Monthly Archives: August 2023
Flash Movie Review: Heart of Stone
EVER SINCE I SAW DICK TRACY talk into his watch, I have always been attracted to new technologies. That does not mean I immediately jump on the latest bandwagon of some new high-tech device or application; I just marvel at its creation and the thought process behind it. Another aspect that I find so curious is how imaginary objects in movies, television shows, comic strips, and books turn into real items that all of us benefit from or at least use in our lives. Did you ever imagine the communicators and earpieces from Star Trek would become the flip phone/iPhone and Air pods of today? Even Dick Tracy’s wristwatch became a viable device many of us use daily. I have asked my wristwatch for the weather and to remind me of an appointment; the technology simply amazes me. Just recently, I was able to witness an unmanned automobile turn on and back out of a parking space. Besides the shock of seeing it, I also immediately thought of KITT, the talking car that did a whole lot more, from the old television show Knight Rider. It makes me wonder if the people involved with creating these new devices found their inspiration in these fictional items from various mediums. I BELIEVE IT HAS ONLY BEEN a short time where we now are hearing about A.I., artificial intelligence. From what I have seen or read about it, there are opposing views on whether it can or cannot benefit mankind. I may have just experienced interacting with it when I notified my charge card issuer that I would be traveling out of the country. The voice that communicated with me was artificial but quick to respond to my queries. I was leery while talking back and forth with the voice. For me, I think it is a trust issue; when I ended the call I was wondering if the company would follow through on updating my account. When I think about it, I feel my trust issues formed after I saw the Matrix movies. Memories of the evil version of the robot from Lost in Space and HAL from 2001: A Space Odyessy, influenced me to have a negative or better yet, cautious attitude about artificial intelligence. Could there ever be a time where humans are no longer needed except to maintain the computers involved with these artificial “beings?” I admit, I am wary about the advances that are taking place for A.I. or any new technology, though I can see the benefits of it sometimes. This action, crime thriller, does not offer me any comfort in these regards. PRETENDING SHE IS STRICTLY A TECHIE, a secret operative from a top-secret agency finds herself in a position to save her co-workers’ lives. To do so, would mean she would have to reveal her true identity, if the evil hacker does not do it first. With Gal Gadot (Death on the Nile, Wonder Woman franchise) as Rachel Stone, Jamie Dornan (A Private War, Belfast) as Parker, Alia Bhatt (Gully Boy, Highway) as Keya Dhawan, Jing Lusi (Crazy Rich Asians, Lucky Man-TV) as Yang and Paul Ready (The Dig, Motherland-TV) as Bailey; this film began with an intense opening scene that put me in the mood to be excited. However, from that point on the story became quite predictable to the point the excitement wore off. Fight scenes were well orchestrated, and Gal did a great job; however, there were multiple scenes that did not make any sense. This picture really wanted to be a kick-off to a new franchise, but the whole viewing experience felt like an “also ran.” Many other films took the same type of story line and did a better job with it. At least the scenery from the various locales was pretty to look at and hopefully they were real.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Asteroid City
IT WAS THE CLOSEST I HAD ever been to another planet and I did not want it to end. After seeing Jupiter and Saturn, I quickly lost my amazement over the moon and Mars. I even got to see a shooting star; there was always talk about one, but I had never seen it before. No pun intended, but my mind expanded in a new way while I leaned back in one of the cushy chairs there in the dark auditorium of the planetarium. It was my first time and seeing the solar system come “alive” above my head was exciting. The only reference I had to the other planets in our solar system had been movies and children’s books. I do not think we had studied the system yet in elementary school. So, you can see how stunned I was to see crystal clear images of the planets floating in the air, or at least it certainly seemed that way. One of my favorite television shows was Flash Gordon; at one point, I wondered if during the show I would get to see the planet, Mongo. Alas, it was never shown. I left the planetarium with a stronger fascination about outer space and the possibilities that were out there. THIS FEELING WAS SUCH A STRONG contrast to what took place in school. When I tell you what took place, there might be a chance you will not believe me. The reason I say this is because recently I was talking with a group of people, some of them educators, who shared their school’s protocols for safety. I was stunned when they said they must perform “active shooter” training with their classes. We discussed the horrors that are attached to it. For example, one teacher said they have a couple of students who were traumatized by a shooting in their town, and they must be excused because the training was too