Author: Stan

Today’s quick review: The Marksman. The Painter (Wesley Snipes) is an American soldier who specializes in painting targets for air strikes. His skills get put to use when Johnathan Tensor (William Hope) orders him to Chechnya, where Igor Zaysan (Dan Badaru), a rogue Russian general, plans to turn an abandoned nuclear reactor into a bomb. But when the evac is sabotaged, the Painter and his team are dropped into the jaws of a trap.

The Marksman is a budget action movie starring Wesley Snipes. A team of American soldiers infiltrates Chechnya to set up an air strike, only to run into unforeseen complications. The Marksman is a basic action flick with no frills. Cheap stunts, a generic hero, and a plot with exactly one twist let it check the boxes of the genre without going to much trouble. The result is a serviceable but unexceptional watch with limited appeal.

The Marksman shows its budget in countless subtle ways. The bombed-out buildings and crumbling concrete structures are justified by the setting, but they still feel a little too abandoned. The firefights are passable but not especially creative, relying on basic gunplay and a few explosions for most of the thrills. Finally, while the movie avoids any glaring plot holes, some of the details don’t line up very well.

Nothing in The Marksman disqualifies it, and fans of the budget action genre will get almost exactly what they were promised. But aside from the one plot twist and some very mild intrigue about the Painter’s past, the movie has nothing memorable or attention-grabbing. Most viewers will do better elsewhere.

For Wesley Snipes as a similar character, try Unstoppable, The Contractor, or 7 Seconds. For a higher-profile action thriller about an American operation to recover Russian nukes, try The Peacemaker. For a budget action thriller with some of the same flavor, try Direct Contact.

[4.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457090/). I give it a 5.0 for mediocre action and an adequate but uninspiring story.

Today’s quick review: 7 Seconds. Jack Tuliver (Wesley Snipes), an American thief working in Romania, hits the jackpot when his armored car robbery turns up a lost Van Gogh. But his elation proves short-lived when Alexsie (Pete Lee-Wilson), a Russian gangster, kills Jack’s team and kidnaps his girlfriend Suza (Georgina Rylance). Meanwhile, Kelly Anders (Tamzin Outhwaite), an unlucky NATO officer, tries to track down Jack to clear her name.

7 Seconds is a budget action thriller about a thief trying to extract himself from a tight spot. His plan in shambles, his team dead, and the police hot on his heels’, Jack must use the Van Gogh as a bargaining chip to convince Alexsie to release Suza. 7 Seconds features energetic action scenes and a plot that’s full of twists and turns. However, a host of minor flaws keeps it from taking full advantage of its premise.

To its credit, 7 Seconds delivers on action. From the moment Jack kicks off the robbery, the movie never slows down for long. His chases through the streets of Bucharest, his fights with Alexsie’s men, and his verbal and physical sparring with Kelly are enough to keep the adrenaline pumping. None of the stunts are groundbreaking, and there are places where they fall flat, but the quantity and energy are high for a budget title.

However, 7 Seconds overplays its hand. Every time it comes up with a clever plot hook or an interesting dynamic, it runs it into the ground. What appears to be a simple betrayal unravels into an overly complicated gambit with too many parties to keep track of. The action scenes are flashy but tend to overstay their welcome. And while the flirting between Jack and Kelly is cute at first, their relationship never grows past that stage.

7 Seconds is a fine pick for fans of Wesley Snipes or budget action movies in general, but critical viewers will find its quality lacking. 7 Seconds has three major points in its favor—a viable setup, action that actually moves, and a dash of mystery—but it never figures out what to do with them. As such, it finds itself handily outclassed by action movies that have a clearer vision.

For a more balanced heist movie about a betrayal among thieves, try The Italian Job. For another action thriller about a robbery gone bad, try Momentum. For another Wesley Snipes movie about a criminal on the run in Europe, try The Contractor. For a tighter action thriller, try Wanted or John Wick.

[4.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417395/). I give it a 6.0 for high energy action hurt by miscalibrated storytelling.

