Synopsis (from IMDB):  An Army veteran assembles a team of bodyguards to protect a former boxer. Complications arise when the boxer suspects his sister may be romantically involved with the bodyguard.

My buddy – who is a huge Van Damme fan – passed along a bunch of his movies for me to watch, ergo the amount of reviews that I have been doing recently on his films.  I don’t like Van Damme as much, but I must admit to still liking his movies.  I think that he has gotten better as an actor (as opposed to Steven Seagal, who has gotten worse).  Further to the comparison between Seagal and Van Damme, you have to give JCVD credit for keeping himself in shape.

The Hard Corps is more passable fare from the actor, and I must admit to enjoying it.  Lots of gunfire, but this time a decent plot outline.  This movie ran long for a Van Damme flick, clocking in at just under a couple of hours.  Usually his movies have difficulty making the ninety minute mark.

Van Damme and Vivica A. Fox were both good in their roles, as was Razaaq Adoti.  The rest of the cast could have used an upgrade, as they were not very believable (though not for lack of trying).  Because the movie starred Van Damme most people would pan it right away, but it was worth a good two and a half stars (out of five) on my scale.

Synopsis (from IMDB):  A Texas cop battles ex-Navy SEALS who are trying to traffic drugs from Mexico into the USA.

The shortest synopsis in IMDB history…but accurate.  The movie itself, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and a bunch of other unknown actors, was not too bad at all.  It is passable fare – and typical of what you would expect a Van Damme movie to be.  If you start watching it with that mentality, then you will not be disappointed.

Truth be told, I’ve always liked these kinds of films.  They are not big on the storyline, but there is lots of action.  In short, they keep it simple.  Since I’m always doing something, sometimes it is nice to watch a movie that does not require much thought.

Even though quality wise I would rate the movie only two stars out of five, I would still recommend it for the reasons above.  Don’t watch it with the woman if you’re expecting some action of your own later on, because you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Synopsis (from IMDB):  In Venice, Italy, a team of expert theives pulls a daring heist of 35 million dollars in bars of gold. One of the theives betrays his companions and swipes the gold for himself. One year later, in Los Angeles, the surviving team members create a smart and devious plan to steal back the gold and get their revenge on the traitor.

The Italian Job is one of those movies that I enjoy each and every time that I watch it, yet one that I rarely think of when listing my favorites.  I am a fan of this genre of movie, and I also rank the Ocean’s Series among my favourites.

Edward Norton deserves particular acclaim as the villan in this movie.  He is a fantastic actor that rarely fails to deliver.  He was well cast.  Donald Sutherland was equally as well cast, despite his role being small, it was well written (much like the Steve Seagal cameo in Executive Decision).  Why is Jason Statham always the wheelman in his films (Collateral, Death Race, the Transporter series)?

In any event, the movie definitely rates as a 3 out of 5 stars in my book.

Synopsis (from IMDB):  When terrorists threaten nuclear catastrophe, the world’s only hope is to reactivate decommissioned Universal Soldier Luc Deveraux.  Rearmed and reprogrammed, Deveraux must take on his nemesis from the original Universal Soldier and a next-generation “UniSol”.

Surprisingly, this was a pretty good movie.  Usually sequels are not very good, especially when they star now b-movie actors that appeared in the original movie over twenty years prior.  My buddy, who is a huge Jean-Claude Van Damme fan, insisted that I watch it and a couple of months later I finally did.  Following last years JCVD, this is Van Damme’s second decent movie in a row.  The movie also stars Dolph Lundgren (reprising his role as Sgt. Andrew Scott), as well as mixed-martial arts fighters Mike Pyle and Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski.

Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) is reactivated to combat a terrorist organization that has taken over the former Chernobyl nuclear facility.  They have in the possession a next generation UniSol (NGU, played by Arlovski) that no regular soldier can hope to face successfully.  The terrorists have also kidnapped the Russian Presidents two children and are holding them hostage.  Captain Kevin Burke (Pyle), who was part of the original Delta Force team sent to rescue the children, returned to the site to gather intel that the control team could pass to Deveraux.

Deveraux successfully battles Scott and the NGU to save the children and the day (because in these movies, the hero always wins).

I felt that this movie was a soft reboot for the Universal Soldier franchise, especially with the end sequence.  Mike Pyle did a very good job acting and I think that if there are more films made he will be a part of them.  Arlovski did not have many lines (due to the fact that his english is limited) but as a UniSol he is very credible.  The one fight that we did not get to see was Sgt. Scott squaring off against the 7th Gen. UniSol.  That would have been fun.

All in all, a fun movie that I think most action fans will truly enjoy.

Prior to my usual format for review, to be very clear we are not talking about the TV Series, or any of the movies other than the latest one released last year (2009).  That would make this movie technically called Star Trek XI, though it is not named that anywhere that I can see.

