Repo Men (2010)

"Don't do it for you. Do it for your family"

Based on the same themes as"Repo:The Genetic Opera"(2008), human organs as we know it are failing quickly, but thanks to a company called The Union, you don't have to worry because they have everything you need from robotic hearts, livers, to lungs. They don't come cheap and if your late on a payment The Union sends out the Repo Men who will cut you open and return the organs back to base. Those who can't pay escape into the city and hide in dark alleyways and abandoned buildings from the Repo Men . Two of The Union's finest are Remy (Jude Law) and Jake (Forest Whitaker), best friends since they were kids, joined the military together, and now teamed up as surgical assassins. Wanting out Remy decides on one last job then he's going behind a desk at corporate but after an accident he is given a Union heart to survive with payments to be made. Unable to make them working behind a desk he resorts back to Repo with no success. Losing the talent that used to come so easy and forcing him to go into default, making him a man on the run, hiding with the very same people he used to hunt and now being tracked down by his best friend.

This movie bombed at the box-office. I mean like 13 million and change bombed, and for the life of me I cant figure out why. This movie is incredible. From the futuristic landscapes, characters, and even the basic premise for which the story revolves around. I never got tired of watching this. Law and Whitaker along with Liev Schreiber as Frank the Union boss rule this movie and own the screen. It is a breath of fresh air for Sci-Fi fans. In the spirit of "Blade Runner" this film is a work of art and I hope it will receive some love on the dvd and rental shelves. It is a must see for all Sci-Fi fans. 4.5/5 -tom

Kick Ass (2010)

"Tool up, honey bunny. It's time to get bad guys."

"Kick Ass" is based on the comic book of the same name by legends Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. It is a really awesome but ever so slightly unrealistic look at what might happen if someone decided to be a superhero in the real world. The film follows this same logic while occasionally differing in only small amounts. Both comic book and film are over the top, bloody and a ton of fun. "Kick Ass" is directed by Matthew Vaughn who also directed "Layer Cake" and will also direct the upcoming "X-Men" prequel, "X-Men First Class". Many of its stars are unknowns which can hurt a film or make it really work and in this case its the latter. Shall we summarize? Aaron Johnson is Dave Lizewski, comic book nerd extraordinaire. Dave lives alone with his father and wonders what would happen if someone decided to put on a costume and try to be a real superhero. Dave orders a wetsuit off the Internet and does just that except it doesn't go so well...at first. Dave is hospitalized after he tries to save someone and the criminals beat him half to death. After months of recovery he has changed his mind about being a hero until one day decides to give it a second try. This time Dave is successful in saving a man and his exploits are taped by someones cell phone and the clip is uploaded to youtube where it becomes an overnight hit. Dave is now being called on by various citizens to do good deeds and soon finds out that he is not the only superhero when he is rescued by Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage). The rest of the plot involves these three - Dave, the bad-ass ninja girl, her ex-cop father who 'looks like batman' and a really mean mob boss played by Mark Strong.

There is so much I could say about this movie. I loved it. It was so unappreciated during its release and I can only hope it picks up steam as time goes along. I think part of the problem was in its marketing. A lot of people thought it was going to be a typical comic book/super hero movie like "Spider-Man" but it is really so much more. Those that didn't think that, came to the movie expecting it to be only a silly comedy which it IS but it also isn't. Lastly it was rated R and loaded with blood and violence and by many that was certainly unexpected. I highly advise reading the comic book if you can before viewing the film. This requirement is like reading a novel before you see its adaptation: not 100% necessary but a whole lot more fulfilling. For those not willing to take the plunge, the main difference between the two are in the characterization of Big Daddy's origin/relationship with Hit Girl, the outcome of Dave's relationship with Katie and the level of seriousness they treat Dave's implied homosexuality as a result of his mysterious injuries . All of this and Clark Duke from "Sex Drive" and "Hot Tub Time Machine" make for a really REALLY exciting, fun, and hilarious ride. The drama that peeks its little head out on the end is the icing on the cake and adds another level of depth to an already spectacular movie. You need to see this. 4/5 -andy

SECOND OPINION

I too enjoyed this but not as much as my friend here. "Kick-Ass" is a kind of guilty pleasure in the sense of "Spider-Man 2". You get to see real people wanting and becoming superheroes with no special powers but the will to fight back when no one else will. The film has its slow points but for the most part keeps you entertained. Mark Strong as the villian was perfectly cast and gave a command performance."Kick-Ass" is violent, bloody, and action-packed thrill ride that hits the mark where most movies of this genre fail. Yeah "X-Men:The Last Stand " I'm talking to you! I do not recommend this for everyone but if you like comic book movies, this is a sure fire hit. 3.5/5 -tom

Splice (2010)

"We crossed the line..."