intense for them. I expressed my horror that we now live in a time where “active shooter” training is the norm. When I was in first grade, we periodically would have air raid drills. I surprised the educators because they had never heard of such a thing. I told them an alarm would sound and we would all have to leave our classrooms and go into the hallway, to sit down with our backs up to our locker, then cross our legs and try to get our heads down to our laps. I always wondered who would harm us in an air raid in the Midwest. It was a similar wonder to what happened to the junior stargazers in this dramatic comedy romance. COMING TO A SMALL SPOT IN the desert, a group of strangers encounter something unworldly that changes their perceptions of the world. With Jason Schwartzman (The French Dispatch, Big Eyes) as Augie Steenbeck, Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow, JoJo Rabbit) as Midge Campbell, Tom Hanks (A Man Called Otto, Elvis) as Stanley Zak, Jeffrey Wright (The Batman, The French Dispatch) as General Gibson and Bryan Cranston (The One and Only Ivan, Jerry and Marge Go Large) as the Host; this Wes Anderson film had all of the same trappings as his previous films. It had a great and diverse cast, quirky and colorful sets, multiple story lines and odd characters in the story. What was missing for me was the fun factor, along with a better cohesive script. Things felt forced to me. It seemed various scenes were tossed in to keep the audience entertained, but they did not offer much. I found myself being bored at times and not really getting a sense of where the story wanted to go. There was an element of humor and silliness, but it did not help to get me into an excited mood to sit and enjoy the rest of the film.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Haunted Mansion
WHEN THE CARNIVAL OPENED IN SPRING, it gave us the opportunity to see a second haunted house in our neighborhood. The first one sat at the end of a block that had lightly colored painted houses. The color of this haunted house was dark brown with patches where it had peeled away from what looked like rotten wood. It was a scary looking place, even the windows looked dark. I do not recall ever seeing them open. There was dense foliage all around the perimeter of the place; so thick that I was sure a child could go missing in it. The front walk that led to several dilapidated steps was barely visible unless you used your arms to move the overhanging branches that were sturdy and gnarled. All the kids in the neighborhood would avoid this house at Halloween. No one, even if they were with a group of other trick-or-treaters, had the courage to make their way to the opposing door that looked like an animal’s mouth about to let out a growl. Even after living in the neighborhood for decades, I never saw anyone coming out or going into that dark, spooky house. MY IMAGINATION ABOUT WHAT COULD TAKE place in that house on the corner was fueled by what I experienced at different amusement parks’ haunted houses. The one from the carnival was a cheap version of what was in my mind, but I still thought of the various scare tactics and transposed them into a deadlier version. There was a man dressed up as an evil ogre who would jump out from a dark corner and scare all that entered his realm. He really was not that scary to me because I saw one of his costume’s big floppy ears had fallen off, revealing his human ear; it took the scare out of the costume. Through the house there were various mechanical objects dropping down from the ceiling or popping out of the walls. There was a mist like fog that slowly swirled about but the air circulation and venting were almost stagnant, so depending on where you were, it was hard to see stuff at times. I remember one room had paintings hanging on the walls. One of them was a portrait of a man with the eyes cut out so someone, who was standing behind it, could press their face against the canvas and have their eyes fill out the holes. However, it must have been irritating them because periodically you could see a finger pushing across to rub the eye. It was not a very scary haunted house, just like the one that was in this comedy, horror film. WHEN A MOTHER AND HER SON discover their new home is filled with ghouls and ghosts, she turns to some local folk to help her in the removal of them. However, they are not ready to leave. With LaKeith Stanfield (The Harder They Fall, Sorry to Bother You) as Ben Matthias, Rosario Dawson (Unstoppable, The Water Man) as Gabbie, Owen Wilson (Marry Me, Father Figures) as Father Kent, Tiffany Haddish (Like a Boss, Night School) as Harriet and Danny DeVito (Batman Returns, The War of the Roses) as Bruce David; this dramatic family movie, based on the amusement park ride, Haunted Mansion, needed help. The story was never scary enough to draw a gasp or yelp from the audience; at least not what one hears when doing the actual park ride. I did not find much to laugh about either. I did appreciate the cast’s efforts to levitate the story and make it exciting, but it never materialized. For those of you who have ridden the amusement park’s ride, you will sense a familiarity with the sets and characters. However, there was not enough here to make this a memorable experience. Better to save up your money for the actual ride; you will have a better time.
