Takers (2010)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- A tight crew of professional bank robbers contemplates accepting a high stakes job from Ghost (Tip Harris), a member of the gang, who just finished a five year prison sentence. Thomas (Idris Elba), John (Paul Walker), Jake (Michael Ealy), and A.J. (Hayden Christensen) all have their doubts, but the money is just too tempting to resist. 

The gang questions Ghost’s motivations, but John, A.J., Thomas, Jake, and his younger brother, Jesse (Chris Brown) execute their plans to follow through with the heist. The crew is pursued by Detective Jack Welles (Matt Dillion) and his partner, Eddie Hatcher (Jay Hernandez). Risks are apart of a bank robber’s life, and a betrayal from within the group threatens to jeopardize the mission.

My Thoughts-They’re bank robbers, but the crew in Takers are also presented as likable characters. Thomas is struggling to help his sister, Naomi (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) with her drug addiction. Jake is serious about caring for and protecting Jesse, and Jake loves his girlfriend, Lilly (Zoe Saldana). Thomas and A.J. are just two cool and easygoing  guys, who are dedicated team players. There’s nothing sleazy about the crew. They’re not into blowing all their money on drugs and women. It’s a gang featuring efficient professionals, a close family willing to die for each other, if things go south.

The opposition? Matt Dillion’s Jack is a burnt-out detective trying to juggle work and his family life, often prioritizing his duties as a detective over his own daughter. Eddie stole money from a drug bust, but he did it to try and help his family, because he’s drowning in debt. To cap off a sad ending for Eddie, he drops his guard during a face-off with Jesse, allowing Jesse to shoot and kill him.

Outside of just doing their jobs, there’s really not a strong conflict between both sides. You can look at the majority of the characters in Takers, and easily find redeemable qualities. I was hoping for a stronger blood feud, but it’s more of a simple “they’re bad guys, and we have to stop them” mindset from Jack’s side.

One big score! The job, where everything could possibly go wrong…and that’s exactly what happens. Ghost is a traitor, playing both sides. His plan involved pitting his crew and Sergei’s (Gideon Emery) gang against each other, allowing Ghost to take all the money for himself after everyone else is dead.

Okay. I get that, but did they REALLY have to make it so obvious? You can easily tell Ghost is still bitter about being caught on old job, that cost him five years of his life in prison. Ghost also resents Jake for stealing Lilly away from him, while he was locked away. The snide look Ghost gave Lilly before the heist, his constant smart remarks throughout the movie, and he’s very open about how resents the gang for forgetting about him. And to make matters worse, the crew openly acknowledges Ghost is someone, who can’t be trusted.

They could’ve tried to throw a curveball? At least make an attempt at a believable swerve, or tease the possibility of Ghost being a true team player. Ghost’s impending betrayal kills a lot of the tension in Takers. You know it’s coming eventually, so it’s just a lot of waiting around for the moment, when he officially turns on the gang.

T.I. delivers a solid performance. I could easily believe and buy into his character. Ghost has a skeevy personality, an irritating and cocky jerk, who only cares about himself and punishing his friends. Idris Elba always brings a strong presence to his characters. Thomas is a leader, and Elba does a good job of showing frustration and anger, as he tries to help Naomi through an agonizing rehab process. 

There’s a lot of showing off in the early stages of the movie. The crew lives a lavish lifestyle. They wear nice suits, a fancy club is their hangout spot, and it’s a cool all-star team of bank robbers. 

The opening heist provided a good spark for the movie. The action and the thrills picked up again after the chaotic fallout from the final heist. And the shootout scene at the hotel really worked, as the violent and intense turning point before the big standoff at the airport. Takers had a lot of potential. It’s predictable, but Takers is still a decent and entertaining heist film, that delivers a solid adrenaline rush during the home stretch.

Rating- 5/10

Jumper (2008)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- After a failed attempt to impress his crush, Millie (AnnaSophia Robb), and a run-in with his pesky bully, Mark (Jesse James), a young David Rice (Max Thieriot) accidentally discovers he has the ability to jump. A Jumper can instantly teleport to any place on earth, and David uses his powers to escape his strict and abusive father, William (Michael Rooker).

Years later, David (Hayden Christensen) has mastered his powers, using jumping to rob banks, so he can live a luxurious lifestyle. David finds Millie (Rachel Bilson) working at a bar. He convinces Millie to travel with him to Rome to see the Colosseum, fulfilling one of Millie’s childhood dream vacations. 

