THE BOURNE LEGACY: My favorite Bourne movie isn't about Jason Bourne?

Confession time...I've never been a huge fan of the Bourne movies. Never been a fan period. Nothing against Damon. I saw the first one, which a good action movie. The second one was enjoyable. The third...for me was a complete let down. The problem for me is that all the “tension” in these movies was so artificial and overblown that by the time the third movie came around I was scratching my head going “what the hell is going on here and why should I care?”. Also, Paul Greengrass has been so neck deep in the shacky cam style I have me own personal vendetta against him. Seriously, I was so mad at the shaky cam in THE BAURNE ULTIMATUM (2007) I was yelling at the television (really Greengrass, a  shaky little close up every time someone talks? Suck it. How bout that?). Man, hard to believe it was that long ago.

So anyway, I was dragged to THE BOURNE LEGACY by my significant other and was actually surprised by a solid, enjoyable action movie. Read on to see why this is the Bourne film to watch.

THE STORY AND THE PEOPLE WHO GET PAID TO TALK...

I think we have reached a new era of the Hollywoodprequel/sequel obsession...we now have the sidequel!!! Those are movies that take place while other movies are going on (In movie time I mean.). It's interesting, and a bit cheap, but at least we finally get some answers from this thing.

Why am I not starring in Avengers again?

Directed by Tony Gilroy (MICHEAL CLAYTON (2007)), who was also involved in writing all three of the previous Bourne films, this movie literally takes place during the behind the scenes turmoil of the third film. We get to meet the government and corporate overlords that are responsible for whatever program that birthed Jason Bourne. So there's lots of back room deals, lots of talking about numbers, and “it”. Lead by Ret Col Eric Byer (excellently played by Edward Norton) and Retired Admiral Mark Turso (played by the always iconic Stacy Keach) they basically go on a campaign to eliminate all the assets of the program. Those are other agents in the field with Jason Bourne like abilities.

Want to play spot the sequel?

They largely succeed, except for one stand out agent named Aaron Cross (played by exploding star Jeremy Renner) and a civilian, Dr. Marta Shearing (played by Rachel Weisz). They go on a journey of survival to get Cross the meds he needs to stay Bourne like (or something) and generally keep Dr. Marta from getting capped.

It's more interesting than I make it sound. Trust me.

WHAT'S ACTION A GO GO...

Well, considering that this is a blog dedicated to ACTION in movies you might be surprised that my favorite part about this movie...is the acting and the science. You see, I watch those other Bourne movies and didn't glean anything of substance. No real explanation of just what Bourne was, or what he was supposed to be. He was awesome and could run...a lot! With this movie they actually explain the chemistry that goes on in these super soldiers, and what it does to their bodies. In other words, they explain just what the hell is going on, and all the “mystery” bullsh** is left behind. This probably should have happened in IDENTITY or SUPREMACY, but as far as I could tell Bourne was too busy running around and the CIA was too busy arguing to explain this stuff.

Also, the action was good, well shot, and while the shaky cam was still present it was toned down enough so that you could make out what was going on.

                                               Mary Cybulski/Universal Studios.

Oh, and Jeremy Renner does the business. He's intense, sincere, and very likable. Now, this is a Bourne  movie, so “acting” isn't numero uno for the main lead, but he is fun to watch, and there are some (seemingly) unedited shots that are just awesome.

WHAT'S ACTION A NO NO....

Mostly logic stuff...basically, this movie shouldn't exist. After three movies if you still have this much to explain...the basic stuff really...then they didn't do all that good of a job in the first place.

Besides that the story isn't that meaty. It has a lot of cameos from other actors from the previous movies to tie everything up, and Jason Bourne has a heavy “presence”, but again, if you need to rely on a lot of the tension that occurred in another movie you are doing something wrong here.

THE VERDICT...

Beside those foibles, this is a really solid, fun action movie. The acting is fine and it keeps things moving. I think if you watch all four movies this would fit right in, which is good, and  this can stand on it's own to a certain extent.

