Month: August 2021

Today’s quick review: Cross Wars. With the power of an ancient amulet and the help of his team of crime-fighters, Callan (Brian Austin Green) protects the streets of Los Angeles. But when a new, ruthless mob boss named Muerte (Danny Trejo) takes over the city’s criminal underworld, Callan must reunite with Riley (Amy Jane), an old flame with her own team and amulet, to stop Muerte and his immortal ally, Callan’s nemesis Gunnar (Vinnie Jones).

Cross Wars is a budget superhero movie with comic book stylings. The movie follows Callan, Riley, and their respective superhero teams as they fight against the forces of evil. Cross Wars aims to be a light take on the superhero genre with clear nods to the genre’s origins. However, its flat world, low production values, and unskilled execution cause it to fall far short of its goal, making Cross Wars a bland watch with little to help it stand out.

Cross Wars struggles with the basics. Its characters are poorly defined, with generic personalities, no memorable features, and very little to justify the film’s fantasy elements. The acting is unconvincing and isn’t helped by the film’s flimsy dialogue. The plot has no real purpose, a series of abrbitrary skirmishes that never feel like part of a larger story. The individual scenes are also mishandled and never succeed in building any tension.

Cross Wars’ special effects are another mark against it. Due to its limited budget, the movie has to make do with bottom-of-the-barrel CGI for its superpowers, gunfights, and occasional comic book-style visuals. The resulting special effects are a distraction whenever they appear. The one place where Cross Wars almost succeeds is with its large cast, a rarity for budget movies. But even then the extra characters don’t bring much to the table.

Watch Cross Wars only if you’re more interested in passion than results. The movie clearly has a story it wants to tell and a world it wants to play in, but it lacks either the budget or the technical skill needed to reach its goals. Some fans of the superhero genre may find that its heart is in the right place, but most will be put off by its uninteresting story and weak action. Most viewers would be better off skipping it.

For a martial arts action movie with comic book influences and more creativity, try Dragon Tiger Gate. For a budget take on the superhero genre with a more appropriate scope, try American Hero. For a superhero comedy with more flavor, try Mystery Men. For one with more heart, try Sky High.

2.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 3.0 for uniformly poor execution.

Today’s quick review: Kick-Ass 2. Two years after Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) became the world’s first superhero, others have begun to follow his example. As Dave makes new friends and trains to be a better hero, Mindy McCready (Chloe Grace Moretz), the former Hit-Girl, tries to put her violent past behind her. Meanwhile, Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) rebrands himself as the world’s first supervillain and sets out for revenge.

Kick-Ass 2 is a superhero action comedy based on the comic by Mark Millar. Kick-Ass 2 revisits Dave Lizewski’s world two years after the events of the first film, dealing with the ramifications of his career as a self-made superhero. The sequel maintains the series’ tradition of quirky characters, extreme violence, and realism cut with black comedy. However, a weaker story and less consistent direction make it a step down from the original.

Kick-Ass 2 has much of the same appeal as the first movie. It pushes the premise of superheroes in the real world even farther by introducing teams of heroes and self-proclaimed supervillains into the mix. The characters are as colorful as ever, combining realistic foibles with comic book situations. The humor is less consistent than in the first movie, but its irony and black comedy still hit the mark more often than not, with a few standout jokes.

However, Kick-Ass 2 lacks some of the finesse of its predecessor. Its dialogue and presentation aren’t as snappy, it makes a few questionable choices with its writing, and its story isn’t as tightly motivated or cohesive. The biggest misses are the movie’s attempts at drama, which work well enough on paper but lack the build-up and delivery to have any real impact. The same goes for the movie’s plot beats in general: fine but slightly underwhelming.

Watch Kick-Ass 2 when you’re in the mood for something violent, funny, and a little schlocky. Although the sequel doesn’t reach the heights of the original, it still has enough going on to be a fun watch. Those willing to accept a dip in quality to spend more time in Dave Lizewski’s world should give it a shot. Those content to end the series on a high note may want to skip it. Sensitive viewers should steer clear.

6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a comedy with clever ideas that’s missing some polish.