REVIEW: “The Protégé” (2021)

August 20, 2021 by Keith Garlington

When gazing over the cinema landscape it’s hard to find anything more en vogue right now than assassins. Movies featuring assassins are nothing new, but they got a boost with the immensely popular John Wick franchise. Now they’re everywhere. And female assassins are especially popular. Just recently we had “Anna”, “Ava” and even one called “Kate” coming later this year. Oh, and then there’s “Gunpowder Milkshake”, but its title doesn’t quite fit with the others.

Next up is “The Protégé”, the Maggie Q led action thriller with a couple of other big names attached – Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson. It’s a slick and stylishly made genre film that incorporates countless assassin movie tropes into its story. There’s the traumatic past event that led to the lead character becoming an assassin. There’s the quiet yearning for a normal life. There’s the violent act that sends the assassin hunting for revenge. And of course, there’s the bloody showdown where the assassin’s particular set of skills are unleashed.

“The Protégé” comes from director Martin Campbell whose résumé has its share of hits (topped by 2006’s stellar “Casino Royale”) and a few misses (sorry “Green Lantern”). Here he’s working from a script by Richard Wenk who penned the two Denzel Washington “Equalizer” movies. Both are well-versed in the action genre and for the most part stick to what they know. But there are a handful of fun and flashy flourishes that keep the otherwise buy-the-books story entertaining.

Maggie Q plays the film’s protagonist Anna. She enjoys cooking, owns an antique book store, and loves hanging out with her mentor and second father Moody (Jackson). Oh, and she’s also a lethal assassin who earns a good living killing really bad people. She’s really good at her job and Q never leaves us in doubt.

A new contract puts Anna and Moody in the crosshairs of a powerful black market broker played by David Rintoul. Moody is brutally murdered which sends Anna on a revenge-fueled hunt to find and take out her friend’s killer. Along the way she encounters a charismatic hitman named Michael Rembrandt (Keaton, always good). He’s been sent to stop her but the two engage in this weird cat-and-mouse game that’s part seduction and part murder.

Campbell’s globetrotting bullet-riddled adventure bounces from Vietnam to Romania to London and then back to Vietnam, all as Anna tries to track down the person who ordered the hit on Moody. She plows through a plethora of low-level hoodlums in an assortment of high-energy sequences that highlight Q as a legitimate action star. Even Keaton who’s pushing 70 gets to let loose in a couple of well shot and we’ll edited fight scenes. And while their relationship doesn’t always make sense, each time Q and Keaton come together, whether it’s to play mind games or tear each other apart with their unbridled physicality, it’s quite a treat.

While Robert Patrick showing up as the thinly-sketched leader of a biker gang doesn’t quite pop, most of the other character work is good. I’ve talked about Q and Keaton, but there’s also some good supporting work from Jackson. It’s the kind of role the 72-year-old screen veteran can do in his sleep, but he’s a good presence and always worth a few laughs. Of the three main characters his storyline is the biggest headscratcher, but Jackson is rock solid.

The storytelling isn’t quite as polished. The main plot-line is pretty straightforward and done well enough. But as these types of movies often do, it tends to stray at times, with characters venturing off in search of a clue here or a particular person of interest there. In this case it’s not always easy to follow what the characters are doing in large part because there is a vagueness to some of its details that can make things a little hazy.

Despite its shortcomings, “The Protégé” makes for a palatable action movie as well as a fairly entertaining new entry into the growing assassin sub-genre. It’ll never win over anyone with its originality and its story occasionally wanders off into some needless directions. But Maggie Q is a great lead, Michael Keaton is his normal wily self and Samuel L. Jackson is as sturdy as ever. The movie is worth watching for that star power alone.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

First Glance: “Eternals” Final Trailer

August 19, 2021 by Keith Garlington

“Eternals” remains one of the most curious films on the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s docket. As the MCU slowly moves away from many of its most iconic superheroes and forges its own new batch, the Eternals seemed like an odd choice. But Kevin Feige and his team of wizards at Marvel Studios have locked up the unwavering trust of their intensely loyal fan base. At this point they could introduce anyone they want and the pushback would be minimal to none at all.

The final trailer for “Eternals” dropped today and its purpose seems obvious. It gives us a closer look at this team of immortals while teasing answers to glaringly obvious questions, namely why didn’t these protectors of earth help when Thanos was having his way with humanity. The trailer has an interesting yet unusual vibe that makes it resemble a sci-fi drama more than a comic book inspired superhero movie. I’m sure much of that is due to the unique sensibility director Chloé Zhao brings. How will it ultimately play out? We’ll find out in November.

“Eternals” hits theaters November 5th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “A Classic Horror Story” (2021)

August 19, 2021 by Keith Garlington

The vaguely titled “A Classic Horror Story” is an Italian horror film recently released on Netflix from the directing duo of Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli. It highlights one of the streaming platform’s most welcomed strengths – its embrace of international cinema which includes a plethora of movies from nearly every genre and from all across the globe. Of course not every movie is five-star classic (not even closer really), but they give subscribers a chance to sample the many flavors of filmmaking from around the world.

