Rampage

Rampage (2018)

Rampage is a science fiction monster film directed by Brad Peyton, loosely based on the video game series of the same name by Midway Games. The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jake Lacy, Joe Manganiello, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It follows a primatologist named Davis Okoye who must team up with George, an albino gorilla who turns into a raging creature of enormous size following a rogue experiment, in order to stop an invasion of monsters

Title: Rampage

Country: USA

Language: English | Spanish

Release Date: 11 April 2018 (UK)

Director: Brad Peyton

Writers: Ryan Engle (screenplay by), Carlton Cuse (screenplay by)

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Primatologist Davis Okoye shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.

I was truly surprised, the trailer was NOTHING like the actual film. I went in expecting moderate CGI and nothing else, but what I got was an above average CGI action-fest with some things to say about friendship and loyalty. First of all the plot had much more detail than the trailer, the trailer did NO justice to this film as it is much better than much of the CGI laden crap nowadays. I didn't like some things, and I will get to that in the second paragraph. But man was the action well choreographed and was truly a fun spectacle to behold. The way the military faced these creatures was realistic (this coming from an Army veteran) and the way the filmed the action was just so well done, much better than some of the Marvel and other CGI films. The humor was also surprisingly not stupid and made me laugh on multiple occasions. I also liked the use of friendship, you really did understand the friendship between the characters.

So there was some bad, mostly things that wouldn't happen and some plot problems but it really didn't make the film unbearable. First of all, two people under arrest would not be able to escape from a highly secure military air force base, let a lone take off in one of their med-evac chopper. Second of all they consider using a MOAB (Mother Of All Bombs) the largest non-nuclear bomb in US arsenal, problem is, we don't have any more after Trump dropped our last one on a Taliban compound. Again these are small details that didn't take too much away from the film, I still enjoyed it. Some of the cinematography was good in some places, but it was very average during dialog scenes. Action scene were well shot but most else was very average.

If you are looking for beautiful thought provoking cinema, this isn't it, but if you are looking for a fun theater experience, look no further.

The subject of photography began in April 2017 in Chicago. The film was released in the United States on April 13, 2018, by Warner Bros.. Pictures and New Line Cinema in 2D, RealD 3D and IMAX formats, with Johnson and Morgan appearances and praised visual effects, but the writing and infidelity of the material sources were criticized.

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Ready Player One

Ready Player One (2018)

Ready Player One is a science fiction adventure film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, and written by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline, based on Cline's 2011 novel of the same name. Tye Sheridan movie star Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, Simon Pegg, Hannah John-Kamen and Mark Rylance.

Title: Ready Player One

Country: USA

Language: English

Release Date: 11 March 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 140 min

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Zak Penn (screenplay by), Ernest Cline (screenplay by) | 1 more credit »

Stars: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn

• Synopsis
• Reviews

In the year 2045, the real world is a harsh place. The only time Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) truly feels alive is when he escapes to the OASIS, an immersive virtual universe where most of humanity spends their days. In the OASIS, you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone-the only limits are your own imagination. The OASIS was created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance), who left his immense fortune and total control of the Oasis to the winner of a three-part contest he designed to find a worthy heir. When Wade conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends-aka the High Five-are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS.

Of all the Spielberg films of recent years - and possibly with the exception of "The BFG" - this was the film whose trailer disconcerted me the most. It really looked dire: CGI over heart; gimmicks over substance. I was right about 'The BFG", one of my least favourite Spielberg flicks. I was definitely wrong about "Ready Player One": it's a blast.

The film is fun in continually throwing surprises at you, including those actors not included in the trailer and only on small print on the poster. So I won't spoil that here for you (you can of course look them up on imdb if you want to: but I suggest you try to see this one 'cold').

It's 2044, and the majority of the population have taken the next logical step of video gaming and virtual reality and retreated into their own headsets, living out their lives primarily as avatars within the fanciful landscapes of "The Oasis". You can "be" anyone and (subject to gaining the necessary credits) "do" anything there.

The Oasis was the brainchild of a (Steve Wozniak-like) genius called James Halliday (played in enormous style by "Actor R") and supported by his (Steve Jobs-like) business partner Ogden Morrow ("Actor P"). The two had a big falling out leaving Halliday in total control of the Oasis. But he died, and his dying "game" was to devise a devious competition that left a trail of three virtual keys in the Oasis leading to an 'easter egg': which if found would provide the finder with total ownership of the Oasis and the trillions of dollars that it is worth.

But the game is not only played by amateur "gunters" (egg-hunters) like our hero Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan, "X-Men: Apocalypse") and his in-Oasis flirting partner Samantha (Olivia Cooke, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"); there are big corporate game-hunters involved like IoI (that's eye-oh-eye, not one-oh-one as I assumed from the trailer) who fill warehouses with combinations of nerd-consultants and professional game players to try to find the keys before anyone else. Which hardly seems fair does it? Ruthless boss Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn, "Rogue One") and his tough-as-nails hench-woman F'Nale Zandor (Hannah John-Kamen, "Tomb Raider") really couldn't give a toss!

What follows is two-hours of high-octane game-play and eye-popping 3D (it is good in 3D by the way) that melds a baseline of "Avatar" with soupçons of "Tron", "Minority Report" and Dan Brown novels. But its a blend that works.

