Category: Action
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Chronicle: Succinct story delivers it all with time to spare
Chronicle – 2012 Directed by Josh Trank Starring Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, Alex Russell, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw, Anna Wood, Bo Peterson Screenplay by Max Landis The faux documentary is an ironic success in the age of hi-def. All of the ability to get a crystal clear vision of perfection, like we get in the masterpiece Hugo, and…
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Man On A Ledge is teetering on the edge of watchability
Man on a Ledge – 2012 Directed by Asger Leth Starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, Génesis Rodríguez, Edward Burns, Titus Welliver, Kyra Sedgewick, William Sadler Screenplay by Pablo Fenjves This is one of those types of movies that you get to make when you are Sam Worthington, An impressive career thus far,…
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Tuskegee Airmen get a vibrant portrayal in Red Tails
Red Tails – 2012 Directed by Anthony Hemingway (w/ George Lucas) Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terence Howard, Ne Yo, David Oyelowo, Tristan Wilds, Elijah Kelley, Nate Parker, Lars van Reisen, Daniela Ruah, Bryan Cranston, Gerald McRaeny, Lee Tergesen, Andre Royo, Marcus T. Paulk Screenplay by John Ridley, Aaron McGruder An essential part of American combat history comes to life with…
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This Means War is way better than the trailer
This Means War – 2012 Directed by McG Starring Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon, Til Schweiger, Chelsea Handler, Angela Bassett Screenplay by Timothy Dowling, Simon Kinberg The weakest part of any screenplay is when one uses words for exposition when actions could do it much more effectively. Lines like “This is a covert exercise” and “You know…
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Contraband: A paycheck film for Wahlberg, not much more.
Contraband – 2012 Directed by Baltasar Kormákur Starring Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Kate Beckinsdale, Giovinni Ribisi, Caleb Landry Jones, Lukas Haas, JK Simmons, David O’Hara, Diego Luna, Robert Wahlberg, William Lucking Screenplay Aaron Guzikowski, based on Reykjavík-Rotterdam by Arnaldur Indriðason and Óskar Jónasson It plays so much like a Bruckheimer film, I am surprised to find the origins are Icelandic. All that male…
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The Avengers: A bold initiative that delivers on every level
The Avengers – 2012 Written & Directed by Joss Whedon Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Gweneth Paltrow, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Clark Gregg When Marvel announced, in 2005, that there was a plan to develop The Avengers into a major motion picture, most people outside of…
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The Divide: End of the world Lord of the Flies
The Divide- 2012 Directed by Xavier Gens Starring Michael Biehn, Laura German, Milo Ventimiglia, Courtney B. Vance, Iván González, Michael Eklund, Abbey Thickson, Ashton Holmes, Roseanna Arquette Written by Karl Mueller, Eron Sheean There are several reasons why The Divide should not work. Low budget, a cadre of B actors, and a claustrophobic atmosphere. This is a recipe for overacting.…
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CPE and Em: War Horse, or Em’s most eagerly anticipated film of the year
War Horse – 2011 Directed by Steven Speilberg Starring Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston Screenplay by Richard Curtis and Lee Hall based on War Horse by Michael Morpurgo From the first time a commercial for this film happened upon our screen, Em has bugged her mother and (especially) me to let her watch this movie.…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 