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Last Knights(2015)
A fallen warrior rises against a corrupt and sadistic ruler to avenge his dishonored master.
Director:
Kazuaki Kiriya
Writers:
Michael Konyves (screenplay), Dove Sussman(screenplay)
Stars:
Clive Owen, Morgan Freeman, Aksel Hennie |See full cast and crew »
Storyline
A fallen warrior rises against a corrupt and sadistic ruler to avenge his dishonored master in a sword-clashing adventure of loyalty, honor, and vengeance.Written by Lionsgate
User Reviews
Last Knight taps into the fantasy sword and sandals genre. Its set in a fictional empire with a medieval style hierarchy of Emperors, nobles and knights.
The film has a samurai flavour too, with notions of honour and sacrifice for ones liege lord. The sets are excellent and the acting is fair. Where this film fails miserably is in the story telling department.
The enjoyable portions of this film take place in the first and last twenty or so minutes. What happens in between, can only be described as long winded and excruciatingly dull.
As a consequence, whilst I liked aspects of this film, I can in no way recommend it. Four out of ten from me.
An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.
Directors:
Chad Stahelski, David Leitch (uncredited)
Writer:
Derek Kolstad
Stars:
Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen|See full cast and crew »
Storyline
John Wick is a mob hit man who, upon falling in love, quits. 5 years later, his wife dies and to make sure he's not alone she arranges for a dog to be brought to him after her death. Later, some men wanting his car break in and beat him up and kill his dog.
When he recovers, he sets to get the ones who killed his dog. He learns that the leader is the son of his former employer. And the man wanting to protect his son, tries to take care of Wick but he's still as good as he was. Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com
User Reviews
John Wick had been out awhile and at first I had little interest in seeing it as, for me, Keanu Reeves is generally whatever the opposite of a selling point is. However I kept hearing about how this was a bit of a throw back of an action movie and upon reading the connection between the director and Keanu, I thought I would have to put aside my preconceived notions and give this movie a shot.
The movie had two ex-stunt men (one of which was Keanu Reeves' former stunt double) helming this film. This resulted in a lot of practical effects instead of heavy reliance on green screen. Also familiarity with Reeves likely left the directors with a base knowledge with how far they could push the star. This left the film's action scenes clean, realistic, to the point, and a hell of a lot of fun to watch.
If I was going to break down the film's format, well it is of the "semi-generic Punisher type, ex bad ass comes out of retirement to take on other bad asses" type variety. It was 75% Japanese yakuza film, 20% Film Noir, and 5% video game. One stylistic element that jumped out at me right away was the choice to go with a narrow scope of field for focus. At first I thought maybe this was the projector in the theater but then I realized it was a choice made for the film. Normally this would annoy me slightly, and I suppose still did, as I am a big fan of depth of field, mise–en–scènes set ups (Citizen Kane is one of my favorite films). I came to terms with the stylistic choice made for this film as it reminded me so much of Eastern influences, in this case it was reminiscent of Zen ink and brush compositions, where the sharpness lies in where the brush first touches down and the edges disappear into an almost mist like effect.
While Keanu sold the action pieces well, he wasn't asked to do too much to stretch his stoic emotional range, which is just what the film required. He was pretty much perfect for this part if I had been for some reason been asked to recast this film, I would be hard pressed to find a better fit. This would have been right up Jason Statham's alley, however there is nothing more he could have added to it. There was something quietly instance about Reeves that made you feel that he was one not to be trifled with. Statham will always remind me of the character he played in Snatch, which was not at all overly menacing or intimidating. Rather, if I had my choice of an alternative, I would delve further into the Japanese gangster genre and extract Chow Yun-fat. Reeves was 49 in this film and still convincing as an ass kicker. Chow Yun-fat would have been ten years older, but that would have further added to the realism of a retired hit man that is unwillingly dragged back into the 'business'.
Speaking of performances, this film was full of great character actors from the action genre and otherwise. One of these performances that I was not overly fond of was that of Alfie Allen. You probably know him as the dickless Theon Greyjoy. He worked in the part in that he was highly unlikable, however I was not sure which accent he was trying to commit to. This brings me to another flaw of the film. Many of the baddies simply did not measure up to be worthy of the John Wick challenge. A spoiled brat son of a crime boss nor the crime boss himself, an old man that the film gave no hint as to any physical prowess until the anticlimactic final battle gave any feeling that the fight would go any other direction except to a single minded John Wick killing stroke.
I highly recommend this film if you are a fan of good action. This easily ranks as one of the pure action movies of 2014. Judged as just a movie, it is simple in story structure, but what it does it does very well.
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Dragon Blade(2015)
When corrupt Roman leader Tiberius arrives with a giant army to claim the Silk Road, Huo An teams up his army with an elite Legion of defected Roman soldiers led by General Lucius to protect his country and his new friends.
Director:
Daniel Lee
Writer:
Daniel Lee
Stars:
Jackie Chan, John Cusack, Adrien Brody |See full cast and crew »
Storyline
A massive success this year in its native China, "Dragon Blade" brings action spectacle on a grand scale to US audiences. Featuring an international cast led by Jackie Chan, John Cusack and Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody, the film features the fight for the Silk Road when East and West collide.
When corrupt Roman leader Tiberius (Adrien Brody) arrives with a giant army to claim the Silk Road, Huo An (Jackie Chan) and his group of trained warriors teams up with an elite legion of defected Roman soldiers led by General Lucius (John Cusack) to maintain the delicate balance of power in the region. To protect his country and his new friends, Huo An gathers the warriors of thirty-six ethnic nations together to fight Tiberius in an incredible epic battle. The film is written and directed by Daniel Lee ("Black Mask") and produced by Jackie Chan and Susanna Tsang. Written by Lionsgate
1) The message about multicultural peace was smacked right in audience faces left, right, up, down from the beginning of the show. To make things worst, coupled with cheesy lines, it made a profound and wise motif seem plain cheesy, overly-simplified and lacked the depth it should have had.