I was afraid as I said that CGI would squash flat any hope of character development and story, and - yes - to be sure this is 'suppressed' a bit. You never get to really know many of the 'pack' members to any great level other than Wade and Samantha. And exactly what drives the corporate protagonists, other than "corporate greed", is not particularly clear. What gives the film heart though are the performances of "Actor P" and (particularly) "Actor R", who again steals every scene he is in. For their limited screen time together, the pair bounce off each other in a delightful way.

I have to make a confession at this point that I spent the whole film thinking "Miles Teller is way too old for the part of Wade"! Tye Sheridan (who I think *does* bear a likeness!) is actually much more age appropriate, and is fine in the role. But the star performance for me, out of the youngsters at least, was Oldham's-own Olivia Cooke, who has a genuinely magnetic screen presence. She is most definitely a name to watch for the future.

Almost unrecognizable in the role is the woman of the hour Letitia Wright ("Black Panther", "Thor: Ragnarok") as Wade's inventor friend Reb.

The story, although simple and quite one-dimensional, in the main intrigues: there is nothing like a Mario-style chase for keys to entertain when it is done well (I am so old and crusty that in my day it was "Manic Miner" on a ZX-Spectrum!).

And there's not just one "Easter Egg" in this film: the film is rammed to the rafters with throwbacks to classic pop-culture icons of past decades, and particularly the 80's.... the film could have been subtitled "I Heart 80's". Some of these are subliminal (Mayor Goldie Wilson anyone?), and others are more prominent but very clever: "The Zemekis cube" and "The Holy Hand Grenade" being prime examples. This is a film that deserves buying on Blu-ray and then slo-mo-ing through! The nostalgia extends to the music by Alan Silvestri, with occasional motifs from his most famous soundtrack!

For me though, the highspot of the film though is a journey into a recreation of a classic '80's film which - while a scary sequence, earning for sure its 12A UK rating - is done with verve and chutzpah.

The film is set up in 2045, when many human beings, escape from real world grief, using OASIS virtual reality software to engage in work and play. Wade Watts (Sheridan) orphaned teenagers find clues to hidden games in a program that promises to win full ownership of OASIS, and joins some allies to try to finish the game before players working in large companies run by entrepreneur Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn) can do so.

Ready Player One premiered on South by Southwest on March 11, 2018, theatrically released by Warner Bros Pictures in the United States on March 29, 2018, in 2D, Real D 3D, IMAX and IMAX 3D. Making it the fourth grossing film in 2018. The film received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its visuals, fast tempos, and Rylance's depictions of Haliday, and some people call this movie plot an improvement over the book. Criticism is directed at the lack of character development and the "progressively conscious" view of pop culture enthusiasts.

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Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider (2018)

Tomb Raider adalah film aksi Adventure, yang disutradarai oleh Roar Uthaug dengan skenario oleh Geneva Robertson-Dworet dan Alastair Siddons, dari cerita oleh Evan Daugherty dan Robertson-Dworet. Ini didasarkan pada video game 2013 dengan nama yang sama, dengan beberapa elemen sekuelnya oleh Crystal Dynamics, dan merupakan reboot dari seri film Tomb Raider. Bintang film Alicia Vikander sebagai Lara Croft, di mana ia memulai perjalanan ke tujuan terakhir, memecahkan misteri untuk memecahkan misteri. Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, dan Kristin Scott Thomas muncul dalam peran pendukung.

Title: Tomb Raider

Country: UK | USA

Language: English | Cantonese

Release Date: 16 March 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 118 min

Director: Roar Uthaug

Writers: Geneva Robertson-Dworet (screenplay by), Alastair Siddons (screenplay by)

Stars: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father's global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he's truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can't understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad's last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn't be higher for Lara, who-against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit-must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.

At first when I found out about the reboot of this iconic video game character movie, I admit that I had my doubts when they cast Alicia Vikander to play Lara Croft. My doubt was due to the her prior experience of mostly having dramatic roles rather than action role. It would really require a great physical attributes in order to play this heroine who was famous for her agility and ability to run and jump through a whole lot of dangerous places like in the video game. But it turned out my doubt was completely unwarranted. Alicia Vikander truly deserves the praise for being a new action star and she was really great in playing this role. There were soo many action sequences that required her to do all those stuff and what surprised and amazed me was the fact that she did all of her stunts.

This movie's main attraction was definitely all those wonderful action sequence. The plot/story line might not have been appealing to the movie critics as I also found it a bit weak. But that was not the point anyway. When we go to see Tomb Raider, the first thing that comes to people's mind would be lots of actions. The final third of the movie did not disappoint at all. Though I personally felt that the first half was not full of those. But whenever there were actions involved, they were always suspenseful and intense (my most favorite part would be when Lara was going through the jungle and waterfall until finally went to the ground).

In here the movie focused on Lara Croft's early days. Which means the movie was more of an origin story of Lara Croft. This was a nice different approach by the film makers. It was also rather a surprise that the movie was not directed by Hollywood's more well known action director. The director was Roar Uthaug, a Norwegian film maker whose prior experience were directing Norwegian films. But I personally think he did wonderful job on the action sequences.