My wife really wanted to see "Splice" when it came out in theaters, but nothing about the movie really interested me all that much initially. Recently I had the opportunity to watch it and I can safely say that if you didn't see it you aren't missing much. Elsa (Sarah Polley) and Clive (Adrian Brody) are geneticists or in this case "splicers" - scientists that work on a cellular level combining the DNA of various creatures. Their mission is to use these slug-like creatures they've created, Fred and Ginger, to harness a particular enzyme that can be used to possibly cure all sorts of human related diseases. Elsa and Clive are hoping to move to the next level and begin using human DNA in their experiments when they are told they must concentrate only on Fred and Ginger and harnessing the enzyme/compound that they have been working on for months. Later that night, in the heat of the moment Elsa locks herself in the lab and combines human DNA with a host of undetermined DNA samples to create a wholly new life form. This life form is Drinn and she has untold evolutionary capabilities...and a long tail that has a huge stinger on the end of it. As you can imagine things don't go well for these two Scientist who crossed the line and sacrificed morality for success.

I sometimes hate giving you these little plot summaries as it is difficult to judge what you need to know versus what you might like to know before you see any film. "Splice" had some really cool moments and at times the story really worked but most of the time it was a lot of science that I didn't understand and a creature who doesn't become scary or interesting until the last 15 or 20 minutes of the film. I also thought Sarah Polley wasn't hardly as good in this as she was in 2004's "Dawn of the Dead" where she carried that film as one of the main leads. Adrian Brody, who for me is pretty consistently good in whatever he is in, carried this picture for me. The special effects are OK but in this day and age its nothing you haven't seen before. The trailer implies this to be more of a horror film and yeah, I guess it is...only because you can't classify it as anything else. If you are curious and feel the need to ignore everything I've told you, I would rent this one before you buy. 2/5 -andy

PS. I always encourage you to read our reviews and then go ahead and see the film (for as cheap as possible) despite what we think and then let us know what you thought. We love your participation and your comments!!

SECOND OPINION

I liked it better the first time around when it was called "Species". Brody is the only thing that holds this movie together. Watch only if you have nothing else. 1/5 -tom

Tequila Sunrise (1988)

"This is my backyard damnit, and I wanna know what goes on in my backyard...he's my best friend!"

In this complex thriller we find two friends on opposite sides of the law. Dale Mckussic (Mel Gibson) is a somewhat retired drug dealer attempting a normal life for fear that the long arm of the law is fresh on his tracks and his luck may soon run out. Narcotics Lt. Nick Vallenari (Kurt Russell) just so happens to be Dale' s best friend but is also pressured by the department and the government to investigate suspicious activites with Dale's life. These including a love interest with a local restaurant owner (Michelle Pfeiffer), who may have knowledge of a shipment of cocaine coming up through Mexico being handled by Dale and a man named "Carlos" who the Mexican bureau, headed by the fabulous Raul Julia, have been watching for some time now.

Having never seen this movie until now and only recently watching "Chinatown", I have a newfound respect for writer/director Robert Towne who somehow creates a genre out of material that most would say has run its course. As in "Chinatown", the story and the characters blend together so well you cant help but to be pulled into their world. At times it is a dark comedy, especially between Gibson and Raul Julia. Julia is a force to be reckoned with on screen, although I wont give away anything if you havent seen it , both deliver Oscar-worthy performances. "Tequila Sunrise" did however garner an oscar nod for its cinematography. It is a wondeful film and one I would watch again. 4/5-tom

Rambo (2008)

"Live for nothing or Die for something."

"Rambo" is the fourth film in the franchise about Vietnam vet John J. Rambo. By now we have covered the first three films so if you haven't read our reviews, you should so you can catch up on what's lead Rambo up to this point. This time, we find our hero living in Thailand where he operates a boat and catches snakes for some sort of show being put on along the river. He is visited by a group of missionaries looking to be taken up river to Burma, which Rambo describes as a 'war zone', so they can provide aid for the villagers that are being tortured and killed there. Rambo refuses at first but after the girl in the group, Sarah (Dexter's Julie Benz), returns later that night she is able to convince Rambo to take them. Sometime after that a pastor from the church in Colorado where the missionaries were from seeks out Rambo in Thailand telling him that the group never returned, asking if Rambo will take a group of mercenaries up river to the spot where he dropped of the first group so that they may look for the lost missionaries.