1 ¾ stars
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
I TOOK PIANO LESSONS FOR EIGHT years, but I did not want many people to know about it, particularly my classmates in school. The reason being, I loved classical music from such composers as Beethoven, Chopin and Tchaikovsky. One of the pieces I wanted to play on the piano was Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; talk about a lofty goal. However, my piano teacher found sheet music for it and told me to work on it during my free time. The reason I did not want too many classmates to know was because everyone I knew was into the Top 40 songs playing on the radio. I enjoyed them as much as they did, but for piano playing I preferred the classics. That was not the only music I played but when it came to my piano lessons, we focused on music from the classical composers. On my own, I would go downtown to the music store that had a whole room filled with sheet music from all different genres. I would get lost as I leafed through bin after bin of sheet music, trying to narrow my choices down to a few instead of a multitude. For me, it was all about how the music moved me; it could be a song from a Broadway musical or one from a folk singer, it did not matter. But what was more important to me was fitting in with the rest of the student body. FITTING IN WAS OF THE UTMOST importance as far as I was concerned. I saw what happened to those who did not fit in and could never find out where was the cutoff from being a little different with no repercussions to doing something that made you a target for being shunned or bullied. I think it is harder when we are younger due to the lack of exposure to different people, cultures and life experiences. When we are young, I believe, we consciously or subconsciously gravitate to like kind. Anyone who doesn’t look the same or act the same tends to set off a warning sign in our heads. I am reminded of my time at a school’s orientation weekend, sharing a dorm room with another prospective student. Accompanying him were a couple of his pet praying mantises. I thought it was an odd thing to do but did not try to avoid him, unlike the other kids on the floor. He had the desire to fit in with the rest of the floor, based on our conversations; but he did not have the will to do anything about it. Some people do not care about fitting in while others do. I only want to do it when I know I can be my authentic self. This is why I give the brothers in this animated, action adventure a lot of credit. BY THE TIME THEY REACHED ADOLESCENCE, the Turtle brothers wanted nothing more than to go above ground and be with the humans. The problem was the humans did not want to be with them; at least most of them. With Micah Abbey (Grey’s Anatomy-TV, Cousins for Life-TV) voicing Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. (The Chi-TV) voicing Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu (The Fabelmans, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) voicing Leonardo, Brady Noon (Marry Me, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) voicing Raphel and Ayo Edebiri (The Sweet East, Theater Camp) voicing April O’Neil; this installment was one of the best out of the group. The animation was clever and outstanding, accompanied by a great soundtrack. The actors voicing their characters were fun and well-suited to bounce off each other. I did not have any idea this would be as good as it was, thanks to the skilled writing of Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg and Jeff Rowe. The story works for children and adults thanks to the variety of one lined comments, besides the message; a message that I appreciated. There was no need to be concerned I would be the only adult without children, there were many. I could simply be myself. There was an extra scene in the middle of the ending credits.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game
I WAS THE ONLY KID WHO was too afraid to dive off from the high diving board. On a large family trip, several cars of relatives drove to a resort area in a neighboring state. When we arrived at the hotel, all of us were assigned rooms on the same floor. Since it was still early in the afternoon, it was decided we would all meet at the swimming pool. I was a decent swimmer but had only recently ventured into deeper waters. The pool had two diving boards, one low and the other high, but the low one was being repaired. All my cousins were excited to go off the high dive, lining up single file to climb the metal ladder to the top. I tried doing it but when I got to the top and saw how far down it was to the water, I started to cry. Though relatives were encouraging me to jump, some even treading in the water below, I could not do it. I still remember how humiliated I felt as I climbed back down the ladder and walked past the line of cousins who were too excited to focus on my failure. After that I did not want to spend any more time by the swimming pool. ACROSS FROM THE SWIMMING POOL AREA, I had not noticed a small non-descript wooden structure that looked like a miniature house without windows. The relative who was taking me back to the hotel room, stopped at the front of this structure and asked me if I wanted to peek inside. It was such a curious building that I said yes. There was only an entryway, no door, so we walked in. What was inside was something I had never seen before. There was this machine with flashing lights. Its body had a glass top that covered an array of bumpers, buttons and holes. It fascinated me with its colorful graphics that stretched across both inside and out. My relative