Movie Review: Hellboy (2019)

So, Hellboy, a movie that caused a stir among the masses when it was announced, or rather, that subset of the masses that care about such things as genre and comic book movies, and even then, a further subset of the masses that cares about remakes and reboots. It is a stir that has lasted right up to and through the movies release this weekend. Fortunately, I am not a part of that subset. I am a part of the movie loving public that likes to see movies prove their worth on their own terms, and not have to fight off non-existent foes before their time. With that said, I quite enjoyed this new interpretation of the source, it felt true in spirit but does not find itself beholden to what came before, meaning it has a distinctly different flavor than Guillermo del Toro’s vision. This is a good one.

Movie Review: John Wick - Chapter 2

Three years ago, a little, unassuming action film was released to theaters. It had the rather dull title of John Wick and starred an actor that, while popular, had been something of a poster child for bad actors for years for his somewhat wooden screen presence. As it turns out, this small little action film turned out to be an incredible blast of adrenaline that shows us just what kind of effect an action movie can have. It has an immediate emotional hook which got the audience involved and the lead upset, essentially getting the hero all wound up and then unleashing him for a journey of vengeance. As soon as it ended I wanted more, it has finally arrived in the form of John Wick: Chapter 2.

Movie Review: John Wick

I remember the first time I saw the trailer for John Wick. My first reaction was happy to see Keanu Reeves back in an action movie. Yes, I like Reeves and think he did a really good job with his directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi. Then my thoughts rolled the action around my mind, it looked pretty good. Then there were the story elements, a stolen car (a gorgeous 1969 Mustang), a dead wife, and a murdered dog. I immediately hoped that the thrust of this movie was a man getting revenge for his dog. Simple, elegant, emotionally gripping. Kind of like the reaction I had early in The Rover, hoping Guy Pearce simply wanted his car back. Sometimes simple is better.

Movie Review: Hercules (2014)

Way back in January a Hercules movie hit the theaters with very little fanfare and proceeded to bomb at the box office. This was not wholly unexpected considering it seemed to be a late pickup by Lionsgate with the hope of making a few bucks. That movie was Legend of Hercules, starring Kellan Lutz and directed by Renny Harlin. It was one of those movies when my instincts kicked in and successfully steered me away. The logic being I would wait for the big summer Hercules movie with Dwayne Johnson. That would have to be better, right? Well, it has arrived and I did go and see it. Long story short, it's not good.

Movie Review: Cuban Fury

Do you ever see a movie trailer for a film that you can just tell is not trying terribly hard or covers a lot of familiar ground, but feel compelled to see it anyway? I know you have, I have to. Although, I have to admit that I am getting a little better at skipping some, there are some that slip past the guard. One of those to get though the defenses is Cuban Fury. I am sure most of you have never heard of this one before. Before a few days ago I hadn't either, it is just sneaking into a few theaters and I suspect that it will fade away just as quickly. By now, you have to be wondering if it is worth seeing. The answer is a little complicated, but not really.