Synopsis (from IMDB):  On the day of James Kirk’s birth, his father dies on his ship in a last stand against a mysterious alien vessel. He was looking for Ambassador Spock, who is a child on Vulcan at that time, disdained by his neighbors for his half-human nature. Twenty years later, Kirk has grown into a young troublemaker inspired by Capt. Christopher Pike to fulfill his potential in Starfleet even as he annoys his instructors like young Lt. Spock. Suddenly, there is an emergency at Vulcan and the newly commissioned USS Enterprise is crewed with promising cadets like Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov and even Kirk himself thanks to Leonard McCoy’s medical trickery. Together, this crew will have an adventure in the final frontier where the old legend is altered forever even as the new version of it is just beginning.

I think that this is the first time that I have watched two science fiction movies back-to-back that I thoroughly enjoyed (I watched District 9 the previous evening).  I did not have high expectations for Star Trek, as I have watched all the previous movies and have not been terribly impressed since the second movie (The Wrath of Khan) all those many years ago.

To my pleasant surprise, this movie blew me away.  Rarely would I consider assigning four stars to a movie, but this film was certainly worthy of the honour (as dubious as it may be).  The plot was fantastic and J.J. Abrams did the impossible and rebooted the franchise sucessfully.  He, or any future director for that matter, is now clear to write what they would like while preserving the history of the original franchise (and the sequels).  What made this movie really good was the attention to detail and the little things.  Stuff like remembering Kirk’s past, the fact that Spock is half human and had problems coping with that, and the re-introduction of the elder Spock.

While I think it may have been fun to have had an appearance from the elder Kirk, or maybe some of the Next Generation crew, it would not have made the film any better.  In fact - it may have distracted from the storyline too much.  This is a film that should be checked out if you are a science fiction fan.

** Note:  I initially started this review months ago, I just did not finish it until today.

Synopsis (from IMDB):  In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed “The Prawns,” appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new ‘Prawn’ friends.

This movie is fantastic, and a must-see.  Made for $30 million dollars, it generated over $300 million dollars in total revenue at the box office domestically.  This is not including foreign viewership or DVD/Blu-Ray sales.  The promotion by the distributor (Sony) was very subliminal, and it made the curious want to go out and see the movie.  From there, word of mouth took over.

I did not go to the cinema to see this flick (as is my custom, it is very rare that I go to the theatre), but when I finally watched it on DVD I was blown away.  The movie did start out a little slow, and it took me a bit to pick up the accents (the movie was filmed in South Africa).  I enjoyed how the CGI was done with the aliens, and the storyline itself.

The plot is very similar to real world events, as in what actually happened in South Africa during apartheid.  The whites segregated the blacks into “zones.”  According to the director, that’s where the genesis of the movie was born.

I can see a sequel coming…in three years…District 10…where Christopher Johnson helps his friend Wikus, returning the favor so to speak.

Go watch this movie.  Now.

Synopsis (from IMDB):  When international diplomacy comes up short, extreme measures must be taken. In the newest installment of The Art of War, Agent Neil Shaw is on a covert mission to stop North Korean terrorists from obtaining a nuclear bomb. But when the deal turns deadly, Shaw is drawn into the crossfire to save a beautiful facilitator and ends up framed for murder. Now a wanted man with only his newbie partner and the mysterious facilitator by his side, Shaw must rely on his martial arts skills and warrior code to fight through Korea’s mean streets and find the terrorists before they detonate the bomb at a United Nations peace summit.

This is the first movie that I can remember not being able to watch until the end.  Yes, it is that bad.  Bad plot, and even worse acting.  Somehow, I managed to make it to the 45:00 mark before I thought I was going to kill myself.  Even The Wicker Man (the remake, with Nicholas Cage) wasn’t this bad.  I actually made it to the end of that movie.  Neil Shaw is not played by Wesley Snipes in this film – if he was he may of saved the movie.  Instead, the producers picked a two-bit rapper named Anthony “Treach” Criss and threw him to the wolves.  You can’t ask someone to act without at least giving them an hour of training first!  His co-stars did not fare much better.

Normally I would give any movie a default one star out of five (again, The Wicker Man comes to mind).  In this case, however, I think giving The Art of War III zero stars out of five is being comprehensively generous.  Do not waste your money renting or buying this garbage.  Do not waste your time watching this garbage unless you truly need something better than warm milk and bottle of sleeping pills to doze off.

Synopsis (from IMDB):  In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

This movie is very good.  It is complete fiction, historically inaccurate, and very fun.  As a word to the wise, it is very violent (as with most Tarantino movies).  In the theatre, two old ladies actually got up and left (and did not return) once the scalpings began.  I’m guessing they haven’t seen anything by Quentin Tarantino before (and likely, never will again).

