Action and Adventure films - 2017
| Kingsman: The Golden Circle | Atomic Blonde | Baby Driver |
| Fate of the Furious | John Wick: Chapter Two |
____________________
 |
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the sequel to director/writer/producer Matthew Vaughn's highly successful Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015). We are returned to the company and adventures of Kingsmen agent Eggsy "Galahad" Unwin (Taron Egerton) a year after the events of the first film, as he is once agan faced with a sinister plot with millions of lives in the balance, hatched by another comical psychopath - drug cartel leader and nostalgia buff, Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore).
There has been some criticism of this film's over-the-top action and its humor, but I think much of this is misplaced. Perhaps the first film seemed serious enough to seem like a drama. But as we move past Eggsy's grim upbringing depicted in the first film, we are actually seeing this series as it is intended to be - a spy-flavored action-comedy. It's fair to acknowledge that danger, death, and belly laughs might be a tough combination to pull off and it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I have to admit that even with the crazy action this film had the funniest laugh out loud moments I've seen in film this year. It was simply fun.
One of the welcome, amusing elements of Golden Circle is the introduction of the Statesmen, the Kingsmen's American counterparts. The send-up of British vs. American stereotypes is an amusing idea. While the Kingsmen are very properly attired gentlemen, code-named after Knights of the Round Table, the Statesmen are high-tech cowboys code-named after hard liquors. Channing Tatum is fun as the shotgun-toting "Tequila" and Pedro Pascal (who played Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones) twirls a mean whip and lariat as "Whiskey."
(There are a couple of other nice surprises in the cast, but I have no wish to spoil them.)
Between Daniel Craig's hard-edged Bond, Matt Damon's tortured, brooding Bourne, and the terribly dark DC Comics universe, I think we are ready to see the pendulum swing a bit the other way. Bring on Kingsman 3.
- Swift____________________
 |
Atomic Blonde is a combination period-piece / complex spy thriller / action film written by Kurt Johnstad, based upon the graphic novel “The Coldest City” by Antony Johnston. It is directed by David Leitch in his first solo effort after co-directing John Wick (2014) and a 20-year career as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and second unit director in literally scores of films. His background in directing action truly shows in this film as its action sequences, as previewed in the trailers, show its star Charlize Theron as a female wrecking machine akin to Keanu Reeves’ portrayal of hitman extraordinaire John Wick.
This spy tale starts with a list of spy film tropes. In 1989, just before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is assigned the task of retrieving a recorded list of spies operating in Berlin which was stolen from another murdered MI6 agent. She is also warned to be on the lookout for a double-agent in MI6 named “Satchel” who actually works for the KGB. She enters Berlin and is immediately attacked by KGB operatives. As the story progresses she is introduced to a number of colorful characters, including David Percival (James McAvoy), MI6’s unconventional Berlin station chief, and sexy Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella), an undercover French agent. Lorraine seeks to achieve her mission while trying to fathom who to trust and, of course, evade and survive numerous attempts to capture or kill her.
Given the film’s director, it’s no surprise that the action scenes are the best parts of the movie. It could actually be argued that the movies’ plot is just a backdrop for the action, though that does a disservice to the source material. Theron is apparently doing all of the fighting choreography and it’s clear she worked hard to make it all look convincing.
However, the complexity of the plot, who all the characters are and what motivates them is a bit murky. Was the plot that complicated or could better story-telling have made it clearer? It’s hard to say. Honestly, it wasn’t until my third viewing that it all started to make sense. But most viewers aren’t going to want to work that hard.
Theron, McAvoy, and Boutella are all infinitely watchable and their combined charisma is much of what makes the story interesting. There are also some interesting characters turns by actors in smaller roles: Eddie Marsan as “Spyglass,” a Stasi defector who has memorized the list; Bill Skarsgard (“Pennywise” from 2017’s It) as Lorraine’s East German contact; and Daniel Bernhardt as a KGB enforcer. Bernhardt was a 90s martial arts film star who has transitioned since to playing nigh-indestructible henchman in films like The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Cutter (2005), Parker (2013), and John Wick (2014), matching him up against the likes of Keanu Reeves, Chuck Norris, and Jason Statham. He is always a treat to watch.
The 80s music soundtrack adds an interesting quality to the film – a cross between old world Europe and new pop music, but still in the pre-digital age. There is one fight scene, however, set to George Michael’s “Father Figure.” Sorry. Horrible choice.
Atomic Blonde cements Theron as an action star, especially after her breakout performance in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). She seems to be following a wave of actors who, as they age, decide the best protection from being relegated to parent and grandparent roles is to play characters who kick ass. Look at Liam Neeson (65), Denzel Washington (63), and Keanu Reeves (53). Ass-kicking in the Taken films, Equalizer films, and John Wick films, respectively, have kept them in the game. Theron, at 42, is probably smart, taking this opportunity to brand herself as the decade's leading female action star. Maybe Sandra Bullock should take a page from Charlize’s book.
- Swift____________________
 |
Plenty of praise has been and will be heaped upon Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver during its opening week… and rightfully so. It’s a stylish, creative, and tremendously entertaining action movie that stretches the very definition of its genre.
As a straight-up action movie, Baby Driver has got just as much heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled action as Mad Max: Fury Road or any of the Fast and the Furious movies. Unlike the former, however, Baby Driver has enough heart and character development to invest audiences in its characters and, unlike the latter, it’s not handcuffed by the need to be ironic. Instead, it can revel in the tropes of its genre while also taking you along for the ride (pun intended).
