren Cole
Missi Pyle: Deputy Sally Marnes

Occasionally, there will be a movie that I really want to see that doesn’t show up in a theater in my general vicinity(which is about a 5-10 mile radius).  So, I will have to actively go out of my way to find a particular movie.  It’s happened on a number of occasions like with Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno.  Sometimes it is worth it, because a particular movie is worth seeking out, even if it doesn’t really get the attention that it may or may not deserve.  Today, I went out saw the new thriller Traffik with Paula Patton and Omar Epps.  This is the second film I’ve seen in about a month and a half that deals with the topic of human trafficking.  It mostly likely won’t be the last.  It’s a subject matter that deserves to be mentioned and have the light shown on it, whether it be in movies or in print.  There have been a number of films dealing with human trafficking over the past decade.  Some of them were good, some not.  Which category does Traffik fall into?

The film begins as Brea, a reporter, tries to get her piece on public corruption published only to find out that her boss ended up giving that piece to another reporter.  Feeling dejected, Brea and her boyfriend, John, are offered a chance to head up to a lone house in the mountains.  On the way, they have a slight altercation with a group of bikers.  A mysterious woman sneaks a phone into Brea’s purse before they take off.  Their time alone in the house is interrupted by a couple of their friends, and eventually that mysterious woman who gave Brea the phone, which has a lot of images of women being trafficked.  Shortly after, they come under attack by the biker gang.  For a story that ends up dealing with something as insidious as sex trafficking, it pays for the film to not meander and throw in tons of plot twists.  There are a couple of predictable twists here and there, but for the most part the story is simple and straight-forward.  Because it is a simple story dealing with such a complex subject, it works really well.

For a film like Traffik to work, you need to have characters that are relatable and sympathetic.   The relationship between Brea and John feels authentic and organic, which means that we can care about them when something bad happens.  For that to work, casting is key.  Thankfully, Paula Patton and Omar Epps are up to the task.  They do a really good job feeling like an actual couple that has problems that they are trying to work on.  Even the film’s main villain, Red starts off seeming like a decent guy before turning into an absolute scumbag.  Luke Goss has always done a good job playing a villain.  He has that level of intensity that you need when you’re playing a trafficker.  Some of the supporting characters and actors, though, leave a bit to be desired.  John’s friend, Darren, comes across as a complete scoundrel from the moment you see him, and you know where that’s going.  You can automatically tell that the bikers are up to no good whatsoever, and that’s fine, but when a female cop shows up, you kind of know what she’s all about.  Overall, the acting’s pretty good, even some of the villains are a little over-the-top.  The chemistry between Patton and Epps is one of the best aspects of the film.

For a film like this, the action is less cartoony and more brutal.  While the film isn’t really overly packed with action, what he have here is pretty solid and it is well-shot and framed.  Very little, if any, shaky-cam gets in the way.  So, we see what’s going on at all times.  While it isn’t gory, the violence is hard-hitting, earning the film its R-rating.  The film often feels like a bit of a cat-and-mouse thriller and it works very well.  There are moments where you are literally on the edge-of-your-seat.  Once things start happening, the film doesn’t let up.  Unfortunately, it all adds up to something that’s very predictable, in terms of some character arcs and overall plot.  The female cop I mentioned?  I saw that one coming a mile away, and she wasn’t even subtle about it.  Now, to be fair, half the reason why people get away with trafficking in a lot of cases is because of people like her.  They do actually exist and have been paid off by these groups that traffic women.  Had the character been played by someone else with a lot less….scenery-chewing, and better written, it would have been surprising.  Ultimately, though, the film does play it safe and does the whole thriller bit by-the-book.  It’s a bit of a nitpick, I’m sure, and it didn’t really ding my enjoyment of the film, it’s just something that I noticed.

Even with all of its faults, Traffik still ends up being a pretty decent thriller in its own right.  Is it better than something like Acts of Violence?  Yeah, but again, with a subject matter as grim as human trafficking, it’s something that needs to be taken seriously and the film does take it seriously, thankfully.  There are definitely better films out there than this, but I think for what you’re getting, Traffik is a pretty good hour and a half, and that’s all the film need to tell its story.  Sadly, I don’t think this film is going to get the attention that it deserves, because the closest theater that this film was playing at was almost 30 miles away.  If you can find the film in theaters right now, I would honestly go and check it out.  I do expect the film to hit VOD and home video in about a month and a half, however.  I don’t believe it’s going to make a lot of money.  It’s understandable.  It’s not a subject matter that can be taken lightly.  But still, I definitely recommend it, despite its issues.

My Final Recommendation: Beware of big rig trucks surrounded by bikers. 8/10

Released: January 2018

Director: Scott Cooper

Rated R

Run Time: 134 Minutes

Distributor: Lionsgate Studios

Genre: Western/Drama/Adventure

Cast:
Christian Bale: Captain Joseph Blocker
Rosamund Pike: Rosalie Quaid
Wes Studi: Chief Yellow Hawk
Adam Beach: Black Hawk
Jesse Plemons: Lt. Rudy Kidder
Ben Foster: Sgt. Charles Wills
Rory Cochrane: Master Sgt. Thomas Metz
Q’Orianka Kilcher: Elk Woman
Tanaya Beatty: Living Woman

When most people think of the Western film genre, they often think of cowboys and Indians with epic shootouts.  While it is true that those ideas are part of Westerns, they don’t actually define the genre, despite what many people think.  What defines the genre is often the setting.  Most Westerns generally take place during the mid-to-late 19th century throughout the then-unexplored Western Frontier.  Yeah, you’ve got these dusty, sleepy old towns, but most people tend to not notice the landscapes and mountain ranges that are just as integral to the genre as those shootouts and encounters with Native Americans.  So…what makes a great Western?  The elements are no different from those that would make up a great action film or a great drama.  You need a great setting in the outdoors, preferably on location so it feels real.  You also need a compelling story to go along with the amazing vistas.  Most importantly, you need great characters to drive that story.  The story and the plot are secondary if the characters are well-written and memorable.  This is true for ANY film, but even more so for the Western.  There have been many great Westerns over the years with The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Tombstone, The Unforgiven, Silverado, 3:10 To Yuma, and Forsaken.  Every once in a while, though, a Western comes out of nowhere and takes you by surprise.  No Western has surprised me more than Hostiles.

