Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Get the Gringo. After a robbery gone wrong, a criminal (Mel Gibson) flees across the border to Mexico and ends up in El Pueblito, a town-sized Mexican prison with its own ramshackle economy. There he strikes up a friendship with an observant young boy (Kevin Hernandez) and his mother (Dolores Heredia) and begins to work on a plan to escape with the unwitting help of Javi (Daniel Gimenez Cacho), the man in charge.

Get the Gringo is a crime movie with traces of action and comedy. Mel Gibson stars as a nameless robber who makes a dubious getaway to Mexico, ending up in an unusual prison that holds as much opportunity as it does danger. There he must use his wits to navigate the criminal ecosystem, figure out a way to escape, and perhaps recover $2 million in stolen money along the way.

Get the Gringo does a surprisingly good job with its characters. Mel Gibson makes for a likable protagonist, an unabashed criminal with a clever mind and a kind heart. His wry narration gives the movie its distinctive flavor, and his schemes are fascinating to watch. Kevin Hernandez plays opposite him as a scrappy boy who lives with his mother in the prison. Hernandez delivers a subtle, credible performance that complements Gibson’s nicely.

Beyond its characters, Get the Gringo has a healthy mix of plot, drama, and action. The plot concerns the protagonist’s attempts to first survive in El Pueblito, then escape it. Corrupt cops, stolen cash, and the boy and his mother keep the plot from becoming too linear, while a couple of shootouts lend the film some action. Get the Gringo also borders on comedic from time to time, thanks mainly to Gibson’s character, but it never quite makes the leap.

Watch Get the Gringo when you’re in the mood for a tidy, entertaining crime flick that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Though not an overly ambitious movie, Get the Gringo is charming and cleanly executed, making it a solid pick for crime fans. Skip it if you are sensitive to violence. For a light action movie set around the Mexican border, check out 2 Guns. For a more romantic, more comedic movie about a roguish robber, try Out of Sight.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for well-drawn characters, a clever plot, and a likable lead.

Today’s quick review: From Paris with Love. James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is an intelligence officer with the U.S. embassy in Paris. Now in a stable relationship with Caroline (Kasia Smutniak), Reese is eager to take the next step in his career: special ops field work. He gets his chance when he’s partnered with Charlie Wax (John Travolta), a talented but unconventional field operative who’s in town to take down a drug ring by force.

From Paris with Love is a fast-paced action movie that pairs an inexperienced intelligence agent with an eccentric master of the craft. The movie follows Wax and Reese as they tear around Paris, tracking down criminals according to Wax’s inscrutable logic. From Paris with Love features plenty of action and an engaging lead in John Travolta. However, its loose plot and shallow characters keep it from being anything more than a popcorn watch.

From Paris with Love handles its action well. The action scenes are fast and frantic, thanks mainly to Wax’s gung ho approach to combat. The film doesn’t push the envelope with its stunts, but it does execute them cleanly and provides a nice variety of firefights, explosions, and chase scenes. The action never lets up for long; Wax always seems to find somebody new to shoot at every few minutes.

The movie’s other main draw is John Travolta. Charlie Wax is a chance for Travolta to open up and have some fun. Wax lacks the subtle touches that make other eccentric characters so charismatic, but he makes up for in enthusiasm what he lacks in subtlety. His partnership with Reese is a missed opportunity. Meant to be the cornerstone of the film, the pairing lacks the tension it needs and comes across as a forced friendship.

From Paris with Love is also on shaky ground when it comes to its plot. Much like Charlie Wax himself, the movie tends to jump without looking. From Paris with Love tends to lead with plot twists and then try to explain them later. This works well for cramming in as much action as possible, but it damages the impact of the story. There is no clear direction for the movie and no lead-in for any of its twists; the story feels like an afterthought.

Give From Paris with Love a shot when you’re in the mood for a pure, energetic action movie. The movie has little to offer in the way of plot, and its characters are only a partial success, but those who are just in it for the spectacle will get exactly what they want. For a more dramatic action movie with a pair of unlikely allies, check out Safe House. For a darker, more dramatic take on a similar premise, check out Training Day.

6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for high-octane action and a decent plot hurt somewhat by its seat-of-the-pants storytelling.

Today’s quick review: Diamonds Are Forever. After finally killing his nemesis Blofeld (Charles Gray), British secret agent James Bond (Sean Connery) takes on a new mission rooting out an international diamond smuggling operation. Posing as a smuggler, Bond enlists Tiffany Case (Jill St. John), the next link in the chain, to help him trace the diamonds to their destination: Las Vegas and the casino of reclusive millionaire Willard Whyte (Jimmy Dean).

Diamonds Are Forever is a spy adventure and the seventh film in the James Bond franchise. Sean Connery returns after a one-film hiatus for his final outing as Bond in the main series. The movie offers the series’ usual assortment of thrills: daring stunts, unhinged villains, clever gadgets, and beautiful women. However, Diamonds Are Forever lacks the focus of other Bond films, with a disjointed plot that only comes together near the end.

The unusual structure of the movie’s plot comes from the nature of Bond’s investigation. For once, James Bond is tasked with solving an ordinary crime, albeit one of extraordinary scale. The diamond smuggling scheme does end up having a greater purpose than just control over the market, but most of the movie is spent discovering that something unusual is going on at all, in contrast to the clear-cut inciting incidents of, say, Dr. No or Thunderball.

The result is a plot that’s harder to follow than the typical Bond adventure. The complexity of Bond’s investigation leaves the viewer with puzzle pieces that only fit together later on in the film, rather than fitting into place one by one. To the film’s credit, the completed puzzle makes for a fun, coherent Bond adventure, and the individual pieces are memorable. It’s only the way they are put together that leads to some awkwardness.

Diamonds Are Forever does deliver when it comes to spectacle. Unique stunts, an iconic villain, and a variety of locations across Europe and around Las Vegas are all enough to qualify Diamonds Are Forever as a strong action movie. A few of the moments do feel out of place in a Bond movie, trending a little too goofy or a little too far-fetched, but on the whole, the quality, quantity, and variety of the action are all high.

Give Diamonds Are Forever a watch when you’re in the mood for a creative action movie. The movie falls short of Bond’s best thanks to issues with its plot and tone, but what’s there should be more than enough to entertain fans of the series. Skip it if you’re looking for a tightly-scripted mystery. For a Connery Bond movie of roughly similar caliber, try Thunderball or You Only Live Twice.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for strong action held back by slight plot issues.

“This never happened to the other fellow.” —James Bond

Today’s quick review: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. While searching for his nemesis Blofeld (Telly Savalas) across Europe, British secret agent James Bond (George Lazenby) stumbles across an unexpected lead in Tracy (Diana Rigg), a fiery countess with a criminal father. While pursuing a relationship with the heiress, Bond uses her father’s connections to track Blofeld to a lab located high in the mountains of Switzerland.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a spy adventure and the sixth film in the James Bond franchise. The movie sees George Lazenby take the reins as James Bond for the first and last time. Agent 007 must travel undercover to Switzerland to try to locate Blofeld, the criminal mastermind who escaped Bond two years prior. The movie also gives Bond a brand new love interest in Tracy, a willful woman whom Bond develops genuine affection for.

George Lazenby takes the character of James Bond in a new direction. His Bond is more polite, more chivalrous, and less aggressive than Sean Connery’s. The changes are broadly compatible with the iconic British spy, but they have a noticeable effect on the way the movie is put together. There are also a number of jarring moments where Lazenby zigs where Connery would have zagged. Generally speaking, Connery’s rendition of the character is more memorable.

Beyond its changes in tone and character, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has a few issues that make it a step down from prior Bond films. The cinematography is choppy, with excess shots to show basic actions and even more rapid cuts during action scenes. The stunts are less impressive than Bond’s best. The plot also takes a long time to get going, thanks to both Tracy’s lengthy introduction and an extended undercover sequence.

Still, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a James Bond film, with all the raw appeal that entails. Peril, exotic locales, and a touch of romance combine to make for a light, adventurous watch with plenty of variety. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service takes a while to get warmed up, but once it does, the action and adventure continue straight through to the end. As a bonus, the movie also includes a few shoutouts to other Bond films for observant viewers.

