Review: "PULP FICTION" is Still a Wild Child

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 of 2024 (No. 1967) by Leroy Douresseaux

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Running time:  154 minutes (2 hours, 34 minutes)

MPAA – R for strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language and some sexuality

DIRECTOR:  Quentin Tarantino

WRITERS:  Quentin Tarantino; from stories by Roger Avary and Quentin Tarantino

PRODUCER:  Lawrence Bender

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Andrzej Sekula

EDITOR:  Sally Menke

Academy Award winner

CRIME/DRAMA

Starring:  John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Phil LaMarr, Frank Whaley, Paul Calderon, Bronagh Gallagher, Rosanna Arquette, Eric Stoltz, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Walken, and Harvey Keitel

Pulp Fiction is a 1994 crime film from writer-director Quentin Tarantino.  The film follows the lives of an ensemble of characters, including two mob hit men, a boxer, a pair of armed robbers, and a gangster and his wife in a series of intertwined tales of violence and redemption.

Thirty years ago, this month, May 1994, brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the then co-chairmen of Miramax Films, blew into France with the entire cast of Pulp Fiction for the 47th Cannes Film Festival.  On or about May 21, 1994, the Weinsteins unveiled Pulp Fiction at a midnight screening.  From what I read lo those many years ago, that screening cause a sensation.  Pulp Fiction would go on to win the festival's top prize, the “Palme d'Or,” for Tarantino.

I had been putting off seeing Pulp Fiction during its initial release, but it was re-released in the spring of 1995 in the run-up to the 67th Academy Awards (March 27, 1995).  Pulp Fiction had been nominated for seven Oscars.  A friend encourage me to see it with her, which I think we did a week or so before the Oscars.  I'd seen Reservoir Dogs (1992), which I considered to be an exceptional film of that time, but even the uncommon nature of Reservoir Dogs did not prepare me for the demented nature of the audacious art that was (and still is) Pulp Fiction.  In preparation for this film, I recently rewatched Tarantino's other early films, Jackie Brown (1997) and Reservoir Dogs.

Told out of chronological order, Pulp Fiction is set in and around Los Angeles.  It opens in a diner, where a couple, Pumpkin/Ringo (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny/Yolanda (Amanda Plummer), decide to pull of an armed robbery. Elsewhere, two hit men, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta), seek to retrieve a brief case that belongs to their employer, crime boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), from a small group of thieves who tried to double-cross Wallace.

Later, Vega takes Wallace's wife, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman), out to dinner – by request of Marsellus.  They banter.  They dance.  They deal with an overdose.  Also, a palooka boxer, Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), double-crosses Marsellus.  Now, he's on the run, but before the night is done, Butch and Marsellus will find themselves delivered into evil.  Finally, Jules meets Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.

Reservoir Dogs is “neo-noir,” which is a modern versions of “Film-Noir,” a term that refers to the stylized Hollywood dramas – especially crime dramas – covering a period from the 1930s to the 1960s.  So if Reservoir Dogs is “neo-noir,” Pulp Fiction recalls another vintage American genre of fiction, the storytelling of the pulp magazines and hard-boiled crime novels of the mid-20th century.  Tarantino grabs the lurid, exploitative, and sensational, and also the violence and corruption that were featured in some pulps and crime novels and grafts that onto Pulp Fiction's non-linear narrative tale of people living, working, cheating, screwing, and killing in the criminal underground of L.A.

Three decades later, I find that some of the film has not aged will, such as the opening scene at the diner and the early parts of the misadventures of Vincent and Jules.  The rest of the film still sparkles with cinematic magic, as Tarantino delights in the myriad elements of both American pop culture and international cinema that he borrows (or steals) for this film.  I will say that this film's last act – the diner scene featuring Vincent & Jules and Pumpkin & Honey Bunny – is what keeps Pulp Fiction in place as one of the best films of the 1990s.  If I can divide films into increments of a quarter-hour or so, I'd say that Pulp Fiction's last 17 minutes before the end credits form the one of the best sequences of film that I have ever seen.

Seeing it again, I was frozen in place, mesmerized, and riveted by the power of this moment in American cinema.  Honestly, Samuel L. Jackson,who was nominated for a “Best Supporting Actor” Oscar for his work in this film, should have won the award based solely on his performance in this last act of Pulp Fiction.  And I say that even as I believe that the actor who did win, the late Martin Landau for Tim Burton's Ed Wood, was deserving of the Oscar.

Back in 1994, at the moment Dick Dale & His Del-Tones' 1962 surf rock anthem, “Misirlou,” blasts across the film's soundtrack, Pulp Fiction injected some much needed juice and venom into American cinema, even if some rejected that injection at the time.  Someone once described Pulp Fiction as a “succulent guilty pleasure.”  I'll still suck on it, and I won't feel guilty about its pleasures.

10 of 10

Saturday, May 25, 2024

NOTES:

1995 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win: “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary); six nominations: “Best Picture” (Lawrence Bender), “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (John Travolta), “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Samuel L. Jackson), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Uma Thurman), “Best Director” (Quentin Tarantino), and “Best Film Editing” (Sally Menke)

1995 BAFTA Awards:  2 wins: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Samuel L. Jackson) and “Best Screenplay – Original” (Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary); 7 nominations: “Best Film” (Lawrence Bender), “Best Actor” (John Travolta), “Best Actress” (Uma Thurman), “Best Cinematography” (Andrzej Sekula) “David Lean Award for Direction” (Quentin Tarantino), “Best Editing” (Sally Menke), and “Best Sound” (Stephen Hunter Flick, Ken King, Rick Ash, and Dean A. Zupancic)

1995 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Screenplay-Motion Picture: (Quentin Tarantino); 5 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Quentin Tarantino), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (John Travolta), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Uma Thurman), and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Samuel L. Jackson)

1994 Cannes Film Festival:  1 win: “Palme d'Or” (Quentin Tarantino)

2013 National Film Preservation Board, USA:  National Film Registry

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Review: "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - Dead Reckoning Part One" Embraces the Impossible

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 of 2023 (No. 1921) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Running time: 163 minutes (2 hours, 43 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material

DIRECTOR:  Christopher McQuarrie

WRITERS:  Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)

PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Fraser Taggart (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Eddie Hamilton

COMPOSER: Loren Balfe

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Frederick Schmidt, Maria Garriga, Cary Elwes, and Henry Czerny

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a 2023 action-thriller and espionage film directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise.  It is the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible film series, which is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible” (CBS, 1966-73), that was created by Bruce Geller.  In Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt and his IMF team race to obtain half of a key that is connected to something that could be a doomsday device.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opens in the Bering Sea.  Beneath the surface, an advanced Russian submarine, the “Sevastopol,” prepares to test a new AI (artificial intelligence) system.  But disaster strikes.