Brad Pitt did a pretty good job as the leader of the basterds.  I’ve never been a huge fan of his (although the Ocean’s Trilogy wasn’t bad work), and outside of a cameo by Mike Myers he is the name start of the film.  Ergo…consider that high praise for Mr. Pitts’ work in the film.

The guy who did impress me is Cristoph Waltz.  He plays the evil, cunning, and smooth German Colonel Hans Landa.  The man is fluent in many languages and uses them all in the movie.  Tarantino himself has said that this movie could not have been made without Waltz, as he plays the part of Landa to a “T.”  Oscar-worthy, in my opinion that does not count anywhere except with the concept of my own reality.

Mélanie Laurent, as Shoshanna Dreyfus, also did a wonderful job.  She played her character very well, and I see big things for her in the future.  She is also very attractive.

I really enjoyed this movie, though the running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes passed by very fast.  Apparently Tarantino chopped this movie down from about four hours, so I will definately re-watch it if the full version is released on Blu-Ray.

Recently, I sat down and watched the three Bourne movies:  The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum.  All three movies were very well done, and make me want for more.  There is a new movie due in 2011, but I wonder how it will benefit the original trilogy.

The Bourne Identity

Synopsis (from IMDB):  On a stormy night, a young man is pulled out of the Mediterranean Sea by the crew of a fishing boat.  Thinking the young man is dead, a curious fisherman with a scalpel finds two bullets in his back and a miniature laser device in his hip.  The laser reveals a Swiss bank account number.  But our wet hero isn’t dead, and soon finds himself in Zurich.  In the bank vault the young man discovers his name, Jason Bourne.  In addition, he finds a baffling pile of different passports, all with his picture, and a huge pile of cash.  In the U.S. Embassy, Jason Bourne discovers his love interest and travel partner, Marie, along with the fact that someone wants to kill him.  Armed with a bag of money and mysterious martial arts skills, with Marie by his side, Bourne scours Paris for clues about his identity and past life…and finds himself in the middle of two assassination plots masterminded by the CIA.

The first Bourne movie was (in my humble opinion only) the best of the three (beating the third movie by a hair).  Instantly, right from the get go you were captivated by Bourne and his goal to try and figure out who (or what) he was.  Great plot, great background story and character development line a movie that has a lot of action in it.  You do not get bored, and are always kept on edge.  The car chase scene throughout Paris was great.  Matt Damon was a great choice to play Jason Bourne.  Initially, I had my reservations but seeing the movie (all three of them) I was very satisfied with the choice.  Franka Potente was a good choice to play Marie and did a very good job as well.  Prior to this movie, I had never heard of her.

The Bourne Supremacy

Synopsis (from IMDB):  After escaping from the emotional and physical pain he previously encountered, Jason Bourne and his girlfriend Marie begin a new life as far away as possible.  But when an assassination attempt on Bourne goes horribly wrong, Bourne must re-enter the life he wanted to leave behind, in order to find out the truth why they are still after him.

Of the three films, I enjoyed this one the least.  In so saying that, it is still a very good movie, however it was more action based then anything.  There was no real plot development, and had you not watched the first movie many things would not have made much sense at all.  The killing of Marie sets Bourne off on a chase to sanitize her killers.  The action scenes were great, and they at least show Bourne, that despite having superior physical abilities can still be hurt.  The mandatory car chase scene was not as good as the first movie, though still kept you interested.

The Bourne Ultimatum

Synopsis (from IMDB):  Bourne is once again brought out of hiding, this time inadvertently by London-based reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar – an upgrade to Project Treadstone – in a series of newspaper columns.  Bourne sets up a meeting with Ross and realizes instantly they’re being scanned.  Information from the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne must finally, ultimately, uncover his dark past whilst dodging The Company’s best efforts in trying to eradicate him.

This movie and the first movie were ranked very closely on my favorites scale.  The producers completed the story arc started in the first movie and wrapped up the plot development at the end of this film, giving closure to the Bourne saga.  This movie would not have made much sense had you not seen the first two movies, which is the only knock against it.  With all three movies, the scenery is top notch.  The trilogy literally spans the globe.  Although the majority of the filming was in Europe, locations such as New York city, India, and Moscow are part of the films.  It’s nice to be able to watch a movie that was not filmed in the United States.  It just seems to add something extra.  As with the first two movies, the mandatory car chase scene (this time through New York city) was fantastic. 

I have yet to read any of the Bourne novels, by Robert Ludlum.  However, as soon as I am finished with my current set of books I will pick them up.  It is commonly known that the books are always better than the movies, and being an avid reader I will take advantage of that at the earliest available opportunity.