But the trip is disrupted, when David runs into another Jumper named Griffin (Jamie Bell). To make matters worse, David and Griffin are hunted by Roland Cox (Samuel L. Jackson). Roland leads the Paladins, a secret group fiercely dedicated to capturing and killing Jumpers. David will need Griffin’s help to stop Roland and protect Millie. And David’s situation takes a bizarre turn, when his estranged mother, Mary (Diane Lane) reappears.

My Thoughts- Samuel L. Jackson and Jamie Bell easily deliver the two best performances here. Jackson is a mean and relentless jerk, and he does a fantastic job of selling Roland’s hatred for Jumpers. You really believe Roland is genuinely disgusted by Jumpers, and he will do anything to exterminate them. Also, the obsessive religious fanaticism tied into the Paladins and Roland’s character truly helps solidify his status, as a clear-cut villain throughout the movie.

Jamie Bell plays the angsty tough guy type. He’s closed off and refuses to open up to David about his past, and Bell brings believable intensity to Griffin. Griffin can be a loose cannon, but he still has enough common sense to be responsible, when it matters.

The dynamic and the relationship between Griffin and David hits all the right notes. David is reckless and greedy with his jumping abilities. His lifestyle draws too much attention. Griffin? He quietly lives in a cave. Sure, you could say Griffin is a bit unhinged, but he’s careful and far more disciplined than David. 

As the story progresses, we learn that Mary is a Paladins. That’s why she abandoned David and his father years ago, because as a Paladins, she had to make a choice: leave the family, or kill her own son. It’s kind of a somber ending, when David realizes his mother simply moved on and continued living her life without him. She lives in a nice house, and David has a sister named Sophie (Kristen Stewart).

I wouldn’t say they reach eye rolling levels, but Jumper is loaded with a lot of familiar cliches. As a kid, David is shy and socially awkward. He has a crush on his dream girl, but his bully Mark is one of the dark clouds hanging over his life. 

William? He’s the typical verbally abusive drunk father, but it’s possible to have sympathy for him. Mary bailed on the family, leaving William to raise David on his own. That’s a lot of stress and heartbreak to deal with alone, but William changes as David ages. You can see he wants to have a relationship with his son. He wants to understand him, and William lies to Roland in a failed attempt to protect David.

Jumper delivers some good thrills, but they kind of went overboard with showing how cool it is to be a Jumper. David eating on top of a Sphinx’s head in Egypt is one moment that sticks out, and Griffin showing off his advanced skills to steal a Mercedes, jumping through the dealership at full speed without breaking the glass. Early on the movie, it’s easy to understand what jumping is and how David and Griffin do it, so some of the “jumping is so cool and awesome!” scenes were unnecessary. 

Jumper features a solid cast, and it’s a movie that moves at a quick pace. The runtime flies by with consistent action and a good sense of urgency, as David and Griffin figure out their next moves. 

Jumper is a decent and fun action/sci-fi film, but it also feels incomplete. David and Mary accepted they’ll always share an awkward relationship, and they’re also on opposite sides of the never ending war between Jumpers and Paladins, so that’s a cliffhanger. Millie finally accepted David for what he is, and they end the movie with David and Millie in a seemingly happy relationship. Griffin? David left him trapped in the wires (large amounts of electricity hinders a Jumper’s ability to jump) in another country. Will Griffin trust David again? Or is he looking for revenge?

Roland is still alive, stuck in the Grand Canyon with no help to escape. And we don’t know what happened to William after David dropped him off at the hospital. A lot of loose ends, but we’re in 2024 now, and Jumper was released all the way back in 2008. I still haven’t seen it, but the Impulse series has two seasons. The problem is, Impulse is a stand alone series, so it’s not connected to this movie.

They planted enough seeds to lay the foundation for a sequel, and Jackson could’ve been an excellent villain. Jumper wasn’t perfect, but the potential was there, and the premise definitely had more roads to explore.

Rating- 5/10

Awake (2007)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no plot twists, big reveals, or major surprises**

Wealthy businessman Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) is stuck in a troubling dilemma. As the top man in his deceased father’s company, Clay tries to close a lucrative deal, but Clay’s health causes some major concerns. Suffering from a potentially fatal heart condition, Clay needs a heart transplant to save his life.

Clay’s overprotective and controlling mother, Lilith (Lena Olin) urges Clay to choose Dr. Jonathan Neyer (Arliss Howard), a world renowned surgeon, who’s in line to become the next Surgeon General, for the operation, but Clay refuses. Instead, Clay picks Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard) for the surgery. Dr. Harper saved Clay’s life after an attack. Afterwards, Clay and Dr. Harper developed a bond as friends, so out of loyalty and respect, Clay rejects Dr. Neyer.

