I rarely like sequels better than their originals, but Red 2 is one of the few! I was on the fence about even seeing 2, based on the first.

What's better than that? You don't even need to watch the first Red to follow this cool little espionage romp.

It's about an ex-CIA agent (Bruce Willis) - having marital issues with his civilian wife (Mary-Louise Parker) - who's forced out of retirement to retrieve a missing nuclear device.

Red 2 is funny. The cast is amazing: Willis, Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, & more. And the action is good. 

My biggest problem with the 1st Red was it's action. It's one thing to make a funny espionage and/or action flick. Just don't make light of the action scenes, in my opinion. (Not even the "best shot in the world" can shoot out an incoming RPG with a handgun, Red! I get it, it's supposed to be funny, but come on.) 

Red 2 takes it's action a lot more seriously. There's some good martial arts in this one. And there's only one instance that I said, "Eh, that's NOT gonna happen." But it was kinda a fun stunt anyway, and I overlooked the impossibility rather easily.

Rent Red 2 for some fun!

Gravity

In a radical departure from this blog's mission statement I'm recommending a movie that's in theaters right now. And you need to see it NOW. You'll read why... 

It's called Gravity (2013). And it makes the most out of a minimalist plot: survival in outer space for astronauts after a catastrophic accident. For those of you who can't watch sci-fi without a big-named franchise attached (Bug, Sezduck), replace "catastrophic accident" with "nefarious Klingon attack" in your mind.

The cast is even more minimalist, but excellent. Sandra Bullock is very good as the Mission Specialist (there for her technical expertise; not a "real" astronaut). But George Clooney nails it! He plays the veteran astronaut perfectly! Ed Harris lends his voice to Houston's Mission Control (kinda sorta reprising his role from Apollo 13). 

Gravity's soundtrack is good (not perfect) - wonderfully non-existent in large chunks. And rightfully so.

It's not the best movie ever. And it won't ever be mistaken for a documentary. But...

See this now! Before it leaves the theater! And splurge for the 3-D!! I won't say it's the best visual effects ever (honestly, I was expecting a little more early in the film), but really good. And, probably the best 3-D movie I've seen. The reason why: they use it to tell a story - not to be just something kinda cool to look at.

A Hijacking

 Here's a good Danish movie.  A Hijacking (2012) is about a Danish cargo ship that's taken by African pirates.

If you're looking for "Die Hard VIII: Vengeance On The High Seas" this is not your movie.

This is a slow-developing (at first), highly-suspenseful drama - more concerned with humanity than bullet-ridden bad buys. Thank you, Denmark!

The acting is great. It seemed more like a documentary than fiction. But I really liked its use of subtitles and different languages. These may seem like a trivial things, but writer/director Tobias Lindholm uses these better than any movie I've ever seen before.

I, personally, would've made a couple different choices than Lindholm did later in the film. But it really is a personal, suspenseful drama worth renting!

Room 237

Did you like Stanley Kubrik's 1980 masterpiece The Shining? 

Yes: Watch Room 237! 
It's OK: Watch Room 237!
No: Skip the rest of this review. (And re-rent The Shining!)
Never Seen It: Rent it now! (Then goto step 1)

Room 237 offers an insight into The Shining's hidden meaning. (If it has one.) 

It has a disclaimer at the beginning (and on the poster) distancing itself from Kubrik, Kubrik's family and the studio. This may not be what the director had intended. Or did he?

This documentary is a fascinating look into its possible interpretations, reading between the lines, of a brilliant movie from a brilliant director.

What I loved about this movie is that it actually shows what the pontificator is talking about. Arrows point to t-shirts, posters, they enlarge stuff, etc.

And I love that, as in The Shining, things are never as simple as you'd like.

The beautiful part is I actually know the answer. I'd tell you the real meaning - and it may or may not be in Room 237 - but I'll keep you guessing for a while.

Now You See Me

This is yet another movie that I will recommend with a caveat: 2013's Now You See Me.

 It's got a stellar cast - Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg (Both seen in Zombieland, wonderful movie - see my review!), Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman (in lesser roles) and lesser-known good character actors like Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco (younger brother of James).

It's about 4 solo magicians who come together to do a Robin Hood routine - steal from the rich, give to the poor. Except it isn't an illusion. Pursued by the FBI, Interpol and a guy who makes a living by exposing how magicians' tricks are done, there is a lot of tension, and even a car chase. 

The only caveat is that it is a bit more intense than its PG-13 rating. Personally, I would have given it an R for 2 scenes - 1 early, 1 late. And I am not super squeamish. 

But if you can get past the 1st shock (CRAPPY intro to one of the 4), a treat is in store for you. A real thriller.

I gave it 3.5 stars.

Veronica Guerin

This is a good movie with a bigger historical impact.

Veronica Guerin (2003) is based on a true story of a true heroine reporter investigating the rampant drug trade in 1990's Dublin.

But this is another movie (2 in a row??) that I have more respect for after listening to the Director's commentary. 