As with most changes to the Bond formula, how much you get out of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service will depend heavily on your taste. Fans of the older Bond films who aren’t attached to Sean Connery will get the most out of the movie, while those who prefer a more rakish, assertive Bond may be disappointed. For a Bond film with similar plot elements and somewhat better execution, check out Dr. No, Goldfinger, or You Only Live Twice.

6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for solid action and a decent premise, hurt somewhat by the changes to Bond’s character and a few rough edges.

Today’s quick review: A Day at the Races. To save her struggling sanatorium, Judy Standish (Maureen O’Sullivan) turns to Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush (Groucho Marx), a horse doctor and the only one who convince the wealthy Mrs. Upjohn (Margaret Dumont) to invest in the sanatorium. Meanwhile, Judy’s boyfriend Gil (Allan Jones) invests in a racehorse that could, with a little help from Tony (Chico Marx) and Stuffy (Harpo Marx), solve their money woes.

A Day at the Races is a classic comedy from the Marx Brothers. A Day at the Races sees the Brothers take over the resort town of Sparkling Springs Lake, in particular its sanatorium and racetrack. The movie embeds the Brothers’ usual routines in a more conventional comedy plot, a roundabout scheme to gather the money needed to save the female lead’s flagging business. Slapstick, music, and wisecracks abound, delivered by three masters of the craft.

A Day at the Races sports a different flavor than other Marx Brothers films. The story takes center stage, leading to a slow start, more conventional comedy heroes in Judy and Gil, and stretches of the movie that barely feature the Brothers at all. The Brothers eventually succeed in stealing the show, but the story’s elaborate setup leaves its mark. The result is an enjoyable comedy that happens to move slower than usual.

In spite of the more heavyweight plot machinery, A Day at the Races shines as a comedy. The Brothers’ routines have a few false starts, thanks to slight missteps in timing or pacing, but they soon settle into their practiced rhythm. The sanatorium and racetrack offer ample opportunity for humor, and the gags the Brothers come up with are as memorable as ever. However, the film does tend to get sidetracked by its many comedy interludes and musical numbers.

Watch A Day at the Races if you’re a fan of the Marx Brothers or classic comedy in general. Whether the extra investment in plot bogs the movie down or helps tie it together is a matter of taste, but a core of rock-solid comedy makes A Day at the Races a worthy watch regardless. For more Marx Brothers fun, try A Night at the Opera, Animal Crackers, or Duck Soup. For another classic comedy with drier humor and a mystery twist, try The Thin Man.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for strong, varied comedy.

Today’s quick review: A Night at the Opera. To help her break into high society, Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) has Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont), a wealthy widow, make a sizable donation to the opera. Herman Gottlieb (Sig Ruman), the imperious opera director, uses the money to bring over an egotistical tenor (Walter King) from Italy but gets more than he bargained for when Fiorello (Chico Marx) and Tomasso (Harpo Marx) stow away on the boat.

A Night at the Opera is a classic comedy from the Marx Brothers. The movie shows off the Brothers at their finest, plying their signature blend of slapstick, patter, and musicality to produce a polished, well-balanced comedy that offers a little bit of everything. The movie flits effortlessly between plot, romance, and a wide variety of comedy routines. Even more remarkably, very few of the jokes miss their mark.

One of the features that distinguishes A Night at the Opera is the attention it gives to its story. The story is simple enough: an opera director hires Lassparri (Walter King), a distinguished Italian star, to come sing in New York. The move splits up a pair of lovers, Rosa (Kitty Carlisle), chosen to sing with Lassparri in New York, and Riccardo (Allan Jones), a tenor still waiting for his big break, and it’s up to the Marx Brothers to set things right.

Though the story might be simple, it serves an important purpose in tying the movie together. Rosa and Riccardo’s romance is never the main focus for very long, but it gives A Night at the Opera something concrete to come back to between quips, songs, and other comedic interludes. That, in turn, gives the comedy a much-needed sense of focus. The routines are among the Marx Brothers’ best material and are made better by the story scaffolding around them.

A Night at the Opera is a must-see for fans of the Marx Brothers or sharp, whimsical comedy in general. The movie delivers plenty of laughs without sacrificing heart or story, and the end result is a light, delightful watch that will appeal to a broad range of viewers. For another Marx Brothers classic, check out Animal Crackers, Horse Feathers, or Duck Soup. For a classic comedy romance with great dialogue, try The Philadelphia Story.