Today’s quick review: Zig Zag. Louis “Zig Zag” Fletcher (Sam Jones III), a teenager with a learning disability, spends time with his mentor Singer (John Leguizamo) to get away from his abusive father David (Wesley Snipes). But when Louis steals $9000 from his boss Mr. Walters (Oliver Platt) and loses the money to his father, Singer has to help Louis come up with a plan to pay it back.

Zig Zag is a drama about the life of a special teenage boy. Battered by his father and disenchanted with school, Louis gets by with the help of Singer, a warehouse worker suffering from cancer, and the handful of other people who treat him with respect. The movie does a good job of showing the world from Louis’s perspective and exposing him to new ideas. However, its meandering plot will not be for everyone.

Zig Zag’s strength lies in its characters. Louis may take a while for the audience to get used to, but he ultimately makes for a likable character. His unique perspective on the world puts an innocent spin on what would otherwise be a depressing story. For his part, Singer is a loyal friend. He has his flaws, but he always puts Louis’s needs above his own and does his best to prepare Louis for an uncaring world.

Still, Zig Zag can be a little too realistic for its own good. The plot follows the chaotic rhythm of Louis’s life, lurching from work to home to Singer and back. To the extent that there is a main plot thread, it involves the lump of cash that Louis stole from his boss. But between a passive main character and the many distractions along the way, the movie has a hard time building up momentum or reaching an effective climax.

Zig Zag holds niche appeal. If you are interested in a character-driven drama that involves hardship, Zig Zag may be an interesting pick. Although it lacks the emotional richness that it could have had, its characters are pleasant to spend time with and its story has a quirky appeal to it. But the same aspects that make Zig Zag unique make it a less-than-appealing watch for those just looking for something easy. Approach with caution.

For a drama about a man with a similar disability, try Rain Man. For a surreal crime thriller about a boy on his own in a dangerous city, try Running Scared. For a sports drama about a man mentoring inner city children, try Hardball. For a tonally similar drama, try Hard Surfaces, The High Cost of Living, or Powder Blue.

[5.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0271885/). I give it a 6.5 for good character work and a hit-or-miss story.

Today’s quick review: Liberty Stands Still. Liberty Wallace (Linda Fiorentino), the vice-president of a gun company, has her shady dealings catch up with her when Joe (Wesley Snipes) uses a sniper rifle and a bomb to trap her in the middle of a park. As the police and the media gather around, Joe explains to Liberty that he holds her and her husband Victor (Oliver Platt), the CEO of the company, responsible for the shooting of his daughter.

Liberty Stands Still is a crime thriller about a woman held hostage by a sniper. Over the course of an hour-long phone call, Joe walks Liberty through his demands while orchestrating a media circus to get his message out. Liberty Stands Still features strong acting, deftly handled suspense, and just enough of a mystery to keep the plot moving. But even though its execution is capable, one or two flaws mar its value as a story.

Liberty Stands Still does a skillful job of keeping the tension high. Although Joe keeping Liberty in his crosshairs is necessarily static, the film comes up with clever ways to keep things interesting. The gradual escalation of the police response, Victor’s corporate answer to Joe’s demands, and the slow revelation of what Joe wants and what Liberty and her husband are guilty of all make for a gripping thriller.

However, Liberty Stands Still has a couple of issues that hold it back. One is that it has an axe to grind. The movie is overtly political, using Joe as a mouthpiece to talk about gun violence. Rather than asking questions that could give the situation nuance, it takes his stance as a given. The other main shortcoming is that Liberty has very little counterplay. She stands and talks to Joe while other characters act around her.

Liberty Stands Still has the skill to be an interesting watch, but how much you get out of it will vary. Although the movie does not have the kind of masterful plot work seen in similar crime thrillers, its acting and presentation carry it a long way. Ultimately, it is worth a watch for the curious but easy to skip for those not interested in either its premise or its political message.

For another thriller about a sniper with an agenda, try Phone Booth or Grand Piano. For a cat-and-mouse thriller about a vengeful father who uses violence to attack a corrupt system, try Law-Abiding Citizen. For a dramatic black comedy about an ordinary man who snaps, try Falling Down. For a crime drama about the gun trade, try Lord of War.

[5.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280870/). I give it a 6.5 for good tension offset by a few missteps.

