Currently browsing the "thriller" tag.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Mission Implausible is more like it. But no matter – this movie isn’t really about plot or plausibility. It’s about cool stunts and stunning imagery. So if you’re into the action stuff, go see it (in IMAX) and enjoy the adrenaline rush through Budapest, Moscow, Dubai and Mumbai.

For those actually counting, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is the fourth installment in the franchise starring Tom Cruise as secret agent Ethan Hunt. He leads a black ops team known as the IMF – the Impossible Mission Force (not the International Monetary Fund, though both are equally mysterious to me).

Straw Dogs

Contagion

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

Cowboys & Aliens

If you like westerns and you like sci-fi then trust me, you’ll like Cowboys & Aliens. It really is that simple. This movie is a strange hybrid that somehow works, mostly due to its stars (Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford) and its director, Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf) who knows how to make a crowd-pleaser. The best way to describe it is True Grit meets Independence Day. Chew on that for a while.

Source Code

Don’t be scared away by talk of quantum mechanics, complex mathematical equations, and computer source codes. You don’t have to understand any of that to enjoy this movie (trust me, I know). Source Code is a bit like Groundhog Day meets Speed meets Inception meets 24. It’s a sci-fi thriller that takes place primarily on a commuter train that is – literally- about to explode.

The Next Three Days

Sometimes, ya just have to let a few things slide and enjoy the ride. That’s how I feel about The Next Three Days. All in all, it’s a satisfying action flick that pushes the boundaries of believability but skillfully avoids the nasty trap of predictability. It’s a crime drama and psychological thriller wrapped in a bit of a romance – without the overt heaviness and brutality of the critically-acclaimed, recently-released heist movie The Town.

The American

It’s no big secret that the Chickflix chicks all love George Clooney and not just for his, ahem, acting skills. But rather – perhaps even more so- for his genuine passion and compassion for global justice and humanity. For that reason alone, I urge everyone (over 18) to go see The American to support Clooney… even if this movie does feature a much darker George than we’ve generally come to expect.

Mother (Madeo)

Let me start by saying, I really liked this film. In this wonderful Korean thriller, the central character is a single Mother (never named) played with infinite layers by the amazing Hye-ja Kim. Mother works in an herb store and gives illegal acupuncture treatments on the side. As the film begins she is in her shop keeping watch on her 27-year-old son, Do-joon who is hanging out across the street with his much hipper friend Jin-tae. Do-joon is not right in the head; he is forgetful, possibly retarded, and seems to spend most of his time running around getting into trouble. In this first scene, he steps into the street and is grazed by a car, causing his friend to vow revenge on the rich guys who did it and this one moment spins out of control coloring the rest of the film.