Atomic Blonde Review

2.5 Stars

 

Undercover MI6 Agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is described as an expert in intelligence collection and hand-to-hand combat.  In Atomic Blonde, Broughton is sent on a mission to Berlin on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall to take down a ruthless espionage ring that is responsible for killing her boyfriend and fellow MI6 undercover agent.  He was killed for an important document referred to as "the list" that contains compromising information about undercover agents and missions.  There, she is forced to team up with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) who is not always on the same page as far as information sharing.  Once in Berlin, the mission quickly expands from just finding "the list" to also revealing and eliminating the double agent crossing the KGB, the Royal Crown and the United States.  

Atomic Blonde is the full length feature film realization of the graphic novel titled The Coldest City.  Written in 2012 by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart, The Coldest City chronicles the adventures of a spy sent to find a list of double-agents being smuggled into the West.

An early review described Theron as "bigger and bolder than Bourne".  Many have compared her character to the first real female James Bond. I found a couple problems with those comparisons.  First, the action scenes and driving sequences in the Bourne movies were believable and flawless in their execution.  While Theron was more than able to pull off the realistic and graphic fighting scenes, the driving scenes were enhanced by a computer in post production.  And you can tell.

Second, Broughton, like the 007 Agent to which she is compared, has a love interest in the movie.  Bond is known for being quite the ladies' man with not-so-subtle innuendos and a PG to PG-13 scene of intimacy before getting back to the action and gadgets.  Broughton engages with a female French agent named Sandrine (Sofia Boutella).  This affair was not in the 2012 graphic novel, but the writers of Atomic Blonde felt it would set their spy movie apart from other ones and it would be an unexpected twist.  Their affair was graphic, intense and gratuitous.   While the Bond scene of love is titillatingly playful, the scenes in Atomic Blonde hinted at by the preview leave s little to the imagination and something that I feel works against solidifying Broughton as a viable contender to be in the same class as a Bourne or Bond character.  Though I can excuse the affair itself as being a means to and end (information gathering), it still could have been done with a PG to PG-13 ambiance about it.

All the things that are wrong about Atomic Blonde are showcased in the first 5 minutes of the film.  The MI6 Agent is killed by the KGB in an unrealistic computer enhanced car hit, the first line of the movie drops an F-bomb (the first of many), and the next scene is Broughton naked in a tub and around the bathroom.  I supposed the point of that was to show a bruised and broken Broughton; but, again, that could have done without the nudity.

Atomic Blonde looked interesting and I agree we are overdue for a female version of a Bond or Bourne, but I do think they could have done so with more attention to the plot and the action and less on the nudity and sex that didn't make the movie any better.  I went in with low expectations giving a timid 2 Star Prediction.  I will say this, as the movie progresses, it does get better for me.  The fighting scenes (and you can tell Theron is actually doing most of her own work) are quite realistic.  The story is not unique.  It's a spy movie, so the one you think is the traitor isn't, and even when you think you figured out the twist, there's another one.  It's entertaining, but not innovative or new.  Because of the fight scenes alone, I'm bumping this up to 2.5 Stars.  Still disappointing, especially when it could have been a solid 4 to 4.5 stars had it not been for the car chases with computers, the nudity and sex, and the foul language that just wasn't necessary to put Atomic Blonde in the same league with Bourne or Bond.  I think this is one to wait for on cable, but might be worth renting, but not spending the big bucks to watch in theatres.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

 

Atomic Blonde Preview

Undercover MI6 Agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is described as an expert in intelligence collection and hand-to-hand combat.  In Atomic Blonde, Broughton is sent alone on a mission to Berlin on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall to take down a ruthless espionage ring that is responsible for killing an undercover agent.  There, she teams up with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to navigate her way through a deadly spy game.  

Atomic Blonde is the full length feature film realization of the graphic novel titled The Coldest City.  Written in 2012 by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart, The Coldest City chronicles the adventures of a spy sent to find a list of double-agents being smuggled into the West.

At the beginning of the preview, Broughton is briefed on her mission by a top CIA Agent (John Goodman).  She is tasked with finding out who is responsible for killing one of their agents and take down their ring.  Of course, she is told to "trust no one" which should immediately make you distrust Goodman's character right out of the gate.  An early review describes Theron as "bigger and bolder than Bourne".  Many have compared her character to the first real female James Bond.