So here's what you should know that get's lost in the translation (THICK Irish accents caused more than a little confusion for me), or - in my opinion - not enough time and effort devoted to: 1) Veronica wasn't schooled/trained as a writer or journalist. She was an accountant by trade who had an overwhelming desire to out the wrong. She started her journalistic career by tracking a pervert Catholic priest to Nicaragua then New York, on her own dime, and sat on his doorstep until he relented to an interview (his only one!) But, despite her tenacity, she wasn't a good writer and her "peers" in the journalism community regarded her, uuummm, shall we say, badly. 2) Irish laws erred on the side of the individual. After being an English-controlled police state for so long their constitution was too liberal and handcuffed, so to speak, the police. And 3)  Libel laws weren't near what they are here. So reporters couldn't even name a suspect in writing no matter what the evidence against. Unless convicted, the name had to be a made up pseudo-name or nickname.

I did enjoy this movie on my first watching. It's a good crime drama. But then I learned how true it actually was and appreciated it even more.

 The Red Violin (1998), simply put, is a biography of a rare,  precious violin and the lives it touches. From it's creation in Cremona, Italy (Mecca of violin making) in 1681 to its being put on an auction block now, 3 centuries later.

The stories are good, but the music is EXQUISITE! The music binds the 5 stories together! It's entertaining to listen to! It's impossibly difficult to play (I know)! John Corigliano (with collaboration from Joshua Bell, maybe the best living violinist) made the music so good that Corigliano easily made it in to a work of its own that premiered with the LA Symphony even before the movie did. And was critically acclaimed.

In other words, the music stands on its own!

The acting is good, also. Especially the violinists. It is easy for a former player to point out when actors aren't actually playing their instruments, especially strings. In The Red Violin that never happened. They went to enormous lengths to get the performers to be in sync with the music. 

The best example was casting a 8-year old actual violin student to portray the child protege, who they then taught to be an actor. An 8-year old is actually playing this impossibly-hard etude! Tho you actually hear Bell playing the kid is actually doing it also! And it shows! I thought just this adorable, amazing kid alone was worth the price of admission, so to speak.

The directing and writing is equally good...
Until the end. 
I hated the ending! 
But I was intrigued enough by the rest of it to watch the DVD extras. The "making of" featurettes are good (Joshua Bell looks like he's 18 even tho he's a year older than I am!) but I got a relief, and a new-found appreciation for the film after listening to what the director/writers had to say about the ending.

I know I'm not the only person to misunderstand their intentions based on their commentary. 

So, I highly recommend watching The Red Violin! Regardless of what you think of it's ending, it is still worth seeing!
And if you don't like the ending, as I did, watch the director's commentary, at least for the last of the 5 stories. And like I did, think of how you would change it to make their (better) vision come to life.

The Manchurian Candidate

I finally got around to seeing both 1962 and 2004 versions of The Manchurian Candidate. (Not back to back, I waited a respectable couple weeks in between.) 

And the one that I endorse is....

Envelope, please?....

As if you couldn't tell by the picture or link: 1962!

The synopsis of both: US soldiers are captured (Korean War & Iraq, respectively) and brainwashed. Trouble follows, especially for the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

The remake with Denzel Washington is ok. But I really, REALLY liked the original!

The '62 version is a lot more Hitchcock-y (and Twilight Zone-y) than '04: It's black & white rather than color. It's a lot more suspenseful. A little more to think about. (AAACK! GOD FORBID! NOT THESE DAYS!!) And the political climate of the time-frame is a lot more interesting. 

But chiefly for me, there was a huge, glaring omission in the remake. Like I'm going to tell you what it is and spoil the surprise. But it was one of the best and integral parts. It defined characters. It fed into the ending perfectly. It was poetry!... Totally omitted in '04.

I have to concede that the original is a little slower paced (but not much!) and a bit dated in dialogue in a few sections. But this is serious nit-picking. If you have any attention span whatsoever and a little understanding that you're revisiting the Korean War era when people talked and acted a little strangely - by today's standards - you'll love the original as I did.

Like I said '04's remake was ok. But the 1962 original is a must see!

Headhunters

2011's Headhunters is the best Norwegian film I have ever seen.

OK, it's the only film from Norway I have ever seen. But it's an excellent, intense, well-paced thriller on par with anything the world over. Yes, including Hollywood.

Roger Brown, corporate recruiter who lives so far outside his means that he steals rare art to make ends meet, targets - unfortunately for him - the wrong painting.

He may sound like a guy you'd never root for. But give this movie 30 minutes and I'll bet you'll be on his side. It's that well written, acted and directed.

And what's more, it turns out to be a very well-rounded, complete movie. (More so, Id argue, than any of Hollywood's thrillers these days!)

There are some really brutal bits, a little nudity, and a few vaguely-David Lynch-esque weirdness. And the subtitles move really quickly at spots. I did find it hard to keep up at a few points.

