Action Movies

 Action movies are all about the hero, his journey, his stunts, his fights, his successes. And if the actor playing the central character is a favorite, then the movie is probably going to be a box office success. And the difference between an A and a B level actioner is the budget. The bigger the budget, the more likely the movie will have a top name action star (e.g., Tom Cruise), top director (e.g., Antoine Fuqua) and the stunts will be spectacular (e.g., the Fast flicks). But B actioners can be just as entertaining (Jason Statham movies).

 

Action movies are predictable in terms of plot and character development. Our hero is presented with some kind of complication that requires him to do something. In facing this task, he will encounter the villain’s henchmen that he will have to fight in any number of ways – fists, knives, guns, and if you’re a fan of the John Wick series, you can fight with swords and even cars. Eventually, our hero will have a showdown with the villain, who will get his just come-uppance and give us a satisfactory conclusion to the story. There is very little character development because he is the hero – his cause is just. The more talented director will try to show that our hero has regrets and is looking to leave his violent past  (Equalizer 3) or that he is most loyal to his comrades/friends and will do what it takes to save them (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning).

 

Action movies require a suspension-of-disbelief. You can’t spend too much time looking for plot holes because there will be a lot. And the stunts – our hero jumping off a mountain and landing on a moving train; our hero sending his car into the air, hitting a crane which deflects a rolling bomb and landing safely on the road; our hero climbing 222 steps to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica and fighting off opponents with every step. These stunts are amazing and enjoyable to watch but not realistic. Just go with it.

 

Action movies are fun. You don’t have to think and you can forget your worries for an afternoon. And seeing the actioner on the big screen with popcorn and a diet coke just makes it all the better.

Random Thoughts

 It's been awhile since I've written anything here. Maybe it was because it had become a chore to write about movies. Maybe because the more time passed, the harder it was to get going again. I still enjoy watching movies on the big screen, the way movies were intended to be watched. I'm not a fan of streaming (although I will watch episodes if they're produced by my daughter: like, watch season 2 of The Great American BBQ on Netflix 😀 I continue to resist watching current movies on a streaming service.)

I will say that since the Pandemic and lockdown, I don't feel compelled to watch all of the Oscar nominated movies. If they don't appeal because they're about unlikeable people, the subject is depressing, they're stupid comedies, or schlocky horror, I won't see them.

I hope you were encouraged to see this summer's blockbuster duo, Barbie and Oppenheimer. Both are worth seeing. In fact, Barbie will be re-released in IMAX for one week starting Sept. 22, 2023 with exclusive post-credit footage selected by the film's director Greta Gerwig. I'll be there.

Frozen II - 3 smiles

"Frozen II" has a mix of everything that made the original a success: themes of sisterhood, dashes of romance and comedy, fantasy/adventure elements and musical numbers. The songwriting team of wife-and-husband Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez and composer Christophe Beck were brought back to create the soundtrack that mimicked but didn't repeat that of Frozen. The greatest difficulty faced by writer/director  Jennifer Lee and co-director Chris Buck was to tell a story that's new and interesting without regurgitating elements in the original. "Frozen II" opens where Frozen ended - Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel), having harnessed her magical abilities, rules over the peaceful and prosperous city of Arendelle. Her sister, Princess Anna (Kristen Bell), provides advice and support. Anna's beau, ice-cutter Kristof (Jonathan Groff) has decided to propose to Anna but, every tie he tries, he botches it. And snowman Olaf (Josh Gad), now immune to melting, provides on-going comic relief. Although all seems well, Arendelle is threatened by forces from within a mysterious enchanted forest. Accompanied by her sister and friends, Elsa must penetrate the mist that surrounds the woods, tame the forces of air, water, fire and earth and discover the dark secret that threatens the kingdom.

Visually, "Frozen II" boasts stunning, crystal-clear visuals, full of vibrant hues and fantastical scenes. Musically, it's surprising that there weren't more obvious callbacks to the first film's songs. The new material has no real standouts, but will probably become popular nonetheless. The returning quartet of actors, Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonatan Groff and Josh Gad, slide seamlessly back into their roles. In addition, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Ciaran Hinds and Alfred Molina provide the voices for new characters. "Frozen II" is a worthy followup with enough heart, action and music to keep everyone entertained.