As for other aspects like the sound effects, it was definitely great. The musical effect though not too good to my opinion (sometimes there was too much volume in certain scene which I think was to give more dramatic effect but felt unnecessary to my opinion). The special effects were good, and the CGI was done neatly & nicely. There were also few dramatic moments where my wife was also affected a bit. Oh there was also a brief fun appearance from Nick Frost. The other supporting characters in the movie that stood out was obviously Walter Goggins (as usual truly nailed it as a villain). The rest were OK, but sadly Daniel Wu's character was not really that great in here (not clear on whether he was supposed to be Lara's sidekick or what). The movie did not have middle or post end-credit scene, so you can relief yourself to the restroom if you have been holding off during the almost 2 hours duration of the movie.

Overall, this movie was a nice reboot of Lara Croft. Do not overthink the plot or the sometimes not really logical part like how Lara was so strong & very good in doing all those stunts despite not having the proper training. Go to this movie to be entertained by the amazing action sequence (even if Lara seemed to be always very lucky like what my wife said). If you enjoy this kind of movie or if you are a fan of Tomb Raider games, then I think it would be satisfying. But if you want to see a lot of the tomb raiding scenes like in the previous Tomb Raiders movies, or if you are looking for the Indiana Jones quality, then this might not be too fulfilling.

Principal photography took place from January to June 2017 at the Warner Bros. Studios in the United Kingdom and in Cape Town, South Africa. The first Tomb Raider film not to be distributed by Paramount Pictures, it was released in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2018 and in the United States on March 16, 2018, by Warner Bros. Pictures in RealD 3D, IMAX 3D and IMAX. It has grossed $268 million worldwide, making it the 10th highest-grossing film of 2018.

The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some criticizing the plot as "paint-by-numbers" but others praising the grittiness and realistic take on the franchise. While Vikander's performance was praised, the characterization of Croft drew a polarized response; some described her as a "capable, powerful and unobjectified heroine" while others called her bland and a "punching bag and onlooker

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Scorched Earth

Scorched Earth (2018)

A bounty hunter named Atticus Gage tracks down criminals in a post-apocalyptic Earth.

Title: Scorched Earth

Country: Canada | USA

Language: English

Release: February 2018 (Canada)

Runtime: 96 min

Director: Peter Howitt

Writers: Kevin Leeson, Bobby Mort

Stars: Gina Carano, Ryan Robbins, Stephanie Bennett

• Synopsis
• Reviews

In the not-too-distant future, the world is ravaged by brutal climate changes, colloquially known as the Cloud Fall. The combination of pollution and relentless mining of Earth's resources through industrialism has left the environment nearly unlivable and extremely hostile to human habitation. Humanity is forcefully reverted to a simpler lifestyle, relying on barter for the two most valuable resources now: Water purifiers, called tabs, and silver, ground up to line the interior of breathing masks, to keep out a painful and fatal airborne disease known as Black Lung.

This script is so bad,it makes American Ninja look oscar worthy. You can clearly see why Sean Bean turned this down. It comes off as a really bad rip off,from Clint Eastwood's Pale Rider.

The biggest problem is the bad script,the horrible acting.It has clearly all the signs of a Western,only it has been pushforward in the modern day of age.Added a dose of doomsday and end of the world.

GIna doesn't even look like she is trying to act,but then again,neither does the rest. The story is: that the world has been devastated by man made disasters,caused by global warming.And that everyone who drives a vehicle based on combustion engine.Which uses gasoline and spew exhaust, is considered an outlaw, and are thereby by hunted by bounty hunters.

The problem is,there's no explanation as to where the government get data/information about who drives what,and where. Nor how they communicate with the local law offices, around the wastelands. There is some talk about how they drop by every now and again.To leave silver and water purification tablets,which work as the payment for the bounty hunters. But nothing,bout how they get from A to B. There are Horses as transportation,but it doesn't seem like everyone has them. Which coincidentally is why this movie doesn't work. Neither as a western nor as a mad max movie .

Gina was super great in haywire,but this..This is below her level. Oh GIna if you needed money that bad,why didn't you just pose for playboy.I',m sure they would have paid a lot more.

Although classified as old movies, but it would not hurt if you watch again, because the movie in my opinion bener bener extraordinary good

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Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

Maze Runner: The Death Cure is a 2018 science fiction action film directed by Wes Ball and written by T.S. Nowlin, based on The Death Cure novel written by James Dashner. The film is a sequel to the 2015 movie The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials and is the third and final film in the Maze Runner series. The film stars Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Walton Goggins, Ki Hong Lee, Jacob Lofland, Katherine McNamara, Barry Pepper, Will Poulter, Rosa Salazar and Patricia Clarkson.

Title: Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Country: USA

Language: English

Release: 26 January 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 141 min

Director: Wes Ball

Writers: T.S. Nowlin (screenplay by), James Dashner (based upon the novel "The Death Cure" by)

• Sinopsis
• Reviews

Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.

The first movie to this trilogy had an interesting gimmick: a dynamic maze filled with dangerous creatures. When this is removed, you take away the most interesting part of the movie. That is why the sequel performed so poorly in the box office. The second movie could be summarized as a bunch of bland characters walking on a desert. This third and final film is better than its predecessor, but that is not saying much.