When it comes to “A Classic Horror Story”, the title pretty much tips us off that this isn’t a movie striving for originality. It’s not reinventing the wheel or introducing anything new to the horror genre. In fact it proudly shows off its influences which include “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “Cabin in the Woods”, and even a touch of “Midsommar”. That’s really nothing new especially for the horror genre where movies borrow from other movies all the time. Here the filmmakers put it out there in the title card so we know exactly what to expect. Or do we?

Its story begins in a roadside diner where a young woman named Elisa (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz) is having second thoughts about going through with a scheduled abortion. She’s on her way to her parents house in Calabria and is waiting on her ride-share carpool to pick her up. An old RV finally pulls in driven and owned by the chatty Fabrizio (Francesco Russo), an aspiring filmmaker who is recording the trip for his travel blog. They’re joined by the obligatory jerk Mark (Will Merrick) and his girlfriend Sofia (Yuliia Sobol) who are on their way to a wedding. Also Riccardo (Peppino Mazzotta), a moody doctor with some hefty family drama back home.

The five set off through the winding Italian hills. But everything goes south when the RV slams into the tree knocking them all unconscious. When they finally come to, Mark’s leg is busted up and (more shockingly) instead of being near the road the RV is sitting in the middle of a large open field deep in the woods. And that sets up the next hour-plus that purposely leans into more horror tropes than I can number. There’s a dense eerie forest, the RV won’t start and there’s no cell phone service, there are macabre cult markings, and what’s the deal with this bizarrely shaped cabin?

While none of those things will be new to fans of the genre, De Feo and Strippoli meld them together pretty well. There’s even a little meta commentary that lands better than it should. They also add some impressive visual touches seen mostly in the lighting, some crafty uses of perspective, and some creative camera movements. We end up with a good-looking movie made with a hint of Hooper, a touch of Barker, even a dash of Shyamalan. But it borrows from/pays homage to A LOT of other films – so many that it’s hard to root out this movie’s own identity. The familiarity doesn’t kill our fun, but it does lessen the impact. “A Classic Horror Story” is streaming now on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

Movie Poster Spotlight: “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”

August 18, 2021 by Keith Garlington

“Venom” blew up the box office which all but guaranteed a sequel. The early looks at “Let There Be Carnage” have been mostly positive (I could do without the forced comedy, but it’s just a trailer). The posters have been great especially this new one which Sony recently shared. Now if they’ll stop with the delays and finally let us see the movie! Check it out below. Whatcha think?

DIRECTOR – Andy Serkis

WRITER – Kelly Marcel

STARRING – Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham

RELEASE – October 15, 2021 (allegedly but the delays keep coming)

5 Phenomenal Movie Bank Robberies

August 18, 2021 by Keith Garlington

Man it has been a while since my last Phenomenal 5. Long-time readers know that this was once a weekly feature on this site. But with more and more movies to review I’ve kinda been slacking. So what better time than now to fire up a new Phenomenal 5 and I have a fun one – movie bank robberies. You may not realize it, but there have been a lot of banks knocked off throughout cinema history. And some of the best scenes weren’t just about the actual robbery itself but the buildup and the aftermath. There were so many good ones that came to mind and for that reason I wouldn’t call this the definitive list. But there’s no denying that these five movie bank robberies are nothing short of phenomenal.

#5 – “Point Break” (1991)

There are two fantastic bank robbery scenes in Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 action thriller “Point Break”. In the film Patrick Swayze leads a band of surfer robbers known as the Ex-Presidents. A little over halfway into the movie the gang knocks off a bank and are about to make their escape. Enter FBI agents Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey. What follows is a thrilling car chase followed by one of the best foot pursuits ever put on film. The robbery that happens near the end may be the better scene. But in terms of pure adrenaline and excitement, I’m sticking by my choice.

#4 – “Raising Arizona” (1987)

Ok, I realize there are probably “better” bank robbery scenes out there, but none are funnier than the one we get from the Coen brothers in “Raising Arizona”. From the moment John Goodman and William Forsythe bust into an old country bank with two shotguns, two bags, and a toddler in a baby carrier you can’t help but laugh. The entire scenario is preposterous (in a great way), but it’s the Coens’ wacky dialogue that makes the scene so good. I love it and there was no way I could leave it off the list.

#3 – “For a Few Dollars More” (1965)

It may be the lesser recognized of the three Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, but it just might be the best of the trilogy. It also has a terrific bank robbery sequence. This pick is a prime example of how both the buildup and the getaway are crucial to the scene’s greatness. Clint and his partner Lee Van Cleef know the bandits are going to hit the town’s bank. They just don’t know how it’s going down and they’re completely caught off guard when the gang blows the back of the bank building, yanks the safe into their wagon, and then races out of town. Leone’s signature tension-building setup is terrific and the great Ennio Morricone’s score during the escape is unforgettable.