Should Hollywoodkeep going prequel crazy? No. They need to get off it. As beautiful as PROMETHUES (2012) was it showed that the baggage can be a bit too much to deal with.

Should the sidequel keep going? No. The madness must stop. This movie was fun but it would have been better to start from the beginning with something fresh, or just sever itself from the Bourne Legacy, which, let's honest here, isn't the strongest of a Legacy out there to begin with.

For instance, this could have been an excellent HAWKEYE movie for instance. But whatever, we can dream, and I’m sure that will happen soon enough J

P.S in case you were wondering, here are some glamour shots of Rachel Weisz. Just cause…

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Remembering Tony Scott: THE LAST BOY SCOUT Review

The Last Boy Scout

They released this movie during Christmas season?!?

Stunts and Effects: 95% 
Logic: 40% 
Soundtrack: 70% 
TnA: 70% 
Cognitive Decline of Audience: 50% 
Overall Inches on the Action Erection Scale: 12 out of 12

Last Boy Scout was Damon Wayans attempt to 48 Hours his career.

With its blatant misogyny, careless depictions of child endangerment, abrupt violence (yes, even for an action flick), and obvious criticisms of an American pastime, it really isn't that hard to understand why The Last Boy Scout is often glossed over within the "buddy cop" sub-genre. The film spits in the face of all sorts of political correctness,  polarizing viewers despite the fact that it is a thoroughly entertaining yet questionable experience.

The film stars Bruce Willis as detective Joe Hallenbeck. Formerly secret service, Hallenbeck has completely and totally resigned to just being a piece of shit. Joe's wife cheats on him with his own partner, his daughter is quick to tell him "fuck you," and his latest gig as protection for a stripper named Cory (Halle Berry) ends with her murdered on the city streets.

In the buddy movie tradition, Hallenbeck's failure to protect her brings him in direct conflict with Jimmy Dix, Cory's boyfriend (Damon Wayans). Dix is a disgraced, self-pitying football player with an addiction to pain killers and a coke problem to boot. He also has a penchant for cheating on his girlfriend. And these are the heroes.

Together, the two men are dismissed by the LAPD, forcing them to solve why Cory needed protection, who she needed protection from, and how all this connects to LA's professional football team, The Stallions. 

Understandably, The NFL would not allow their brand to be used in this film.

Written with copious amounts of cynicism by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, and the upcoming Iron Man 3) and directed by Tony Scott, the film was given a begrudgingly positive review by Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times in 1991. In a critique that sounds like the confessions of a man defeated by Hollywood, Ebert dissapointedly declares Last Boy Scout as "the future" of cinema. Even going as far as to state that the movie "assumes that the audience has no standards except those of a mob." And, as much as I like the film, I totally see where he is coming from.

Screenwriter Shane Black has openly admitted to the fact that the end result isn't what he was shooting for with The Last Boy Scout, possibly owning up to the belief that the film might be too unpleasant to be consistently enjoyable. However, I think some of the blame might also fall on Scott (and the mysterious co-writing credit of Greg Hicks).

Halle Berry, who looks exactly the same 20 years later. 

At its base, The Last Boy Scout wants to be a bonafide crowd-pleaser, attempting to ape Black's work on the comparitively upbeat Lethal Weapon franchise. And, like all major Hollwood films, it ends with all the good guys smiling...even these defeated anti-heroes. Unfortunately, when paired up with Black's deliberate pulpiness, director Tony Scott just isn't capable of lightening the mood. As a matter of fact, Scott makes it more aggressive. When compared to Black's work with other directors (Richard Donner on Lethal Weapon, Rennny Harlin on Long Kiss Goodnight), Last Boy Scout feels slightly oppressive. Scott's trademarked flat, gritty style improperly magnifies what was supposed to be Black's patented Hammet-esque cynicism. It gives the movie a slight air of unpleasantness between laughs, turning against an unprepared 90s audience transitioning their way towards political correctness.