So I watched it again. THAT's how good Headhunters is. Good enough to watch twice in a row to catch the little things I missed.

Rent for the thriller. Stay for the complete movie!

Guns, Girls & Gambling

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. 2011's Guns, Girls and Gambling.

I never thought I'd have a Christian Slater movie on my blog. A good start - Name of the Rose, Heathers (Awesome!!) and Pump up the Volume - did NOT parlay into a rich acting career, I would argue. I haven't liked anything he's been in since 1990.

Yes, it's got a stupid title and Christian Slater (and Dane Cook) and I am still recommending it if you're in the mood for a kinda cheesy but fun action-thriller.

Christian Slater's character, John Smith, gets sucked into the intrigue of a casino heist. Elvis impersonators, native Americans, corrupt sheriffs, and a blond assassin keep the pace, plot and comedy moving. 

And Gary Oldman is one of the Elvises! He's as good as ever in this movie. Once again proving that (almost) everything he's in is worth watching. The other Gary Oldman axiom remains intact too, for all you Oldman enthusiasts (do his characters EVER survive? - for those not in the loop).

I read a few reviews that compared it to something Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez would do. I can see the comparison. And yes, this isn't as good as either Quentin or Robert have done. But I do think it can stand on its own. Not the best picture I've ever seen, but a fun, twisty distraction.

Searching for Sugar Man

I cannot possibly recommend this movie more!

2012's Searching for Sugar Man is a documentary about 2 South Africans who try to find out what happened to their musical hero, 1970's American folk singer Rodriquez.

Whoooo? Never heard of him. Why should I watch an hour and a half documentary about someone I never heard of? And a type of music I'm not too fond of, for that matter??

These are the questions I was asking myself when I hit the play button. And believe me, I did have my doubts - even through much of the first third, or so, of the movie. 

But it gets more and more interesting and entertaining as it goes. And by the time it ended...

I don't want to give anything away. But WOW! 

This is a real "Power of Music" story! And a must-rent!

Senna

I really enjoyed watching this 2010 documentary called, appropriately, Senna. 

It's about Ayrton Senna, Brazilian legend and one of the greatest Formula 1 [F1] drivers there ever was. It includes family-made home movies, F1 footage, interviews with crew, family, drivers, average Brazilians... 

I think this movie is geared (so to speak) much more for race fans. It's all about his spectacular F1 career, with only hints at past and periphery. 

I (as a former race fan) loved re-living some really amazing moments in his stellar career. And there were more than a few that I didn't remember or didn't realize the importance of.  

And the on-board cam! Oh, how I love the on-board race car cam! I wish I would have seen this on the big screen for the 200+ mph straights and tight cornering!!

There is drama and bad guys. There's politics and big money and then there's Ayrton in the opposite corner. It is entertaining...

But only in the F1 sense. I really wished the movie was longer and more in-depth. There's very little before F1. And after talking to a native Brazilian, I don't think the movie gave him enough credit for being such a national icon. No one in the US compares. He WAS Brazil! 

The only other minor gripes: Could he thank God any more in interviews? Probably not. Could he not wear speedos in Brazil in the late 80's? Probably not.  

Oh, and there are about 3 really grizzly things in the movie. No horror movie stuff. No blood and guts. But some horrific accidents. After all, he did lose his life doing the thing he was best at and loved so much. And what we mere mortals can only do on PlayStation.

Over all, I really enjoyed this look at a super-skilled driver, and really good guy!

Tracker

In the recent absence of good movies I managed to find one worth reviewing: 2010's Tracker.

Set and filmed in New Zealand, a veteran of the Boer War tracks a Maori (read: aboriginal, or less-than-human) accused  of murder through the wilderness. 

I don't want to give too much up, but it is very cliche at points, especially early. This is pretty much what I expected. (What'd you mean everyone but the Boar lost his trail??)

What I love about this movie is the direction, first of all. Every chance he gets, Ian Sharp takes a long-angle shot of New Zealand's beautiful landscapes. They truly are another character in the movie.

The acting is very good, including a South African accent so outrageously authentic I had to turn on the English subtitles at times. But the other actors are great too. (In fact it was written specifically for the actor of the Maori character.) 

Over all, I'd say better than usual. Not great. But worth watching..  

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Had a rough day at the office? I have the perfect stupid (but in a good way) action movie to entertain you.

Of course it's campy! Read the title: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012).

But it's not too campy. It's the perfect movie to enjoy a frosty adult beverage or two, relax and cheer to. Not much thought required.

Do you really need a synopsis? Honest Abe kicks vampire butt. Done.

The cast is fine. No overt overacting. And Rufus Sewell always plays a villain well. (Weird note: I'd never before seen an uncredited actors list bigger than the credited actors.)

But this is an action movie. And the action is done well: not totally unbelievable (except for once), and no super-quick jump cuts so you can't see what's happening - the curses of an action movie, for me.

It is rated R for violence, but it isn't super gory. 

Rent this for a fun, easy watch.