Later, Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), the director of the IMF (Impossible Mission Force), offers IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) a new mission.  Should he accept, Hunt must retrieve half of a mysterious cruciform key.  It is currently in the possession of his ally, the former British agent, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who also has had a 50-million-dollar bounty placed on her.

Next, Hunt and his team – Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickwell (Ving Rhames) – must trace the current holder of the second half of that cruciform key to a buyer.  However, the mission is complicated by the intercession of new players:  Grace (Hayley Atwell), a professional thief; Alanna Mitsopolis (Vanessa Kirby), a black-market arms dealers also known as the “White Widow;” and Paris (Pom Klementieff), a French assassin.  The most shocking new player is Paris' boss, Gabriel (Esai Morales), a powerful terrorist with an intimate connection to Ethan Hunt's past.  Ethan and his IMF team clash with these new people in a struggle for a key that is connected to something that could rule the world or destroy it, The Entity. 

I divide the six Mission: Impossible movies into two trilogies.  Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006) make up the first trilogy.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011),  Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) form the second trilogy.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is something new.  It was originally meant to be the first part of a two-part send off for Ethan Hunt, but that has apparently changed.  Still, Dead Reckoning Part One feels like the beginning of the end.  It's as if Ethan is facing his ultimate test, a mission in which most of the potential resolutions can make things worse for the U.S. and the rest of the world.  Honestly, this feels like a mission in which Ethan should not survive.

That aside, should you choose to accept this mission, dear readers, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a non-stop thrill machine full of heart-pounding races, car chases, standoffs, and Tom Cruise running more than he ever has.  I balked at the runtime of two hours and forty-three minutes, but the film doesn't feel that long.  It's always moving and grooving to a electrifying pace.  The plot is a bit thin, and even that thinness manages to be a bit convoluted, but Dead Reckoning Part One moves too much to allow you to think about any inconsistencies.  Why think about plot when the action and thrills are so mesmerizing and exhilarating?  I had seen several video clips of Ethan Hunt's motorcycle cliff dive, which is the super-big stunt in Dead Reckoning Part One, but seeing the entire thing on the big, silver screen still made me nervous.  That's the peak power of the extravagant action movie treats that this film offers.

Dead Reckoning Part One has beautiful cinematography and a hypnotic, pounding film score, and killer production values.  Everyone is dressed so nicely, and all the sets put the art in art direction.  The cast is amazing, and I couldn't get enough of Pom Klementieff's Paris.  But the stars here are true movie star, Tom Cruise, and director Christopher McQuarrie.  They wanted to give people a reason to come back to movie theaters, and they have.  Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the kind of high-quality and breath-taking entertainment that demands to be seen in a darkened movie theater with a bunch of other people as equally thrilled as you or I are.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, July 15, 2023

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Review: "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2" is Still on Fire

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 of 2023 (No. 1920) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

Running time: 123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action and some sensuality

DIRECTOR:  John Woo

WRITERS:  Robert Towne; from a story by Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Barga (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)

PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jeffrey L. Kimball (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Steven Kemper and Christian Wagner

COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Serbedzija, William Mapother, Dominic Purcell, Nicholas Bell, Kee Chan, Antonio Vargas, and Ving Rhames with Anthony Hopkins

Mission: Impossible 2 is a 2000 action-thriller and espionage film directed by John Woo and starring Tom Cruise.  It is a sequel to the 1996 film, Mission: Impossible, and is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible” (CBS, 1966-73), that was created by Bruce Geller.  In Mission: Impossible 2 (also known as M:I-2), Ethan Hunt battles a rogue fellow agent in a bid to obtain a genetically modified virus.

Mission: Impossible 2 opens in a lab at Australia's Biocyte Pharmaceuticals.  There, Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich (Rade Serbedzija), a bio-genetics scientist, sends a message to his old friend, “Dimitri,” which is the cover name for Impossible Mission Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise).  Nekhorvich's employer, Biocyte Pharmaceuticals, has forced him to create a biological weapon, which he calls “Chimera,” and a cure for it, which he names “Bellerophon.”  Biocyte's CEO, John C. McCloy (Brendan Gleeson), plans to profit from Bellerophon as cure for Chimera after the virus is released into the unsuspecting world.

Nekhorvich injects himself with Chimera and carries Bellerophon with him and heads to the U.S., where he hopes to meet “Dimitri.”  However, he is intercepted by IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), who is, in some ways, Ethan Hunt's equal and opposite.  Ambrose and his men steal Bellerophon and begin their hunt to obtain Chimera, not knowing that it was inside Nekhorvich.

IMF Mission Commander Swanbeck (Anthony Hopkins) orders Hunt to lead his team – computer hacker, IMF agent Luther Stickwell (Ving Rhames), and helicopter pilot, William “Billy” Baird (John Polson), on a mission to get Chimera before Ambrose does.  Swanbeck also orders Hunt to add to his team a professional thief named Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), who was, until recently, Ambrose's girlfriend.  Can Ethan trust Nyah, or has he gotten to close to her?  And is Ambrose more than a match for Ethan?

I divide the six Mission: Impossible movies into two trilogies.  Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006) make up the first trilogy.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011),  Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) form the second trilogy.

That's just my personal thing.  M:I-2 is its own thing.  Directed by Hong Kong auteur, John Woo, the film features the hallmarks of Woo's directorial style, including his “bullet ballet” action sequences, stylized imagery, slow motion action and character drama scenes, Mexican standoffs, and fight sequences that recall the Chinese martial arts sub-genres “wuxia” and “wire-fu.”  However, the film doesn't really kick into high gear with some of Woo's best flourishes until its second half.

The first half of the film focuses on Ethan Hunt's obsession with Nyah Nordoff-Hall, which mirrors Sean Ambrose's obsession with her.  This “love triangle” allows Woo and his screenwriters to build tension between Hunt and Ambrose that explodes with jealousy and rage and eventually leads to a fight to the death.  M:I-2 may be the film in this franchise in which Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt shares the most screen time with other characters, especially Newton's Nyah and Scott's Ambrose.