I can already see a couple problems with those comparisons.  First, the action scenes and driving sequences in the Bourne movies were believable and flawless in their execution.  While Theron looks like she is able to pull off the fighting, the driving looks like it was enhanced by a computer in post production.  And that's just from the preview.

Second, Broughton, like the 007 Agent to which she is compared, has a love interest in the movie.  Bond is known for being quite the ladies' man with not-so-subtle innuendos and a PG to PG-13 scene of intimacy before getting back to the action and gadgets.  Broughton falls for a female French agent named Sandrine (Sofia Boutella).  This love affair was not in the 2012 graphic novel, but the writers of Atomic Blonde felt it would set their spy movie apart from other ones and it would be an unexpected twist.  Their torrid affair looks graphic, intense and gratuitous.   While the Bond scene of love is titillatingly playful, the scenes in Atomic Blonde hinted at by the preview will leave little to the imagination and something that will work against solidifying Broughton as a viable contender to be in the same class as a Bourne or Bond character.

Atomic Blonde looks interesting and I agree we are overdue for a female version of a Bond or Bourne, but I do think they could have done so with more attention to the plot and the action and less on the nudity and sex that seems to be just as big a part of the movie.  I'm not going in with huge expectations and am giving a timid 2 Star Prediction.  I think this would be one to wait for it to be on your pay cable channels, but might not even be worth renting, let alone spending the big bucks to watch in theatres.  Am I right?  We shall see.

10 Cloverfield Lane Review

4.0 Stars

10 Cloverfield Lane is exactly why I love doing these previews and reviews.  The movie begins, just as the preview suggests, with Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) getting into a pretty bad car accident.  When she awakens, she is handcuffed to a wall in a bunker.  Her captor, or savior, Howard (John Goodman) informs her that it's not safe outside of the bunker.  Emmett (John Gallagher Jr) is also in the bunker and appears to be Howard's friend, or co-captor.  It takes a little while to reveal this, but Emmett helped Howard build the bunker and begged to be let in when whatever happened outside the bunker happened.  Michelle attempts to escape despite Howard's fervent pleas that he is doing this for her own good. 

The movie was directed by Dan Trachtenberg who really hasn't done much before this release.  I love me some John Goodman.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead has been around, but isn't a big name actress.  She was in A Good Day to Die Hard as John McClane's daughter Lucy and was in a cute film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World as Romona Flowers, Scott's love interest.  There's actually a scene in the movie that Die Hard fans will be waiting for Michelle to say, "Come out to the coast, have a few laughs."  If you don't know what I mean, you aren't a true Die Hard fan.  Spoiler alert, she doesn't say it.

My point is, you know you're going to get something great from John Goodman and JJ Abrams, but the rest of the cast and crew, along with the preview, leave you wondering what exactly that something is.  It's wonderful.  It looks like a great thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and also guessing as to the true motives of Howard and Emmett in the bunker.  I had no idea what I was about to get into, but I was excited to see 10 Cloverfield Lane.  Just like the ambiguous trailer, the movie itself keeps you guessing as to Howard's true intentions and what, if anything, really happened outside the bunker.  It has twists and turns and the last half hour had me saying, "Wait, what?"  "No way" and "What the what?" at least 5 times.  I anticipated 4.0 stars for a well-written, well-acted, twisting scary movie that I might just want to buy and watch again, and I'm sticking with that.  Well worth it and might just add this one to my collected, but definitely want to see again.   So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

10 Cloverfield Lane Preview

10 Cloverfield Lane is exactly why I love doing these previews and reviews.  The brief and mysterious preview begins with Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) getting into a pretty bad car accident.  When she awakens, she is handcuffed to a wall in a bunker.  Her captor, or savior, Howard (John Goodman) informs her that it's not safe outside of the bunker.  Emmett (John Gallagher Jr) is also in the bunker and appears to be Howard's friend, or co-captor.  Michelle attempts to escape despite Howard's fervent pleas that he is doing this for her own good.  We do get a brief glimpse of Michelle outside of a large house that in emitting a bright white light with some terrifying music playing to imply that the light isn't a good sign.

