Month: December 2020

Today’s quick review: Get Carter. After the death of his brother, London criminal Jack Carter (Michael Caine) heads north to his hometown to find the men responsible. There he checks in on his orphaned niece Doreen (Petra Markham) and butts heads with Eric (Ian Hendry) and Kinnear (John Osborne), a pair of local criminals. But as Jack keeps prying into his brother’s death, the culprits make escalating attempts to run him out of town.

Get Carter is a British crime drama about one man’s attempts to avenge his murdered brother. Get Carter begins as a mystery, with Jack hunting down leads in a town that’s reluctant to give him any. But the film gradually morphs into a revenge flick as Jack pays back those responsible. As a result, Get Carter skews dark even for the crime genre. The film has a decent plot, but its dark content and unsympathetic protagonist deal it a severe blow.

As a mystery, Get Carter has the pieces it needs but doesn’t assemble them very tightly. The early part of the movie is a jumble of vague leads with little immediate payoff. Jack shakes down anyone and everyone he knows for information and comes up all but empty. Later revelations make sense of what’s going on, but the unfocused build-up hurts the eventual payoff, and the answers are less something that Jack earns than something he stumbles on.

As a revenge movie, Get Carter comes across more as vindictive than cathartic. Jack Carter is a cruel, uncaring protagonist whose sole redeeming trait is his cunning, and even that is used primarily to cause suffering. He takes advantage of the people around him, shows humanity only towards Doreen, and doles out vengeance in ways that are shocking, even when deserved. Get Carter is a tale of bad versus worse that lacks the fun of an action flick.

Get Carter may be worth a watch for those interested in the darker side of the crime genre. Its callous protagonist and his sprawling investigation do put some meat on the film’s bones, while its late-game revelations and brutal acts of revenge give it a skewed form of payoff. But mystery fans will find that there’s little to sink their teeth into, while those looking for a vengeful romp will leave with a bitter taste in their mouth.

For a budget action movie with a similar premise and somewhat less execution quality, try Rage or I Am Vengeance. For a more cheerful use of Michael Caine, try The Italian Job. For a British crime movie with a similarly complex, sordid plot, try The Bank Job. For a more sympathetic criminal protagonist, try Layer Cake.

7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent execution quality, hurt by an overly dark tone and a mediocre mystery.

Today’s quick review: The Big Bang. Beaten and blinded by his latest case, private detective Ned Cruz (Antonio Banderas) recounts the events of the last few days to a trio of cops (Thomas Kretschmann, William Fichtner, and Delroy Lindo) trying to make sense of the mess. Ned tells of his winding search for Lexie Persimmon (Sienna Guillory), a missing stripper, on behalf of Anton (Robert Maillet), the killer she wrote to while he was in prison.

The Big Bang is a modern noir starring Antonio Banderas as Ned Cruz, a sarcastic private eye. The film follows Ned as he tries to get to the bottom of a case that keeps getting stranger the deeper he digs into it. The pieces of the puzzle include a released killer with a single love, a stripper that no one has seen in years, and $30 million in diamonds sought by the Russian mob. Its writing and lead make it a decent but not outstanding watch.

The Big Bang’s distinguishing feature is its astronomical theming. The film waxes philosophical about celestial bodies and quantum physics, first as a series of metaphors and eventually as a minor subplot. The scientific angle helps spice up the writing and fits well with the noir tone, but it isn’t enough to carry the film. In spite of the scientific trappings and a dash of sex, The Big Bang is a typical noir at its core and holds few surprises.

The Big Bang hits all of the key beats of the noir genre: a mouthy detective, antagonistic cops, and a web of lies and double-dealing. The mystery holds together well enough, with a couple of twists and valid answers to most of its questions. But many of the steps it takes along the way do not carry their weight; the core of the plot is worthwhile, but the details surrounding it are not. The mystery’s payoff is also rather mediocre.

The end result is a serviceable noir that’s neither as innovative nor as artistic as it wants to be. The Big Bang earns some points for a charismatic lead, a decent mystery, and distinctive astronomical musings. But those looking for the sharp writing, atmosphere, or plot of the best noirs may want to give it a pass.

For a noir-influenced mystery with a similar tone and better execution, try Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. For an even more experimental noir with heavy meta elements, try The Singing Detective or Revolver. For a classic noir, try The Maltese Falcon or Murder, My Sweet.

5.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for pieces of an interesting story without the writing skill to bring them all together.

“Si vis pacem, para bellum.” —Winston

Today’s quick review: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. After breaking the rules of the Continental, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is cut off from the organization’s services and left to fend for himself. With every assassin in New York gunning for the bounty on his head, John must call on allies from his past to stay alive. But his task is complicated by an Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) sent by the High Table to punish anyone who has helped him.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is an action movie in the purest sense of the term. Picking up minutes after the end of Chapter 2, Parabellum deals with the fallout of John’s choices in the previous film. Injured, isolated, and hunted by every assassin in the city, John now faces the full might of the High Table, a powerful criminal syndicate. Stylish presentation, outstanding stunts, and a unique world make Parabellum an excellent pick.

Like the prior John Wick movies, Parabellum has some of the sharpest action in the genre. Fights are tightly choreographed dances of death as John uses guns, fists, and a variety of improvised weaponry to kill dozens of skilled foes. The stunts in Parabellum continue to innovate. Even the most basic exchanges make inventive use of the weapons at the characters’ disposal, while a parade of interesting environments keeps the action feeling fresh.

Parabellum is no less notable for its sense of style. It takes place in a slick and mysterious world of assassins, power, and honor, where John Wick’s storied past comes with as many complications as it does opportunities. Opulent locations, ironclad traditions, and an entire underground economy built on favors make watching the film an engrossing experience. The new additions to the world fit right in without overplaying the series’ hand.

Yet another point in Parabellum’s favor is its cast. Returning characters include Winston (Ian McShane), Charon (Lance Reddick), and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne). The newcomers fit right in: an Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) sent to enforce the High Table’s will; Zero (Mark Dacascos), an assassin hired to kill John; and Sofie (Halle Berry), an old ally of John’s whose unique fighting style makes her one of the film’s standouts.

The one notable drawback of Parabellum is its credibility. The movie stretches the series’ suspension of disbelief even farther than Chapter 2. While the movie does a good job of keeping the viewer’s attention on the action and not any potential plot holes, the way the series takes pains to ignore the mundane world becomes more obvious as the stakes get higher. Action fans won’t mind much, but sticklers for plot logic will have a hard time.

Another minor flaw is the lack of a clear direction for the plot. Parabellum begins with an excellent source of tension but never sets up a clear plan for how to resolve it. John reacts more than he acts, and the times he does manage to get ahead of the curve, he’s hamstrung by split loyalties and indecision. The result is a bottom-up plot that has some great individual sequences but isn’t as cohesive or focused as that of the prior two films.

Watch John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum if you are a fan of the sleek, violent side of the action genre. Parabellum continues the series’ tradition of top-tier stunt work and solid world building, making it an almost ideal popcorn watch for those interested in what it has to offer. Slight issues with its plot and logic may hurt it in the eyes of story aficionados, but those in it for the action and style will get everything they’re hoping for.

For more fanciful, comedy-tinged action of a similar caliber, try the Kingsman series. For gritty, violent action with similarly skillful stunt work, try The Raid. For a more offbeat violent action movie with some of the same appeal, try Kill Bill. For a cruder, more eclectic action movie that toys with a similar premise, try Smokin’ Aces.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for stellar action, a unique setting, and a talented cast.