Anyway, the film really begins to rumble in the second half.  The last half-hour or so is a masterpiece of directing, film editing, cinematography, and stunt coordinators and stuntmen.  My high rating is mainly because of this exhilarating last act, which makes me want to see this movie again.

Tom Cruise was in his late 30s when Mission: Impossible 2 began filming, yet he looks much younger onscreen, about a decade or so (at least to me).  His long hair, that boyish grin, his immature and petulant anger and jealousy would be largely gone 19 months later when his trippy drama, Vanilla Sky (2001), arrived in December 2001.  So for me, Mission: Impossible 2 is a good-bye to the Mission: Impossible film franchise's beginnings.  The series would rapidly begin to morph with the third entry, and boyish Tom Cruise would finally give way to adult Tom Cruise.  At least, I now remember why I loved this film so much 23 years ago, and now, I want to see it again.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

NOTES:

2001 Image Awards (NAACP):  2 nominations: “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Ving Rhames) and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Thandie Newton)

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" Goes All Out

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Running time: 147 minutes; MPAA – PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language
DIRECTOR:  Christopher McQuarrie
WRITERS:  Christopher McQuarrie (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)
PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Christopher McQuarrie, and Jake Myers
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rob Hardy (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Eddie Hamilton
COMPOSER: Lorne Balfe
BAFTA nominee

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Vanessa Kirby Michelle Monaghan, Wes Bentley, Angela Bassett, and Alec Baldwin

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a 2018 action-thriller and espionage film directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise.  It is the sixth film in the Mission: Impossible (M:I) film franchise, which is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible” (CBS, 1966-73), that was created by Bruce Geller.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a direct sequel to 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.  Fallout finds the members of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) racing against time after a mission to obtain plutonium goes wrong.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout opens two years after the events depicted in Rogue Nation, which saw Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team take down Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), the anarchist mastermind who was the leader of the international criminal consortium, the Syndicate.  Now, the remnants of the Syndicate have reformed into the terrorist organization known as “the Apostles.”

Hunt and his two longest serving IMF teammates, technical field agent, Benjamin “Benji” Dunn (Simon Pegg), and IMF agent Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), are in Berlin, Germany to buy three plutonium cores from Eastern European gangsters before the Apostles do.  The mission goes awry, which forces Hunt to track the cores to whomever or whatever organization now has them.  The person who may know the cores' whereabouts or have them is the mysterious Alanna Mitsopolis a.k.a. “the White Widow” (Vanessa Kirby).

Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett), the new Director of the CIA, is furious at Hunt and current Secretary of the IMF, Al Hunley (Alec Baldwin), for failing to secure the plutonium.  Director Sloane insists that one of her agents, August Walker (Henry Cavill), an assassin working for the CIA's Special Activities Division, accompany and Hunt and his IMF team to Paris to meet the Widow.  What Hunt doesn't know is that a recent ally, former MI6 agent, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), is also tracking Hunt, and her mission may or may not be a danger to Hunt's.

I divide the six Mission: Impossible movies into two trilogies.  Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible II (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006) make up the first trilogy.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011),  Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) form the second trilogy.  Each film in the first trilogy has a different director and a different tone or sensibility.  The second trilogy only has two different directors, Brad Bird for Ghost Protocol and Christopher McQuarrie for Rogue Nation and Fallout.  However, beginning with Ghost Protocol, the films depict IMF as being a team of outsiders fighting both to save the world and to justify its existence, if only for a moment of goodwill immediately after a successful mission.  Afterwards, the security state apparatus of the United States is back to mistrusting the motives of IMF or to being downright hostile to it.  This intensifies the recent films' sense of drama and also sets them apart from earlier M:I films.

The recent film, Fallout, is the best of this second trilogy or second lot of films.  It certainly lives up to both the words “mission” and “impossible” in its name.  Every thing upon which Ethan Hunt embarks is a mission; these can't be adventures or mere chases because every move has a purpose.  The “impossible” comes in because the missions always involve these impossible set pieces, and Fallout sets a new standard in M:I insane set pieces.

Tom Cruise may be Hollywood's most consistent action movie star and its most ambitious.  As of the release of Fallout, the M:I film franchise was 22-years-old, with the seventh and eighth installments already preparing for release in 2021 and 2022 respectively (as of this writing).  One can call M:I III a bit of a box office misstep (but not by much), but as of Ghost Protocol, the franchise has been bigger, better (in some ways) and tastier with each new film.  Fallout, to date, is Tom Cruise's most extravagant, deliriously fun film, blending mind-bending action set pieces with brutal, physical, man-to-man fights that are sometimes to the death.  Cruise is so hungry to blow our minds ever more with each film that he actually was hurt performing a crazy and dangerous stunt himself.

In Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise seems to have found the perfect director for his aspirations for this franchise.  McQuarrie began his Hollywood career as a screenwriter and won an Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects.  In the last decade, however, he has proved to be a director of imaginative and inventive macho films that balance high octane action and conspiratorial intrigue.  McQuarrie gives us meat-and-potatoes action films, but the meat is of a high quality and the potatoes are sustainable and artisanal.  It is no coincidence that this already-good franchise has found a way to improve since McQuarrie began directing it and writing its screenplays.

The supporting cast is also excellent, with Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg finding places to shine next to Cruise's supernova.  Angela Bassett chews up two of her scenes; it is easy to take this magnificent actress for granted.  Of course, you will regret it.  I have to admit Henry Cavill impressed me in a way he has never before, and I have to say that I loved every moment of Rebecca Ferguson.  And it is always good to see Alec Baldwin.

At the end of my review of Rogue Nation, I wrote, “Seriously, Tom Cruise is as glorious as ever as Ethan Hunt.”  That remains true, and Mission: Impossible is also as glorious as ever.  I love it so much that I will say even to people who are not fans of the franchise: see Mission: Impossible – Fallout.  For a moment while I was watching this film, I thought to myself, “M:I has replaced James Bond.”  Yikes!

9 of 10
A+

2019 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Gilbert Lake, James Mather, Chris Munro, and Mike Prestwood Smith)

Saturday, May 30, 2020


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New "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" Teaser Poster - Feb. 2nd, 2018

Mission: Impossible - Fallout
In Theatres: July 27, 2018

Synopsis: The best intentions often come back to haunt you.  MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong.  Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie returning to the helm.