2) Despite the strong development of major characters, minor/side characters were not grounded enough. Fickle change in beliefs by side characters (people of the Wild Geese Gate), once again, made the story look superficial and badly developed.
Unfortunately, great choreography, scene shots and strong casts could not save it from its draggy, underdeveloped plot and horrible script.
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Inside Out (I) (2015)
After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.
Directors:
Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen
Writers:
Pete Docter (story), Ronaldo Del Carmen (story) (as Ronnie del Carmen) , 5 more credits »
Stars:
Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black |See full cast and crew »
Storyline
Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness.
The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley's mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school. Written by Pixar
User Reviews
It was by far the best Pixar movie ever made. It was super fun and funny. The 3D was really good. I loved every bit of it. I was like wow that was a great movie can I see it again. Pixar out did themselves on this movie. It was a great family film. It was a great imaginary film throughout. Inside Out is a great movie to go see.it was a great way to say to your kids I love you. I never saw anything like this before. It was nothing I have ever seen before. I think you will enjoy watching this wonderful movie. This is what I call a great movie
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Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials(2015)
After having escaped the Maze, the Gladers now face a new set of challenges on the open roads of a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles.
Director:
Wes Ball
Writers:
James Dashner (novel), T.S. Nowlin (screenplay)
Stars:
Nathalie Emmanuel, Dylan O'Brien, Aidan Gillen |See full cast and crew »
Storyline
In this next chapter of the epic "Maze Runner" saga, Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and his fellow Gladers face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on WCKD's vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all.Written by 20th Century Fox
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American Sniper(2014)
Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.
Director:
Clint Eastwood
Writers:
Jason Hall, Chris Kyle (book), 2 more credits »
Stars:
Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner |See full cast and crew »
Storyline
Chris Kyle was nothing more than a Texan man who dreamed of becoming a cowboy, but in his thirties he found out that maybe his life needed something different, something where he could express his real talent, something that could help America in its fight against terrorism. So he joined the SEALs in order to become a sniper.
After marrying, Kyle and the other members of the team are called for their first tour of Iraq. Kyle's struggle isn't with his missions, but about his relationship with the reality of the war and, once at home, how he manages to handle it with his urban life, his wife and kids.Written by Evandro Martira no
User Reviews
I rated this movie a 1 star not because it wasn't entertaining or wasn't cinematically compelling. I rated this movie one star because the message this movie delivers is ignorantly backwards. Throughout this film, we watch (in vivid detail) as Chris Kyle assassinates hundreds of Iraqi men, women, and even children in order to protect American troops. And yet, this movie ends a memorial. I understand that Chris Kyle did his job well. But that does not mean he should be honored as a hero.
I love the United States. This is an amazing country. And so it bothers me when Hollywood portrays an American hero as someone who is willing to kill people without critically evaluating why they should be killed, who sees war as purely good versus evil, and who is hopelessly blind to the bigger picture.
If there is ever to be peace in this world - heck, if we want to protect the US - we need to glorify people who are compassionate, who can put themselves in other people's shoes, and who act in ways that promote trust and love - instead of fueling the cycle of anger and hate.
Go see this movie. But please don't swallow it up without thinking first.
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The Gunman(2015)
A sniper on a mercenary assassination team, kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's successful kill shot forces him into hiding. Returning to the Congo years later, he becomes the target of a hit squad himself.
Director:
Pierre Morel
Writers:
Jean-Patrick Manchette (novel), Don MacPherson(screenplay), 2 more credits »
Stars:
Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Jasmine Trinca |See full cast and crew »
Storyline
A sniper on a mercenary assassination team, working for an unknown client, kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's (Sean Penn's) successful kill shot forces him to go into hiding to protect himself and the members of the team from retribution. This includes abruptly abandoning his girlfriend who has no idea what is going on.
The assassination, paid for by a foreign mining company, triggers wide spread chaos and death in an already inflamed Congo. Terrier returns to the Congo years later working for an NGO, but eventually finds himself to be the target of a paid hit squad somehow connected to the ministers assassination. This leads to immediate deaths and the endangerment of the people working around him, and forces him back into hiding. In trying to discover who has put a price on his head, he begins to reconnect to the members of his old assassination team, including his old girlfriend. Always aware there is no path to redemption for his crimes, he is also periodically ... Written by RSailor
User Reviews
This is my first review. I have finally gotten tired of fake reviewers and haters rating films poorly because they don't like the actor and likely never saw the film. Reviewers are offended because he was working outside without a shirt on or because his shirt sleeves were short? Give me a break. I've seen plenty of 1 and 2 star movies, but, this was not one of them. What I want to know from a review is whether or not a movie is worth watching. I do like action films and I don't dislike Sean Penn. This review comes from that angle. You're not going to find cars jumping between sky scrapers, people falling 100s of feet and walking away or phony cliffhangers in this film. What you will find is an attempt to show necessary action in a mostly realistic way. Sean Penn's role is more like Rambo than Superman. The action was original, clever and well executed. The dialogue was realistic and the acting was believable. The only reason I didn't give it an 8 or 9 is because I felt it tried to do too much in too little time. That having been said making the movie longer wouldn't have worked because it would have taken 5 hours to do it right. The first 20 minutes could have been its own 2 hour film. That having been said it all made sense. I didn't leave the theater wondering why or how anything happened. I would have cut several of the longer scenes short in order to tell more of the back story. If you are looking for something fun to do on a Saturday afternoon you won't go wrong by seeing this film.
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