must have been familiar with the machine because they placed a chair they had taken from a corner, by the side of the machine and told me to stand on it, so I could watch them play. Once I was on it, my relative pulled back a metal rod and let go. I saw a silver ball whip up to the top of the course, bounce back and forth a couple of times, then descend into the array of bumpers and buttons. It was amazing, watching the ball bounce from one side to the other; and whenever the ball got near to the bottom, my relative would press these two red buttons on each side of the machine to smack the ball back up towards the top. This was my first encounter with a pinball machine, but it was not going to be my last. A STRUGGLING WRITER IN NEW YORK CITY finds escape in a pinball machine he found in an unlikely place. When the machine gets confiscated due to the ban on them, he puts his frustration into his writings. With Mike Faist (West Side Story, Wildling) as Roger (young), Crystal Reed (Incident in a Ghostland, Gotham-TV) as Ellen, Dennis Boutsikaris (Batteries not Included, Better Call Saul-TV) as Mr. Shapiro, Christopher Convery (The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Prisoner’s Daughter) as Seth and Connor Ratliff (Search Party-TV, The George Lucas Talk Show-TV) as Jimmy; this comedic drama hooked me in quickly after a short time figuring out if I was watching a documentary or not. I thought the way the writers told the story in this biography made it more interesting. As a lover of pinball machines, I appreciated the history lesson being told in such an entertaining way. Set in the 1970s, the sets and costumes were perfect. Maybe other viewers will feel the same way as I did to find out there was a time when pinball machines, of all things, used to be illegal. For me, it sounded so absurd, and it was another reason I wanted to see this movie. This film is certainly worth keeping in play.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
AT A JOB, I HAD TO find a way to work with someone I did not trust. It is harder than you think. This person had an ego, which was not a reason to distrust them. One of the things that I had a hard time with was the fact they would never admit to being wrong. In my position at the company, I would get copied on emails with them because it involved one of my companies I covered. Reading the emails they would send in reply to questions from the company was an amazing experience. I could not make out what they were trying to say because they were mentioning things that had nothing to do with the questions. At times, I was embarrassed thinking the customer must wonder how our company can conduct business based on this one person’s remarks. Feeling protective of my company’s reputation, I had to jump in and try to deflect the comments being made and give the customer the answer they were seeking. You would think the employee on the emails would have thanked me privately or send some positive feedback, but no. That was who they were and there was nothing I could do about it. But, when an answer or solution is needed one needs to find a way to work with someone, no matter how you feel about them. MY PHILOSOPHY IS “WHATEVER IT TAKES.” At that company where I worked with that egotistical individual, it at least taught me the importance of looking at the end results. While visiting with a friend, their two children decided they wanted to play in the same room where we were seated. I normally would not have an issue, but these two kids were notorious for fighting. And soon enough they started up while we were trying to have an adult conversation. My friend’s scolding to stop bickering lasted only for a short time before the two siblings were at it again. I was not in the mood to hear the squabbling. Seeing some toys in a container in the corner of the room, I asked the two if they could build a bridge that was strong enough to hold the weight of one of their toy cars. They took the bait and proceeded to pull items out of that container and sat down to figure out which items went where in the construction of the bridge. My friend and I continued our conversation in peace. I hoped the two siblings would learn and understand the importance of working together in life. It is a great message and one I appreciated in this science fiction, action adventure. DESPERATE TO GET MONEY FOR HOSPITAL bills, an older brother agrees to steal a car, not knowing this car had a mind of its own. With Anthony Ramos (A Star is Born, Honest Thief) as Noah Diaz, Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah, Project Power) as Elena Wallace, Luna Lauren Valez (The First Purge, Dexter-TV) as Breanna Diaz, Dean Scott Vazquez (In the Heights, 9 Bullets) as Kris Diaz and Sarah Stiles (Unsane, Get Shorty-TV) as Jillian; this latest in the movie franchise was better than some of the previous installments. However, it was not the best either. The action was plentiful and fast paced with decent special effects. I liked the chemistry between Anthony and Dominique. My issue was with the story and script. It did not provide me with much to latch onto and feel connected. There were different angles the writers were writing from that never really gelled for me. Plus, the excitement and thrill levels needed to go closer towards the extremes. It just never felt like there was enough time devoted to the scenes to let them develop into a more meaningful state. Maybe it was a struggle between film studio departments with budgets and such, but this could have been a better movie if everyone had worked better together.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Talk to Me
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID IT IS easier to say goodbye to a loved one who had been suffering for a long duration than to one who suddenly expires. Seeing a healthy, vibrant person waste away from illness is heartbreaking. On top of it, the person witnessing it feels so helpless. Burned into my memories is the image of a loved one lying in a hospital bed. What used to be thick wavy hair that surrounded their head like a halo, was thin and short as if it were the remains of an electrical flashfire. Their eyes had sunken deeper into their head to the point where they looked like two plastic button eyes from an old, worn stuffed animal toy. I could not get over how their face looked, like all the blood had been drained from it and now it was just a thin veil over the skull of their head. All I could offer them was the ice chips in a cup that were sitting on the portable table pressed up to the side of their hospital bed. I will be honest with you; while looking at them and they were suffering, I thought to myself it would be better to be done with living this life than going through the obvious pain. From that experience, my beliefs became firm that no one should have to endure such suffering. There was a sense of relief when their life had ended. I CANNOT SAY THE SAME FOR a friend of mine. Some years ago, they had a friend who ended their life. My friend did not find out until a relative of the deceased contacted them to let them know. You can imagine the shock of getting such news. They were stunned and this was before they found out the death was self-inflicted. Here their friend was living a good life, with a good job, traveling, going to dinners and concerts; and the next minute, they were gone. The whole thing was tragic, and I felt sad for both. My friend’s sadness and shock soon turned into anger. There was no inkling and as far as they knew, there was no reason they could see that would warrant the ending of life. I accompanied them to the funeral, and it was extremely sad; everyone had this blank look on their faces with a veneer of sadness. What does one say in such a situation except to say sorry for your loss. And even to this day, my friend can get a twinge of anger and hurt when they think of their deceased friend ending their life. Having been a witness to both of these death events, helped me understand the main character’s desire in this mystery, horror thriller. WHEN A GROUP OF FRIENDS BEGIN dabbling with contacting the dead, one friend wants to delve longer into it to find her mother. With Ari McCarthy (Heartbreak High-TV, Deadlock-TV) as Cole, Sophie Wilde (The Portable Door, Eden-TV) as Mia, Sarah Brokensha (Angela’s Decision, Rabbit) as Fiona, Joe Bird (First Day-TV, Rabbit) as Riley and Hamish Phillips (The Pack) as Tyson; this movie surprised me because I enjoyed it. As some of you know horror is not my favorite genre; however, the script and direction in this film captivated me. There was not the usual scary music to let the viewer know something horrible was about to happen; instead, the story unfolded in a way to show the friends living their daily lives. A few scenes did have blood in them, but it was not done in such a way to make me squirm. I thought the twists and turns embedded into the script were smart moves; though I thought the first half of the film was stronger than the last. The writers, I have to say, did a good job of making the story stay more in a reality base than turning it into an extreme horror fantasy. Plus, I loved the ending of the movie.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Happiness for Beginners
MANY REVIEWS AGO, I TALKED ABOUT changing up one’s routines after a breakup. Part of the reason was to create a diversion from any sadness and another part was to explore new avenues of growth. I remember an early breakup where I spent an entire weekend watching movies. If I recall, I believe I saw twelve movies in three days. In that review I focused more on the diversion instead of the growth that could take place. When in a love relationship, it can be easy to fall into a routine to the point where things become automatic, very little thought is needed. Sure, there is a comfort being in that state, but is it beneficial to the growth of the relationship? Honestly, I fluctuate between the comfort of routines with the adventures of exploring something new. I think that might be one of the reasons I love to travel; it nourishes me in a certain way that reading a book about the place cannot provide. But traveling is not always an easy project. I remember being in a relationship and the two of us taking a trip to Las Vegas for an extended weekend. Withing 24 hours, I realized this was not a good fit because our ideas of a vacation were so opposite of each other. By the time we were flying home, we barely talked to each other. Lesson learned: make sure the person you are going with on a trip is compatible with your expectations. SEEING HOW THAT RELATIONSHIP DETERIORATED WHILE on vacation gave me a thought that stuck with me for the next time, I found myself in a similar situation. It was a year or two after where I found myself at the end of another relationship. Remembering my Vegas trip, I decided I would take a trip by myself; it was a foreign concept I must tell you. I planned out everything from the location to the hotel to the activities. It was weird at first to be alone on a plane. I kept myself busy by reading a stack of magazines I had bought at one of the terminal’s newsstands. Once I arrived, it was a little unsettling to navigate by myself through the airport and to the rental car location; but I did it. I remember asking the clerk at the rental place for directions to my hotel and was grateful when he pulled out a map and drew a route for me. After I arrived mid-morning and checked into my hotel room, I ventured out to the first tourist attraction I had on my to do list. By the end of the day, I had walked eight miles and had seen several places I had on my list. I discovered I was resourceful and enjoyed planning out and executing a route to cover as much ground as I could to explore the city. Discovering this in myself was one of the reasons I was attracted to the main character in this romantic rom-com. AFTER THE BREAKUP OF HER MARRIAGE, a woman decides she needs to make some changes in herself. What came to mind was to sign up for a wilderness survival trek with a group of strangers. The trip would test her in ways she had not expected. With Ellie Kemper (The Stand In, Bridesmaids) as Helen, Luke Grimes (Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, The Magnificent Seven) as Jake, Nico Santos (Crazy Rich Asians, Superstore-TV) as Hugh, Blythe Danner (I’ll See You in my Dreams, The Last Kiss) as Gigi and Ben Cook (West Side Story, Paterno) as Beckett; this movie did everything by the book. In other words, pretty much everything was predictable. I enjoyed Ellie’s and Luke’s performances; however, the script was too generic to the point it did not provide any surprises. In fact, at times it would telegraph what was going to happen later in the film. For a story based on taking risks, the writers should have listened and done the same.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Hidden Strike
A COUPLE OF MY FAVORITE INGREDIENTS for a dessert are chocolate and butter. Rarely have I come across a dessert with these two items included that was not delicious. The chocolate can be in the form of cocoa powder, chips, syrup, pudding or even crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. Those who know me know the dessert is the most important part of dinner. I do not want to say the entrée is just a formality to get to the dessert, but it comes close. Since I was a small boy, I always enjoyed having something sweet to eat after dinner. Chocolate has always been my “go to” food after a meal, but that does not mean I do not like other flavors. Being a texture and visual eater, I love the combination of flavors and texture. For example, I prefer brownies with nuts in them because I like having a bit of crunch when I am chewing. The same goes with chocolate chips. A good chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips is heavenly. There just are certain pairings that make perfect sense, whether they are familiar or something brand new; it just tastes damn good is all I can say. THE IDEA OF PAIRING IS NOT solely something for desserts. The first thing that comes to mind are the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby road movies, like Road to Bali and Road to Rio. With one being the comedian and the other the straight man, they made a great pair. Another pairing that worked was Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; they did several movies together besides doing stand-up comedy. One of my earliest memories was seeing an old black and white film with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant called Bringing Up Baby. There was something about that film that grabbed my attention. Maybe it was the interaction between the two movie stars or the antics that took place; but the memory of it has stayed with my all these years. When you get two celebrities together and it is obvious there is a connection between them that works, it usually has been encouraged by their management teams and/or film studios. One can see it is a winning formula all the way around because studios still try to pair up different actors for a movie project. Just look at the film franchise, The Expendables. Getting a group of Type A personality types in one room can always provide hours of entertainment. This is one of the reasons why I was intrigued to see this action, adventure comedy because of its pairing of two action stars from different genres. WHEN A GROUP OF EMPLOYEES HE was escorting safely out of the country gets ambushed, a special forces soldier finds himself in the unusual position of working with someone who had similar training to himself but uses it for a different purpose. Can the two ever find a way to work together to get the kidnapped crew back? With John Cena (Vacation Friends, 12 Rounds) as Chris Van Horne, Jackie Chan (Rush Hour franchise, Iron Mask) as Luo Fang, Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones-TV, A Hijacking) as Owen Paddock, Rachel Holoway (Momentum, Ransom’s Law-TV) as Raider and Amadeus Serafini (Smiley Face Killers, Scream: The TV Series) as Henry Van Horne; my other curiosity was seeing if Jackie Chan’s character would be up to Jackie’s past fighting mode. The answer is yes, but it doesn’t look like Jackie did much if any of his physical demanding stunts. This was only one of many disappointments, I am afraid to say. I found the story to be a generic blueprint for these types of films where the hero must try to get someone/something out of a hostile territory while the villain tries to stop them. With a predictable script and poor special effects, this is a throwaway film. In other words, if you have nothing else to do then go ahead and watch it before you toss it away physically and/or mentally. Sadly, this was a forgettable pairing. There were outtakes during the ending credits.
1 ½ stars
moviejoltz 