Taken 2

Taken 2

Rating 5 out of 10

I was a fan of the first Taken movie in 2008.  Didn't think it was great, but I enjoyed it.  I thought it was  funny when I saw the star Liam Neeson in interviews saying he had very low expectations for the original.  He thought it would go straight to dvd.  I would say even with Liam's particular set of skills this movie should have gone straight to video.  It's not really bad just not nearly as good as the first one.

As we remember in the first movie bad guys in Europe abduct Liam's daughter.  Nothing upsets a CIA agent more than messing with his little girl.  He leaves a trail of dead bodies as he tracks her down and makes the bad guys pay.

In Taken 2 we find some time later the father of one of the bad guys he killed is out for revenge.  As luck would have it Liam, his daughter and ex wife are in nearby Turkey.  The fight is on.  Good thing the CIA trained him to be blindfolded and thrown in a van and drive him across town. With his spidey senses tell someone looking at a map where he is within a few yards.

There is more action in this movie as the 60 year old actor shoots and slices and dices his way through the European underworld.  Much more money should have been spent on the script and storyline.

This would be a nice rainy day rental.  Not worth full price.

Argo

Argo

Rating 8.5 out of 10

When I first saw the previews for Argo my thoughts went to boring political movie based on a true story.  Several friends of mine saw the movie and raved about how good it was.  I'm glad to say it was wrong.  This is a great movie that does not become dull for a minute.

This movie is based on the true story back in 1979 when the Iranian people deposed the Shaw.  They were very upset when the US took him in.  They rushed the US embassy in Tehran and took 52 hostages.  Six Americans were able to sneak out the back door and found their way to the home of the Canadian ambassador.  The noose is beginning to tighten around them as the Iranians start to figure out some are missing and start to look for them.

The CIA is looking for options on how to get them out.  Can't just go in there with tanks and clear them out that way.  After many bad ideas are shot down they come up with posing as a Canadian film crew scouting locations.

What makes this movie work is Ben Affleck with a 70s haircut and beard.  I predict an Oscar nomination and probably a win.  Ben plays CIA agent Tony Mendez who is a specialist in getting people out.  I was surprised to think this happened enough to have a specialist.

Even though I kinda remembered this happening and what the outcome was I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat knowing if they were caught they would be ripped apart by the angry mobs.  Affleck the director absolutely captures the time frame, haircuts, dressing, ect.

I enjoyed this movie alot and highly recommend it.

Here Comes the Boom

Here Comes the Boom

Rating 5 out of 10

Out of town in Los Angeles with the lovely wife.  Looking to kill a couple hours before dinner and this was the first movie that fit our schedule.  Let's be honest, when you go to a Kevin James movie your bar is set fairly low walking in the door.  You are not expecting a movie you will stand in line to buy the dvd when it comes out.  You hope it's nearly as funny as his old tv show (it's not still on the air is it?) King of Queens.  By those standards I'd say I was pleasantly surprised.  Especially when you throw in some eye candy in Salma Hayek.

James plays slacker biology teacher, Scott Voss,  in a Boston High School who is far more interested in getting a date with the school nurse, Bella  (Hayek) than teaching his kids.  When budget cuts hit the school hard enough to eliminate the music program and it's beloved teacher (played by mis-cast Henry Winkler).  In trying to impress Bella he speaks up saying he would come up with the money to save the  program.  Amazingly enough it only takes $48,000 to save the whole program.

After trying a few small jobs here and there and coming up very short he gets the genius idea of fighting MMA fights.  After all he was a pretty good college wrestler before he gained all the weight.  Sometimes the loser gets $10,000!  Somehow when he gets the stew beat out of him he only has minor scrapes enough for him to visit the school nurse.   Bella before would have nothing to do with him but NOW he is looking kinda hunky.

You can guess the rest.  As I said it's not rocket science.  The movie mixes in some laughs with some groan inducing dumb parts.  It's a harmless way to kill a couple hours.  When you leave you'll be wishing someone as funny as Kevin James could find that right movie.  No I'm not a Mall Cop fan.

New Fall TV Report Card

This years new season for TV came in with less fanfare than any in recent memory.  Either that or I'm just not watching commercials anymore.  Little of both I think.

My dvr has been working overtime.  Some shows I have liked, some I didn't and some just were not worth the space on my dvr.

New shows I like-

The New Normal-  I'm sure my friends will be shocked I like this show!  It is really funny and well written show.  Two gay guys decided they want to add a baby to their lives.  They hire a young woman with a 10 year old daughter to be the surrogate.  Racist grandma is in the picture.  I laugh out loud every show.

Last Resort-  This is one of those new shows I hate to invest too much time on.  It is very good, but large cast and expensive shoot means if it's not a big hit right off the bat it will be canceled.  I'm not sure where the story can go long term.  For now the show is good and deserves a chance.

Nashville-  First show was good.  Younger hottie country singer trying to give the boot to the veteran yet still good looking older singer.  Good cast.  Not sure how the show can go long term but I enjoyed the first one.

Elementary-  I like Lucy Lu alot.  This is a nice take on the Sherlock Holmes story.  First few episodes have been good and looks to be getting better.

