Coming Attractions- Red One (2024)

 

Director- Jake Kasdan

Cast- Dwayne Johnson, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, Nick Kroll, Jenna Kanell, Bonnie Hunt, Wesley Kimmel, Kristofer Hivju, Mary Elizabeth Ellis

Release Date- November 15, 2024

I’m interested to see how they use Krampus overall, because they’re obviously going with a lighthearted approach to Santa’s shadow. 

Red One should be a harmless fun Christmas movie. J.K. Simmons is a good fit to play a jacked up and manly version of Santa Claus. Dwyane Johnson and Chris Evans as a duo has some potential, and Red One perfectly lands in Johnson’s comfort zone: lots of action, and a movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

 

**This post contains spoilers** 

The Story- Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) reluctantly team up to protect Shaw’s sister and  MI6 agent, Hattie (Vanessa Kirby). Carrying a deadly virus, Hattie is pursued by Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), a former MI6 agent and Eteon’s number one cybernetically enhanced operative. Eteon, a terrorist organization powered by advanced technology and weapons, plans to unleash the virus to fulfill their vision for an evolved future. 

Hobbs, Shaw, and Hattie will have to work together to defeat Eteon and Brixton. But the trio runs into a big problem, when their plans unravel during a botched mission at Eteon’s base in Ukraine. 

My Thoughts- The playful one-upsmanship and the banter between Johnson and Statham is truly the driving force behind Hobbs & Shaw. Johnson and Statham have undeniable chemistry together, and the split screen for Hobbs and Shaw’s morning routines was a nice touch. You’ll see some noticeable similarities between the two. But the differences are still clear, with Shaw being more sophisticated and polished, while Hobbs is more of a rugged, down to earth guy, who likes to flex his muscles. 

Brixton Lore leans too much on the cool bad guy (“I’m Black Superman!”) side of things at times, but Idris Elba is still a fantastic villain here. Yeah, all the fancy gadgetry and high tech accessories and weapons strengthens Brixton’s character, as this seemingly unstoppable and intimidating threat, but Elba has a strong presence. Elba’s impressive charisma and his confident performance as Brixton is one of the bigger highlights in the movie, truly a great choice for the main adversary to match the superstar duo of Hobbs and Shaw. 

Hattie Shaw is resourceful and fierce. Vanessa Kirby delivers a solid performance as Hattie, and Hattie’s sharp sarcasm is good for a few laughs. Ryan Reynolds brings his usual brand of snappy humor. I can’t think of too many actors, who could simultaneously explain the seriousness of a deadly virus being unleashed on the world with gory details, while also adding in comedic bits to the explanation, without undermining the severity of the situation. But Reynolds nailed the scene at the diner, when he tells Hobbs about the virus.

Kevin Hart makes the most of his brief screen time, with a few appearances as a spirited goofball. Eiza Gonzalez has a short role, but her character plays an important part in the story. Similar to Kevin Hart, Gonzalez doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but she still manages to make an impact as Madam M. And it’s always nice to see Helen Mirren reprise her role as Queenie. Eddie Marsan only has a handful of appearances as Professor Andreiko, but Marsan still delivers an impactful performance for an important character. 

The Rock makes an effort to bring some pro wrestling moments and references to Hobbs & Shaw. Hobbs’ People’s Eyebrow during a Face Time call with his daughter, Sam (Eliana Su’a), and Mateo (Joe Anoa’i/Roman Reigns) hits a Samoan Drop on an Eteon soldier, followed by a spear, complete with Reigns’ signature roar afterwards. 

Speaking of Reigns, I’m still wondering if he’ll make that big transition to Hollywood one day. Dave Bautista and Rock are the two big success stories for transitioning from pro wrestling to acting. Maybe Reigns will get a bigger role one day, and a chance to really show off what he can do.

