HOMEFRONT updated

(2013) 100 Minutes, Rated R

Mike's Review:  Jason Statham can pretty much play any movie where the good guy is forced to fight as a means to protect something or someone.  Granted almost all of his movies are the same,  they are still fun to watch on the big screen.  The only weird thing about this movie was seeing Jason Statham with long hair.

Best Scene: Any scene where Jason Statham is fighting.

Mike's Rating: Worth the price of the ticket and DVD worthy.

Bean's Review:  Another reliable Jason Statham movie in that you expect him to be the good guy who defeats evil and saves the day.  In this movie, Statham’s character is defending his home and child from stereotypical bully redneck scum.  He accomplishes this in a showcase of his physical prowess and snappy comebacks.

This is a movie to enjoy after a long stressful day at work.

Best Scene: When the daughter whacks the school bully after asking him nicely – “twice”

Bean's Rating:  Full ticket, matinee or DVD – a movie that is enjoyable to watch more than once.

A.C.’s Review:   HOMEFRONT is the latest Jason Statham picture to hit the theaters and a worthy effort.

In the movie he plays a retired DEA agent who must stand tall against a variety of bad guys that range from meth heads, to rednecks to a biker gang that seems borrowed right out of Sons of Anarchy all the while protecting his young daughter.

If you loved 1980’s action movies this is a throwback to that earlier era…while not as over the top as some (Commando comes to mind) this could easily have been made back then. There is the expected hand to hand combat when you have Statham and the brutality is not toned down to get a PG-13 rating to get the teen crowd in the theater.   Best of all the stunts look like they were all practical and not computer generated.   In fact I would lay money down that the huge explosion at the end is real and not the usually phony CGI explosions and fire that are easily detected in today’s movies. In short there is nothing like the real thing.

Best Scene: James Franco who plays a much better villain here as Gator Bodine redeems himself after the horrible role he played as the bad guy in Springbreak. The look on his face is priceless as he watched his entire drug operation going up in flames thanks to one of Statham’s booby traps. That stunned look was some great acting.

A.C.'s Rating: Worth full price admission.


.

OLDBOY

(2013) 104 Minutes, Rated R

A.C.’s Review:  This film is a Spike Lee remake of a somewhat infamous South Korean by the same name.

Starring Josh Brolin and Elisabeth Olsen (younger sister of the Olson Twins and soon to play the Scarlett Witch in AVENGERS 2). Brolin plays a reprehensible alcoholic who one morning after a binge wakes up in a hotel room…only it’s not a hotel room but a prison cell designed to look like one. The private prison is overseen by Samuel L. Jackson.

Brolin spends the next 20 years in the prison wondering who put him there and why. During that time he undergoes a transformation from drunk to a martial artist (learned from the TV supplied in his room) planning for the day he escapes all the while yearning to reconnect with his daughter who was three at the time of his imprisonment. Inexplicably his captor lets him free but Brolin must remain a fugitive because the captor framed Brolin for his ex-wife’s murder.

Now the anti-hero must clear his name, exact revenge and reunite with his daughter. Along the way he’s aided by a woman he has met upon his release played by Olson.

What follows is a very graphic odyssey of sex and violence where heads are partially blown off from shot gun blasts, people are tortured with salt in open wounds to name a few as Brolin must examine his own past in hopes of understanding why he was imprisoned and save the life of his daughter. It all concludes with a twist on the level of THE SIXTH SENSE that may horrify viewers more than all the onscreen violence.

Best Scene:  Brolin wasting bad guys as he makes his way back into the prison to confront Samuel L. Jackson in search of information. Not a film filled with humor but the funniest thing was him telling Olson he needed to see the yellow pages and asking where all the pay phones are.

A.C.’s Rating:This movie is not everyone’s cup of tea but if you can find it in one of the only 500 theaters its playing in nationwide, it’s worth admission price. When it comes out on DVD it’s going to be a good rental.

.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD

(2013) 112 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Mike's Review:  Thor: The Dark World, I thought was a lot more fun and more entertaining to watch then the first Thor. All of the characters seem to work better together and all the humor and action was equally well done.  I found myself laughing quite a bit through out this movie.  They did a good job of making the humor work and tied together a lot of the other Marvel Films. I won't go into a huge amount of detail other then to say, if you have liked any of the other countless Marvel Films then you wont be disappointed with one.

Best Scene: I thought there were a lot of good and clever scenes but the one that made me laugh out loud the loudest was when Loki took on the form of Captain America.

Mike's Rating: Must See and DVD worthy.

Bean's Review: Despite not seeing the first Thor movie or The Avengers and not reading any Thor comics, I found this move to be very interesting and entertaining.  I was able to follow the story and enjoy the development of the characters.  All of the actors did well.  Chris Hemsworth is a great choice for Thor, as are Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo, as his parents.  The portrayal of Thor by Hemsworth enables the viewer to connect with the character.  The character of Loki, Thor’s brother, is complex.  One wants to dislike him immensely and embrace him at the same time.

The concept of a “Dark Elf” was intriguing.  Christopher Eccleston, as the lead Dark Elf, did a nice job of exuding evilness. Although, the movie was “Dark”, it was also lighthearted and quite funny when it needed to be.  The interaction between Thor and Loki was quite humorous at times.  The other comic relief portrayed by Jane’s intern, Darcy and Darcy’s intern also worked well within the plot.  Overall, one of the better “comic book” character movies.  Stay until the very end – when the lights come on in the theater.

Best Scene: when Jane covers Thor’s body with her own to protect him from the falling spaceship

Bean's Rating: full priced ticket – should be seen on the big screen.

A.C.'s Review:  Thor: The Dark World easily hammers its way into my list of top 5 movies of the year and certainly the best Marvel movie since the Avengers as Iron Man 3 was a semi misfire. There is a lot to love about this film that mixes action, comedy and even tragedy to great effect. Visually its world class with its exotic locations…some CGI and other Iceland.

As a Thor fan I was clamoring to see more of Asgard in the follow up to the 2011 original and I was not disappointed. Whereas the first film spent the majority of the film confined to the American southwest this film opens up Asgard in a big way as well as several visits to the other realms that I am familiar with from the comics. Speaking of the comics its clear that fans made the film because the stone giant Thor destroys in the opening of the film is for sure by no coincidence very similar looking to The Stone Men from Saturn that Thor fought in his very first issue in 1963.

The cast is remarkable especially Hemsworth and Hiddleston as Thor and Loki. They play very well off each other and Loki is such a great character that it’s no wonder he is a fan favorite with the movie going public. The ending ensured he will be back for Thor 3. And you couldn’t possibly find a better Odin than Anthony Hopkins. Kat Dennings is wonderful as the comic relief character Darcy that it makes me very sad her talents are being wasted in the trash CBS comedy “Two Broke Girls”.

The only complaints I have would be not enough screen time for Sif and The Warriors Three and too much screen time for the character of Dr. Eric Selvig. His antics seemed unnecessary to the film. There was enough comedy with Darcy and Loki already.

All and all I couldn’t really ask for a better and more enjoyable film. Unlike say Man Of Steel which was so dour and simply no fun…this was a fun film to spend a couple hours watching. I look forward to the return of Thor in Avengers 2 in 2015!

A.C.'s Rating:  Worth full price admission!

.