Movies
A spy thriller that doesn't mind becoming an action from time to time. It's another 80s-styled film, but luckily it doesn't look like it was actually made in the 80s. Some decent performances, some visual bravado and fine pacing make this an entertaining watch. Nothing too out of the ordinary, just good fun.
A film that reminded me of the joyous crime flicks of the mid-00s (think Smokin' Aces). The problem is that the assembled killers aren't that much fun and that Leitch's direction appears a bit toothless. This could've been a really fun, juicy film, instead, we're getting some PG-13, sanitized version of that. The action is a little tepid, the characters aren't quite quirky enough and two hours is a bit long for the simple setup. It's still a fun and entertaining film though. The pacing is decent, nothing is ever taken too seriously and the finale is pretty entertaining. It's just that the potential was there to be something way better.Read all
It's not like there's a lack of Fast & Furious films, so it's probably fair to say few people really needed this spin-off. Still, the idea of The Rock and Jason Statham teaming up for a bit of over-the-top action didn't sound too bad. And sure enough, Hobbs & Shaw turned out to be pretty entertaining, if you like this kind of thing. The film is little more than a back and forth between Johnson and Statham banter and a handful of oversized action sequences. It's exactly what you could expect from a film like this, the nice thing is that it actually delivers. And yes, the plot is silly and predictable and the CG isn't always very convincing, but if you want some silly fun, you could do a lot worse.Read all
Slightly better than the first one. A little smoother, with a higher percentage of funny jokes. It seems like Reynolds has grown into his characters and while at times the story does get in the way of the film, it never gets too stale. The ending is pretty lame, but I guess that's a given with Marvel films. Pretty fun.
A simple blockbuster that does its best to be fun and silly, but despite the no doubt expensive efforts director Leitch and an enthusiastic cast can't quite make it work. I don't think Leitch has it in him to make something crazy enough within Hollywood's limitations, but clearly there's an audience for his work. Gosling and Blunt are fine, the constant action is somewhat amusing and the complete lack of a serious plot is a godsend. It's not all that easy to pinpoint what exactly didn't work for me, as all the elements for 2 hours of amusing nonsense seem present, but the bland sense of humor and the lack of (true) excess are just too offputting to make this a good blockbuster.Read all