10 Cloverfield Lane was produced by JJ Abrams who is responsible for the successful recent Star Wars installment, the last few Star Trek features, and several of the Mission: Impossible films; but this seems like a movie we wouldn't necessarily expect from Abrams.

The movie was directed by Dan Trachtenberg who really hasn't done much before this release.  I love me some John Goodman.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead has been around, but isn't a big name actress.  She was in A Good Day to Die Hard as John McClane's daughter Lucy and was in a cute film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World as Romona Flowers, Scott's love interest.

My point is, you know you're going to get something great from John Goodman and JJ Abrams, but the rest of the cast and crew, along with the preview, leave you wondering what exactly that something is.  It's wonderful.  It looks like a great thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and also guessing as to the true motives of Howard and Emmett in the bunker.  I love it, I'm excited to watch 10 Cloverfield Lane, and I have no idea what I'm about to get into.  I'm anticipating 4.0 stars for a well-written, well-acted, twisting scary movie that I might just want to buy and watch again.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Flight Review

2.5 Stars

Flight is the story of commuter airline pilot Whip Whitfield (Denzel Washington).  He's good at his job, and a fateful trip from Orlando to Atlanta would prove just how good he is.  Shortly after takeoff, he maneuvers the plane through some extremely rough turbulence.  They think they're in the clear, but an apparent plane malfunction sends them into a nosedive.  Whip has no choice but to flip the plane and crash land in the closest field he can find.  He wakes in the hospital and finds that though 8 people on the plane have perished, he is solely responsible for saving the lives of everyone else with a move that no other pilot could duplicate.  However, after a routine blood test for this situation, it seems there was alcohol in his system and an investigation is underway to determine the actual cause of the crash.  Flight is the story of Whitfield fighting for his life both personally and professionally.

 Well, I certainly didn't see that coming.  The preview basically shows the first twenty minutes of the movie in which pilot Whip Whitfield (Washington) heroically saves the lives of most of the passengers on his flight.  The rest of the movie is about his full-blown alcoholism and drug addiction.  The FAA hires an attorney who agrees that the cause of the crash was a mechanical issue and that Whitfield is indeed the hero, and no one else could have done what he did.  All he has to do is stay clean and sober during the investigation and everything will be fine.  But he is such an addict that he can't and his personal and professional lives are ruined in the process.  I didn't get that from the preview and it was two hours of drinking and drugs.  It was often slow and borderline boring, completely different that the heart-pounding adventure the preview leads me to believe this movie would be.  Denzel's performance earned him an Oscar Nomination for best leading actor, but I didn't think it was that stellar.  He is always great, so maybe I have higher standards and expectations for him to warrant an Oscar nod.  And Denzel is up against Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables, Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook and Joaquin Phoenix in The Master.  I'm sorry, but there is no way his performance should be in this category with these other performances.  The preview for Flight was misleading and ultimately made the movie a disappointment.  It will definitely not be making it to my personal collection.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Flight Preview

Flight is the story of commuter airline pilot Whip Whitfield (Denzel Washington).  He's good at his job, and a fateful trip from Orlando to Atlanta would prove just how good he is.  Shortly after takeoff, he maneuvers the plane through some extremely rough turbulence.  They think they're in the clear, but an apparent plane malfunction sends them into a nosedive.  Whip has no choice but to flip the plane and crash land in the closest field he can find.  He wakes in the hospital and finds that though 8 people on the plane have perished, he is solely responsible for saving the lives of everyone else with a move that no other pilot could duplicate.  However, after a routine blood test for this situation, it seems there was alcohol in his system and an investigation is underway to determine the actual cause of the crash.  Flight is the story of Whitfield fighting for his life both personally and professionally.

