The Protege (2021)
Medium: Movie (Theatres or Usenet)
Rating: 4.5 / 5 Maggie’s good, Michael’s better
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer || Official Site
As far as the “badass femme getting revenge” genre goes, this movie ranks up there. First, Samuel Jackson doesn’t play his usual self which is a plus. He’s a more muted and reserved version of himself as compared to most of his roles. In fact, not sure he said “motherfucker” one time! Maggie Q is a great femme fatale, asskicking assassin who plays the role well. But the standout that one-upped her a bit was Michael Keating who plays her nemesis. Like most movies in this genre, you basically know how it ends but the question is if the trip to get there was worth it. In this case, it was.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021)
Medium: Movie (Multiple)
Rating: 2 / 5 Snake Eyes, a losing throw
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
The third movie in the live action G.I. Joe series, since the originally planned third (Vigilant) seems to have been shelved or delayed, apparently takes place in an “alternate continuity”. Maybe to explain the change in actor playing Snake Eyes from Ray Park to Henry Golding? Anyway, this movie is a long string of plot holes and continuity flaws bundled together in a really weak storyline with magic rocks and faerie lights. The only thing we really get from this is how Snake Eyes got his name. This is a big departure from the first (Rise of Cobra) and second movie (Retaliation) that were actually entertaining and over-the-top enough to make them fun. In their attempt to make it a bit more serious they lost the feel of the prior and served up a dud.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Medium: Movie (HBO Max)
Rating: 4.5 / 5 Killed it
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
First, this is not really a sequel in the sense you don’t have to see the first to appreciate the second. A few characters carry over but the plot is basically the same, and that is just fine. A wonderful group of misfits given a serious task that is doomed to fail. The one thing this movie did better than the first was humor; consistently good humor from start to finish. The casting is top notch across the board, each of the squad likeable to varying degrees. The only nitpick is less about the movie perhaps and more about the DC universe. Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Deadshot… the amount of characters that have the same skill gets a bit redundant and lacks creativity. Easy to get past for this movie though, as it creates a healthy and fun contest between two characters.
Wrath of Man (2021)
Medium: Movie (Multiple)
Rating: 1 / 5 statham_movie_generator=true
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
The introduction is dumbed down beyond all belief, making it very clear that Statham is not just a regular new hire. Next we get an overdose of pedestrian toxic masculinity that is decidedly boring and not creative. Transition into Statham’s character being impossibly badass before the writers making a segment impossibly dumb for us idiot viewers just as we get the explanation for why Statham is where he is. For the final phase we’re led down the road seeing the same thing from different sides taking half an hour to get thirty seconds of what we need for the story and into the predictable ending. This movie was basically a handful of scenes and dialogue the writers thought were oh-so cool and molded an entire movie around it. In total, about two minutes of this movie is original or clever; the rest is by the heist / revenge playbook.
The Vault (2021)
Medium: Movie (Netflix)
Rating: 3 / 5 you’ve been in this vault before
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
How many bank vault heist movies are there? Yeah, a lot. So it’s a challenge to make a new one that is interesting. In this case, it is mildly interesting as the “unbeatable” vault is beaten of course, but at the cost of physics and continuity. When you can break those, the possibilities are endless. Overall not a bad movie, but not particularly that good either. Good “turn brain off” fodder to fall asleep to though.
Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
Medium: Movie (Netflix)
Rating: 2 / 5 tough to swallow
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
This is a prime example of stacking a movie full of big names that have impressive careers and amazing roles in the past, only to have it fall flat. Despite the all-star cast, it just doesn’t work well because they are given such simple, boring dialogue and no room to develop a character. Without compelling characters and no emotional investment, who cares what happens? Sure, there are a few good gunplay scenes, but not many given the movie is squarely centered around that premise. There is some good humor, but not enough to make up for the rest of the flop. What a shame.
Free Guy (2021)
Medium: Movie (Multiple)
Rating: 4.5 / 5 Not a good movie, a great movie
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
This movie is a bit Ready Player One meets The Truman Show with a dash of Gamer. Set in a game world, ‘Guy’ is a bank teller that lives the same day over and over. Every day he gets his coffee before his bank is robbed, several times. Rinse, repeat, Groundhog Day like. Until he sees the woman of his dreams which leads him down the path of figuring out what his world really is, and that he is simply an NPC. Guy figures out how to see the world like the gamers do and begins to level up in pursuit of the woman. We follow his quick rise in game and his popularity in the real world, where there is a fight over the original code used in the game. Overall this is a fun movie from start to finish with the star, Ryan Reynolds, being himself largely.
The Green Knight (2021)
Medium: Movie (Multiple)
Rating: 1.5 / 5 At least the failure was pretty
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
This adaptation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight follows a young Gawain looking for his fame after a mysterious magical knight appears at court with a challenge. If you are hoping for a movie with a hint of swordplay this isn’t it. If you want a total slog that is entirely focused on cinematography and beautiful scenes, this is your jam. I’d call this “arthouse”, but instead of a house more a trailer park. One that is slow, boring, and has a very predictable ending.
Reminiscence (2021)
Medium: Movie (HBO Max)
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Not sure you’ll reminiscence this one in a few years
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
It’s the near future, set in Miami, where the oceans have risen and large parts of the city began to flood leading to huge retaining walls and slightly flooded streets. The only new technology featured allows one to relive memories over-and-over as if it was the first time. With that we get a tale of love, betrayal, crime, and redemption to varying degrees. The movie comes up short in ways as bits are predictable and the Miami we get seems devoid of people for many scenes. Tides rise, population dropped apparently?
Hacks S1 (2021)
Medium: TV (HBO Max)
Rating: 4 / 5 Good effort, falls a bit short on the younger side
Reference(s): IMDB Listing || Trailer
This show is described as a “dark mentorship” (it isn’t really) that forms between “a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old”. In reality, consider this The Devil Wears Prada but in the world of Las Vegas comedy instead of fashion. The relationship between the two is strained from start to finish essentially, where we get brief periods of things looking cordial before it goes to hell again. That said, it does deliver on some good (very) dark humor throughout and makes for an enjoyable show.