To add to his growing list of problems, Clay is in a secret relationship with his mother’s assistant, Sam (Jessica Alba). Minutes before the surgery, Clay is reassured by Jack, and members of his team, including Dr. Puttnam (Fisher Stevens) and Penny (Georgina Chapman), but Clay’s eased spirit is disturbed once the anesthesia kicks in. Clay is unable to speak, move, or open his eyes, and as a result of anesthesia awareness, Clay is able to hear everything going on around him.

Clay is struggling to comprehend his bizarre situation, and things only get worse, when Clay accidentally overhears every little detail in a plot to murder him on the operating table……….

Yeah, suspension of disbelief is CRUCIAL for enjoying Awake. Awake feels like a sci-fi thriller, that’s trying way too hard to be crafty and complex most of the time, but I have to admit, it’s hard to look away. I had to know what would happen to Clay every step of the way. Is Clay going to survive? Will someone actually hear Clay in the hospital? I was hooked into the story with each passing minute, and Awake deserves credit for some well placed and genuinely surprising swerves.

Overall, the cast is capable at best. Hayden Christensen is decent in the leading role, and it’s nice to Jessica Alba break out of her usual mold of being the innocent ray of sunshine to take on a more devious and cold-hearted character, but it’s almost impossible to pick out a top notch performance from this cast. Terrence Howard comes close as the conflicted best friend, but his character is overshadowed by an overwhelming amount of screen time for Clay. Lena Olin is another top contender. She’s spot on as the controlling, delusional, and emotionally abusive mother, but Lilith encounters the same problem Jack encountered: Clay’s screen time and focus dominates everything. And for what it’s worth, McDonald is good for a few laughs, as the seemingly dimwitted drunk.

Still, I really enjoyed Awake. As I said before, strapping yourself into suspension of disbelief mode is essential to buying into or tolerating the supernatural side of this film, and some will complain about a contrived story and preposterous plot twists. But if you’re willing to sit back and enjoy some fun, Awake is an effective and satisfying mystery/thriller, with an intriguing and deceptive story. Awake leads you down one street, and out of nowhere, the story takes a sharp turn into a series of tricky, bumpy roads with thick clouds of unsettling fog.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

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Awake (2007)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Wealthy businessman Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) is stuck in a troubling dilemma. As the top man in his deceased father’s company, Clay tries to close a lucrative deal, but Clay’s health causes some major concerns. Suffering from a potentially fatal heart condition, Clay needs a heart transplant to save his life.

Clay’s overprotective and controlling mother, Lilith (Lena Olin) urges Clay to choose Dr. Jonathan Neyer (Arliss Howard), a world renowned surgeon, who’s in line to become the next Surgeon General, for the operation, but Clay refuses. Instead, Clay picks Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard) for the surgery. Dr. Harper saved Clay’s life after an attack. Afterwards, Clay and Dr. Harper developed a bond as friends, so out of loyalty and respect, Clay rejects Dr. Neyer.

To add to his growing list of problems, Clay is in a secret relationship with his mother’s assistant, Sam (Jessica Alba). Terrified of Lilith’s reaction to losing her only baby boy, Clay secretly proposes to and marries Sam, but after some intense pressure from Sam, Clay finally breaks the news to a dissatisfied and angry Lilith.

Minutes before the surgery, Clay is reassured by Jack, and members of his team, including Dr. Puttnam (Fisher Stevens) and Penny (Georgina Chapman), but Clay’s eased spirit is disturbed once the anesthesia kicks in. Clay is unable to speak, move, or open his eyes, and as a result of anesthesia awareness, Clay is able to hear everything going on around him.

Clay is struggling to comprehend his bizarre situation, and things only get worse, when Clay accidentally overhears every little detail in Dr. Harper’s plot to murder him on the operating table……….

Why is Dr. Jack Harper trying to murder Clay? Well, Dr. Harper is stuck behind a wall of debt after a series of malpractice lawsuits. Dr. Harper used his trusted friendship with Clay against him, and during the transplant, Dr. Harper plans to inject the donated heart with an untraceable poison, so after the surgery is complete, Dr. Harper can cling to the excuse of Clay’s body rejecting the heart.

But that’s only half of the plan. Remember, Dr. Harper needs to be in a position to collect the insurance money from Clay’s death AND his inheritance. Penny and Putnam are in on the scheme…and Sam is playing Clay for a fool. With some goading from Dr. Harper and A LOT of pressure from Sam, Clay marries Sam the night before his surgery. Why is Sam apart of this? Sam used to work under Dr. Harper, and she wants a piece of the pie, so Sam agreed to deceive Clay into accepting her as the love of his life. Clay was an easy target as the neutered momma’s boy, and Sam was able to use Clay’s desires of a leap into manhood as motivation to turn Clay against his obsessive mother.