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Cast: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Wes Bentley, Frederick Schmidt.

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Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" Reaches New Heights

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Running time:  136 minutes (2 hours, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive content
DIRECTOR:  James Gunn
WRITERS:  James Gunn (based on the comic book created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Henry Braham (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Fred Raskin and Craig Wood
COMPOSER:  Tyler Bates

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Laura Haddock, Sean Gunn, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sylvester Stallone, Stan Lee, Michelle Yeoh, Ving Rhames, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 science fiction-action film and adventure comedy.  It is written and directed by James Gunn and is produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics title, Guardians of the Galaxy (2008), which was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and is a sequel to the 2014 film, Guardians of the Galaxy.  This second film finds the Guardians of the Galaxy trying to unravel the mystery of the origins of one of their own while evading an unhappy client intent on killing them.

In 2014, Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista), Baby Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) are renowned throughout the galaxy as the Guardians of the Galaxy.  They have been hired by Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), the leader of the Sovereign race, to stop a monster from stealing valuable batteries from the Sovereign world.  That mission is successful, but also goes slightly awry, making the Guardians targets for destruction.

While on the run, the Guardians meet a mysterious man, who calls himself Ego (Kurt Russell), and his assistant, Mantis (Pom Klementieff).  Ego claims that he is Peter Quill's father, and he takes Peter, Gamora, and Drax with him to his home world.  Rocket and Baby Groot find themselves stuck with Gamora's vengeful sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan).  Things get worse when Peter's surrogate father and Ravager leader, Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker), shows up to claim a bounty on the Guardians.  Meanwhile, on Ego's planet, Gamora begins to suspect that there is something ominous about Peter's alleged biological father.

The original Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the surprise hits of 2014, if not the surprise hit of the year.  Although I was interested in a sequel to the film, I could not imagine what a Guardians of the Galaxy 2 would like.  What we gets is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, a fun sci-fi action movie and a surprisingly thoughtful character melodrama.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the acting is really good; the special effects are impressive; the CGI-created environments, backdrops, sets (interiors and exteriors), spaceways, worlds, etc. are so dazzling in scope, color, and imagination.  The songs on the soundtrack are just the inspired choices they were for the first film.  The make-up and costumes are worthy of receiving Oscar nominations next year.

But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 turns on the inventive and reflective storytelling of writer-director James Gunn.  I thought that Gunn might be a potentially top-notch filmmaker when I saw his film Slither (2006), one of the few horror movies that is genuinely scary while also being droll and witty.  And I have to admit that I also liked Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), for which Gunn was the credited screenwriter, so that was also a point in his favor.

With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Gunn delivers his best screenplay.  He takes what could have been a silly, frivolous, and mildly entertaining sequel to a surprising outer space, action-adventure film (the original Guardians of the Galaxy), and instead, delivers a shockingly moving rumination on what a family is, what it can be, and what forms it may take.  Vol. 2 says that family members fight and yell at each other because they care so damn much about one another – even if each individual in the family is loathed to admit how much he cares about another family member and how much she cares about the family as a group.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is just as wild and entertaining and out-there as the first movie.  It is a science fiction/space fantasy pop confection with the delightful fizz of the first film.  However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is not just a follow-up to a hit film, nor is it just the next installment in a franchise.  It is an evolution or at least it is evidence that this franchise can grow, and James Gunn is the guy with the notion that he could really, really improve on the original with a film that engages the characters – both the leads and the supporting players – in character drama and character development.  I honestly wonder if Gunn can top himself in a third Guardians movie.

9 of 10
A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" a Nation onto Itself

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 (of 2016) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
Running time: 131 minutes (2 hours, 11 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity
DIRECTOR:  Christopher McQuarrie
WRITERS:  Christopher McQuarrie; from a story by Christopher McQuarrie and Drew Pearce (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)
PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, David Ellison, and Don Granger
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Elswit (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Eddie Hamilton
COMPOSER: Joe Kraemer

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Simon McBurney, Jen Hultén, Hermoine Corfield, and Nigel Barber

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is a 2015 action-thriller and espionage film directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise.  It is the fifth film in the Mission: Impossible film franchise, which is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible,” that was created by Bruce Geller and that originally aired on CBS from 1966 to 1973.

Rogue Nation finds the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) taking on their most impossible mission yet, defeating an international rogue organization that is every bit as highly skilled as IMF.  A little over three year ago, I called Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol the best M:I film since the first one, 1996's Mission: Impossible.  Now, I think Rogue Nation is the best since the first film.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation opens in Belarus.  Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is on a mission with his IMF team – technical field agent, Benjamin “Benji” Dunn (Simon Pegg) and IMF agent Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames).  They have to intercept a shipment of VX nerve gas aboard an airplane before it is flown away to be sold to terrorists.

Later, CIA Director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) and IMF Field Operations Director William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) testify before a U.S. Senate committee.  The IMF is currently without a secretary in charge, but Hunley believes that the Senate should not appoint new secretary.  He believes that the IMF is dangerous and destructive and that any successes its agents have are the result of luck.  Hunley wants the IMF disbanded and absorbed into the CIA.

Ethan Hunt has been trying to prove the existence of the Syndicate, an international criminal consortium.  He believes that the Syndicate is both the equal and the opposite of the IMF.  It is an anti-IMF that acts as a “rogue nation,” committing acts of terror and assassination.  Hunley believes that the Syndicate is a figment of Hunt's imagination and sends CIA agents and assets to capture Hunt.  Hunt believes that a mysterious operative, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), is the person who can lead him to the Syndicate and its formidable leader, the mysterious Solomon Lane (Sean Harris).

I always want to be honest with you, dear readers, even when I'm being a fanboy who really loves a movie in spite of its faults.  I absolutely love Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and I think that it is a genuinely good movie.  I don't know if it is possible that any other filmmakers could do a better job than director Christopher McQuarrie and film editor Eddie Hamilton did with Rogue Nation.  Maybe James Cameron could?

I think it is preposterous that this movie is so entertaining.  The action is so bracing and invigorating.  The ebb and flow of the thrills could cause you to ask for a cigarette after seeing this movie.  Rogue Nation is a way more entertaining action movie than Jurassic World, which made three times as much money at the box office as Rogue Nation did.  I kinda have to admit that I enjoyed watching Rogue Nation more than I did watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens three nights ago.  It hurts me to write this, cause I love me some Star Wars, but...

