The Rundown (2003)

Genre: Action / Comedy

Directed by: Peter Berg

Cast: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken

Running time: 104 minutes

Beck works as a retrieval expert AKA bounty hunter for Billy Walker, but his dream is to open a classy restaurant. Beck tells his employer of his desire to leave the business, but he is convinced to take one last job before getting the money he needs: Retrieving Walker’s rebellious son Travis from a small town in Brazil. Beck will find himself in a strange land, in the midst of a war for the possession of a precious artifact.

The Rundown is a very entertaining film that mixes action scenes with comedy. The Rock and Seann William Scott have a great comedic chemistry on screen and they play quite well off each other. They had me laughing out loud quite a few times. Christopher Walken was also a treat, in the role of bad guy Cornelius Bernard Hatcher.

This 2003 film does not take itself seriously and does not pretend to have a very deep message to convey. It is pure, fun, entertainment. In that sense, the movie does what it aims to do.

Rating: ««««

Dr. No (1962)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Terence Young

Cast: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman

Running time: 109 minutes

In this very first film of the famous 007 movie franchise, James Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a fellow British agent. His efforts to uncover the truth leads him to the underground lair of Dr. No, who is planning on disrupting an American space launch with a radio beam weapon.

Dr. No offers a good deal of cheesiness. The special effects are dated and some of the action scenes are laughable, but it remains an entertaining film. Sean Connery is among the best James Bond in my book and he had already captured the essence of Bond here. The role fitted him quite well. And what about that scene where Ursula Andress, as Honey Ryder (yeah, I know), is coming out of the water in that bathing suit? I am sure it was the object of many a boy’s wet dream.

Overall, this remains a fun movie, in spite of its evident flaws.

Rating: «««

Sully (2016)

Genre: Biographical / Drama

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney

Running time: 96 minutes

On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles were just starting their flight out of La Guardia Airport when a flock of geese hit their plane, stopping both engines. Fearing that he could not go back to La Guardia or reach another airport nearby, Sully chose to land the plane on the Hudson River, feeling that it was the safest option. The 155 people on board made it out alive. An inquiry by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) followed to figure out if the captain made the right decision.

This film, directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, was inspired by Sullenberger’s autobiography, Highest Duty.

Tom Hanks is absolutely brilliant in the title role. He manages to make you forget the actor at work and care for his character. He carries the emotions on his face all the way through. The supporting cast was also good, but Hanks, not surprisingly, shines through the screen.

The portrayal of the NTSB inquiry was disputed, but I must admit I found it frustrating to see a group of suits telling an experienced pilot how he should have done his job. Whether it reflects reality, I will never know for sure.

Yet again, Clint Eastwood brings us a compelling story to the big screen with talent and flair. This is a wonderful, well-directed film, with talented actors doing what they do best.

Rating: «««««

The Den (2013)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Zachary Donahue

Cast: Melanie Papalia, David Schlachtenhaufen, Adam Shapiro

Running time: 81 minutes

Elizabeth receives a grant to conduct a social experiment on a webcam-based social media website called The Den. Her plan is to talk to as many people from around the world as she can. After having a few weird and interesting conversations, she comes upon a user whose webcam seems to be broken. Soon enough, that same webcam cuts to a girl who gets murdered by a mysterious man in her room. As she tries to investigate the matter, with not much help from her entourage, Elizabeth soon becomes the target of a stalker, through that same webcam account.

The Den uses the found footage style of horror with most images of the film being shot through webcams. While I find this style a tad gimmicky and I feel that it gets old fast, at least, with this film, they kept it short. The story is compelling and is effective at keeping us wondering what will happen next. We have all wondered how safe we really are while using the Internet.

I must admit I found it funny to see the stalkers easily disposing of all these people, except for the main character: this small young woman who turns into Ronda Rousey in an octagon all of a sudden, when push comes to shove.

Nonetheless, if you don’t mind horror films of the found footage style, you might want to give this one a shot.

Rating: «««

Children of Men (2006)

Genre: Science-Fiction / Thriller

Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron

Cast: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine

Running time: 109 minutes

In 2027, in a world on the edge of collapsing following 18 years of global human infertility, civil servant Theo Faron is recruited by a militant group led by his ex-wife to obtain transit papers for a young pregnant refugee who is looking to escape the dire situation. In this world where most people have hidden agendas, Theo soon becomes the only person the young lady can count on to keep her safe.

This 2006 film is based on the P.D. James novel of the same name, published in 1992.

Clive Owen is really solid as Theo Faron, a former activist who sort of gave up after losing his child. He sees the safety of the young refugee and her baby as a personal mission he will do everything to accomplish. It was also a treat to see Julianne Moore, albeit for a very short part of the movie, and Michael Caine, in a very different role for him.

Overall, Children of Men is a wonderfully directed film about hope and the importance of children in society. This movie beautifully combined the genres of Science-Fiction and Thrillers, with a storyline and action scenes that keep the viewer guessing. All things considered, I highly recommend this title.

Rating: ««««

Best Man Down (2012)

Genre: Drama / Comedy

Directed by: Ted Koland

Cast: Justin Long, Jess Weixler, Tyler Labine, Addison Timlin

Running time: 89 minutes

The night of Scott and Kristen’s wedding, in Phoenix, the best man Lumpy, a loud fellow known for his excesses in the partying department, suddenly dies. The newlyweds cancel their honeymoon and travel back to their home state of Minnesota to plan the funeral and to inform Lumpy’s friends and loved ones. On their trip, they meet Ramsey Anderson, a teenage girl with a complex family situation that the deceased had befriended a short while back. Through the eyes of this young girl, Scott and Kristen get a glimpse of another side of their departed friend’s personality and life.

While short and lacking in real action, this film is absolutely charming. It has been blasted by critics, but I, for one, loved it. I love it when a character you first see as one dimensional is fleshed out like that through flashbacks and various developments.

The acting is pretty good here. Young Addison Timlin is particularly touching as Ramsey Anderson.

I highly recommend this sweet little ditty. Give it a shot; if you don’t like it, at least, at 89 minutes, it will not take much of your time.

Rating: ««««

Wonderland (2003)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: James Cox

Cast: Val Kilmer, Kate Bosworth, Lisa Kudrow

Running time: 104 minutes

On July 1, 1981, four people were murdered in an apartment on Wonderland Avenue, in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, as retaliation for a robbery committed in gangster Eddie Nash’s house. Famous porn actor John Holmes, who was at that point a junky playing both parties involved in this tragic conflict to score some dope and money, was a suspected accomplice in these murders.

Val Kilmer offered a decent performance as John Holmes. He did not attain Jim Morrison-like levels here, but he was still good. Kate Bosworth was very good as Dawn Schiller, John Holmes’ underage girlfriend. She was very convincing as the young lost soul, looking for love in the wrong places and searching for something to hold on to.

As for the film itself, it is your generic dark crime drama that fails in telling a compelling story. It is very difficult, based on what is put on screen, to care for these characters in any way. By the end of the movie, it felt like nothing more than a lost opportunity. It could have been so much better.

Rating: ««