Currently browsing the "Action/Adventure" category.

The Sitter

The Sitter is basically an R-rated re-interpretation of the 1987 classic Adventures in Babysitting. The original featured a reluctant babysitter taking her charges on an adventure through the streets of Chicago in an attempt to help a friend in need. The Sitter features Jonah Hill as Noah Griffith, a lazy college dropout who takes his three troubled charges on an adventure through the streets of New York – in an attempt to score some drugs and get laid. It actually sounds worse than it is. Noah is a total shlub but he generally means well. And by movie’s end, valuable lessons are learned by all.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

Yes, I was indeed among the masses who helped Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part One reap nearly $140 Million at the box office in its opening weekend. And I make no apologies. I read the books and liked them (for the most part). I saw the first three movies in the series. The first one was quite bad; the second one was better; the third one was quite good. And now, the fourth – well, it’s definitely weak. But it doesn’t really matter. Once you’re sucked into the franchise, you have no choice but to see it through (thus the boffo box office numbers for this penultimate installment of the franchise). My only hope is that Part Two somehow manages to provide a more satisfying conclusion than the book itself, which was my least favorite of the bunch.

Tower Heist

The trailer for Tower Heist makes it look like an Oceans Eleven-esque comedy ensemble thievery pic. And guess what? That’s exactly what it is, only not as good. On the Oceans scale, I’d give it a six and a half.

In Time

The “Occupiers” of Wall Street and throughout the world should take a massive field trip to see this movie. I have a feeling they’d like it – a lot.  It definitely delivers a timely and thought-provoking message in an intriguing and entertaining way.

Johnny English Reborn

I didn’t see the first Johnny English movie in 2003, so I have no basis for comparison. But I think I can safely say if you liked that one, you’ll probably like the sequel as well. It is, what I like to call, harmlessly stupid entertainment. As you can probably tell from the movie poster, the Johnny English “franchise” is a spoof on the spy genre (especially the iconic James Bond films) so it’s laden with gadgets, gals and gallantry – all gone shamelessly awry.

The Mighty Macs

Weak as it may be dramatically, it’s hard not to appreciate and support The Mighty Macs – mostly because it’s all-too rare that we see a sports movie featuring women beating the odds to become unlikely champions. It’s been nearly 20 years since A League of Their Own – and that one still had a guy at the helm (Tom Hanks). With The Mighty Macs, it’s girl power all the way. It’s Sister Act meets Hoosiers… let me explain:

Killer Elite

We’re late to the party on Killer Elite. But it’s certainly not a chick flick and frankly, it will probably be out of theaters faster than Jason Statham could kick your a$$. From this chick’s perspective, Statham is one of the two things this movie has going for it. The other is Clive Owen. Beyond that, it’s pretty much a mess. Supposedly it’s based on a true story. Um, okay if they say so. What that story is, I’m not sure and I didn’t really care enough to Google it and find out.

Drive

What happens when a Hollywood action flick collides with an artsy indie? You get Drive, a movie that will either crash and burn at the box office or earn a cult following, particularly among fans of Pulp Fiction or maybe The Sopranos.

Warrior

Warrior is NOT this year’s The Fighter, though it tries really, really hard to be. Instead, it’s a decent but cliché-ridden movie that borrows from every sports drama known to man (and woman, too). Take two cups of Rocky, throw in a dash of Raging Bull, mix in a tablespoon of Cinderella Man, Million Dollar Baby, The Hurricane, and of course, The Fighter, and you’ve got something close to Warrior. But then again, what do you expect from a movie that centers around Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a brutally fascinating sport that combines the skills of boxing, wrestling, karate, kick boxing, jiu jitsu and more? Never heard of MMA? Better get with the program, ‘cause this once cult phenomenon (a.k.a. “cage fighting”) isn’t just for closet UFC fans anymore. It’s pounding its way into the mainstream, with millions of devotees worldwide.

Contagion

If you’re a germaphobe, then run – don’t walk- to the nearest exit. And wash your hands. Twice.