Today’s quick review: New Jack City. As a cocaine epidemic sweeps New York, Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) takes his drug empire to new heights, setting up shop in a fortified apartment complex and letting his brother Gee Money (Allen Payne) run the operation. But Nino faces his first real threat when Scotty Appleton (Ice-T) and Nick Peretti (Judd Nelson), a pair of unruly cops, recruit a drug addict (Chris Rock) to infiltrate his operation.

New Jack City is a crime drama about a cocaine kingpin and the undercover narcotics officers determined to take him down. Wesley Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a criminal whose brains and ruthlessness have taken him to the top of New York’s underworld. New Jack City follows Nino as he makes a series of dangerous gambits to expand his empire, as well as the police as they take chances of their own.

New Jack City’s greatest asset is Nino himself. Wesley Snipes is a perfect fit for the part, bringing just the right mixture of cunning, violence, and hubris. No matter how often the movie tries to put Scotty in the driver’s seat, New Jack City is Nino’s story. He has the same dark appeal as other criminal protagonists, and the numerous failed attempts to bring him down only make the character work better.

Unfortunately, the police do not fare as well. Scotty and Nick are thin characters, ineffectual cops who spend their time arguing and lecturing each other about drugs. They show glimmers of humanity here and there, such as Scotty’s earnest attempt to rehabilitate his informant. But as a rule, they are placeholders who are there to drive the plot, rather than well-developed foils to Nino’s egomania.

Even though it fumbles with its heroes, New Jack City does well overall. Its explicit content, drug use, and violence place it on the mature end of the genre, but anyone looking for a gritty rise-to-power crime drama would do well to give it a shot. Just do not expect the depth or nuance of the best films in the genre.

For another crime drama about a criminal empire, try American Gangster, Scarface, or King of New York. For an even more violent action movie about a police raid on a drug kingpin’s stronghold, try The Raid or Dredd. For a more intricate crime drama about an undercover cop, try The Departed. For another look at the drug trade, try Blow or Traffic.

[6.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102526/). I give it a 6.5 for a compelling villain.

“Ain’t no champ in here but me!” —George Chambers

Today’s quick review: Undisputed. Heavyweight boxing champion George “Iceman” Chambers (Ving Rhames) loses everything when he is convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison. Determined to get out and reclaim his title, Chambers jumps at the opportunity when Mendy Ripstein (Peter Falk), a cantankerous mobster, offers him early parole in exchange for fighting Monroe Hutchen (Wesley Snipes), the California prison champion.

Undisputed is a crime drama about a prison boxing match. Ving Rhames and Wesley Snipes square off as the world champion and a prison favorite, respectively. Undisputed uses flashy presentation and a cutthroat setting to set the stage for their match. While the plot is linear and has few frills, solid characters, tight fight scenes, and a nice sense of progression make it an interesting watch.

Undisputed gets most of its strength from its leads. Chambers and Hutchen are opposites in every way. Chambers is a menacing fighter who relies on strength and dominance to cow his opponents. Hutchen, on the other hand, is a level-headed convict who rarely speaks and uses speed and technique in the ring. Seeing them size each other up and get ready for the fight is one of the main draws of the movie.

Undisputed’s main shortcoming is that the stakes are not as high as it makes them out to be. Hutchen, serving out a life sentence, has nothing on the line except bragging rights, while Chambers cares more about the payout than the fight itself. As such, the movie is missing the personal angle needed to make it truly satisfying, putting it a step below the best fight movies.

Give Undisputed a shot if you’re in the mood for a fight. Undisputed is short on some of the niceties that other sports stories have, but the movie scores with its leads and presentation. Still, its lack of subplots or personal stakes leaves it a little thin, so exacting viewers may want to steer clear.

For a less intense movie about prison sports, try The Longest Yard. For a prison drama without the boxing angle, try The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Cool Hand Luke, or The Last Castle. For another boxing movie, try Rocky, Creed, or Real Steel. For a much more violent, ludicrous prison competition, try Death Race. For an action movie about a fighter just out of prison, try Blood and Bone.

[6.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281322/). I give it a 6.5 for a credible bout between two tough opponents.