Seriously, Tom Cruise is as glorious as ever as Ethan Hunt.  This time, however, the mix of quality supporting cast as IMF agents and as allies, adversaries, and people somewhere in the middle is just right – like a stew or soup with that almost-perfect blend of ingredients, preparation, and cooking.  Yes, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is a golden gumbo of flavorful characters, settings, plot, and execution.  I plan on experiencing this cinematic dish many, many more times.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, December 25, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" Arrives in Homes December 15th

Tom Cruise Returns in the Explosive $650m+ Worldwide Blockbuster MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION, Debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack December 15 and Digital HD November 17

“The best Mission: Impossible yet.”— Scott Mantz, “Access Hollywood”

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hailed as “relentlessly thrilling” (Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly) and filled with “jaw-dropping stunts” (Scott Mendelson, Forbes), the global hit MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION takes off on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand December 15, 2015 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The critically acclaimed action-thriller will also be available as part of the Mission: Impossible 5-movie Blu-ray collection, the perfect gift for the holiday season. The film arrives four weeks early on Digital HD November 17, 2015.

Loaded with “killer action and tight suspense” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone), Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION was directed and written for the screen by Christopher McQuarrie. Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames return to their iconic roles and the movie also stars Alec Baldwin and newcomer Rebecca Ferguson in a “star-turning role” (Brian Viner, Daily Mail) as a mysterious double agent.

With his elite organization shut down by the CIA, agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team (Renner, Pegg, Rhames) race against time to stop the rise of a new global threat, The Syndicate, a dangerous network of rogue operatives turned traitors. To stop them, Ethan must join forces with an elusive, disavowed agent (Ferguson) who may or may not be on his side as he faces his most impossible mission yet.

The MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION Blu-ray Combo Pack with Digital HD is loaded with cast and crew interviews and a commentary by Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie. Plus, get an inside look at the movie’s incredible stunts, including the jaw-dropping Airbus stunt, the nail-biting underwater sequence and the riveting Moroccan car and motorcycle chase, and much more.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack also features a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack*, which delivers captivating sound that places and moves audio anywhere in the room, including overhead, to bring entertainment alive all around the audience.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION Blu-ray Combo Pack
The MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English Dolby Atmos* (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

    Feature film in high definition
        Commentary by Tom Cruise and director/screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie
    Lighting the Fuse
    Cruise Control
    Heroes
    Cruising Altitude
    Mission: Immersible
    Sand Theft Auto
    The Missions Continue

DVD

    Feature film in standard definition

The Blu-ray Combo Pack available for purchase includes a Digital HD Version of the film that can be accessed through UltraViolet™, a way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them—reliably and securely—to a variety of devices.

*To experience Dolby Atmos at home, Dolby Atmos enabled AV receivers and additional speakers are required; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Blu-ray Collection

The MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5-Movie Collection includes access to a Digital HD copy of each film as well as the following special features:

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

    Feature film in high definition

    Mission: Remarkable - 40 Years of Creating the Impossible
    Mission: Explosive Exploits
    Mission: Spies Among Us
    Mission: Catching the Train
    And Much More!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2

    Feature film in high definition
        Commentary by director John Woo
    Behind the Mission
    Mission Incredible
    Impossible Shots
    And Much More!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3

    Feature film in high definition
        Commentary by Tom Cruise and director J.J. Abrams

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL

    Feature film in high definition
    Mission Accepted: On-set action with Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams & director Brad Bird
    Impossible Missions: The sandstorm brought to life and the secrets behind the gadgets
    Deleted scenes and alternate opening

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION

    Feature film in high definition
        Commentary by Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie
    Lighting the Fuse
    Cruise Control
    Heroes…
    Cruising Altitude
    Mission: Immersible
    Sand Theft Auto
    The Missions Continue

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION Single-Disc DVD

The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.

http://www.MissionImpossible.com/

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media present a Tom Cruise/Bad Robot Production: Tom Cruise “Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation.” Starring Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin. Music by Joe Kraemer. Executive producer Jake Myers. Produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger. Based on the television series created by Bruce Geller. Story by Christopher McQuarrie and Drew Pearce. Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.


About Paramount Home Media Distribution
Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier media brands that create television programs, motion pictures, consumer products, and digital content for audiences in 180 countries and territories. The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles. PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.

About Skydance Media
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create elevated, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across platforms, including feature film, television, gaming and digital. Among Skydance Media’s commercially and critically successful feature films are Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Terminator Genisys, World War Z, Jack Reacher, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness and True Grit. Its 2015 feature films, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Terminator Genisys have together grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Skydance’s future feature film slate includes Star Trek Beyond, the follow-up to Jack Reacher and Geostorm. The Company’s Emmy-nominated television series are Grace and Frankie on Netflix and Manhattan on WGN America.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION
Street Date:
December 15, 2015 (Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand)
November 17, 2015 (Digital HD)
SRP:    $39.99 U.S. (Blu-ray Combo Pack)
            $29.99 U.S. (DVD)
            $64.99 U.S (5-Pack Movie Collection)

U.S. Rating:             PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity
Canadian Rating:             PG for violence; not recommended for young children

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"Mission: Impossible" Goes "Rogue Nation" on Worldwide Box Office

“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” CROSSES THE $300 MILLION MARK AT THE GLOBAL BOX OFFICE

HOLLYWOOD, CA – “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION,” the fifth film in the blockbuster franchise, has crossed the $300 million milestone at the worldwide box office. The film has earned $118.5 million domestically, with an additional $184.6 million from overseas markets.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise, “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” debuted at #1 in North America and many international markets, grossing more than $150 million in its first week of release.

Internationally, the film’s success was bolstered by #1 openings in such major territories as Korea, UK, Mexico, Australia, Spain, Russia and Argentina, and achieved franchise-breaking numbers in India, Korea, UK, Mexico, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Russia. International territories still to open include France, Brazil, and Italy. The film will release in China on September 8, in collaboration with partners Alibaba Pictures and China Movie Channel.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance present a Tom Cruise / Bad Robot Production, “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION.” With the IMF disbanded and Ethan (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, the team now faces off against a network of highly skilled special agents, the Syndicate. These highly trained operatives are hellbent on creating a new world order through an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with disavowed British agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who may or may not be a member of this rogue nation, as the group faces its most impossible mission yet. Starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin.