That being said, Baby Driver is not just an action movie. The way music is incorporated into this movie makes it feel, at times, more like a musical or a music video than a movie. This is not hard to believe considering Wright’s own insistence that the seeds of the idea for Baby Driver took root in a music video he directed for Mint Royale’s 2003 hit, "Blue Song," which predates Shaun of the Dead. Watching that video now, it’s clear that time, scope, and budget have helped Wright expand the original idea into something more masterful and refined.
With such a well-defined vision, in a movie where mood, music, pacing, and editing are just as important (if not more) than any individual acting performance, it could be said that any actor given the opportunity to work on this project would inevitably shine. Despite this, Edgar Wright has assembled an amazing cast for this film, with each actor seeming tailor-made for their respective role. Ansel Elgort (The Divergent Series, The Fault in Our Stars), with his boyish looks and baby face, is the perfect choice for Baby, the hero whose aloof, good guy persona gives us someone to root for on a team of bad guys and Kevin Spacey as Doc masterfully tows the line between mentor and menace. John Hamm and Jamie Foxx continue to stretch their range and Jon Bernthal proves why he needs to be in movies (I seriously love Jon Bernthal. Check out my Daredevil - Season 2 review for more).
All praise aside, Baby Driver is by no means a perfect movie. Even ignoring some of the credulity straining plot elements in the third act, there are plenty of things to criticize about the movie. While Lily James (Downton Abby, Cinderella) gives a charming performance as Debora, her character is left the most underdeveloped of the cast. And, while she’s not quite as manic-pixie-dream-girl-esque as, say, Natalie Portman’s character in Garden State, the whole “I overshare with strangers and now you’ll fall intensely and unavoidably in love with me because we both like music” shtick is very much the same. This, of course, is not James’ fault, and in a movie that so expertly redefines what an action movie can be, one would hope Wright could have done more to redefine the roles of his female characters.
Overall, Baby Driver is a stylish movie, with terrific performances, that redefines the scope of its genre. With the inevitable success of this movie guaranteed, it will be interesting to see where the genre progresses from here. The more attention this movie receives, the higher the bar will be raised for its successors. Additionally, those films that don’t rise to the challenge will probably seem a little duller by comparison.
- Michael Trainor____________________
 |
I was pleasantly surprised by this film. I was concerned that after the loss of Paul Walker, the cast and crew might have lost some of their enthusiasm for the franchise. But if this was at all the case, it didn't show in the finished product.
The story: Dom (Vin Diesel) is coerced by cyber-terrorist criminal mastermind Cipher (Charlize Theron) to work for her and turns against his own team of hot rod criminals - turned heroes, including his own wife, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). They join forces with previous ally agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), government intelligence operative "Mr. Nobody" (Kurt Russell), and, in a twist of Fate, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), their adversary from Furious 7. Cipher intends to use Dom to help her acquire access to nuclear weapons and since Dom had unknowingly interfered with her plans in the past, she also seeks to eliminate him from doing so again. The incredibly over the top action has them chasing and crashing (seemingly) hundreds of vehicles from Berlin to New York City to Russia.
This isn't a cerebral film but that's not the target audience. And even those who may prefer something a bit more logical and subtle should still find plenty to enjoy. The sheer amount of vehicular mayhem in the New York scene alone should have you open-mouthed in amazement. While the movie has its serious moments, it is mostly characterized by the action and just enough humor to keep the mood from getting too dark. I have to say that Jason Statham has some action scenes that may be among his best - all this from a man about to turn 50. And Helen Mirren's uncredited appearance as a British criminal was a real treat.
Given the stakes, Fate of the Furious is a bit like the Furious team takes on a Bond villain. Charlize Theron is chilling as the ruthless and dangerously intelligent Cipher. For a fun time at the movies, this one is a good choice.
- Swift
____________________
 |
As a professional courtesy, one spoiler - the dog lives in this one.
John Wick: Chapter Two, returns us to the world of the man you call to kill the boogeyman. And, as is a tradition in sequels, the action and blood from the first film is amped up by at least a factor of two in this outing. Watching John Wick: Chapter Two is like watching a 3rd-person shooter game where your only effort is to root for your hero and simultaneously be amazed at the things he does. In an underworld of assassins, John Wick is death incarnate - all the necessary skills paired with an inextinguishable will. He is the man said to have once killed three men in a bar with a pencil. Well, seeing is believing . . .
In this story, John is forced by the rules of the world of assassins to honor an old debt. But after re-entering this world he winds up in the cross-hairs of nearly everyone in it. Keanu Reeves renders another emotionally believable, physically nigh-unbelievable performance as the title character. Chad Stahelski returns as sole director after co-directing John Wick (2014) with David Leitch. Stahelski comes to directing by way of working as a stuntman, then a stunt-coordinator in films including The Crow (1994), The Matrix (1999), Serenity (2005), 300 (2006), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), The Expendables (2010), The Hunger Games (2012), and countless others. (His prodigious resume can be glanced over at Stahelski at IMDB.) His background in action films and his working relationship with Reeves from the Matrix films and John Wick are impressively showcased in Chapter Two.
In notable supporting roles, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick return as the owner and host of the Continental Hotel. Franco Nero cameos as the proprietor of its sibling establishment in Rome. And Common and Ruby Rose both trade multiple shots with Reeves as top flight assassins for different bosses.
If nearly non-stop breakneck stylish action with fists, guns, and cars is your thing, you've come to the right place.
- Swift