#2 – “Heat” (1995)

In Michael Mann’s killer crime thriller “Heat” Robert De Niro and his crew are all set for their last big robbery. With Elliot Goldenthal’s brilliant score pulsating in the background, they hit a bank in downtown Los Angeles. Meanwhile Al Pacino’s LAPD detective gets wind of the robbery and dispatches the precinct. What follows is one of the most intense shootouts in cinema history, fueled by Dante Spinotti’s kinetic cinematography and a stellar sound design. Combined, the robbery and the gun battle make for some edge-of-your-seat stuff.

#1 – “The Dark Knight” (2008)

“The Dark Knight” stands out for so many reasons. It’s the greatest superhero movie ever made (subjective, I know). It’s one of Christopher Nolan’s best films. It also has a bank robbery scene that provides one of the best movie openings and one of the best character introductions you’ll see. TDK opens with Heath Ledger’s Joker robbing a bank full of mob money. As the meticulously planned heist unfolds, the Clown Prince starts knocking off each of his crew until he’s the last one standing. The pulse-pounding sequence gives us a good taste of the character’s twisted madness and of the incredible Oscar-winning performance that would follow. Everything about the scene sizzles.

And those are my five picks. See something I missed? Agree or disagree with any of my choices? Share your list in the comments section below.

REVIEW: “Don’t Breathe 2” (2021)

August 17, 2021 by Keith Garlington

In 2016’s “Don’t Breathe” Stephen Lang introduced us to Norman Nordstrom, a blind Gulf War veteran with uncompromising survival instincts but also a pitch-black violent side. Now five years later we get an unexpected sequel that thrusts the far-from-heroic Norman into the role of protagonist. That may (and should) have fans of the well-received first film scratching their heads. But don’t worry, the damaged ex-Navy Seal still has his gruesome mean streak.

Going in it’s tempting to ask why make a sequel? Do the filmmakers have something new up their sleeves? Are they expanding on the first film? Well, not really. In fact, a big chunk of “Don’t Breathe 2” is more or less a rinse-and-repeat of its predecessor. Yet there’s fun to be had with this simple yet fleet-footed sequel that plays like a blood-soaked 70’s grindhouse flick. If you look at as anything other than that you can expect to be disappointed.

Rodo Sayagues directs from a script he co-wrote with Fede Álvarez. Both worked together on the first film and bring the same grisly edge to this one. Part two also casts its audience into the same moral muck as the first film, luring us into rooting for an unsavory character and then questioning ourselves for doing so. But the freshness of “Don’t Breathe” 2016 doesn’t find its way into the follow-up, and rooting for Norman leaves you feeling icky. Then again, as Álvarez made clear to his Twitter followers, it’s supposed to.

Eight years after the events of the first film, Norman is still living in the rundown abandoned suburbs of Detroit. But this time he’s not alone. He has taken in and raised an 11-year-old girl named Phoenix (Madelyn Grace) who lost her family in a house fire eight years earlier. Now Norman poses as her father, teaching her survival drills and drowning her in his own paranoia and cynicism.

Just like in the first film, a group of hoodlums target his house, except this time it’s not for a large stash of hidden cash. Instead they come for Phoenix which pushes Norman right back into the savage killer mode he had worked hard to suppress. With his heightened senses and an assortment of gnarly blunt instruments at his disposal, Norman turns into the little girl’s protector leaving plenty of carnage in his wake.

As you make your way through the film’s first half you might swear you’re watching a segment from the 2016 movie. With the exception of some opening table-setting, Phoenix’s presence and one terrific long take inside Norman’s dark thug-infested house, everything in the opening 40 minutes or so seems cut from the same cloth as the original.

But then you get to the second half where things begin to slide off the rails (in a good way or a bad way, depending on how are you look at it). The story takes a wacky turn and throws in a macabre twist which is where the gonzo grindhouse vibe really kicks in. If you take it too seriously you’ll have a hard time digesting how bizarre things get. But if you take it lightly, like most of the crowd I saw it with did, you may find yourself having a pretty good time, wincing at some of the gorier moments and chuckling at the unexpected shots of subtle black comedy.

Even with fun to be had, “Don’t Breathe 2” doesn’t really leave much of an impression. Minus some fairly entertaining final act shenanigans, the movie basically rides the formula that made the first film an unexpected surprise. The little girl does add a new wrinkle, but she’s not quite enough to make us fully buy into Norman’s transformation. But now I’m breaking my own rule and putting too much thought into it. Stick to viewing “DB2” as a schlocky B-movie. That’s the way to go. “Don’t Breathe 2” is now showing in theaters