Tag: Henry Cavill

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (2018) movie review

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If you’ve waited for the summer blockbuster to arrive, the action is finally here in MI: Fallout.From every Tom does-his-own-stunts Cruise classic rooftop run to helmet-less Top Gun throwback motorcycle ride, the now quintessential action hero must face harder crashes and crazier action, taller towers and gravity-defying thrills.Throw a mustachioed Superman in there and the fists of fury will fly.Now toss in a little romantic tension and the gang of old friends going rogue with Tom yet again in order to diffuse a few plutonium bombs.Add a chopper chase, stormy parachute drops, street races in Paris, and London tower climbs, and you’ve got a #1 summer film.It’s a stunt movie fueled by themes of mercy for the innocent, for the weak, for the one and for the many.It’s a cavalcade of mind-bending feats, each one topping the next. The decent script offers a load of exposition, but enough twists and tension to keep it interesting. The mission, if you CHOOSE to accept it…

“A storm is coming…”  
“I am the storm.”

JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017) movie review

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Suffering from grief after the death of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman continue to fight crime in the shadows until Steppenwolf, the Lord of evil, returns from the land of doom to unite the three power cubes and destroy the world.Of course he does. What else would he do? So what must they do? They must form a team of superhumans and gods to save the world. Batman has the money, experience, and a new Alfred played by Jeremy Irons. Wonder Woman has her lasso of truth, her feminum wristbands, and her looks. They recruit The Flash, a fast kid with daddy issues, Aquaman, independent sassy king of the seas, and the Cyborg infused with alien technology and metal.

CG characters over saturated color spectrums, Zack Snyder maintains his classic 300 look.

The evil Steppenwolf seems a hybrid of stolen storylines from Sauron of Mordor trying to reclaim the one ring to Thanos hunting down infinity stones. Calling these “power boxes” doesn’t fix blatant plagiarism or disengage aware audiences of stereotypical evil master tropes.As far as seconds go, you often want to go back to the fridge hoping a dry slice of turkey will be better on the leftover plating. But it isn’t. Affleck’s tired Batman claims he’s getting too old for this. Gadot’s gorgeous Wonder Woman gets tighter leather and shorter skirts like she’s losing at poker with each film release.If only Batman didn’t constantly wince with exhaustion and chagrin. If only Superman wasn’t a CGI nightmare. If only Aquaman was given a likable presence instead of Wolverine’s aggression and an ocean of snarky one-liners. If only Cyborg was allowed a bit more humanity. The newbies were almost too strong, too wise, too capable. Cyborg can super hack any human or alien system. The Flash can essentially raise the dead with his super speed. Flash was surprisingly the bright spot and comic relief, but sadly not funny enough to counterbalance the darkness of a hero film left wanting.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: Dawn of Justice (2016) movie review

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batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justicejpg-3a4a5d1280wjpg-a24cc9_1280w maxresdefault maxresdefault-1 batman-v-superman-08Every monument, every idol eventually crumbles. The white knight v dark knight both tumble from pedestals of glory to writhe in puddles of shame and rise again to fame in yet another comic feature film.

Zack Snyder will give every film canvas his graphic glimmering oil painted 300 kiss. Viewers should expect this. Therefore, giant Doomsday miracle magic ooze and lengthy cinematic visions and previsions of glowy-eyed bat monsters and super villains duking it out should be expected.BVS-3fotonoticia_20160113124443_1280What I didn’t expect was increased respect for the writing, for Amy Adam’s lame Lois to play well in this her sophomore attempt, for Ben to work as the older angrier Bat, for Wonder Woman’s boots, lasso, & wrist bands to get their proper dues or for Eisenberg’s crazy-cruel quick wit and face-twitch to succeed. But they did. They all did. batman-vs-superman-will-give-fans-a-new-robin-a-new-lex-luthor-lex-luthor-is-building-429413h=300132864batman-v-superman-trinityDon’t believe everything you read. Go see it for yourself. Just know what to expect, and maybe you too will be surprised to find yourself enjoying another hero flick that humanizes the super and normalizes the surreal making us all feel a little closer to cape-clutching hero status.Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justicebatman-v-superman

MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (2015) movie review

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image004UNCLE is not your typical Guy Ritchie piece. More Snatch than Sherlock, this tribute film could play like a two hour inside joke if you’ve never seen the hit 60’s show.Man.UNCLE.11man_from_uncle_196608Ritchie, known for his laid back, well-planned, tea-taking, collaborative directing form on set, offers that sensibility to audiences. The stress is gone, but the pace plays.D3S_1223.DNGNo kiss and tell. No swearing. The sex and extreme violence is simply alluded to as something naughty going on in the next room. It’s the classic fluttering curtain. The audience takes tea and never has to worry, thanks to the family friendly rating. I’m grateful. Though a scene of almost nudity, a few holocaust photos, and constant action may not dissuade a family film night, the sheer duration might. It’s two, long but fun, very full one-note hours. So, action lovers will most likely approve.M4LnM97The soundtrack is a character, jumping into scenes like a welcome hero framing the chase, follow, rumble, and escape into a split-screen, real-time visual medley. Lovely.

Like the music, the characters are as adorably written as they are played. Henry Cavill somehow successfully sets aside the super suit and cape long enough to model Armani. Armie Hammer also drops his former bumbling physical comedy for some slick action moves. No longer the Lone Ranger, he’s a formidable opponent turned partner. the-man-from-u-n-c-l-eAlicia Vikander, is the appropriate third wheel on this trained tricycle. Baby-faced but believable, her chemistry with the team works.
Even the delightful Hugh Grant drops in for more than a cameo rounding out the settings with his own confident kind of welcoming familial grace, a needed and timely element.sM6KRdy

MAN OF STEEL (2013) movie review

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man-steelEpic film or epic fail?

In his interview with Russell Crowe, Jimmy Fallon called Steel “…a giant film.” He’s right. The effects are phenomenal. The star power triumphant. But, the story?

My Man of Steel Report Card grade = C-

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A+  –  casting Henry Cavill.  He’s just got beautiful…uh…acting skills.
A  grade  –   performances from Russell Crowe & Kevin Costner.

F     –  for Originality. Plagiarism plagued the pages of this script. “…it’s a singularity. A black hole in space.” Then the tripod, planet-searing octoship heads through the explosive space anomoly. I was shocked that no one thought to eject the warp core and say, “I’m givin her all she’s got Captain.” Throwback? To Trek 2009? Someone obviously didn’t listen to JJ Abrams give his TED Talk and say something close to “If you’re gonna rip anything off, rip off the character. You don’t rip off the Shark from Jaws.” Steel stole the shark.man-of-steel-krypton-battle

Any other stolen bits in this our pun-titled Man of Steel? How about those metallic robot tentacle arms from outer space? They are from Avengers, yes? The ship from Prometheus buried in the mountain? Amy Adams was in a first season Smallville episode. Sadly, they should have left her there. Too cruel? Too soon? I don’t know. Even a vocal octave drop couldn’t turn Enchanted princess Amy Adams into the hard-hitting, danger-loving one-of-the-boys newshound Lois Lane.Henry-Cavill-and-Amy-Adams-in-Man-of-Steel-2013-Movie-Image

What this movie failed to steal from Supers past was some much needed Clark-Lois chemistry, purposeful action sequences, Daddy issues based on trust, Christ-figures without the pressure of perfection, and thoughtful dialogue.

So many beautiful shots do not make up for the fact that Lois found out Clark’s secret identity in a day and made a quick trip to the farm to meet Martha then into space without a hitch.man-of-steel-amy-adams-henry-cavill

My pal Steve called me today, still mad about this Superman tale gone awry. He said, “Character development between Clark and Lois was ridiculous. One moment they are strangers, the next they are having an intimate moment surrounded by a hundred soldiers waiting for the Kryptoninans to pick up Clark. Come on!!!!”

I know, Steve. I know.