8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for top-notch comedy and a great sense of proportion.

Today’s quick review: Prodigy. As a favor to his old friend Agent Olivia Price (Jolene Andersen), psychologist James Fonda (Richard Neil) agrees to help the government with a difficult patient: Ellie (Savannah Liles), a precocious girl with a sociopathic personality and telekinetic powers. With Colonel Birch (Emilio Palame) anxious to execute Ellie because of the danger she presents, Dr. Fonda has only a brief amount of time to get the child to open up.

Prodigy is a minimalistic drama with science fiction elements. The movie follows a persistent psychologist in his attempts to break through to a brilliant but disturbed child. Prodigy’s story revolves around a simple question: Is Ellie the monster she appears to be? The film backs this question with thoughtful writing, steady plot progression, and just enough nuance to be interesting, but it lacks the skill to be a truly moving watch.

For all its intellectual aspirations, Prodigy is a straightforward watch. The only plot thread of note is Fonda’s running interview with Ellie and the mental chess game it entails. Fonda attempts to crack through Ellie’s facade to uncover who she truly is underneath, while Ellie maintains the cold, haughty disdain of a brilliant sociopath. The film does a good job of setting up and executing on a few key shifts in their relationship.

But Prodigy doesn’t go much further than that. The film is short and to the point, with no subplots of note and no extraneous elements. This is a mixed blessing: it lets Prodigy focus on its story without distractions, but it also robs the movie of the complexity that could have led to deeper characters or greater tension. Similarly, the film’s writing and acting are workmanlike, enough to sell the events of the story but a few steps short of brilliant.

Give Prodigy a shot when you’re in the mood for a quick, moody drama with an intersting premise. Prodigy doesn’t have quite enough substance to make the most of its premise, but it does well with the tools at its disposal. Skip it if you’re looking for action, horror, or real suspense. For another psychological drama with sci-fi elements, check out K-PAX. For a more upbeat drama about a troubled genius, check out Good Will Hunting.

6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent acting and writing.

Today’s quick review: Bangkok Dangerous. Joe (Nicolas Cage), an international assassin, has decided that his next job, a series of four hits in Bangkok, will be his last. As the job progresses, Joe starts breaking his own rules. He becomes a mentor to Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm), the street hustler he hired to run his errands, and strikes up a relationship with Fon (Charlie Young), a deaf pharmacist. But with the end drawing near, his choices may cost him.

Bangkok Dangerous is an action movie about a discipliend hitman’s last job. Set in Thailand, Bangkok Dangerous is a remake fo the Thai film of the same name, also directed by the Pang Brothers. The movie focuses on its story as much as its action, putting Joe at the center of a moral dilemma over his profession. The dramatic side of the story is backed by a steady drip of action, a satisfying but not overly flashy mix of assassinations and gunfights.

Bangkok Dangerous’s chief trouble is that the story never achieves the pathos it aims for. The issue centers on Joe himself. He is an anomaly in a crime movie: a credible, well-developed character who’s neither charismatic nor sympathetic. He is a cold, methodical man who has the tactics of his profession down to a science, but his bout of conscience and believably awkward romance with Fon are not enough to endear him to the viewer.

The end result is a crime movie that seems to aim for the wrong target. Bangkok Dangerous has enough in the way of basic craftsmanship to make for a viable watch, but its downbeat tone and stony protagonist compromise its entertainment value. Fans of Nicolas Cage and the action or crime genres may want to give it a shot, but most viewers will have better luck looking elsewhere.

For a more surreal Nicolas Cage crime movie, check out Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans or Dog Eat Dog. For a better action movie about an assassin and his apprentice, check out The Mechanic. For an action thriller with more punch, try Taken. For an action movie about a penitent hitman with better choreography and more style, check out John Wick.

5.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for competent storytelling and action, held back by a downbeat tone and misguided sense of pathos.