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REMEMBERING TONY SCOTT : TOP GUN REVIEW IMAX 3-D UPDATE!

They don't get much better than this...2^nd in our tribute to Tony Scott, TOP GUN (1986) is one of those special animals from the 80’s that took on a life of its own. In other words, this wasn’t just a movie but a cultural milestone, much like ROCKY (1976), BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985), or INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981, or anything by SPIELBERG really), or STAR WARS (1977). It marked a special time in Film and American history where patriotism was in, anything vaguely communist or foreign was the enemy, and Tom Cruise’s reputation and career were as pure as the driven snow.

But enough waxing lyrical, let’s get to it!

The Story…

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise, along with his Co-Pilot Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards) are selected for the Navy’s TOP GUN program after showing some advanced skills after a scuffle with some MIG’s over the Indian Ocean. Once there he has to deal with the legacy of his father, a naval officer shot down and killed over Vietnam over an alleged mistake. Also, his reckless tactics and gung ho stunts make him a magnet for insults and every decision he makes is second guessed throughout the movie. Along the way he manages to fall for a beautiful engineer and consultant named Charlie (played by Kely McGillis).

Meg Ryan, Tim Robins, Michael Ironside, and Tom Skerrit also star, along with one our favorites James Tolkan. The excellent supporting cast boost this movie a lot. Val Kilmer is the standout as “Iceman”, Mavericks alter ego that tries to undermine him seemingly everywhere. One of his best performances for sure.

What’s Action-A-Go-Go?

Oh Man…so much. This movie manages to capture energy and freedom the way few movies can. It really is the prototypical action movie that still stands to this day as the defacto standard of all shoot outs in the sky movies. But the footage of these planes is what set’s TOP GUN apart from so many other movies. When you see these things flying through the sky they are being piloted by real aces flying at full tilt boogie. By its vey nature it is intense, but Tony Scott manages to edit together amazing shot after amazing shot that makes your jaw drop over and over again.

But how good could that stuff be? Look at GREEN LANTERN (2011) as well as INDEPENDENCEDAY (1996) and you can see that those movies out right stole elements of TOP GUN to help make their in flight stuff more intense. It’s that good.

BTW, Tony Scott was doing that “buddy buddy” stuff with the military way before Michael Bay came along and made that his calling card. This movie is as much about the awesome might of the military as it is about anything else, and it brings it so close it’s like you can walk out onto the deck of the aircraft carrier and shake hands with the pilot before they hop in their planes.

The writing is also on point, and Scott relishes showing off the toned bodies of both sexes throughout. It’s just eye candy all over the place. Also, it’s got one of the most memorable sex scenes that the 80’s has to offer. That’s an achievement in itself.

But this movie is far more than a bunch of superficial images put together. It’s a sincere honest to God thrill ride that showed a generation how to make intense movies about the military all over again. And those movies didn’t have to hit you over the head with “the fog of war” or make you feel guilty about being American. It’s a movie about the best of the best and what it takes to get there. It’s about doing what’s right in the face of impossible odds. And it’s a great movie from a great director.

**** IMAX 3-D UPDATE****

Last night I saw this in IMAS 3-D and all I can say is...wow. I love this movie even more. On TV this movie is intense, on the big screen it's MINDBLOWING! The strange thing is that most of the time the 3-D can't be noticed. In some flight scenes it makes a difference, but overall it doesn't add much.

But seeing it in IMAX....oh man. It's like your standing on the wings as these places fly through the sky. And the mountain scenes and big open sky scenes are just jaw dropping.

Also, this movie is downright beautiful. Some of the shot's of these planes catching the sunlight on flight decks are breathtaking, and even the most mundane shot's are covered in multicolored layers. It's 80's filmmaking at it's finest, and it's an art that is somehow lost in era of HD technology.

SO GO SEE THIS NOW!!! It's totally worth it seeing one of the best movies ever made back on the big screen in the biggest way possible!

*****ACTION A GO GO APPROVED*****

TOP GUN has everything you can ask for. Nuff’ said.