Today’s quick review: Unstoppable. Dean Cage (Wesley Snipes), an ex-black ops soldier struggling with PTSD, is forced to relive his darkest moments when Sullivan (Stuart Wilson) mistakes him for a federal agent and doses him with an experimental hallucinogen used in interrogations. Disoriented and vulnerable, Dean clashes with Sullivan’s men as Detective Amy Knight (Jacqueline Obradors), his closest friend, races to save him.

Unstoppable is an action thriller starring Wesley Snipes. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Dean Cage finds himself in the middle of Sullivan’s attempts to sell a stolen drug that could be the ultimate weapon. Unstoppable drags its protagonist through old memories and new hallucinations as he tries to piece together what’s happening to him. The movie never goes above and beyond, but it does make good use of its premise.

At its best, Unstoppable is a standard action thriller with a decent hook. The fight scenes are not exceptional, but Dean can move when he has to, and it is cathartic seeing him take down Sullivan’s men. The investigation involves phony ambulance drivers, phony FBI agents, unhelpful cops, and a stolen shipment of an experimental drug. Finally, Dean makes for a nicely scarred protagonist who must face old fears to defeat Sullivan.

For better or worse, Unstoppable sticks to the fundamentals. The plot is carefully scoped so as not to bring in too many characters or set pieces. The villains are generic, and their continual mistakes make them feel more like an inconvenience than a threat. The presentation does a good job of getting inside Dean’s head, but the camerawork can be too jumbled at times. In general, Unstoppable suffices but never excels.

Unstoppable is a fine pick for action fans. The opening is a little cluttered, but the movie finds itself as Dean gets dragged deeper into the drug’s delusions. The end result is not groundbreaking, but it should be enough for viewers who are just looking for some adrenaline. Steer clear if you are looking for an action movie with more original stunts or a more expansive plot.

For a much more stylized action thriller about a man dosed with a poison that causes him to behave erratically, try Crank. For another Wesley Snipes action thriller, try Art of War or Drop Zone. For a more measured action movie that deals with a veteran’s struggles, try First Blood.

[4.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349889/). I give it a 6.0 for decent action with few frills.

Today’s quick review: Drop Zone. U.S. Marshal Pete Nessip (Wesley Snipes) is transporting Earl Leedy (Michael Jeter), a convicted hacker, to another prison when Ty Moncrief (Gary Busey) stages a daring midair jailbreak, causing an explosion and parachuting out of the plane with Earl in tow. Not convinced that Earl died in the blast, Pete asks Jessie Crossman (Yancy Butler), an ace skydiver, to help him find the person responsible.

Drop Zone is an action thriller starring Wesley Snipes. When he superiors refuse to investigate the brazen crime he witnessed, a U.S. Marshal enters the world of skydiving in search of answers. Drop Zone features a solid setup for an action movie, but it takes a while to get going. After a few missteps coming out of the gate, it settles into a competent thriller with a unique gimmick.

Drop Zone fumbles some of the key elements of the action genre, beginning with its hero. Pete has no clear identity for the first half of the movie, getting stuck between an action hero and an ordinary man. Instead of establishing his skills, Drop Zone throws him loss after loss, even making him the butt of a few jokes. This would work fine in a more comedic movie, but with the serious tone it’s going for, Pete just looks inept.

Thankfully, Drop Zone straightens out as the plot gains speed. Pete grows a personality and gets to show off his fighting prowess. The skydiving moves from an uncomfortably drawn-out lead to a central component of the plot. And while Ty and his crew never become the villains the movie wants them to be—thanks to their unstable personalities and lackluster plan—they do pose enough of a threat to get the action moving again.

The result is an imperfect but ultimately satisfying action thriller. How much you get out of Drop Zone will depend on how well you like the genre and how patient you are willing to be with the movie’s flaws. Fans who are a little forgiving will appreciate it for its decent plot and skydiving action. However, fans who are more critical can do better without much effort.

For another action thriller about extreme sports, try Point Break or xXx. For a similar action thriller about the fallout of a midair robbery, try Cliffhanger. For an over-the-top action movie about a hijacked prison flight, try Con Air. For a more polished action thriller with Gary Busey as a traitorous hijacker, try Under Siege.