The film is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, with a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and story by Christopher McQuarrie and Drew Pearce. Based on the television series created by Bruce Geller. Produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Jake Myers is an executive producer.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Skydance
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create elevated, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across platforms, including feature film, television, gaming and digital. Among Skydance’s blockbuster and award-winning feature films are True Grit, Star Trek Into Darkness, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Jack Reacher, World War Z and Terminator Genisys. Its upcoming feature film slate includes Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation in 2015 and Geostorm, Star Trek Beyond and the follow-up to Jack Reacher in 2016. Skydance Television’s Emmy nominated series are Grace and Frankie on Netflix and Manhattan on WGN America.

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New "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" Poster - #5 - Ving Rhames

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION In Theaters July 31, 2015
Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

MissionImpossible.com

facebook.com/MissionImpossibleMovie

twitter.com/MissionFilm

instagram.com/MissionImpossible

youtube.com/MissionImpossible

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New "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" Trailer (June 4th, 2015)

The NEW Trailer for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION is now available

YouTube: http://youtu.be/F-qBD17wwrQ

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION In Theaters July 31, 2015

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

MissionImpossible.com

facebook.com/MissionImpossibleMovie

twitter.com/MissionFilm

instagram.com/MissionImpossible

youtube.com/MissionImpossible

"Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation" - Full Trailer and Advanced Ticket Sales

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

Watch the full trailer now: https://youtu.be/gOW_azQbOjw

Advance Tickets are Now on Sale

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th through Friday, March 27th, 2015 fans purchasing advance tickets at Fandango and Movietickets.com will receive a code for a free HD digital copy of any previous installment in the blockbuster “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” franchise. More information below!

TICKETS FOR THE FIRST U.S. SHOWINGS OF “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” UNLOCKED TODAY

FANS WILL RECEIVE A “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” HD MOVIE DOWNLOAD WITH ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE

HOLLYWOOD, CA – Paramount Pictures today announced that tickets for the first showings of the highly anticipated film “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” are unlocked with today’s trailer debut and on sale now – four months before the film’s theatrical release.

The advance tickets are available for Thursday, July 30th, 2015 showings at 7:00 p.m. in IMAX® and premium large format theaters and 8:00 p.m. at additional participating locations nationwide. The tickets are available online at Fandango, Movietickets.com and participating theater box offices.

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th through Friday, March 27th, fans purchasing advance tickets at Fandango and Movietickets.com will receive a code for a free HD digital copy of any previous installment in the blockbuster “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” franchise.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.MissionImpossible.com

“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” reunites Tom Cruise with Mission: Impossilbe – Ghost Protocol stars Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames. The film also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions present a Tom Cruise / Bad Robot production. The film is directed by Christopher McQuarrie and produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk. The executive producers are David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger of Skydance Productions and Jake Myers. Drew Pearce, Christopher McQuarrie, Will Staples, Laeta Kalogridis & Patrick Lussier and Dylan Kussman wrote the screenplay, based on the television series created by Bruce Geller.

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation
In Theaters July 31, 2015

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

MissionImpossible.com
facebook.com/MissionImpossibleMovie
twitter.com/MissionFilm
instagram.com/MissionImpossible
youtube.com/MissionImpossible

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

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Fifth "Misssion: Impossible" Movie to Hit IMAX Screens in July 2015

THE FIFTH INSTALLMENT IN THE “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” FRANCHISE, FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES, SKYDANCE PRODUCTIONS AND BAD ROBOT, WILL BE RELEASED IN IMAX® THEATRES GLOBALLY BEGINNING JULY 31st

Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, Bad Robot, and IMAX Corporation today announced that the fifth installment in the blockbuster “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” franchise, directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released in IMAX® theaters worldwide beginning July 31st, 2015.

The new film is produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk. The executive producers are David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger of Skydance Productions and Jake Myers. Drew Pearce, Christopher McQuarrie, Will Staples, Laeta Kalogridis & Patrick Lussier and Dylan Kussman wrote the screenplay, based on the television series created by Bruce Geller.

The newest installment reunites Cruise with stars from 2011’s “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL,” including Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames. Joining the cast is Alec Baldwin, Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris.

“IMAX is so important in giving the audience the best experience of the film we have made. I am very happy to have this partnership on the next ‘MISSION,’” said Cruise.

“After the innovative way we worked with our longtime partners Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, Bad Robot and Tom Cruise on the record-setting ‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL,’ we are beyond thrilled to once again offer audiences The IMAX Experience® of the latest installment of this action-packed franchise,” said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. “This film was literally made for IMAX and summer moviegoing.”

Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures said, “Audiences the world over proved with the last ‘MISSION’ that the IMAX experience is not to be missed and so we are all thrilled to again partner with Rich, Greg and everyone at IMAX to bring this next exciting installment to their screens this summer.”
The “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” franchise has earned more than $2 billion at the box office, making it one of the most successful franchises in movie history.

The IMAX® release of the latest “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE “ film will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Skydance Productions
Skydance Productions tells big stories and creates immersive worlds, producing narratives that span film, television, games and more. Skydance is currently in post-production on a reset of the TERMINATOR franchise, TERMINATOR GENISYS, to be released on July 1, 2015. The company is also in post-production on the latest installment in the highly successful MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise starring Tom Cruise with Chris McQuarrie directing. Additionally, Skydance is currently in production on a disaster film on a global scale titled GEOSTORM written by Dean Devlin and Paul Guyot with Devlin also directing. Skydance will next begin production on STAR TREK 3, the third installment in the JJ Abrams franchise. Simon Pegg and Doug Jung are attached to co-write with Justin Lin to direct. Currently in development is AFRICA, a sweeping epic about paleo-anthropologist Richard Leakey's battle with ivory poachers that threaten the existence of the African elephant population and the very soul of Africa. Angelina Jolie is attached to direct the film based on Eric Roth's screenplay. Skydance’s recent releases include JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT, from director Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Pine; WORLD WAR Z, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster; STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto; and G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson. Skydance’s previous projects include Christopher McQuarrie’s JACK REACHER, starring Tom Cruise; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, starring Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner; and the award-winning Coen Brothers film TRUE GRIT, starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon.

About Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot was formed by filmmaker J.J. Abrams in 2001. The company has produced television series such as ALIAS, LOST, FRINGE, PERSON OF INTEREST, REVOLUTION, ALMOST HUMAN, feature films such as CLOVERFIELD, STAR TREK, SUPER 8, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, the upcoming STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, the latest installment of the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE franchise, STAR TREK 3 and interactive content including the mobile apps SUPER 8 and ACTION MOVIE FX. Bad Robot’s first foray into publishing, S., a novel conceived by Abrams and written by Doug Dorst, was a New York Times Best Seller. Bad Robot is based in Los Angeles and can be followed at twitter.com/bad_robot.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing.  As of September 30, 2014, there were 880 IMAX theatres (751 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 110 institutions) in 60 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

Review: "Force of Execution" Has a Cap for Every Ass

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 82 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Force of Execution (2013)
Running time:  99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence throughout, sexual content/nudity and pervasive language
DIRECTOR:  Keoni Waxman
WRITERS:  Richard Beattie and Michael Black
PRODUCERS:  Nicolas Chartier, Phillip B. Goldfine, and Steven Seagal
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Nathan Wilson
EDITOR:  Trevor Mirosh
COMPOSER:  Michael Richard Plowman

CRIME/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Steven Seagal, Ving Rhames, Danny Trejo, Bren Foster, Jenny Gabrielle, David House, Eric Steinig, Jermaine Washington, J.D. Garfield, Cajardo Lindsey, Marlon Lewis, Andy Brooks, and Jesus Jr.

Force of Execution is a 2013 action and crime thriller from director Keoni Waxman.  Starring Steven Seagal and Ving Rhames, Force of Execution focuses on a war between a crime boss concerned about his legacy and the new boss who wants to take his place.

Mob kingpin Mr. Alexander (Steven Seagal) is an old-school boss – the kind who rules his criminal empire with nobility as well as brutality.  His protégé is Roman Hurst (Bren Foster), a skilled fighter and hit man.  Alexander assigns to Hurst a simple prison hit that goes wrong, and Hurst is forced to pay a price for his “failure.”

Later, challenges to Alexander’s power arise on two different fronts.  The first is a cold-blooded gangster known as “The Iceman” (Ving Rhames) or simply, “Ice.”  Ice is a kind of prince of a powerful street gang, and he soon begins to consolidate power, using murder and mayhem strategically.  The second group of rivals is a merciless Mexican cartel, led by a man known as Cesare (J.D. Garfield).  As these groups divide and fight over territory, the body count rises.  A shadow player, Oso (Danny Trejo), ex-con and cook, has a few hidden moves of his own.  He is helping the man who may well decide the winner of this citywide gangway find redemption and healing.

Force of Execution is by no means a great movie, but it is a surprisingly entertaining crime flick.  It is kind of like a clunky version of a Hong Kong action movie/shoot ‘em up.  Force of Execution’s biggest problem is in the writing.  Like Brooklyn’s Finest or the recent Pawn, Force of Execution has a screenplay that would work better if it were the basis for a television series.  This movie has a lot of good characters, but writers Richard Beattie and Michael Black squeeze them into a storytelling timeframe that is not adequate for allowing several characters to emerge and to fully develop, at least not the way a television series would.

Still, the script seems tailored made to let Steven Seagal, Ving Rhames, and Danny Trejo portray the kind of on-the-edge, crazy characters that movie fans want to see these actors play.  Older and pudgier, Seagal does not have to move very fast to be a convincing bad ass, and he can still kick some ass.  As far as I’m concerned, Danny Trejo is always a good thing.  There is always a little bit more to his characters than is obvious, and in this movie, that little bit more involves a kind of person called a “curandero.”

As for Ving Rhames:  well, as The Iceman, he calls everybody “nigger.”  I love a movie that lets niggas call niggas “niggas,” and here, Ving Rhames calls blacks, whites, browns, etc. “nigger,” when he is feeling jolly and little bit dangerous.  As Ice, Rhames has this movie’s best dialogue, and he makes good use of it.

I do wish the story had a better focus on Bren Foster’s Ramon Hurst.  Foster is good in the fight scenes, although he needs to improve as a dramatic actor.  Still, Foster would be a good choice to play the lead if some studio remade a classic Seagal flick like Marked for Death or Out for Justice.

Force of Execution is enjoyable.  It’s fun to watch Seagal beat people up and throw them into furniture and stacks of whatever is nearby.  Hand-to-hand combat does not take a backseat to gunplay, and the executions do have force behind them.  I wouldn’t mind at sequel to Force of Execution, at all.

6 of 10
B

Monday, December 16, 2013


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Review: "Lilo and Stitch" a Delightful Surprise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Running time: 85 minutes (1 hour, 25 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild sci-fi action
DIRECTORS: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
WRITERS: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders; from an idea by Chris Sanders
PRODUCER: Clark Spencer
EDITORS: Darren T. Holmes and Michael Kelly
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/COMEDY/FAMILY/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: (voice) Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Zoe Caldwell, and Jason Scott Lee

The subject of this movie review is Lilo & Stitch, a 2002 animated science fiction and family film from Walt Disney Feature Animation. This hand-drawn (or 2D) animated film is the 42nd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.

With the release of Mulan in 1998, Walt Disney’s animated films soared to new heights of artistry, and the craft of their storytelling also greatly improved. With that film, not only were Disney films glorious eye candy, their stories were also quite moving, dealing with such universal themes as loss, redemption, acceptance, and triumph.

In Lilo & Stitch, we leave behind the China of Mulan, the virgin jungle of Tarzan, and the sensational underground world of Atlantis, The Lost Empire to travel the interstellar space ways and lush landscapes of Hawaii. It’s a fantastic ride of eye-popping visuals that capture the imagination and create the perfect backdrop to tell this story of two loners and outcasts who find companionship in one another.

Genetic Experiment 626 (voice of Chris Sanders) is the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy, created by Dr. Jumba (voice of David Ogden Stiers) for the sole purpose of destroying civilizations. Marked for destruction by the United Galactic Federation, 626 makes his escape to earth. After a series of mishaps on this planet, 626 lands at a dog pound where a friendless little girl named Lilo (voice of Daveigh Chase) adopts him as a pet and names him Stitch. After their parents died, Lilo’s sister Nani (voice of Tia Carrere) took on the task of rearing her sister. She isn’t having much success, and Stitch’s arrival has complicated matters. Mr. Cobra Bubbles (voice of Ving Rhames), a strict social worker who cuts an imposing figure, also applies serious pressure on Nani to do a better job taking care of her small sister or risk losing her. With his creator on the trail to capture him and pressure on her sister to take better care of her, Stitch and Lilo have to bridge the gap of worlds and become the only friends each other has.

