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Reviews
Bu er shen tan (2013)
Asian Version of Naked Gun
Badges of Fury has the same style and tone of the Leslie Nielsen Naked Gun series from the early 1990's. Of course, the satirical targets in this movie are to be found in Asian pop culture rather than American pop culture. Once you understand this, Badges of Fury is a very entertaining movie.
Jet Li is surprisingly good at comedy and still has his martial arts skills.
As the younger partner, Zhang Wen is also very good and gets to do most of the funny bits.
Michelle Chen is especially good in her relationship with Zhang Wen's character.
Ada Liu and Cecilia Liu are two of China's most beautiful actresses and are great to watch.
White House Down (2013)
Non-Stop Action but Only Occasional Plausibility
The movie is a long full-scale domestic terrorism attack on the White House. The action never lets up and is well-staged. It may be fun to watch just for the excellently produced action.
As a story, however, it is only plausible in isolated spots. The plot elements that need to converge in order to make the attack believable are an unlikely mix of political and personal motivations.
Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx are only okay. Maggie Gyllenhall is always worth watching. James Woods plays his role with intelligence, like he always does. Richard Jenkins and Michael Murphy are also in this movie and they are two of the best character actors ever (in my opinion).
The most stirring acting is done by child actress Joey King who plays Tatum's eleven year-old daughter. Tweens may want to see this movie because they can identify with her.
Knight to D7 (2010)
A Genuine and Touching Drama
It is difficult to review a short film in ten lines.
I do want to recommend Knight to D7, however.
It may be shown at cancer awareness events or on public television.
Knight to D7 is a drama but it is also very sweet and very touching.
The characters are realistic, flawed people, rather than unrealistically heroic.
Angelo Salvatore Restaino and Brett Mack have chemistry playing lifetime friends.
Meg Cionni is a beautiful newcomer.
Jackee and Hector Elizondo lend their considerable charisma to their brief scenes.
Overall, this "slice of life" will ring true for those who have loved ones suffering from cancer.
Knight to D7 even has moments of unexpected humor.
I hope this film will be shown at events supporting cancer research.
The Expendables (2010)
A Tribute to Tough Guys and Action
I am glad I saw this movie on a Saturday afternoon. That is when I am in the mood to see an action movie. In the 1970's Saturday afternoons was when I would see a Bruce Lee or Charles Bronson movie.
Sylvester Stallone is not only the star and director of "The Expendables" but he is also one of the writers. My guess is that Stallone was responsible for all the clever lines, because he has been good with that in the Rocky movies. The dialog written for Jet Li in this film is actually a surprise. It is far different from any dialog given to Jet Li before.
Two years ago, Eric Roberts did great as a crime boss in "The Dark Knight." Roberts does an even better job as the boss of the bad guys in "The Expendables".
The fight scenes in this movie are very well done. Explosions and gunfire are plentiful, but it is not the sort of action that I care to watch. Still, for a Saturday afternoon, "The Expendables" is a very good choice.
Orphan (2009)
Simply A Good Thriller
I had been reading a lot about this film. Internet rumors made "Orphan" sound depraved. Advocacy groups protested that the film is offensive to adoption. "Orphan" is neither depraved nor offensive if you watch it as a thriller.
The plot development and character development are on the same level as most Hitchcock films. Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard are excellent as the parents. The three child actors also do a good job. Expert direction by Jaume Collet-Serra and first-rate production values also make this film worth seeing.
"Orphan" is not a film where you can take your children. However, it is a decent film if you approach it as a thriller.
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
a live-action, large-scale, hi-tech Road Runner cartoon
I was entertained by this film but it is not for most people. It would be enjoyed most by fans of action video games. Because of minimal plot and minimal dialog, it is basically a live-action, large-scale, hi-tech Road Runner cartoon.