[5.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109676/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for a shaky start and a decent finish.

Today’s quick review: The Contractor. After an assassination job in London goes wrong, James Dial (Wesley Snipes), a contractor for the CIA, takes shelter in a safe house left by his dead partner. Hemmed in by the police and hunted by his former boss Jeremy Collins (Ralph Brown), Dial looks for a safe way to leave town. But to do so, he will need the help of Emily Day (Eliza Bennett), the trouble-making teenage girl who lives next door.

The Contractor is an action thriller starring Wesley Snipes. After a botched getaway, an American assassin resorts to desperate measures to get to safety. The Contractor features a decent premise for an action thriller but fails to execute on it. Minimal character development, a static plot, mediocre action scenes, and disorienting camerawork squander the movie’s potential, leaving it a weak pick for anyone but dedicated Snipes fans.

Nearly all of The Contractor’s issues stem from a lack of passion. Instead of taking the audience into Dial’s world of black ops and questionable morality, the movie opts for a superficial approach. Everything from Collins’ betrayal to Emily’s assistance is poorly motivated, and Snipes himself does not seem to be invested in his performance. Finally, what should be the selling point—the action—falls well short of the competition.

The end result will be a disappointing watch for anyone who goes in with high expectations. Wesley Snipes is far from his best, the characters and story are generic, and the story stagnates as Dial gets pinned down in a safe house with only Emily for company. Still, if you are looking for a formulaic action movie in a 2000s style, The Contractor will hold modest appeal. Just go into it expecting some weaknesses.

For a more entertaining action thriller starring Wesley Snipes, try Art of War. For a sci-fi action comedy that puts Snipes to better use, try Demolition Man. For a better friendship between a killer and a young girl, try The Professional or My Spy. For another action thriller about an assassin, try Killer Elite, The Mechanic, The Gunman, Assassination Games, Assassins, Polar, or John Wick.

[5.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0770806/). I give it the same for a generic story and mediocre action.

Today’s quick review: The Spy Who Dumped Me. Audrey Stockman (Mila Kunis) is shocked to discover that her ex-boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux) was a CIA spy when his enemies come hunting for a trophy he left with her. Unsure of whom to trust, Audrey takes her best friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon) to Europe to deliver the trophy to Drew’s contact. But the mission hits a snag when they meet Sebastian (Sam Heughan), a man who says he works for MI-6.

The Spy Who Dumped Me is a spy action comedy with romantic elements. Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon star as a pair of best friends caught up in a web of intrigue they are totally unprepared for. Chaos, violence, and confusion follow them across Europe as they try to get Drew’s trophy into the right hands. The Spy Who Dumped Me features solid comedy and a likable pair of leads, but parts of its execution will not suit everyone.

The Spy Who Dumped Me gets farther with its humor than its loose style would suggest. The movie opens casually, with a half-baked premise and main characters who have little to set them apart. But every time the movie seems like it is losing steam, it slips in some joke or some plot twist that gives it new life. By the end, it has mastered a particular sort of chaos that only Audrey and Morgan’s close friendship can get them through.

As a result of this, The Spy Who Dumped Me can be very hit-or-miss. The plot never quite hangs together as well as it should, although the dangling threads are wrapped up eventually. The humor can be vulgar in places, making light of death and sex. And while Audrey and Morgan are characters the audience can have fun with, they are not especially deep.

Give The Spy Who Dumped Me a shot when you are in the mood for something loose and energetic. The movie has a knack for tossing Audery and Morgan into worse and worse ituations, and it finds new ways to be funny from start to finish. But its slapdash treatment of its plot and hit-or-miss humor mean that The Spy Who Dumped Me is not as safe a bet as some of its competition.

For another action comedy about a woman dragged into an adventure by a spy, try Knight and Day, Killers, or RED. For an action comedy with a trip across Europe, sharper action, and a similar sense of humor, try The Hitman’s Bodyguard. For a more romantic action comedy about a woman who falls for a killer, try Mr. Right.

[6.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6663582/). I give it a 6.5 for good humor with a mediocre story.