The film opens on a remote farm that’s come under attack by renegade Cherokee Indians.  Slaughtering everyone but Rosalie Quaid, the Indians leave almost nothing in their wake.  Some time later, Captain Joseph Blocker has been tasked with rounding up what remains of a group of Apache Indians and takes them back to his fort in New Mexico.  Blocker is given another task: Escort the ailing Chief Yellow Hawk and his family to their home in Montana.  Blocker is hesitant to do this because he witnessed Yellow Hawk and his men attack and kill his men some years ago.  Blocker reluctantly agrees to escort Yellow Hawk, but still believes the ailing chief to be nothing more than a blood-thirsty savage.  Blocker and his group come across Rosalie Quaid and together they head to Montana.  It isn’t very often that I come across a Western that has a story THIS engaging and emotional.  It’s an incredibly well-written story that takes its time to build up the characters and their relationships with each other, although the film focuses mainly on Blocker, Yellow Hawk, and Rosalie.  I have to say it:  This is one of the most compelling Westerns I’ve seen in a long time.

If you’re expecting something action-packed along the lines of something like Tombstone, you’d best move on.  It’s not that kind of Western.  This is very much a very internal and introspective film.  It’s not something you see very often in a Western, but it is welcome.  In my introduction, I mentioned that it is the characters that drive the story, and that’s what this film is about:  The characters.  They are surprisingly well-written, fleshed out and feel very real.  The film focuses on the characters, because it tries to highlight the animosity that existed between white people and Native Americans at the time.  One could argue that it still goes on to this very day, and that’s one of the reasons why this film feels so relevant.  Initially, you’re not wanting to like Captain Blocker for what he’s doing and what he believes, but as the film progresses, we begin to peel back the layers of what makes this man tick and then we begin to empathize.  It’s the same thing with Yellow Hawk.  We’re given information that Yellow Hawk may have been responsible for the murders of many of Blocker’s men, but like Blocker, we get to see that there is more to Yellow Hawk than meets the eye.  Blocker and Yellow Hawk are essentially two different sides of the same coin.  Rosalie is a tragic character in which she witnessed her family get slaughtered so she has a legitimate suspicion of Native Americans regardless of their tribe.  Over the course of the film, we get to see that there is more to these people than what we initially see.  Blocker truly cares about his men and Rosalie’s welfare, as does Yellow Hawk and his family.  During their journey, they form a connection that is heartfelt and powerful.

The acting is some of the strongest I’ve seen this year.  Christian Bale gives a gruff, yet very nuanced performance as Blocker, a man who has seen his fair share of violence.  This is one of the finest performances from Mr. Bale that I’ve seen in years.  He really goes all in with his films.  Here, he learned how to speak in a Native American dialect and he’s very fluent.  That alone speaks volumes about the man’s dedication to his craft.  Rosamund Pike plays a very tragic, yet strong character in Rosalie Quaid.  This is an emotional powerhouse of a performance, and I honestly don’t think that any other actress could have pulled it off better than Ms. Pike.  The real standout performance here is Wes Studi as Chief Yellow Hawk.  A member of the Cherokee Nation himself, Mr. Studi is one of the greatest Native American actors in the industry.  He’s been in some of the biggest Westerns ever made including Dances With Wolves.  Regardless of what kind of movie he is in, Wes Studi brings an intensity and intelligence to a role the likes of which I rarely see in an actor.  His performance in Hostiles is low-key, subtle and yet at the same time, very affecting and powerful.  This is a character that has seen as much blood and violence as Blocker.  There are other pretty decent performances from the other actors like Ben Foster, but the real stars here are Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, and Wes Studi.

There is action in this film, but it’s not really the fun kind, like you will see in films like Tombstone.  No, this is a very realistic film and the violence is treated as such.  It can be exciting for sure, but that’s not the purpose of the film.  The opening sequence of the film is very hard-hitting and sets the tone for the kind of violence that you will see periodically throughout the film.  It doesn’t linger on the carnage for very long, but it definitely will leave an impression on you, making you realize that this was a very dangerous area to be in during the 1890s.  You also have to understand that during this period in American history, that the tensions between white folks and the Native Americans were at an all-time high, and for good reason.  This is not a film that really takes sides, but rather explores the animosity and the psychologically damaging and lingering effects that war can have on people.  It’s something that affects people on all sides of a conflict.  In my humble opinion, Hostiles succeeds in this regards and still remains an entertaining Western as well.  Oh, I can’t forget the phenomenal cinematography, either.  The visuals and the landscapes are some of the most beautiful that I’ve seen in a Western.  It really gives you that sense of isolation and bleakness that the film was going for.

There are a couple of little issues here and there that I had with the film.  Some of the side-characters are not as fully explored as I hoped they would and there are some pacing issues.  Make no mistake about it, this is a slow-burner of a film, but even with those small issues, it had me gripped from beginning to end.  With outstanding performances, a powerful story and some really great cinematography, Hostiles is a film that is well worth your time and investment.  If you want a film that is more intelligent and deliberate than your average Western, this is one for you.  If you’re expecting an epic shoot-out-style film, you won’t find it here.

My Final Recommendation:  This is a must-see by fans of the genre.  9.5/10