The plot boils down to a group of characters rescuing one of the friends, Minho, of the protagonist, Thomas, while some people work on the cure for a virus. The virus is of course as unoriginal as possible (it turns the infected into the stereotypical zombie). The plan to save Minho is ridiculous, it consists of putting him and other people immune to the virus in a bus, lift it with a crane from the inside of the city and drop it outside of the walls that border it. Of course, the bumpers must have been incredibly strong since they remain attached to the bus when it is lifted by the crane, plus the immune kids must also be invisible because none of them die or are hurt when the bus falls.

I must say I have a couple of questions. Why do mainstream movies have to end with "epic" explosions? Why are the main characters always being shot at when they are running, but they are asked nicely to calm down and to surrender when they have nowhere to go until a deus ex machina appears? Why does the bad guy, the one trained to kill people, who has an army at his command armed to the teeth, playing catch up with a bunch of teenagers for 30 min? If the first five times when he almost caught them were not exciting, do you think the next twenty will be? Are we supposed to care about Teresa's death? Didn't the movie spend 2/3 of its time painting her in a bad light? You know, the untrustworthy chick? Where is the character arc? Where is the plot twist? The suspense?

Apart from the weak story, the acting is mediocre, and the directing was full of problems too. Instead of the action being fluid, it is shot by sections making it look clumsy and awkward. For example, there is a scene where one of the good guys throws a grenade, but instead of being thrown and it exploding, there a shot of it being thrown, a show of it shown where it lands, a zoom in of the faces of the bad guys looking at each other worried because it is going to explode, it exploding from a different angle, and a shot of the good guys celebrating. This type of editing removes the fluidity of a shot and disconnects you from it. I could go on and one, but I think I made my point.

The film was originally to be released on February 17, 2017 in the United States by 20th Century Fox, but the studio rescheduled the movie on January 26, 2018 in theaters and IMAX, as it was Dylan O'Brien's recovery from injuries he suffered while filming. The film received mixed reviews of criticism and has grossed $ 192 million worldwide on February 9, 2018.

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Den of Thieves

Den of Thieves (2018)

Den of Thieves written, directed and produced by Christian Gudegast and starring Gerard Butler, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Pablo Schreiber, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Evan Jones, Dawn Olivieri, Mo McRae, and Max Holloway. In the film, a group of elite County Sheriff Deputies looked to stop a group of thieves who planned to rob the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles.

Title: Den of Thieves

Country: USA

Language: English

Release: 19 January 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 140 min

Director: Christian Gudegast

Writers: Christian Gudegast (screenplay), Christian Gudegast (story)

• Synopsis
• Reviews

A gritty L.A crime saga which follows the intersecting and often personally connected lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff's Dept. and the state's most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank of downtown Los Angeles.

Den of Thieves is a good example of a filmmaker taking inspiration visually and with the entire setting and mood and pitting of two sides - it's Heat, alright, it's damn Heat - and it actually being a strong effort. Christian Gudegast, who co-wrote and directed this 140 minute tribute to mandom in its bullet-flying, hard-drinking, muscle-bound weight-lifting tattooed uber-machismo, makes his debut as director here, and while it can never really live up to what Michael Mann did with his piece of "Guy" cinema, it also doesn't come with its high expectations and overly grandiose sense of epic pretention (and I don't mean that as a put down exactly for Heat, but... it is a movie very full of its importance, anticipated actor team-up besides). Den of Thieves cares about what it's trying to do, and that can go a long way for me in a world where a lot of filmmakers just come in and are lazy AF.

It's the over-long (by at least ten minutes) take on Los Angeles grit and it hearkens to a tradition of heist movies with tough criminals and tough cops. Melville of course this ain't, but I might hope that some plucky 17 or 18 year old growing in love with movies finds this in a near-empty February cineplex (or, in a few months, on any video platform) and may be inspired to seek out more. It's Gerard Butler vs Pablo Schrieber (with O'Shea Jackson Jr fully in the mix as the driver for the latter's crew, fully making a mark for himself not just as Ice Cube Jr, though the resemblance certainly helps at least at first), and it's unapologetic about its characters. This isn't to say that the movie necessarily *endorses* how they behave, at least I'd hope not. I do think the filmmaker does find this tough and exciting and hopes we will too. Does he indulge a bit much? Well, let's say that 50 Cent confronting his daughter's prom date is so 'on the cutting room floor' ready it's puzzling why it's here past a probably final cut (or maybe no one really cared as it's an under-the-radar middle-budget January release)

But the direction, how Gudegast and his camera operators move the compositions and know how to frame people and make a mood for a scene, is good. Really good. Maybe to that point where I could kind of forget about Christopher Nolan's own homaging in past films, though without the same sense of coherent visual grammar as this guy here (not to say he's *better* than Nolan, let's not get into that discussion). The point is that in the script and in how he directs the actors - most especially Butler, who I've never had any strong affinity for (sometimes disliked his attempts to be tough that come off lame in other films), but taps into a character he gives a damn about, his many, many warts and horrible parts and all - he is trying to craft a genuinely gripping story, which involves a plot to rob the Federal Reserve counting room in LA, and does so.