 

PS. I'll just leave this here...because God Bless America...

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Remembering Tony Scott: True Romance Review

Last week, blockbuster film director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Enemy of the State) committed suicide. Early rumors indicate that his decision to end his life was fueled by inoperable brain cancer. Suddenly, every news site and gossip blog in the world wants to speculate about the life and death of one of the action genre's greatest filmmakers. Here at Action A Go Go, we don't need to speculate or spread unfounded rumors to understand the director of such macho masterpieces like Crimson Tide, Last Boy Scout, and Man on Fire...everything we need to know is all on screen.

True Romance

Stunts and Effects: 75% 
Logic: 70% 
Soundtrack: 100% 
TnA: 70% 
Cognitive Decline of Audience: 30% 
Overall Inches on the Action Erection Scale: 12 out of 12

Lovingly pulling from Terrence Malik's Badlands, True Romance is about comic book nerd Christian Slater rescuing a hooker with a heart of gold (Patricia Arquette) from the clutches of her pimp. During the gruesome struggle to free her from prostitution, the two mistakenly end up stealing a suitcase full of coke. With a case that is worth more than either of them, the oblivious lovers attempt to sell the coke to a sleazy film producer, putting them on a collision course with the mob, the feds, and a dizzying number of fantastic cameos.

For me, the most compelling thing about True Romance is how Quentin Tarantino's script (his first) meshes with director Tony Scott's vision. As far as methods go, the two are on different ends of the filmmaking spectrum: Scott is a technical director known for hyper-kinetic blockbusters while Tarantino is known primarily for dialogue-driven crime dramas. At the time, while Scott had already helmed monster successes like Days of Thunder and Top Gun, Tarantino was still a few years off from being indie film's biggest success story. Despite it all, what the two filmmakers do have in common is how adept they are at creating on-screen intensity --- putting the audience right in the moment.

And that is exactly why True Romance is such an exceptional film. At its core, its about the love shared between the two passion-crazed protagonists, Clarence and Alabama. The certainty of their relationship becomes more intense as the film's violence grows. In the world of Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino, intense violence is a tool that is used to cultivate Clarence and Alabama's unflinching love for each other. Their lust can only be quantified by the amount of people that die so that they can live. For the filmmakers, there is no question of whether or not love is grand --- for them it's perverse, dangerous, unflinching, and totally surreal. Sounds about right.  

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EXPENDABLES 2: THE ULTIMATE REVIEW / CELEBRATORY EXPLOSIONGASM

EXPENDABLES 2:   THE ULTIMATE REVIEW / CELEBRATORY EXPLOSIONGASM

They did it. It finally happened. EXPENDABLES 2 has arrived. Oh gosh…so just about every action movie star hero from the eighties has been rounded up and put into the same movie. What could go wrong?

Surprisingly little.

So let’s just jump in to this one.

THE STORY AND THE ACTING

Simen West (Con Air (1997), Tomb Raider (2001)) directs this beast, leaving Stallone to do that acting he does so well. He does a commendable job. Flat out, and I think this movie is better that the original in a couple of way’s.

But staying on subject, The Expendables are out for revenge after one of them is murdered in cold blood by Vilain (get it? Played by…wait for it…Jean Claude Van Damme). Vilain then proceeds to find a hidden depot so that he can sell Cold War plutonium to the highest bidder.  And that’s all we need really.

First off, hat’s off to Van Damme in this one. He chews his lines and eats the scenery, but it’s great. You really tell he’s enjoying being in a real (sorry, straight to DVD don’t cut it) action movie again, and he relishes the spotlight. Oh, and he’s still got it. There’s one kick that looks like it’s straight out of BLOODSPORT (1988). That impresses me because he’s been making movies as long as I’ve been alive (b. 1984, if you’re interested).

What about everyone else? This isn’t really a movie about emoting, but it works. Bruce Willis, for some reason, acts his ass off. Really. It’s probably his most emotive performance since the last (good) DIE HARD film and he really shines. Arnold is Arnold. 

