Dragged Across Concrete

This is one of this slice of lives in the Dark Heart of America Movies. Starring Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn.  Tory Kittles who we loved as Brossard from Colony is also excellent. He is the new Denzel. There is a homage to Rampage.
The dialogue is over the top but works. Another movie that makes me never want to cross the border into the excited states.

3.6 take the money and run stars

Triple Threat (2019)

Iko Uwais

is the new Bruce Lee. Triple threat has Tony Jaa and Tiger Chen staring along side Scott Atkins in the biggest Martial Arts movie since Enter the Dragon. If you liked the raid and similar movies your going to love it.

4 fingers of death stars

Prospect (2018)

A movie about mining in the future.  A bad father takes his daughter on a risky mining adventure. A low budget film that hits the mother lode with great acting and a premise that rings true. Sophie Turner is totally convincing as a fish way out of water. Take a chance on Prospect you will be rewarded. RT gave it 88%.

3.5 weird and wonderful stars

The Birdbox (2019)

Monsters that prey on our senses. Will the next big dystopian hit be stinky? Sandra Bollock carries this movie. Without her mastery of the scene this would be another bad b movie. RT gave it 62% and thats about right. Arguably the most popular Netflix movie ever. Do not put on the blindfold watch the Birdbox. In contrast I did not watch The Quiet Place to the end, I just skipped to it.

three seeing stars

The Night Comes for Us (2018)

I grew up watching and loving Bruce Lee. In general I am not a big fan of martial arts movies. The Night Comes for Us is one of the best of the genre. Lots of blood and guts and beatings that would kill a small village. I watched this without subtitles but it made no difference, who needs words the fists do the talking.

Iko Uwais of The Raid fame co stars with Joe Taslim another alumni of The Raid.  Its not a great movie and the plot is childlike, but it rocks.

3.5 fists of fury stars

Mission Impossible- Fallout (2018)

After a string of just super versions this one is a little underwhelming. All is forgiven because the last half hour is truly nail biting. The other two hours is formulatic and sometimes cringe worthy. Especially when Tom has romance in eyes instead of a gun.

Henry Cavall was more wooden than emoting. He seemed to be channeling the lesser Baldwin Bros. However he was a good if not great foil for super Tom. Rotten Tomatoes loved it 98% compared to 93% for what I thought was the better Rouge Nation. If this movie had been released as a stand alone it would have fared better in my eyes, thats why I have to give it a little better than average grade. To be fair it is a must see movie.

3.5 strong presentation stars.

Mile 22 (2018)

Mark Wahlberg  fourth straight collaboration with director Peter Berg is more of the same and thats a good thing.  Lone Survivor was a masterpiece and Deepwater Horizon an enjoyable time. I did not watch the Patriots day, I cant take that much rah rah USA in one sitting. (but broken into hourly bits like Last Ship Howrah)

Wahlberg plays a slightly autistic bi polar wet worker of the worst kind. The Walking Dead’s Lauren Cohan, Furious 7’s Ronda Rousey and The Raid’s Iko Uwais as the package have to travel 22 miles from the US embassy to the airstrip in a generic Indonesian city. Of course the Russians are involved.

Rotten Tomatoes gave it a measly 24% and generally critics savaged it. Its the second movie I have seen in a couple of months worth reviewing. If you liked The Raid you will enjoy this. Its really The Raid on the road.

Three Crossover Stars