I was never initially into the whole Rambo franchise so I didn't see this movie when it came out in 2008. It was because of this I was asked to review it and fortunately this blog has provided me with motivation to view films I probably never would've seen otherwise. "Rambo" doesn't try to be anything extraordinary. It knows what it is and never really attempts to be too philosophical or intelligent for its own good. It got right to the action and wrapped things up nicely in just under an hour and a half - a rarity in film these days. It was EXTREMELY violent which I saw as a way to not beautify war like some other action films do, including the earlier films of the Rambo series. The dialog and acting was the best of all four films and the jungle locales looked better and more believable than they did in "Rambo: First Blood Pt. 2". After viewing the other films recently, it was nice to see what I felt was a great end to a unique franchise in cinema history. 4/5 -andy

Over The Top (1987)

"The world meets nobody half way"

Stallone stars as Lincoln Hawks. Truck driver by day and professional arm wrestler by night. Faced with obstacles in his marriage by his menacing father-in-law played by Robert Loggia, Hawks is forced to leave his wife and two year old son. Now ten years later, his wife who is struggling for her life asks Lincoln to take their son on the road with him and try to give him the father he has never had. Spoiled by his rich grandfather his son is not at all thrilled by his fathers lifestyle as a truck driver. Loggia without knowledge of his daughters decision sends his men after Hawks to reclaim his grandson. Hawks then introduces his son to arm wrestling leading to an all out brawl at the national competitions held in Las Vegas.

Overall this is one of the best characters Stallone has portrayed. While the idea of a professional arm wrestling organization may seem far fetched it actually does exist. The story is original and low key for the most part for being portrayed as an "action film". The competitions are fun to watch with some interesting characters and Loggia as the insane grandfather is a wonderful villain. The film almost feels like it was made in the 70s until mullets and handlebar mustaches are introduced. I enjoyed watching this film but if I had to break it down it was a mix of "Commando", "Rocky 5", and "The Pursuit of Happiness" rolled in one. It is the best arm wrestling movie ever made. Wait... Its the only one. 3.5/5 -tom

Red Dawn (1984)

"Avenge ME!!! Avenge ME!!!"

Ok, so let's get this annoying plot summary thing over with quickly and move on to the fun stuff. Russia and Cuba invade small, northwestern American town in Colorado. A handful of kids, including Matt Eckert (Charlie Sheen), escape with Matt's older brother Jed Eckert (Patrick Swayze) into the mountains outside of town. They survive for awhile by hunting and eventually return to town to find the Commie's have taken over and turned it into command center numero uno. On the way back to the mountains they visit an old family friend who reveals to them that World War III has begun and they are about 50 miles inside of enemy lines. A few new characters pop up from here to there including Powers Boothe as downed Air Force pilot Andy. The small group, now calling themselves the 'Wolverines' begin a rebellion and strategically attack there Russian/Cuban foes.

Ok...Stop there. "Red Dawn" is very well made and far more of a war film than I thought it would be. I'd never seen it despite the number of people who'd always told me it was a good movie. After a week of 80s Action films I really expected the heroes to come out the other side of this unscathed but not everybody does. Who bites the dust? For those few of you who've never seen it, I will leave you in suspense. However, I really hate it when the good guy you've been rooting for the entire hour and fifty three minutes bites the bleeping dust!! I know that it's more realistic this way but c'mon, we come to the movies for fantasy right? Escapism, RIGHT? My complaints don't stop there, oh no, you should be so lucky!! At times the movie seems to take itself a little too seriously and it occasionally became overly dramatic . Hey, Charlie Sheen's character, your 'friend' betrayed you and sold you out to the Russians and you DON'T want to kill him? You want me to be sympathetic? Somebody's wires got crossed. Anyhow, it was pretty good all in all and most of you would probably dig it minus a few gripes. It drags on a bit and anybody who gets it, gets it in the last 15 minutes. It wasn't terrible though I'll probably never sit through it again...but hey, I've never really liked war movies anyway. 2.5/5 -andy

SECOND OPINION: Well theres no accounting for taste. On that note "Red Dawn", given the time it was made and the material that was being dealt with, which was somewhat contriversal having such an impact on American culture during the Reagan administration. At the time these fears were real just like the Cuban Missile Crisis. The characters are all portrayed well and the story is solid and original. A very young Patrick Swayze delivers the best performance. Keep your eyes out for the remake this year which I hope does the original justice. As one of the best films of the 80s " Red Dawn" deserves more. 3.5/5

48 Hrs. (1982)

"Jack...tell me story?" - "Fuck You" - "Oh, that's one of my favorites."

"48 Hrs." came out in 1982 which happens to be the year I was born so I was too young to see it when it was first released. Not only that but I'm not the worlds biggest Eddie Murphy fan so I had multiple reasons to not have seen this movie. Well thank goodness for 80s Action week because I have just witnessed one of the most enjoyable cop movies I have ever seen. Nick Nolte plays Jack Cates. A tough cop trying hard to make things work with his girlfriend Elaine when he accidentally gets sucked into plot involving escaped convict Ganz (James Remar) and the Native American man who helped him escape, Billy Bear (Sonny Landham). Jack must enlist the help of the one man from Ganz' gang who is still imprisoned, Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy), to stop the cop-killing Ganz and recover the money he is trying to steal from Reggie. Reggie is in jail with 6 months left on a 3 year sentence but Jack forges an official document that grants Reggie release for 48 hours. Ganz or no Ganz, Reggie must return to jail in that time.