The preview shows a dramatic, spectacular crash landing in which pilot Whip Whitfield inverts a commuter airplane in order to save the passengers on board.  Whitfield awakes in the hospital and is informed that an investigation into the crash has been initiated and alcohol was found in his blood.  Whitfield's friend Harling Mays (John Goodman) is there to visit him and assure him that he's a hero.  I'm not 100% sure what to expect from this movie.  The tragic plane ride is the majority of the preview, so one would assume that most of the movie would be centered around the flight and what made it crash.  And the clips of that flight look absolutely amazing.  And it's Denzel Washington and John Goodman.  How can you go wrong with those two heavy hitters in the lineup?  I loved them in their last co-starring picture Fallen.  My concern is that the movie is over two hours long.  How much of that can really be watching one flight come crashing down?  How much of that is investigating the crash?  How much of that is about pilot Whitfield?  I'm hoping it's a gripping mystery that keeps me on the edge of my seat.  So I'm predicting a hesitant but hopeful 4 stars for this movie.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Argo Review

4 Stars

Argo is the name of the 1980 science fiction movie set in Iran with a storyline and feel similar to Star Wars.  The film was never made . . . and they never intended to make it either.  During the Iran hostage crisis, six Americans were able to get free when the embassy is invaded by Iranian protestors and found asylum in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber).  When the CIA ordered that they be rescued and brought home, it was up to CIA exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to figure out a way to do just that. Argo was his elaborate plan: a Canadian movie set in Iran.  Mendez posed as one of the film's producers, the CIA set up a fake Canadian film studio and sent out press releases advertising the movie, even members of Hollywood's film industry were brought in to bring legitimacy to the film that was never going to be made.  Based on true events, the plan was to get their phony film crew into Iran, make contact with the six refugees, and sneak them out of the country as part of their film crew.

I predicted 4 stars and Argo was a solid 4 star experience.  The preview was spot on: an incredible and almost unbelievable story, great characters, and a non-stop heart-pounding ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.  Ben Affleck was great as Ben Affleck, or Tony Mendez. Affleck is one of those actors who is pretty much the same character in every one of his movies, but I still like him.  I think he's been in some bad movies (Gigli), but I don't think he performed badly in any of those movies.  But I don't ever see him delivering an Oscar-worthy performance.  So, he should set his aspirations of trophies and commendations to behind-the-scenes work, like Good Will Hunting.  And Argo is up for an Oscar for Best Picture.  I'm not sure why Affleck didn't get recognized for his job Directing this movie, but Beasts of the Southern Wild Director Benh Zeitlin and Silver Linings Playbook Director David O. Russell did get nominated.  

Speaking of nominations, Alan Arkin was nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role for his part as Hollywood Film Producer Lester Siegel. He was great for the whole ten to fifteen minutes he was in the movie, but I don't think that warrants an Oscar Nomination, especially being put up against Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln) and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained).  Regardless of the awards this movie should or should not be receiving in my opinion, Argo was thoroughly entertaining, extremely well-done, rivetingly intense and well worth the price of admission.  I will definitely see it again and there's a good chance of it making my home collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Argo Preview

Argo is the name of the 1980 science fiction movie set in Iran with a storyline and feel similar to Star Wars.  The film was never made . . . and they never intended to make it either.  During the Iran hostage crisis, six Americans were able to get free and found asylum in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber).  When the CIA ordered that they be rescued and brought home, it was up to CIA exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to figure out a way to do just that. Argo was his elaborate plan: a Canadian movie set in Iran.  Mendez posed as one of the film's producers, the CIA set up a fake Canadian film studio and sent out press releases advertising the movie, even members of Hollywood's film industry were brought in to bring legitimacy to the film that was never going to be made.  Based on true events, the plan was to get their phony film crew into Iran, make contact with the six refugees, and sneak them out of the country as part of their film crew.

The preview shows an almost unbelievable story told by an amazing cast.  Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, Argo looks to be intriguing, entertaining, and a nail-biting story of epic heroism. Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman lend their talents to the film and seem to be in top form. In 2010, Ben Affleck's last project in Directing and Acting, The Town, earned an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor Jeremy Renner and an AFI award win for movie of the year.  Argo has been nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture of the Year and Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin.  Is this the year Affleck takes home the trophy? He's certainly up against some stiff competition.  Judging from the preview, this movie will earn those nominations, though I'm not so sure about actually winning them when you look at the other films and actors who were also nominated.  I'm predicting a 4 star experience overall that is worth the price of admission and might make it to my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Trouble With The Curve Review

Trouble With The Curve is the story of an aging baseball scout (Clint Eastwood) and his estranged daughter (Amy Adams).  Eastwood plays Gus Lobel who has been a successful baseball scout for decades, but his age and lack of embracing new technology, his employers are starting to question if he's still got the gift.  Gus is threatened by rival scout played by Justin Timberlake, both on and off the field, especially when Gus' daughter Mickey arrives on the scene.  A promising lawyer, Mickey puts her career in jeopardy to reunite with her father as Gus now finds himself looking after his daughter, his career, and keeping Timberlake away from both.

