My love for Liam Neeson knows no bounds – no matter how many mediocre movies he stars in, I will always watch the next one, in hopes that maybe my expectations will be subverted and I will be treated to a good film. Unfortunately, in the last few years, Mr. Neeson has starred in a string of mediocre movies. “Taken 3” is bad beyond description, … Continue reading The Marksman (2021)
When Ezekiel `Easy’ Rawlins loses his job he begins to worry how he’ll make ends meet when DeWitt Albright offers him cash to help find Daphne Monet, the fiancée of politician Todd Carter. He takes the job as she is known to like Afro-Americans and will be easier for him to find. He gets information from a friend but is then framed for her murder. … Continue reading Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
I’m a big fan of Paul Greengrass and Tom Hanks, so I was looking forward to this 19th-century Western. Based on the book of the same name, it tells the story of a Civil War veteran, Capt. Kidd (Hanks) who now serves as a news-teller in Texas. He must bring a young girl, Johanna, to her aunt and uncle. The film is skillfully well-made and … Continue reading News of the World (2020)
In this simple, but fun plot, director Aneesh Chaganty maintains a tight narrative, executes some brilliant editing, and draws out from his two female leads nail-biting performances that make this thriller well worth a watch. OBLIGATORY PLOT RECAP: Chloe is a highly-intelligent, capable 17-year-old girl with a slew of physical disabilities and ailments. Regardless, she is looking forward to shrugging off her small-town life and … Continue reading Run (2020)
If I were to make a quick summary of this movie, it would be “a good, but not great, action flick.” I don’t think this movie was intended to be innovative, to be great, to be memorable. What it was intended to be was entertaining, and it lived up to this expectation. Harrison Ford is the master of remaining as low-key as possible. He has … Continue reading Patriot Games (1992)
Nothing is more thrilling to see than two characters with superior intelligences, pitting their wits against each other. A thriller does not require a great deal of plot or techno-babble to be involving or complex, although many distributors of blockbusters today seem to think so. For these reasons, “The Fugitive” is a huge blessing for a movie critic such as I. I was just thrilled … Continue reading The Fugitive (1993)
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has had an odd time at the movies. So far 3 actors and as many directors have had a go at him, with varying degrees of success. Hunt for Red October might come up in conversations more often, but it’s hard to get past the silliness of Sean Connery pretending to be Russian (and speaking worse Russian than Baldwin’s American character). … Continue reading Clear and Present Danger (1994)
Edward Zwick’s second war-based movie (following the successful GLORY) is almost as good as his first, and every bit as watchable. I have particularly liked stories that use different viewpoints to tell the same story (hence creating different versions of the same story). These types of movies stemmed no doubt from Akira Kurosawa’s epic RASHOMON, and while films that use this strategy rarely live up … Continue reading Courage Under Fire (1996)
This magical 7-minute animation short feature is written and directed by Taylor Meacham, of DreamWorks Animation, and it premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France in June 2020. lInspired by his Father, Meacham shares how an Adult has the precious opportunity to give a Child the ability to dream of their own possibilities. The retro feel of this story is perfectly set … Continue reading To: Gerard (2020)
