Re: Rate the last movie you saw.
03/10/14 9:07 am | #5001
Cop Land (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – It’s a sad reality, but Stallone’s definitely best when he’s playing a loser type, which he does here to pretty good effect. The movie has a very interesting premise, essentially Stallone is a washed up cop in a town where a lot of NYPD cops live. The movie is loaded with talent, and though it doesn’t quite reach the mark it should with the names it has its disposal, it’s still a good dirty cop drama. With names like De Niro, Liotta, and Keitel, you’d expect Stallone to be just a throwaway, but he actually holds his own here pretty well. In summation: a good but not great dirty cop drama features an all-star cast and an original concept and story.
7/10
Red Dawn (1984) (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – I’ve always thought the idea of an invasion of American soil makes for a great concept, but so far all we’ve received is two mediocre movies and a decent game (Homefront). This has quite a bit more action than the remake, but like it, there’s not enough character development and depth to the story to ever move beyond the wantonness amount of violence. Decent performances from the teenaged characters, but again, there’s so little characterization they’re almost indistinguishable from one another. In summation: watched as a pure action movie, Red Dawn isn’t bad, but unfortunately there’s too little development of characters and story to ever make it anything more than that.
5/10
Collateral Damage (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – It’s kind of ironic that this was released in 2001, as the movie is about a terrorist attack on United States soil. When you consider the themes, Andrew Davis at the helm, and Arnold as the lead, it should have been better. Arnold’s family is taken from him early in the film, but there’s so little emotion displayed, it just doesn’t really evoke the sort of compassion you’d hope for. Ultimately, it’s a decent starting point for what turns out to be a very formulaic action thriller. It moves along fast enough and with enough action to keep you entertained, but there’s nothing here worth noting. In summation: after The Fugitive, it would seem Andrew Davis lost is his way a bit. Despite the timely subject matter and Arnold, there’s nothing here to transcend the usual action thriller mold.
5.5/10
Absolute Power (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – Not the greatest mystery thriller out there, but it was another solid film in Eastwood’s director/actor showing. Eastwood is good as always, and you also have Ed Harris and Gene Hackman, the latter playing the U.S. president who is caught committing murder by Eastwood’s character, a master thief. It stretches believability, but it’s a competently made, well acted 2 hour thriller that relies a lot more on tense direction than action; that’s something I can admire. In summation: probably not the film Eastwood will be most remembered for, but solid direction, action, and stakes make this a solid, if a bit ludicrous, mystery thriller.
6.5/10
In the Line of Fire (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – Followed up the previous day’s movie with another Eastwood thriller, this one much more highly regarded than Absolute Power. I was pleasantly surprised by Absolute Power, but this one disappointed me a little considering all of the praise I had read. It’s not a bad movie, but a little more formulaic than I was led to believe. All of the casting is good, they perform well, but again, the story and plot are pretty predictable. In summation: one of Eastwood’s more popular movies from the 90s. It’s a solid thriller, but follows a pretty predictable tread.
6.5/10
Children of Men (Blu-ray, 2nd viewing) – One of more original, interesting science fiction films to come out in the 2000s. It has a very high level of believability, and the realism and grit are outstanding. Clive Owen isn’t a personal favorite of mine, but he proves here that he can act. It’s an intelligent film that relies on a lot more than just action, and I would argue that the more action-oriented scenes are the film’s weakest areas. It had been several years since I last watched it, so it was almost like I was watching it again. In summation: steady performances and an excellent premise make this one of the more memorable sci-fi action films from the 2000s.
7.5/10