Marriage Story - 3 smiles

"Marriage Story," written and directed by Noah Baumbach, about a marriage that has fallen apart is hard to watch although the acting is superb. While many of the situations and emotions are universal, the main characters are not normal, average people. They are privileged and at times it's difficult to ignore the whiff of entitlement that permeates the production. While we can connect with the characters as fellow human beings enduring emotional trauma, it's difficult to feel for them on a deeper level. Although there are times when Adam Driver has an awkward moment or two, he is believable as a controlling narcissist who sees himself as the victim. And Johansson gives an extremely nuanced performance as a woman who loves the man she's leaving but can no longer stay in the cage she finds herself in.

When the movie begins, Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver) are in the process of splitting up. The only time we are exposed to 'happier days' are during the two affecting monologues/montages that start the movie when Nicole and Charlie say what they appreciate about the other. The rest of the film focuses on the bitterness that develops as they move closer to their divorce. Nicole moves back to LA to restart her dormant career as a TV actress while theater director Charlie remains in New York. The couple's young son, Henry (Axhy Robertson), accompanies his mom and Charlie makes frequent cross-country trips to spend time with the boy. The split loses its amicability once lawyers become involved. After all, they are interested in two things: being paid and winning while their clients, more often than not, just want to move forward with as little pain as possible. Nicole chooses the no-nonsense Nora Fanshawe (Laura Dern). After initially selecting a shark (Ray Liotta), Charlie backs off and goes for the more grandfatherly (and less expensive) Bert Spilz (Alan Alda). "Marriage Story" has limited release in theaters, but its widespread availability on Netflix will provide greater audience exposure.

Blinded By the Light - 3 smiles

"Blinded By the Light" combines an infectious spirit with a serious message to create a feel-good movie. It personalizes the lyrics of some of Bruce Springsteen's best-known tunes and illustrates the universality not only of the music but of the underlying ideas. Director Burner Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) brings a little Bollywood flavor to a familiar story of the generational clash between an artistic son and a traditional father. In this case, Javed (Viveik Kalra) is a 16-year old with a love of poetry, Springsteen's music and a radical girl named Eliza (Nell Williams). Malik (Kulvinder Ghir) is his father, a factory worker for 16 years who immigrated from Pakistan to England in search of a better life for his son, who now finds himself out of work and forced to rely on his wife's sewing to make ends meet. Seeing no practicality in Javed's love of writing, Malik pushes his son toward economics and a good career.

The script is loosely based on the life and experiences of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, who claims to have seen Springsteen in concert 150 times and whose memoir, Greetings from Bury Park, provided a template for the movie. He co-wrote the screenplay with Chadha and her husband, Paul Mayeda Berges. "Blinded By the Light" is a charming coming-of-age story that illustrates the power of music to provoke change not only in individuals but on a larger scale.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - 2 smiles

I didn't like the first half of "Where'd You Go, Bernadette." The structure is uneven and the pacing off, with unsuccessful attempts at humor. Once Bernadette (Cate Blanchett) goes off on her own, to rediscover her artistic soul, the movie picks up.

The film is told from the perspective of Bernadette's 15-year old daughter Bee (Emma Nelson), whose voice-over narrative provides the glue to hold together the fragmentary story. Director Richard Linklater faces challenges that he is unable to fully overcome. Bernadette is never fully realized. It's like there are two versions of her and Linklater is unable to connect the young go-getter of the past with the vindictive, agoraphobe of the present. Blanchett's performance helps, moving the viewer's initial dislike to sympathy. She understands how to use pomposity to hide insecurity and excitability to reveal an awakening. Since I didn't read the novel by Maria Semple, I probably missed a lot of the nuance that goes with the written word. Nonetheless, watching Blanchett navigate Bernadette's character becomes a voyage of hope and self-discovery.

Angel Has Fallen - 1 smili

While I enjoyed Olympus Has Fallen, its first sequel, London Has Fallen and now, "Angel Has Fallen" is best suited for cable reruns. This time around, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) has become a fugitive, on the run after being falsely accused of orchestrating an assassination attempt on US President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) that kills 18 Secret Service agents and leaves the commander-in-chief in a coma. The Oval Office is having issues with someone leaking false information to the press, not to mention the looming threat of Russia, who, we're told, meddled in a recent election. There are the private contractors, like Banning's old military friend Wade Jennings (Danny Huston), who are longing for the good ol' days of lucrative wars and government contracts and Nick Nolte, playing Banning's estranged father Clay, who is living off the grid in the woods and having some regrets about abandoning his wife and young child years ago.

All this is thrown together in a mash-up that, surprisingly, is predictable for having so much going on at all times. Oh, and I forgot to mention a nerdy vice president who might be making a power grab and an FBI agent (Jada Pinkett Smith), who is leading the hunt for Banning.