"48 Hrs." works because it is 3 things rolled into one nice little package: An exciting sort-of Buddy Cop movie, a tense 80s Action Thriller and an often hilarious Comedy. The play between Nolte and Murphy is fantastic and although the two couldn't be more opposite they work extremely well together. In the end you'll see that they both put up tough fronts but don't really hate each other nearly as much as they let on. Nolte's tough cop routine is still fresh here and I believe in his character far more than Stallone's Cobra or any of Ah-nuld's half-baked portrayals. Again we have a film that has none of the 80s Action cliche's we keep talking about. Perhaps that is because it came out earlier in the decade before Action movies had the chance to become so ridiculous. It produced on sequel in 1990's "Another 48 Hrs." Word on that one to come later. If you like cop movies that have a even mix of Action and Comedy regardless of the decade the film came from, you will love this movie. 4/5 -andy

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

"Hey, Dr. Jones, no time for love we've got company"

Prequel...yes. Sequel...yes. In the second of the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg movie franchise we find Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Shanghai at club Obi Wan. Really George? Where he is making a deal with with Chinese gangsters. He then meets the club singer Willie Scott, played by Spielberg's wife (Kate Capshaw), and during a botched deal uses her as cover and the two escape the club after an entertaining romp through the club with guns blazing. Enter Indy's sidekick, a little boy called Short Round. Short Round takes Indy and his newly found lady friend racing through the streets of Shanghai using a piece of wood to reach the gas pedal, the three eluding the gangsters run to the airport to catch a plane out. Only problem the plane is sabotaged by gangster cronies and the three have to use a blow up raft to parachute midway through the trip and land in India. Here the meet villagers who's children have been taken by a evil cult within the mountains using them as slave workers. The Shaman of the village blames the evil presence on three missing stones that were taken out of the village which possess some kind of mystical power. Indy, Shortround, and Willie embark on an adventure through the mountains in an attempt to free the children and retrieve the stones.

Now with "Temple of Doom" you either love it or you hate it. Me I love it. Its fun, fast paced, and a visual treat. While the darker of all the Indy films it still carries an abundance of humor. With great characters created by Lucas and Spielberg and a wonderful set locations, it is none the less awe inspiring. After watching this you want more, which Spielberg and Lucas did in 1989 with "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and once again in 2008 in the very underrated "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Indy is a hallmark of American cinema and one of Harrison Ford's best characters. It is my least favorite of the film franchise but I still love it and enjoy watching it every now and then and I highly recommend it if your in the mood for some good old-fashioned fun. 4/5-tom

F/X (1986)

"You were great. Nobody dies like you!"

Ok, so you may ask yourself, "Is something missing from this review?" You would be correct in that assumption. This movie is so rare and unheard of that there isn't even a trailer for it on Youtube. The strange thing is, however, I found a trailer for its sequel. Moving on... A few days ago I found myself searching for 80s Action films that I could watch and review to finish out the week. One of these lists had "F/X" on it and I remembered seeing it at the video store when I was younger. I asked Tom if he had seen it and he replied that he remembered it slightly and that he felt he didn't like what he remembered of it but to give it a shot and let you all know what I thought. Well, after viewing the movie I can safely say I really enjoyed myself. I'm a little afraid to see the sequel or the TV series that was based on it for fear it would ruin the experience. Bryan Brown plays Roland Tyler, the newest and best make-up effects wizard in Hollywood. Roland is hired by the Witness Relocation Program to fake the death of mob boss Nicholas DeFranco (Law and Order's Jerry Orbach) for $30,000 so DeFranco can in turn safely testify against the mob. Everything goes off without a hitch until immediately afterwards when one of the men Roland was working for tries to kill him. His life is turned upside down he goes on the run, using hits wits and talents as an effects man to learn the truth and clear his name.

A nice supporting cast brings up the rear with a great performance by Brian Dennehy as Lt. McCarthy, the cop who brought in Defranco in the first place. McCarthy has a bad feeling and just can't let this case go. He risks his career to find out what is really going on but his intentions are good and you can't help but like him. The film has this "The Game" meets "Oceans 11" vibe and if that doesn't make sense at first, you'll know what I mean by the end. Its nothing overwhelmingly special, but if you see it in the bargain bin or for a cheap rental you should really check it out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. 3/5 -andy