Of course, a small monkey wrench is thrown into Jack’s plans. The little angel on Jack’s shoulder creates a moral conundrum for the conflicted doctor, and on top of that, a member of Jack’s team backs out at the last second. A surgeon named Fitzpatrick abandons the team, so Dr. Larry (Christopher McDonald), a bumbling alcoholic, replaces him.

Awake throws a plethora of sneaky twists at you, but they save the big shocker for the grand  finale. So Clay’s bodiless form is trying to warn anyone, who’ll listen, but Clay is the only one, who can hear his voice, so his cries for help fall on deaf ears. Luckily, Lilith had a keen sense of suspicion about Sam and Jack, and after some sleuthing into Sam‘s background, Lilith knew she had to do something, quickly. With one last desperate attempt to save her son’s life, Lilith commits suicide by overdosing on a bottle of pills. Before her death, Lilith called Dr. Neyer so he could warn the police, and perform the surgery on Clay using her heart to match Clay’s rare blood type. Dr. Neyer successfully saves Clay’s life with the surgery, Larry helps the police catch Putnam and Penny, and everyone else involved in the scheme is arrested.

For varying reasons, Jack and his cohorts receiving their deserved punishment may or may not provide those rewarding feelings of closure you’re looking for. There’s a moment towards the end, where Sam tries to back out of the deal, as the police arrive, using the “grieving widow” as her cover. But Jack kept the syringe containing the poison used to inject Clay’s heart in a sealed plastic bag for evidence…..and Sam’s fingerprints are all over the syringe. In the operating room, Jack was having second thoughts about killing Clay, so Sam PUSHED Jack to inject the heart, and Sam is the one, who filled the syringe with poison. Sam is outside of Jack’s office, as he flashes the plastic bag in front of the door with a smile on his face. Sam pleads with Jack to handover the bag, but Jack locks the door, leaving Sam stuck outside with police.

Although, there’s a chance you’ll roll your eyes at this finale. Why? Because it’s kind of hard to ignore the preposterous series of circumstances before Clay’s revival. For starters, Clay isn’t dreaming. His bodiless form is actually roaming the hospital, trying to warn anyone, who’ll listen about Jack’s plan, AND somehow, Clay’s bodiless form is capable of going back in time to relive events in his past for some “How did I miss this?” hindsight moments? Eh, okay. On top of that. Clay’s bodiless form is capable of having a conversation with Lilith’s bodiless form towards the very end. After Neyer completes the surgery, Clay’s heart rate drops. This is happening, because Clay, realizing his mother is the only person he can trust 100% with no doubts, decides to stay in the afterlife with her. But Lilith urges Clay to return to the living world, so he can enjoy the rest of his life. Reluctantly, Clay obliges, and Clay opening his eyes is the last image you’ll see in Awake.

Yeah, suspension of disbelief is CRUCIAL for enjoying Awake. Awake feels like a sci-fi thriller, that’s trying way too hard to be crafty and complex most of the time, but I have to admit, it’s hard to look away. I had to know what would happen to Clay every step of the way. Is Clay going to survive? Will someone actually hear Clay in the hospital? Will Jack randomly pull the plug on the scheme to save Clay’s life? I was hooked into the story with each passing minute, and Awake deserves credit for some well placed and genuinely surprising swerves.

Overall, the cast is capable at best. Hayden Christensen is decent in the leading role, and it’s nice to Jessica Alba break out of her usual mold of being the innocent ray of sunshine to take on a more devious and cold-hearted character, but it’s almost impossible to pick out a top notch performance from this cast. Terrence Howard comes close as the conflicted best friend, but his character is overshadowed by an overwhelming amount of screen time for Clay. Lena Olin is another top contender. She’s spot on as the controlling, delusional, and emotionally abusive mother, but Lilith encounters the same problem Jack encountered: Clay’s screen time and focus dominates everything. And for what it’s worth, McDonald is good for a few laughs, as the seemingly dimwitted drunk.

Still, I really enjoyed Awake. As I said before, strapping yourself into suspension of disbelief mode is essential to buying into or tolerating the supernatural side of this film, and some will complain about a contrived story and preposterous plot twists. But if you’re willing to sit back and enjoy some fun, Awake is an effective and satisfying mystery/thriller, with an intriguing and deceptive story. Awake leads you down one street, and out of nowhere, the story takes a sharp turn into a series of tricky, bumpy roads with thick clouds of unsettling fog.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready