Homefront (4/10): Next time let Jason Statham unleash the beast!

"Whatever you're thinking, rethink it."

I can't think of a better actor to deliver a line in a menacing, yet calm way, than Jason Statham does here.  He is one of the contemporary action stars that audiences will go see without hesitation or worrying about the screenplay. The reason is because there are very few actors that can deliver their fight scenes as well as he does. Audiences can feel every punch or kick from Statham without the need of quick edits or shaky camera movements. Unfortunately, the main problem with Homefront is that director Gary Fleder (Kiss the Girls, Runaway Jury) didn't use his action skills as a means to improve the movie, but rather sticked to the usual way of filming action scenes which involve quick edits, extreme close-ups, and shaky camera movements. Why would you have Statham star in your film if you don't take advantage of his well choreographed action scenes? The few action scenes in Homefront could have been shot with a steady camera and less cuts which would have made this a much more enjoyable watch because Statham has a great screen presence and he's always fun to watch. It's too bad that they decided to hold Statham's character back and didn't let him explode on screen. 

Homefront's screenplay was adapted by Sylvester Stallone from Chuck Logan's novel. Sly had intended to use the story for another Rambo sequel, but decided to put it into Statham's hands instead. The premise of the story is very familiar as you have the main character moving to a small town in order to put his violent past behind him (if you think about it, it is what Rambo has always been trying to do, but somehow he's a magnet for violence). Homefront is just another standard action film that follows pretty much every genre convention so it becomes way too familiar to enjoy it as something other than that, but the problem is that Fleder tries to make a more serious film instead of accepting the fact that it is simply a silly and familiar story. By trying to build character and move the story forward, the film loses its steam because it doesn't accomplish neither and ultimately it drags for most of its runtime. The few action scenes aren't entertaining either because of all the hyper editing going on. The film tries to build character and introduce new elements but it doesn't do it well. Take the romance for instance which is introduced, but it never goes anywhere with the subplots it introduces. We know exactly where everything is leading up to so the least you can do is explode Statham's potential instead of underlying his performance. 

Despite the familiar story and the hyper edited action scenes there are some positive elements to Homefront. First of all the cast is solid. Besides Jason Statham, you have James Franco, Kate Bosworth, Winona Ryder, and Frank Grillo starring together. James Franco plays a very different villain. He is a local meth kingpin who goes by the name of Gator. He might be intimidating in his small local town, but we know he is no match for Jason Statham. There isn't a second in this film where we feel Statham's character is in real danger and all we are waiting for is for him to let his rage loose. The small grudges that the people in this town hold are about to be blown out of proportions and they will soon find out that they are completely out of his league. The second positive thing about this film is Kate Bosworth's performance. She is almost unrecognizable in her role here, but she delivers the best performance of the movie. If your a fan, you will want to check this film out, if not then there isn't anything worth your time in Homefront.

My Review: The Purge: Anarchy (5/10)

“The unwritten Purge rule: don't save lives. Tonight we take lives. We make things manageable.”

James DeMonaco returns as the director and writer of the sequel to his 2013 film, The Purge. My expectations for this sequel were extremely low because I didn’t like The Purge and thought the premise was ridiculous, but if you enjoyed the first film then you will definitely like this one. I’d like to begin my review by focusing on what did work for this sequel before I get to its weaknesses. First of all, The Purge: Anarchy is a huge improvement over its predecessor. While the first film followed the conventions of a home invasion horror film, this sequel takes the original premise and establishes the action in a much wider setting. It doesn’t set out to repeat the same things from its predecessor. This sequel takes us to the streets where we can see how the purge takes place out in the open where the danger is eminent. Considering that the characters were the least interesting part of The Purge, this time the story doesn’t center on one family, but gives us three different storylines and later brings them together. This makes up for the lack of character development in the film and allows for the movie to be more entertaining. It is a B picture that gives its target audience what they are looking for. The second positive thing this sequel has going for it is the lead performance from Frank Grillo. He delivers as a smooth action star despite the weaknesses of the screenplay. He is the only engaging character in the entire franchise. 

Despite that The Purge Anarchy is much better than its predecessor, it still is a flawed film full of horror cliches and unimaginative characters. The film relies on jump scares that never work. All it seemed to be doing at times was suddenly turning up the volume when things were quiet in order to shock or unsettle its audience. The characters never seem to make smart decisions and they all rely on Grillo’s lead performance. With all the horrible crimes he drives through during his purge mission, we never quite understand why he would care for these two particular characters he stops for in order to save them. It was simply an easy way to reunite the different storylines, but I didn’t find anything unique in that mother and daughter relationship that he would be interested in assisting. Its not like he was painted as a saint during the opening scenes where he drove past several people crying out for help. The sequel also tries to be an interesting parody of our society and a slick social commentary, but it isn’t really as smart as it thinks it is. Every time I heard the phrase our “new founding fathers” my ears bled and I couldn’t help but finding it silly. The film also is heavy handed on its rich versus poor commentary, and it is something we see often in adaptations from YA books. The villains never post a significant threat either, but Grillo elevates the source material with his smooth performance. The rest of the characters I couldn’t really care less for.

My Review: End of Watch (9/10)

¨If you run away I will chase you. If you fight me I will fight back. If you shoot at me I will shoot back. By law I am unable to walk away. Behind my badge is a heart like yours. I bleed, I think, I love, and yes I can be killed.¨

Before End of Watch filmgoers probably knew David Ayer for having written the beautiful screenplay for Training Day (memorable for Denzel Washington`s performance), but now he will be remembered for his direction in this excellent cop thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña. I was completely hooked with this film from the very beginning with the opening scene up to the very last shot. David Ayer had directed some other thrillers in the past (Harsh Times and Street Kings), but none as gripping as this one. End of Watch pays homage to police officers around the world. Many people have complained that this is cop propaganda, but I believe it really is a tribute to the honest and hard working officers in the police department. Many films, including Ayer`s Training Day, have depicted police officers as corrupt, but End of Watch pays a special tribute to those officers who have put their lives on the line. These cops deserved a film like this, and in my opinion it is one of the best police thrillers I`ve seen in a long time. The screenplay was also written by David Ayer, and the movie was filmed in a documentary style as we had the main characters filming ¨home footage¨ while on duty. This may displease some viewers due to the camera movements and such, but I thought it worked well here and gave it a more realistic vibe. David Ayer knows his material and really came up with a believable script. He was helped by the excellent performance from the entire cast as well.

Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) are partners working for the LAPD in the dangerous streets ruled by gangs and drug cartels. They are also best friends and spend all day talking about their families and such in between chases and gun shootings while they patrol the streets. Mike is married to Gabby (Natalie Martinez) who is expecting their first child, while Brian has begun dating a very intelligent girl named Janet (Anna Kendrick) with whom he`s falling for. As the two men discuss their daily lives and play jokes on other officers they also get the job done. They are so good at what they do that a dangerous drug cartel marks them for death after they confiscated some of their money and firearms. Brian and Mike continue with their lives as usual while saving children from a burning house and fighting criminals in the street without feeling like heroes. Frank Grillo plays the Sarge, and America Ferrera and David Harbour two other officers in the department.   

The chemistry between Michael Peña and Jake Gyllenhaal in this film is what really makes this film stand out from the rest. We´ve seen many similar films dealing with these issues, but none feel as real as this movie did. Thanks to the performance from the cast and the well written screenplay the movie feels authentic. Peña and Gyllenhaal could even receive nominations for their performance. That is how good they are here. Anna Kendrick is such a talented actress, I don’t think she gets the recognition she deserves. She is great here in her supporting role and is always a delight to watch on screen. The performance from each of the members of the gang was also incredible, this is as real and authentic as they`ve ever been depicted. The film combines great action scenes with a lot of laughs and dramatic moments; it is a very emotional ride and director David Ayer does a great job at managing this. I will be on the lookout for his next film because I was really impressed with his work here. Definitely one of the top ten films of the year: It is authentic and bloody.

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My Review: The Grey (7/10)

¨Once more into the fray. Into the last good fight I'll ever know. Live and die on this day. Live and die on this day. ¨

Joe Carnahan directed Liam Neeson in 2010 when they worked together in The A-Team, and now they decided to reunite once again in wildlife survivalist movie, The Grey. This is a very different film from the action comedy they made in The A-Team. The Grey is a much darker film that deals with surviving the dangers of the wilderness (in this case surviving a pack of wolves in the winter of Alaska). The film has several flaws and you can find a lot of plot holes in the story`s logic, but I can`t ignore the fact that this movie was entertaining and thrilling. It had me at edge of my seat during several parts of the movie, although I did have some issues with the pacing of the film. There were several unnecessary scenes and dialogues I wished would`ve been cut off. What I did enjoy the most about The Grey is Liam Neeson. He is a true action star and he has proven himself in every film he stars in. You can just put him up against anybody or anything and you can have a decent movie. He is just that good. Ever since Taken, I was blown away with him. If I survived a plane crash and had to fight off a pack of dangerous wolves then I would definitely choose Liam Neeson as my companion. He is a true star and a bankable actor which is hard to find nowadays. Without a very great script, Neeson does the best and gives us an enjoyable movie. There aren`t a lot of good movies that tend to be released in January or February, and this is definitely above average so by all means see this unless you still have a lot of catching up to do with the late 2011 films.

The story focuses on Ottway (Liam Neeson) a hunter who is working for an oil company in the wilderness of Alaska. He isn’t proud of his life or his job. The film begins with a narration of a letter he is writing for his ex wife saying how much he misses her and how he wished he could be with her although it`s not possible any more. He then gets on a plane and while they are flying over Alaska with several other oil workers, the plane crashes. Only seven people survive the crash, and Ottway is among them. The other survivors are Hendrick (Dallas Roberts), Díaz (Frank Grillo), Talget (Dermot Mulroney), Burke (Nonso Anozie), Hernandez (Ben Bray) and Flannery (Joe Anderson). The seven are shaken up by the crash, but Ottway begins showing his leadership qualities by trying to find a way to survive the harsh weather. They soon find out that they aren`t alone when a pack of dangerous wolves who are protecting their territory attack them. The men try to stay together in order to survive the threat. Ottway tells them that they shouldn’t stay put because the wolves will surround them so they begin heading towards the woods. The wolves and the cold weather will put these men`s surviving skills to the test in the middle of the wilderness.

The screenplay was written by director Joe Carnahan along with Ian Mackenzie Jeffers who actually wrote the short story that this film was based on: Ghost Walker. I don’t know if I would’ve been interested in the story if it weren’t for Liam Neeson who made this a much better film than it really would be. He just makes this film so much suspenseful and better. I thought he was just great in the ending, and he just looked so cool and in control the entire time. We may not be able to control the things that happen to us, but we can choose how to face them, and Liam Neeson just does the best he can with the card that are dealt his way. The rest of the characters I could actually care less for. It was actually hard to distinguish who was who at times with all the heavy clothes they were wearing. I also had some trouble figuring out what they were saying at times. The scenery was beautiful, you could actually feel the cold weather penetrating, and the action scenes were ok although they pretty much left everything to your imagination as they cut several things out. The only thing I`m sure of after watching The Grey is that Liam Neeson can make almost any film work if you just let him take control of the film. This is what The Grey does best, it focuses entirely on him and lets him single handedly carry the film. The problem I has with his previous film, Unknown, is that they didn’t let him be in control of everything that was happening. He seemed kind of lost in that film, but here he is just secure and ready to act like in Taken. I really enjoyed this film.

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My Review: Warrior (10/10)

¨Break out the yellow tape, Sam. Tommy's walking away from the cage like he's leaving a crime scene.¨

Warrior is one of my favorite films of the year along with Drive and the final Harry Potter movie. This film really caught me by surprise. I`m generally not a huge fan of sports movies; don`t get me wrong, I like them, but they usually are very predictable and never end up among my favorites. However, Warrior is really a terrific movie that had me routing for both fighters at the end. What really stands out however in this movie aren`t the actual fighting scenes, but the entire family drama that goes on. Warrior makes The Fighter look like a silly movie and I really enjoyed that one, but the performances in this film (apart from Bale`s excellent performance) and the script are much better. The family in Warrior is a totally broken one, and although there are some clichés and corny moments, I really had a great time with this emotionally strong sports drama written and directed by Gavin O`Connor who also directed the 2004 sports film: Miracle. The fighting scenes are really well choreographed and the actors all look like real fighters. Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy are great as the lead characters and they really buffed out for this movie. The true surprise of Warrior however was Nick Nolte`s powerful performance as the broken father who is looking for redemption and forgiveness from his estranged sons. There are really some powerful and emotional dramatic scenes, but there are also plenty of strong fighting scenes so you will be satisfied whatever it is you are looking for. This movie deserves some Oscar buzz, it is just that good, and it really hasn`t received as much recognition as it should.

Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte) is a recovering alcoholic and former boxer who is living on his own after having pushed away his sons and wife when they were teens due to his alcohol abuse. Fourteen years later his youngest son, Tommy (Tom Hardy), who just returns as a Marine from Iraq, shows up at his doorsteps, and despite realizing his father is a changed man he still doesn`t want to have a relationship with him. He is still hurt and broken for everything that went on in his past. Paddy wasn`t a good father, but Tommy recognizes he was a great coach and wants him to train him for a Mixed Martial Art tournament called Sparta where the best fighters from the world will come to compete for the grand prize of 5 million dollars. Paddy coached Tommy during High School where he broke all the wrestling records and was never defeated. As the movie progresses more details about his past are revealed, and we also get to know why he needs the prize money. Tommy`s older brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton) is also estranged from his family. Brendan never ran off with Tommy and his mother because he was in love with a girl who later became his wife and mother of his two beautiful daughters: Tess (Jennifer Morrison). Tommy never forgave Brendan for this and hasn`t communicated with him since. Brendan is a former UFC fighter and now works as a Physics teacher. Tess made him give up fighting after he was hospitalized and nearly died. They seem to be happy with their kids, but they are having financial problems and will lose the house in three months due to some heavy debts from his youngest daughter being hospitalized for heart issues. She is very well now, but Brendan can`t pay off his debts so he decides to enter the tournament as well and begins training with his former trainer Frank (Frank Grillo).

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this family drama is that it played out perfectly. O`Connor doesn`t talk down to the audience, we begin putting the pieces together about the family`s past through natural conversation that go on between them. We realize there is more to Tommy than we actually expect at first. Behind his tough guy persona there is some good in him. Brendan is also an excellent father and a nice guy. As the movie progresses we identify with both characters and can`t help but route for both of them. The trailer lets us know that both brothers will reach the final and compete with each other so it is no spoiler that I`m telling you this. You will have a hard time choosing who you want to win the fight. The family drama plays out perfectly and there are some great scenes between Hardy, Eldridge, and Nolte. Jennifer Morrison also does a great job playing the worried and carrying wife. The performances in this film are really top notch, and the action doesn`t let you down either. Fans of MMA and UFC won`t be disappointed with the fighting scenes. This is a great film with a great story and great performances. As we begin to uncover one layer after another of this family`s past we begin to route for them and identify with their pain. Nolte`s eyes really show us how repented he is for his past sins and how much he wants to reconcile with his two sons. His performance is Oscar worthy as a supporting character. By all means go see Warrior, you won`t regret it. This is Rocky meets Bloodsport meet Brothers.

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