The big final battle delivers a good amount of thrills, while proudly showcasing Johnson’s roots and his Samoan heritage. The irony of the supposedly superior and more technologically advanced Eteon suffering a decisive loss at the hands Hobbs, Shaw, Hattie, and the Samoans really works for a satisfying conclusion. In the end, Brixton and Eteon’s fancy technology couldn’t overcome teamwork, friendship, pure heart, and grit, easily dismantling Eteon’s beliefs about the weak and ineffective human race needing to confirm to their crazy ideas for a technological evolution.

Brixton has a sad ending. Before The Eteon Director decommissions Brixton, you can tell at one point in his life, Brixton was probably a good guy. He lost his way and was sucked into Eteon’s radical agenda, and Elba did a good job of selling Brixton’s confusion and disbelief. A loyal and dedicated solider for Eteon, who risked his life, but he was disposed of like yesterday’s trash, when he failed. Throughout the movie, Brixton is a seemingly unstoppable force, so he genuinely couldn’t believe in the possibility of losing to Hobbs and Shaw.

Hobbs & Shaw is predictable. You know at some point, Hobbs and Shaw will have to truly trust each other. They’ll have to put aside their differences, squash their big egos, and cohesive teamwork was the simple secret to defeating Brixton. Executing Hattie to stop the spread of the virus? I never believed it was a possibility, because there was no point in teasing so many close calls, unless they ultimately planned on Hattie surviving.

Still, Hobbs & Shaw is an enjoyable film, featuring hard hitting and slick action sequences. It’s a pure adrenaline rush, moving at fast pace, with the right amount of cheesiness. The runtime is close enough to three hours, but Hobbs & Shaw never drags. The casting is superb. Everyone in the main cast feels like the right fit for their personas, and Hobbs is a character that perfectly plays to The Rock’s strengths as an actor. 

Hobbs & Shaw is a fun and big over the top action blockbuster, complete with explosions and slow motion fight scenes, and happy endings. Hobbs buries the hatchet with his brother, Jonah (Cliff Curtis), he reconnects with his family, and Sam finally gets to meet her grandmother, Sefina (Lori Pelenise Tuisano). Hattie and Deckard visit Queenie in prison, fulfilling Queenie’s wish of seeing her children together as brother and sister again. Oh, and of course there’s a cliffhanger with Hattie and Deckard working together to help Queenie break out of prison. 

There’s a lot of material to work with for a sequel. We still don’t know the true identity for The Director Of Eteon. It’s only a distorted voice to keep the secret, and The Voice is quick to let Hobbs and Shaw know they’re not in the clear yet after Brixton’s death. 

Will Hattie and Hobbs become a couple? A romance between the two is constantly teased. Hobbs being romantically involved with Shaw’s sister is worth pursuing to see how Shaw will react. I do wonder if Vanessa Kirby would return for a sequel. A lot of potential with Hobbs, Shaw, and Hattie working together, with Hattie being the voice of reason or the peacemaker, when Hobbs and Shaw inevitably butt heads. 

Rating- 7/10

2013 End Of The Year Awards- Best Action Film- Fast & Furious 6

**This post contains spoilers**

After six films you would think the Fast & Furious franchise is finally hitting the "this needs to stop" end of the line point. Well, that's not the case with the sixth installment of this wildly popular action franchise.

Fast & Furious 6 delivers another high octane action blockbuster, featuring edge of your seat thrills, hard hitting fight scenes, jaw dropping stunts, and a few good laughs along the way. The consistent and superb chemistry between the main cast of characters helps, and Dwayne Johnson continues to thrive as Hobbs, adding a welcome addition to the franchise. Although, it's a one and done deal for Gina Carano's Riley. Riley suffered a brutal death, and it's a shame, because Carano had some potential as a dangerous and silent ass-kicker.

And how about the tantalizing scene from Tokyo with Jason Statham after Han's death? Statham VS Diesel as a one on one fight for vengeance is loaded with possibilities, and when you throw Johnson's Hobbs into the mix, you're looking at a bright upside for the next film.