Trouble With The Curve was a cute movie.  Here are the problems: it will never make it as a classic sports or baseball film like Bull Durham, Major League, The Natural, or even Moneyball; nor is it the best relationship building movie that Eastwood has achieved.  There was more of a smooth transition and steady development of a relationship between Eastwood and Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby than there was between he and Amy Adams in The Curve. In fact, I more enjoyed watching Justin Timberlake's character of the "rival" scout breaking down the emotional walls that Mickey (Amy Adams) had build up over the years than I did watching Gus (Eastwood) and Mickey work through their problems.

There were a couple other issues I had with the movie.  Just twenty minutes into the movie, it felt like eighteen of those minutes were spent going out of their way to make sure we understood that Gus Lobel was old, losing his sight, and losing the faith of most of his colleagues.  It got a little tiresome to have the point driven home so much.  Also, the preview leads one to believe that Johnny "The Flame" (Timberlake) is Gus' competition both on and off the field as they are scouting the same big league hitting prospect in up-and-comer Bo Gentry (Joe Massingill) and Johnny immediately starts scouting Mickey when they first meet.  As it turns out, they are anything but rivals; which is fine, but this movie could have used a little more tension and drama and that might have been a nice twist to throw in the mix.

Finally, the protagonist and actual rival scout within the organization Phillip Sanderson (Matthew Lillard) is your stereotypical sleazy jerk that is played so over the top right along side Bo Gentry's ultra macho jerkiness that you are left with absolutely no choice but to hate both of them the minute you meet them.  The film went a bit over the top again in portraying these two in such an unfavorable light.  Sanderson relied completely on computer stats and analysis to make his decisions to climb his way up the ladder to GM of the baseball team though he knows nothing about people or baseball for that matter.  And Gentry, the next big meat-head slugger is only concerned with his image, his endorsements and chicks and has no love or respect for the game.  Not only are you forced to route against them, within moments of being introduced to either character, you know for certain that they both will fail in the end.

Again, Trouble With The Curve is a cute movie.  A little predictable.  Not the best character movie, and certainly not the best baseball movie.  Eastwood brings his A game as the crotchety old scout who is emotionally closed off to those he cares for most.  Adams is the over-achieving daughter pursuing a career she hates to impress her father and comes to terms with her own emotional baggage.  That done mostly through the aide of the smooth, sweet, and much-needed and appreciated comic relief that Timberlake brought to the film.  I enjoyed it, I'm glad I rented it, but this one will not be making it to my esteemed home collection.  What movie will be on my mind next?  We'll have to see.

Trouble With The Curve Preview

Trouble With The Curve is the story of an aging baseball scout (Clint Eastwood) and his estranged daughter (Amy Adams).  Eastwood plays Gus Lobel who has been a successful baseball scout for decades, but his age and lack of embracing new technology, his employers are starting to question if he's still got the gift.  Gus is threatened by rival scout played by Justin Timberlake, both on and off the field, especially when Gus' daughter Mickey arrives on the scene.  A promising lawyer, Mickey puts her career in jeopardy to reunite with her father as Gus now finds himself looking after his daughter, his career, and keeping Timberlake away from both.

Trouble With The Curve looks like a warm, funny, heart-felt movie that will keep audiences laughing and wiping away tears throughout.  I'd say Eastwood looks like he is back and better than ever; however, other than a slight slip-up at the Republican National Convention, no one's ever accused the actor of being anything other than one of the best.  Amy Adams (three time Academy Award nominated) looks triumphant in yet another role proving her versatility as a promising actress who fortunately was quickly able to lose her Disney Princess persona with roles in movies like Sunshine Cleaning Company, Doubt and The Fighter in which she more than held her own with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale.

Justin Timberlake, John Goodman and Robert Patrick lend their talents to what looks like a successful movie delighting audiences of all ages, both genders and sports fans (or not) alike.  I anticipate being thoroughly entertained and tearing up at points, ultimately wanting to add this movie to my collection.  Am I right?  Stay tuned and find out.