Again, some of this can be chalked up to low expectations, but I always like to go into crime films, especially the heist sub-genre, with all the hope and good will that I can afford as a fan. This filmmaker is a fan, and not an obnoxious one which is a key distinction. There aren't attempts at any sort of deeper commentary about how the cops or criminals operate, but that's okay; we just have to accept Butler's Nick and his wild bunch of "bad" cops have carved their own hardcore niche out (they're not entirely corrupt persay, just dirty and full of sh***t folks), and yet there's enough to understand how the criminals operate too, that they're largely either ex-Marines or ex sports aspirants. I'm not a hundred percent sure how close it hews to real life, but it creates its own reality.... a bloody, beefy, characters-sometimes-saying-homophobic crap group of people.

The film was released in the United States on January 19, 2018, receiving mixed reviews around the world. The sequel is currently under development.

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12 Strong

12 Strong (2018)

12 Strong (also known as 12 Strong: The True Story of the Horse Soldiers) is a war drama film directed by Nicolai Fuglsig and written by Ted Tally and Peter Craig. The film is based on Doug Stanton's non-fiction book, Horse Soldiers, which tells the story of the CIA's paramilitary officers and the US Armed Forces, aside from USAF Combat Controllers, who were sent to Afghanistan shortly after the September 11 attacks. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Navid Negahban, Trevante Rhodes, Geoff Stults, Thad Luckinbill, William Fichtner and Rob Riggle.

Title: 12 Strong

Country: USA

Language: English | Pushto | Russian

Release: 19 January 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 130 min

Director: Nicolai Fuglsig

Writers: Ted Tally, Peter Craig

Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña 

• Synopsis
• Reviews

The True Story of the Army's Special Forces "Green Berets", who within weeks responded to the 9-11 attack. Green Berets, with the help of the 160th SOAR(A), took over the country and allowed other Special Forces and the rest of the conventional military to begin the more publicly visible war.

Greetings again from the darkness. During the movie, Afghanistan is referred to as "the graveyard of many empires". Traditionally, January is the graveyard of most new movie releases, so it's a pleasant surprise when we see an entertaining, well-made and historically interesting film, and it's still mid-January! Doug Stanton's book "Horse Soldiers" is the source material for director Nicolai Fuglsig's first feature film, and it's anything but a disappointment.

The film opens on September 11, 2001 and subjects us, yet again, to those horrific images seared into the minds of anyone alive on that day. What most of us didn't know, was that about a month later, a team of U.S. Army Special Forces (the Green Berets) were being dropped into the rough and mostly unfriendly terrain of Afghanistan. This ridiculously courageous team of 12 men had one mission: secure Mazar-i-Sharif to prevent a takeover by the Taliban.

An early scene tells us this won't be the usual blind patriotism we often see on screen. One of the soldiers, Hal Spencer (Michael Shannon), is told (with a bit of anger) by his wife, "I'll love you when you get back." This contrasts to the usual loyal and stiff-upper-lip military wife we see in most war movies. Another wife scrubs the oven rather than snuggle with her man, while yet another coerces a taboo pledge to come home to her.

Chris Hemsworth (THOR) plays Captain Mitch Nelson, the intelligent but not-yet-battle-tested leader of a special ops team. The plan is for Nelson and his team to connect with General Dostum, an Afghan War Lord in charge of the Northern Alliance, and fight together to gain control of Mazar. After arriving at a local outpost nicknamed "The Alamo" (34 miles from town), the team gets their first surprise ... they must split up and cover the ground on horseback. Filmed in New Mexico, the journey is miserable and filled with danger - an ambush could occur at any moment, or perhaps they are being set-up by those they have been ordered to trust.

Horseback riding, caves, the weather, and the elements of the terrain are all challenges, but none of it compares to facing the Taliban forces which number in the thousands, and feature tanks, rocket launchers and an endless supply of weaponry. Director Fuglsig utilizes a "Days in Country" counter so that we can get some semblance of time and ongoing misery being fought through by the Americans. But no day is normal when the soldiers are on horseback while being attacked by tanks. The odds seem insurmountable.

One of the more fascinating aspects of the story and welcome approaches of the film is back-and-forth between Captain Nelson and General Dostum. Initially, Dostum shows little respect by telling the young officer that he lacks "the eyes of a killer" and isn't yet a warrior, and he spends a great deal of time lecturing and philosophizing on Nelson's behalf. Of course, the lessons may be frustrating in the moment, but aren't lost on Nelson as there is a huge payoff at the peak of the key battle.

The battle scenes come in all sizes - small skirmishes and massive, large scale assaults. Each is intense and dramatic and well-staged, though there are some moments where we shake our head in disbelief. At least we do until we remember that this is a true story, and despite that, it is truly unbelievable. The supporting cast includes Michael Pena and his snappy punchlines, Trevante Rhodes (MOONLIGHT), William Fichtner with a shaved head, Elsa Pataky - Hemsworth's real life wife as his screen wife, Taylor Sheridan, Geoff Stults and Jack Kesy. Rob Riggle plays Colonel Max Bowers, who was Riggle's commanding officer when he served in the Marines. The previously mentioned Michael Shannon is a bit underutilized, but the film's best moments are those with Hemsworth and Navid Negahban (as General Dostum). You likely recognize Negahban as Abu Nazir from "Homeland". It's their exchanges that show how the line between allies and enemies is not always crystal clear - even if they are fighting for the same thing.