Jury is still out-

Revolution-  I liked the first one alot.  Sadly the last 2-3 seem to be going downhill into a confusing storyline.  Hopefully it gets back on track.  I'm wanting it to succeed.

Vegas-  Seems I have seen this story before.  Mobsters chttp://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/oming in to rule Las Vegas and one ultra tough sheriff is all there is protecting the good folks.  Great cast is all that keeps me from stopping the recordings.

I have the first episode of Chicago Fire recorded.  Hope it's good.  Big fan of Hill Street Blues, Third Watch, ect.  Hope this falls in that group.

Not so great-

Go On- I keep wishing Matthew Perry's new show would be better.  My wishing is just not working.  He is such a likable guy but this show is just not going to make it.

Major Crimes-  They tried to continue with the main cast of the Closer.  Great cast yet it's just not working.

Returning shows I"m glad are coming back-

Love the Amazing Race. Want to be on it some day!  Still watching Survivor after all these years.  More out of habit than loving the show.  So glad Dexter and Homeland are back on Showtime.  The Mentalist is still very good.  The Walking Dead is starting back very soon! I love Halloween Wars on the Food Network.  If you have never watched Mantracker you should give it a try.  Big Bang Theory and Modern Family are classics. Nikita will be kicking bad guys in the head very soon.

Good thing I have a dvr or I'd have to spend quality time with the family!

Dredd

Dredd

Rating 6.5 out of 10

I understand this movie is not for everyone.  It is an action movie based on a comic book.  The easiest way to decide if you will like this movie or not is to watch the trailer.  If you watch the trailer and think it's something you would like to see, you will probably like it.  If it doesn't float your boat you should probably keep walking.   I will say this movie is better than the 1995 dud Judge Dredd with Sly Stalone.

In the future once again we find the world a nasty waste land.  It's all one huge city now of 80 million people.  Crime lords rule the roost in most areas.  The only thing between them and you and me is the Judges.  Cool robocop looking men and women riding motorcycles that have the authority to judge and pass sentence on the bad guys on the spot.  The baddest judge of them all is Judge Dredd.  Karl Urban plays Dredd.  He does a good enough job although his face is covered with the judge mask the whole movie.  Dredd and the cute little blonde rookie judge (Olivia Thirlby) who can read minds are called to a 200 story apartment building on a disturbance.  This building is the center piece of one of the worst crime lords- the evil Ma-Ma (Lena Headly- she has had a hard life since she was Leonidas' queen in 300).

Ma-Ma locks the place down and puts all the bad guys toward killing the judges.  They have to fight their way out.  Lots of bad guys meet bullets.  Lots of action. This is not a great movie.  I was mostly entertained for the type movie I was expecting to see.  If you like these type movies I think you will feel it was worth the drive.

Looper

Looper

Rating 4 out of 10

I like using the www.rottentomatoes.com website with movies.  If you are not familiar with it (doubtful but you never know) the site collects reviews from hundreds of certified reviewers.  They then give the movie a red tomato rating (60% or better positive reviews) or a rotten tomato rating.  I am always leery of any movie that gets above an 80% rating.  Movie reviewers are a goofy lot.  For some reason they tend to be very artistic.  When you look at many movie reviewers year end top ten lists you see they are usually out of touch with the American public.  When you get more than eight of ten reviewers agreeing on something there is probably something wrong with it.  --- END of Royces RANT.

The idea of this movie seemed a little off to me but had lots of actors I really like.  Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  The movie even has a friend of mine on my tennis team Frank Brennan in a small part!

The movie starts in the year 2044.  Good to know thirty years in the future we are not only driving old trucks but have flying motorcycles too!  The world is a rough place.  You are either very rich driving fancy cars (or flying cycles!) or living homeless on the street.  Thirty years further in the future it's harder for the mob to kill their enemies because of tagging of the bodies.  They have gained control of the only time machine around and they use it to send people they want to kill back in time thirty years.  Waiting there is their hit man (a Looper) who kills him and disposes of the body.  Joe (Levitt) is a Looper living the high life of wild women and drugs to help him cope with what he does for a living.

Every so often for a reason not given or I didn't pick up a Loop is closed.  The head bad guy in the future sends that Looper back in time to be killed by his younger self.  Time travel movies are always full of crazy things like this.  After a Looper kills his older self he retires and knows how he will end thirty years in the future.

Problems begin when Joe's future self shows up and overpowers current Joe.  He is determined to find the future bad guy in 2044 and kill him thus keeping all this bad things from ever happening.  Kinda like the logic used by the Terminator in coming back in time for Sarah Conner.  The current bad guy (Daniels) sends all the bad guys out to kill current and future Joe.

It's not as confusing as I may be making it sound, but for me not real entertaining either.  With this cast I expected better.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt (does he really need three names) is a good actor and maybe our next Batman?  Here they put a bunch of makeup on him trying to make him look like a younger Bruce Willis.  Instead he looks more like the old Max Headroom.  

The movie is less than two hours run time, but seemed much longer.  Wasn't crazy about the ending.  For the life of me I can't see what all those reviewers LOVED on this movie.