Today’s quick review: The Predator. While on a mission in Mexico, Army sniper Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) encounters a crashed alien hunter and walks away with pieces of its technology. Back in the United States, the government tries to paint McKenna as mentally unstable to cover up the incident. But when the hunter returns to claim its stolen equipment, McKenna must join forces with a group of unlikely allies to defeat the hunter and clear his name.

The Predator is a sci-fi action movie and the fourth film in the main Predator series. The Predator departs from the rest of the series in terms of tone and plot. The film works in more comedy than any previous entry, while the story is more of a sci-fi adventure that happens to have a high body count than a true survival movie. The result is a polarizing watch with a different set of strengths and weaknesses than any of its predecessors.

The differences begin with a more complex plot than the other films in the series. The plot revolves around a crucial device that a renegade Predator brought to Earth, McKenna stole and shipped to his family, and the government wants back. Thrown into the mix are another Predator sent to terminate the first, a ruthless government agent (Sterling K. Brown), a brave xenobiologist (Olivia Munn), and a group of mentally unstable veterans who help McKenna.

Each of these plot elements pulls The Predator away from the traditional action-survival template of the series. Instead the movie is a mixture of ideas, one part comedic military adventure, one part heartfelt tale of family, and one part violent monster movie. Even the action takes on a different flavor, swapping the stealthy stalking of previous installments for flashier monster-style fights.

The new additions to the lore are equally polarizing. The Predator delves deeper than ever into the Predators’ tactics, motives, and technology, but the new revelations come with a price. The Predators are less mysterious than ever, hewing much closer to traditional sci-fi aliens. Still, the movie does introduce a couple of interesting ideas to the Predator universe, including a larger breed of Predator and the reason behind their grisly trophies.

All these elements combine into a movie that’s fun to watch but hard to reconcile with the rest of the franchise. The film’s attempts at humor generally hit the mark, and though the plot is held together with chewing gum and paper clips, it delivers a nice mix of action, sci-fi, and adventure. Taken by itself, The Predator is a flawed but entertaining popcorn watch. But taken as part of a series, it is a peculiar experiment that doesn’t quite pay off.

For a much cleaner take on the premise, check out the original Predator. For an alien contact movie with similar action and comedy, try Indepenence Day. For one that focuses on the serious side of the story, try Arrival. For a feel-good action movie featuring a cast of misfits, check out The A-Team or RED. For a more family-oriented sci-fi action adventure, check out I Am Number Four.

6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent action and comedy held back by its messy plot and departure from the franchise formula.

Today’s quick review: Predators. Eight soldiers, mercenaries, and killers wake up in an unfamiliar jungle with no knowledge of how they got there. Following the lead of a grizzled mercenary (Adrien Brody) and an IDF sniper (Alice Braga), they soon learn that they are the prey in an alien hunt on a distant planet. To survive the hunt and find a way back home, the humans will have to turn the tables on the trio of aliens who hare hunting them.

Predators is a sci-fi action movie and the third film in the main Predator series. Predators returns to the jungle environment of the original Predator, but with a twist: the jungle is an alien hunting ground filled with traps and other surprises. The film is a patient, suspenseful cat-and-mouse game between the humans and their invisible hunters, punctuated by bursts of violence as the two groups clash.

Predators makes a few additions to the franchise, beginning with three new Predator designs and a slew of new technology. The film has more overt sci-fi elements than its predecessors, with more casual use of alien technology, alien creatures, and once-hidden aspects of Predator society. The changes generally serve the movie well, but they do somewhat dilute the mystique of the Predator and take the series further from its action-survival roots.

Taken on its own, Predators is a competently executed sci-fi action flick with few real missteps. Adrien Brody is an unusual pick for an action star, but his consistent performance is enough to sell the role. The plot covers all the ground it needs to but not much more. Its twists are predictable but satsifying, and they help deliver up a steady stream of action, combining traps and ambushes with guns-blazing firefights, all backed by slick CGI.

Predators is a solid choice for fans of the sci-fi genre. It falls short of the first film in terms of originality and execution quality, but its action is enough to make it a fun, violent popcorn watch. For another sci-fi action movie with a similar feel, try Pitch Black or Riddick. For one with similar dangers, impressive monsters, and more polish overall, try Kong: Skull Island.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a good premise, satisfying action, and decent overall execution.