Like most Disney animated films, the fact that Lilo and Stitch is entertaining is a given. What makes it stand out is the story’s touching drama and the animation’s colorful bounty. Co-writers/co-directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders created a story with much dramatic impact. I really felt Lilo’s loneliness and her desire to fit in with other children and Nani’s desperation to hold what was left of her family together. DeBlois and Sanders really work the audience because they didn’t make it easy for the characters to obtain their hearts’ desires, so we have to really pull for them. Nani keeps dropping the ball, and Lilo is a handful to rear, to say nothing of the fact that Stitch is not much of a pet and is hard to train. Each character’s needs keep getting in the way of what other characters need. All this struggle makes the pay off at the end all the more rewarding.

As for the animation – what more can I say about Disney’s work? The sci-fi element of this film is quite strong, and several scenes takes place in sci-fi settings, many of which feature complicated chase sequences involving masses of star ships. Computers provide the animation for the tech stuff, but the computer animation looks, for the most part, like traditional cel animation.

Lilo and Stitch is also a throwback in the use of the watercolor backgrounds. Combined with the character animation, Lilo looks as if it were made at the height of the golden age of animation. The blend of traditional and modern was so seamless that it amazed me. With Atlantis, it was clear that Disney animators can create battle and chase sequences that rival those in the best live action movies, and the chase at the end of Lilo affirms that.

Lilo & Stitch will certainly please the target audience for which Disney aims it, but I think everyone likes Disney animated features when they give them a chance. Lilo doesn’t have smart aleck gags to keep adults awake while they suffer through this film for the sake of a children. In fact, what adult would suffer from watching this film? It’s one of those movies with a story that reaches out to everyone. And it’s filled with Elvis Presley songs. Who can resist that?

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature” (Chris Sanders)

Review: "Dark Blue" Dark Indeed

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Dark Blue (2003)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, language and brief sexuality
DIRECTOR: Ron Shelton
WRITERS: David Ayer; from a story James Ellroy
PRODUCERS: David Blocker, Caldecot Chubb, Sean Daniel, and James Jacks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Barry Peterson
EDITORS: Patrick Flannery and Paul Seydor
COMPOSER: Terence Blanchard

CRIME/DRAMA with elements of action and thriller

Starring: Kurt Russell, Scott Speedman, Michael Michele, Brendan Gleeson, Ving Rhames, Kurupt, Lolita Davidovich, Dash Mihok, Master P, and Khandi Alexander

The subject of this movie review is Dark Blue, a 2002 crime drama from director Ron Shelton (Bull Durham) and writer David Ayer and based on an original story by James Ellroy. The film was released to theatres in February 2003.

Describing Ron Shelton’s Dark Blue is not an easy task. Even if I only dealt with the surface issues, I’d still have a hard time defining the film. What I can say is that it is brutal and unflinching in its display of violence, corruption, and human frailty. Shelton, who usually writes his own screenplays, has a devil of script in this one with which to work. James Ellroy, the mack daddy of American crime fiction and the novelist of L.A. Confidential, wrote the story and David Ayer, the writer of Training Day and The Fast and the Furious, wrote the script; thus, the pedigree of the story is one of immense power and frank honesty when dealing with the Los Angeles on a street level and in its darkest corners.

Set in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on the eve of the 1992 riots after the “Rodney King Beating Trial” verdict, the film focuses on a hardnosed cop with a penchant for shooting suspects, Sgt. Eldon Perry, Jr. (Kurt Russell) and his youthful partner Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman), whom Perry is training to follow in his tough footsteps. Perry is sometimes a kind of hit man and troubleshooter for his boss Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson), who is also Bobby’s uncle. Van Meter’s web of deceit has drawn the attention of an ambitious deputy chief (Ving Rhames), who closes in on the corruption as the city awaits the verdict of King trial.

Dark Blue isn’t just about police corruption although that seems to be its central focus. The film has so much going on around the central character Perry that it’s hard to zero in on any particular issue. It’s about how people get drawn into the darker side of the law and remain there despite their misgivings. It’s about the ends justifying the means and about doing whatever you want to do or believe you have to do regardless of the cost to others.

More than anything, Dark Blue reveals how a select group of men treat the LAPD like their own personal boy’s club where they can live the most selfish and hedonistic lifestyle they want to live and the public pays the their club dues. Dark Blue makes it quite plain and matter of fact that quite a few cops look the other way when it comes to corruption and that some “officers of the law” are as bad or worse then the criminals they supposedly fight. Even the good guys are tainted. In fact, after seeing this, I have my doubts that bad cops actually only make up a very small percentage of police departments. Corruption is the cancer, but material gain is the alluring scent that draws them to the sickness. Of course, a lot of policemen look the other way because they know how easy it is to cross the line.

It takes a good cast to carry off a film like this, one that deals with difficult and angry subject matter in such a frank manner. Kurt Russell continues to affirm his status as a great male star in the tradition of the great tough guys, and he can act. I could read the drama in his face and see the character’s turmoil and conflict; Russell didn’t have to say a word. He only had to act. Scott Speedman plays the youthful and slowly corrupted Bobby with a charm that engages us to him especially when he’s trying to be a bad boy. Ving Rhames and Brendan Gleeson are fine character actors; they always bring something of themselves, their own personal style, to their characters, which gives those characters flavor.

Dark Blue may be an L.A. story, but its elements and themes are universal. The same issues that plagued the men and the bureaucracy of law enforcement in 1992 before the riots still bother them today. It’s good that Ellroy, Ayers, and Shelton can turn this disease into a big messy film full of ugliness, making us confront the mean streets and the even meaner men who play on it.

Dark Blue isn’t slick entertainment, and it does drag at times. Like Michael Mann’s Heat, it takes its time building up steam before it blows up in our faces. Good. Some things about “the law” need to gut punch America if the country’s going to pay attention. Shelton builds the tension slowly, but the audience needs the set up to get the payoff. If the ending seems confused, it’s the only appropriate one for a movie so deeply involved in the drama of life. I like having an important movie be this rough, crime drama (heck, I just like a good crime drama) that craps on the gloss of Hollywood. The art of drama doesn’t have to be pretty.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2004 Black Reel Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Supporting Actor” (Ving Rhames) and “Best Supporting Actress” (Michael Michele)