Principal photography began in January 2017 in New Mexico. The film was released in the United States on January 19, 2018 by Warner Bros. Pictures, in standard and IMAX theaters. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cast and action but criticized the by-the-numbers execution and lack of hindsight of the War in Afghanistan.

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The Commuter

The Commuter (2018)

The Commuter is a 2017 thriller action-directed movie directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, based on a skenaio co-written by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi. The film stars Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Neill, Elizabeth McGovern, Jonathan Banks, and Patrick Wilson. The Commuter is distributed throughout theaters in the United States by Lionsgate on October 13, 2017, and in the UK on October 20, 2017 by StudioCanal.

Title: The Commuter

Country: UK | France | USA

Language: English

Release: 8 January 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 105 min

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Writers: Byron Willinger (story by), Philip de Blasi (story by)

Stars: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Now a hard-working life insurance salesman and a caring family man, the former police officer, Michael MacCauley, has taken the commuter rail to New York for the past ten years. But, unexpectedly, things will take a turn for the worse, when on one of his daily journeys, the cryptic passenger, Joanna, makes Michael a generous and tempting offer to locate a single commuter or face grave consequences. Is this a sick joke, or is this indeed a serious situation? As Michael races against the clock to solve this wicked conundrum, everyone aboard is a suspect, in a deal where there's definitely more than meets the eye. Can he decide in time who's the one.

Neeson creates a likable, sympathetic character. This is necessary for the heightening of tension, which screws on inexorably until you just don't see any way out for him.

The camera-work was particularly masterful - creative, meticulous, thought out to a granular level. There are two particular action-pieces towards the climax that are breathtaking, at least one of which looks like (but surely isn't) a single, extended take. The camera defines space and gravity, and is part of the expeience.

Yes, there are some credibility straining factors. But it is after all a movie, not a procedural. On the other hand, there are some very neat surprises.

The film premiered in New York City on January 8, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United States on January 12, 2018, by Lionsgate, and on January 19, 2018 in the UK by StudioCanal; it has a select IMAX release. The film grossed $ 116 million worldwide and received mixed criticism from critics, who called it similar to the previous Neeson and Collet-Serra films, Non-Stop, but praised Neeson's performance and thrills genre.

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Proud Mary

Proud Mary (2018)

Proud Mary is an action thriller directed by Babak Najafi, from a scenario written by John S. Newman and Christian Swegal. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Billy Brown, Danny Glover, Neal McDonough, Xander Berkeley, Margaret Avery, and Jahi Di'Allo Winston, and follows a murderer who must look after a young teenage boy after a failed job.

Teitle: Proud Mary

Country: USA

Language: English | Russian

Release: 12 January 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 89 min

Director: Babak Najafi

Writers: John Stuart Newman (screenplay by), Christian Swegal (screenplay by)

• Synopsis
• Reviews

A hit woman kills a drug boss only to learn that she has left a boy orphaned. A year later, she saves the boy from a dangerous life on the street but finds herself unable to give the boy or herself a fresh start.

By this time, we all know what to expect from a Screen Gems Movie. This is the same studio that has made a living producing small budget films to the urban community like Obsessed, No Good Deed, and When the Bough Breaks. While they have all maintained solid profitability, I have found all of their filmmaking and writing severely lacking any thrills and under utilizing their lead actors. So I found myself walking into Proud Mary expecting a familiar feeling, but a slight sense of naive optimism.

Mary (Taraji P. Henson) plays a hitman who learns she kills the parent of a young boy during a assigned hit. Over the year, she oversees his wellness and takes him in and notices the strain it brings between her and her higher up (Danny Glover) and her previous lover (Billy Brown).

While some of the films budget limits can be seen, the film is able to bring some decent performances from Billy Brown and some decent "gun-fu" action. The finale has a fleeting moment of some engaging action, but it feels all too brief and too dimly lit to take in the stunt's Taraji did. There are fleeting moments when the film is able to not take itself so seriously, particularly one scene when the credits begin to roll which I wish the film committed itself to that certain feeling more often.

While I am not surprised the boss subplot is irrelevant, it still amazes me how little we know about Mary as a character. Her backstory is almost inexistent, which is bothersome given she's such a motherly character but still feels too locked to her own thoughts. The villain's also have no gravitas, as they never physically challenge Mary and feel like faceless dummies to show off Taraji's fighting abilities. And the little boy can be very annoying and all over the place at times. One moment he plays as a hardened street kid and the next a whiny child.

Proud Mary thankfully isn't the disaster I was worried it would be, but it's not as committed to the over the top action I wished it was. While the mother-son dynamic allows for a softer criminal, the emotional impact doesn't feel earned. The 70s music choices are on the nose at times, but loosens up the film at points. To put it simply, Proud Mary comes to the fight strapped with a half empty clip.

Film ini was released on January 12, 2018, by Screen Gems, which was also the firm's production company

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Justice League

Justice League (2017)

Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is directed by Zack Snyder, with a screenplay by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, from a story by Terrio and Snyder, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons. In Justice League, the superhero team, consisting of Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg forms to honor the memory of Superman and to save Earth from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.