The future is full or promise and high expectations for Fast & Furious, with Johnson sticking around and Statham joining the mix as a villain. It'll be a tough adjustment after Paul Walker's sudden death, but the vast majority of the core cast is still intact, and with a seventh film on the horizon , Fast & Furious still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

Pain & Gain (2013)

**This review contains spoilers**

In 1990’s South Florida, Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) is a bodybuilder, who’s tired of being a nobody. Broke, and working a dead end job as a fitness trainer at the Sun Gym, Daniel convinces his steroid junkie friend, Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) to pull off a kidnapping that will solve all of their problems. Daniel is motivated by Johnny Wu’s (Ken Jeong) seminar, and Wu’s pep talk as a motivational speaker gives Daniel the extra push he was looking for. After recruiting Paul Doyle (The Rock), a born-again Christian, who’s fresh out of jail, Daniel puts together the perfect plan. Daniel, Paul, and Adrian kidnap Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), a “self-made” millionaire and one of Paul’s clients at the Sun Gym.

After days of torture and beatings, Victor finally signs over all of his assets to Daniel and his gang. And  Daniel receives some help from his boss, John (Rob Corddry), who has the license to notarize all the paperwork. Daniel moves into Victor’s house. Adrian marries Ramona (Rebel Wilson), the one woman, who stood by him during his erectile dysfunction problems, and Adrian uses his share of the money to buy a new house. Paul is consumed by the fast life with his stripper girlfriend, Sorina (Bar Paly), while developing an addiction to cocaine.

As the Sun Gym Gang burns through their money, Daniel is influenced by Paul to pull off another heist. Meanwhile, Victor survives a botched murder by the gang, and hires a private investigator named Ed Du Bois (Ed Harris) to bring down Daniel and his crew. Paul and Adrian are running low on money, so Daniel plans another job to clean out a wealthy porn director/producer. But Ed is ready to point the police in the right direction, and Paul’s failed robbery of an armored car brings more heat to the gang.

Well, the main cast of characters are supposed to be meatheads, but The Rock delivers the most entertaining performance for my money. Paul is really the only guy, who steps out of the “tough guy” zone, and Johnson shows a goofy, sensitive side. During the cocaine addiction, Rock turns into a paranoid emotional trainwreck, and he brought a few laughs out of me, as the religious loony. Wahlberg is believable as an obsessive jock, but Anthony Mackie’s character annoyed me. Not because of his performance, but a lame running gag about ED is attached to Mackie’s character, and it’s not funny after the first three or four penis jokes. Shalhoub oozes sleaziness, Ed Harris is always a perfect fit for the old veteran, and Bar Paly is just eye candy. I mean, technically Paly has a character, as the ditzy airhead, but she can’t act. Rebel Wilson has found a niche, as a subtle and shrewd chunky woman, and next to Rock, she gets my pick for the second most entertaining performance. Also, I’m pretty sure I spotted Kurt Angle during a prison fight in one of Paul’s flashbacks.

Michael Bay’s high octane and clumsy directing style might give you a seizure or a really bad headache after you’re done with one of his movies. I guess you can give Bay some credit for toning it down on the explosions (unless I’m missing something, I only counted one), but as usual, there’s nothing truly memorable about Bay’s work behind the camera here. More violence and blood than your usual Bay flick, but it’s nothing too extreme. It’s nothing that’ll make you squirm, or say “wow! Bay is trying to do something different!” No. And Bay’s constant use of slow motion is kind of annoying.

Pain & Gain wants to be an in-your-face black comedy, and a colorful from rags to riches story, but I was ready to leave after twenty minutes. The humor loses steam fast, and the through the motions story is too predictable and mundane. Maybe, just MAYBE if they took a more serious approach, Pain & Gain could’ve been a respectable docudrama……with a better director of course. But I was burnt out on the goofiness and macho “I HAVE BIG MUSCLES!” routine before Pain & Gain reached the third act. Lots of T&A throughout Pain & Gain, and I chuckled a few times, but the movie as a whole is just a massive failure, and the two hours and nine minutes runtime felt like an eternity.    

Final Rating: 2/10