Title: Justice League

Country: USA | UK | Canada

Language: English | Irish | Russian | Icelandic

Release: 13 November 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 120 min

Director: Zack Snyder

Writers: Chris Terrio (screenplay by), Joss Whedon (screenplay by)

Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes-Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash-it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

The long anticipated "Justice League" has finally arrived finally combining the biggest stars of the DC universe into one film. The proposed film has faced many obstacles on the way to the big screen ranging from script issues, massive reshoots and a change of Director for said reshoots due to a family tragedy that Director Zack Snyder suffered.

The film follows Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Godot), as they look to assemble a team of other gifted individuals to help fight off a pending invasion. The death of Superman has left a void on the Earth, and this has paved the way for an ancient evil to return as he attempts to conquer the planet after he collects the three needed artifacts that his plan requires.

In a race against time, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), to battle to save the planet. Naturally they battle amongst themselves as well as their massing enemies but ultimately decide on a dangerous plan that can tip the odds in their favor and save the day.

The action in the film is good but it often plays out like a video game. With so many blatantly obvious CGI backgrounds, the movie looked like a video game. There were numerous scenes that looked like they were lifted from Injustice and Injustice 2 that I muse d to myself that someone must have used their Power Up for the shot. Affleck and Gadot are good and work well with one another, but there are some serious casting issues with the film. The biggest for me was Ezra Miller as The Flash. I did not like his effeminate, nerdy, socially awkward, and neurotic and at times cowardly take on the character. This is not the Barry Allen I grew up reading in comics or the one that has been portrayed twice in a much better fashion on television. His comic relief status grew old fast and his character really offered little to the film.

It has been well-documented that Joss Whedon not only handled the rewrites for the film but took over directing duties to complete the film. You can see elements of his humor scattered throughout and the film does move along at a steady pace without dragging.

The biggest issue is that so many of the characters are just stiff and one-dimensional. They really are not overly interesting so it is hard to really connect with them and the tasks they are facing. Unlike Marvel who have excelled with dysfunctional groups who fight amongst themselves as well as the forces of evil, this group seems to be going through the paces rather than being fully engaged with the task at hand and each other.

The film was announced in October 2014, with Snyder on board to direct and Terrio attached to write the script. Initially titled Justice League Part One, with a second part to follow in 2019, the second film was indefinitely delayed to accommodate a standalone Batman film with Affleck. Principal photography commenced in April 2016 and ended in October 2016. Snyder then hired Joss Whedon to write scenes that would be filmed during reshoots; however, Snyder left the project in May 2017 following the death of his daughter. Whedon was hired to oversee the remainder of post-production, including directing additional scenes written by himself. Snyder received sole director credit for the film, while Whedon received a screenwriting credit.

With an estimated production budget of $300 million, Justice League is one of the most expensive films ever made. It premiered in Beijing on October 26, 2017, and was released in the United States in 2D, 3D, and IMAX on November 17, 2017. The film underperformed at the box office, grossing just $657 million worldwide against its massive budget, making it the lowest of the DCEU. Up against an estimated break-even point of as much as $750 million, the film lost the studio an estimated $60 million. It received mixed reviews from critics; the action sequences, visual effects, and performances (particularly Gadot and Miller) were praised, while the plot, writing, pacing, villain, and overuse of CGI were criticized. The film's tone was met with a polarized reception, with some appreciating the lighter tone compared to previous DC films, while others found it inconsistent.

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Geostorm

Geostorm (2017)

Geostorm is a 2017 American disaster film[1] directed, co-written, and produced by Dean Devlin as his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Abbie Cornish, Richard Schiff, Alexandra Maria Lara, Robert Sheehan, Daniel Wu, Eugenio Derbez, and Andy García. The plot follows a satellite designer who tries to save the world from a storm of epic proportions caused by malfunctioning climate-controlling satellites.

Title: Geostorm

Country: USA

Language: English | Cantonese | Russian | Hindi | Spanish

Release Date: 20 October 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 109 min

Director: Dean Devlin

Writers: Dean Devlin, Paul Guyot

Stars: Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish

• Synopsis
• Reviews

When catastrophic climate change endangers Earth's very survival, world governments unite and create the Dutch Boy Program: a world wide net of satellites, surrounding the planet, that are armed with geoengineering technologies designed to stave off the natural disasters. After successfully protecting the planet for three years, something is starting to go wrong. Two estranged brothers are tasked with solving the program's malfunction before a world wide Geostorm can engulf the planet.

In Geostorm, Earth is beset by natural disasters. In facing adversity, mankind developed a satellite station to prevent these catastrophes. While people overcame this problem, another conflict arises when it becomes opportune to use the technology as a weapon for sole global domination.

The setting in which the story takes place, you can say, parallels our own at the present in which we are experiencing technological advancements which perks we use to solve our crises but also create further dilemma as countries individually vie to be the world superpower.

Going to see the movie, I wasn't expecting much for it because it seemed like a so-so movie that's probably been done before only re- released with a "semi different plot" under a different title. But I was surprised by how entertaining it is. There's the timeliness of its subject, there's definitely humor (which is funny but I thought they somehow overdid with some of the dialogue) but this one has also dramatic scenes that would touch you. The pathos really got me emotionally involved with what the characters are experiencing. This aspect I really enjoyed.

The downside, I can still say that it seems a lot of it's contents were borrowed from/ inspired by previous natural disaster/sci-fi flicks such as Day After Tomorrow ( look at one of its posters for instance), Armageddon, and Gravity to name a few. This might be a turnoff for moviegoers who are expecting originality and it will most likely be so but for me, I got over it and had myself a good time in the cinema. It is definitely not the best movie this year or ever but its up there with the good, entertaining ones I really enjoyed watching this year.

Principal photography began on October 20, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana. After poor test screenings, re-shoots took place in December 2016 under executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, writer Laeta Kalogridis and new director Danny Cannon. The film is the first co-production between Skydance Media and Warner Bros. The film was released by Warner Bros. in the United States on October 20, 2017, in 2D, Real D 3D and IMAX 3D. Despite grossing $221 million worldwide the film was labeled a box office bomb given its $120 million budget, losing the studio $74 million, and received negative reviews, with criticism focused on the "uninspiring" story and "lackluster" visual effects.

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The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017)

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature is a 2017 3D computer-animated comedy film directed by Escape from Planet Earth creator Cal Brunker and written by Brunker, Bob Barlen and Scott Bindley. A sequel to The Nut Job (2014), it stars the voices of Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Jackie Chan, Katherine Heigl, Bobby Moynihan, Bobby Cannavale, Isabela Moner, Jeff Dunham, and Gabriel Iglesias. Produced by Gulfstream Pictures, Redrover International and ToonBox Entertainment, the film was released theatrically on August 11, 2017, by Open Road Films.

Title: The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

Country: South Korea | Canada

Language: English

Release Date: 11 August 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 91 min

Director: Cal Brunker

Writers: Bob Barlen, Cal Brunker, Scott Bindley, Peter Lepeniotis

Stars: Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Bobby Cannavale

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Surly and his friends, Buddy, Andie, and Precious, discover that the mayor of Oakton City is cracking one big hustle to build a giant amusement park, which in turn will bulldoze their home. The animals must stop the mayor, his daughter, and a mad animal control officer in order to take back the city park.

Expectations admittedly were not high going into 'The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature'. Didn't think that highly of the first film, while not hating it (a case of great animation and some vocal standouts but very lazy writing), and like with the first film the advertising was not promising at all. Judging from how a number of sequels fare, the point of 'The Nut Job' actually needing a sequel was questioned.

Being a lifelong fan of animation and seeing as there are some good actors in the vocal cast, doubts were cast aside despite not expecting much. So it was a surprise that 'The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature' was much better than expected, actually not being a bad film and better than the advertising made it look, and was an improvement over its predecessor. It may not be a great film and not a film that will go down in history or be remembered for years to come, but it could have been far worse.

'The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature' has a number of strengths. The animation is great, and more polished than the animation in 'The Nut Job'. It's colourful and vibrant-looking, with admirable attention to detail in the expressions (especially with Buddy) and backgrounds and the characters are cute without being cutesy and look more polished in design. The bright and breezy soundtrack is also very catchy, even enhancing what's going on and there is nothing that makes you groan like "Gangnam Style".

On the most part, the voice acting is very good. A bubbly and sassy Maya Rudolph, a ray of sunshine and really makes the film come alive, is the standout, and Jackie Chan was a big surprise. He seemed a bizarre casting choice on paper but he came over as very lively and also gave some verve. Bobby Cannavale is charming and amusing, and while Buddy is largely silent (ah the power of making a character fun and likable through actions and expressions primarily with not so many words) Tom Kenny proves how talented he is and the chemistry between Buddy and Surly gives the film some heart.

Will Arnett and Katherine Heigl are much better than before. Arnett this time doesn't take Surly's surliness to extremes and he doesn't come over as too snarky or smug, voicing with more energy and wit. Heigl tones down the Rom-com cutesiness and does well being the voice of reason. Generally the writing is better. Liked the relatable and relevant messages and how they were dealt with in the film, children and adults alike will appreciate them. Likewise with the homages, recognising them and how they were integrated put a smile on my face, and there were some witty one liners and amusing gags that are generally more tasteful. Oh and the mice are scene stealers.

However, while 'The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature' is tighter paced and there is more of a story it feels too much this time round. The story can feel too busy and rushed, with too much going on and too many characters. This does sacrifice depth to the characters and the subplots, which tend to be underdeveloped. The humour doesn't come off consistently either, needing sharper timing and a less frenetic pace.

Parts did feel tired and are more juvenile than witty. While the humour is more tasteful generally, one gag does come over as vulgar and leaves a bad taste in the mouth involving vomiting out food and eating it up again (not to be viewed while eating).

A few of the characters don't work, especially the hugely irritating Heather voiced in an overbearingly shrill manner by Isabela Moner. The clichéd mayor character annoys more than he intimidates. Gunther is wonderfully voiced by Peter Stormare and he is the fun and menacing character that the mayor should have been, but there are times where the character is at odds with the rest of the film's tone.

Source from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395427/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

Although classified as old movies, but it would not hurt if you watch again, because the movie in my opinion bener bener extraordinary good

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