Chuck Norris is a great addition, and does the best Chuck Norris he can. They even throw is a Chuck Norris joke that would be better left on the internet, but what eves. Lundren and Jet Li are awesome as well.

I'm running out of room for all these awesome action movie stars. Crazy. 

Terry Crews and Randy Couture are commendable, and Liam Hemsworth was ok. It’s a shame really, but it’s a head scratcher to try and think about who is really an “action” star these day’s that can really stack up to the core cast. But that’s what eve’s.

Nan Yu, playing Maggie, the only person seemingly capable of using a computer, does a commendable job.

THE GOOD…

Oh….the action, the action, the action. For me, bar THE AVENGERS, this is the best action movie of the year. Scratch that, it is the best action movie of the year. There are so many “oh sh**” moments in this movie I lost count. And it was rated R!!! There were rumors of PG-13, but thankfully those rumors didn’t come true because this movie was one bitching blood fest. Just seeing all of the great action star’s destroying bad guys together was worth the price of admission, and warmed this action junkie’s heart.

Besides that, what does anyone need?

Well, it’s shot well, and the jokes are pretty funny, and all the heroes deliver. Just go see it. Now.

THE BAD…

The dialogue can be stock and some of the acting is less than top notch. Everyone seemed like they were a bit too dressed up to be mercenaries at times and looked like they were out of a catalogue.

But this ain’t Shakespeare, it’s an action movie. The only real downside is that there wasn’t another half hour tacked on there at the end.

Seriously, this was top notch stuff.

THE VERDICT

This movie was everything I was waiting for and more. For me it really delivered, and keeps doing so throughout. The gimmick of seeing all these action heroes together, again, is just too sweet, and I can’t wait for # 3.

If they can get Segal and Snipes in there I think the action circle will truly be complete. But that is my two cents.

This one is late, but if you haven’t seen it yet please do. EXPENDABLES 2 is better than the original, and more fun, which is hard to believe. It maxes out the charts. GO GO GO!!!!

PS: WHY HAVEN’T YOU SEEN IT YET? GO!

PPS:

Just a few pictures of this NanYu…just laying here.

**** As one of our astute readers pointed out (thanks GOUKI!) This first image right here isn't actually of Nan Yu! It is actually a picture of (super) model Huang Xiao Meng. We do apologize for making mistakes like this, but lists like this -> http://www.heavy.com/movies/2012/08/yu-nan-top-10-things-you-need-to-know/ <- don't help. Also, in my defense, this does show up in her Google image results, and all that dirt is very, very distracting :)

Complicating matters further, when you do a search for Huang Xiaomeng you get a bunch of images of a dude with a similar name that is a HUGE STAR. That would be Huang Xiaoming.  His pictures are at the end (because we gotta throw out something for the ladies here too!)*****

Anyway, just to be clear, below are images of Huang Xiaomeng (courtesy of Elle China and Numero China) closely followed by Nan Yu. 

And here, presented in all her glory, is Nan Yu, with her actual cover photo...

PPPS...

Oh wait, before we forget, here is Huang Xiao Ming, the not model, who has appeared in the movies THE SNIPER (2009) and IP MAN 2 (2010). 

Huang just chillen with the Panda's. 

Dude loves Panda's...

Getting philosophical with the Panda. 

Ok Huang...this has gone far enough. 

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Action A Go Go : THE 100TH POST

Action A Go Go : THE (symbolic) 100^TH POST

Hi Everybody,

I just wanted to reach out and let everyone know that Action A Go Go has made it passed 100 POSTS! That is more than 100 blog entries celebrating and complaining about everyone’s favorite film genre, ACTION MOVIES!

I want to thank Troy Jeffrey Allen for helping make this little blog happen, and without his continued support it wouldn’t be anywhere nearly as entertaining as it is now.

I also want to thank Gene (The Producer) Green and Nick (a.k.a That_Urban_Punk), who I regularly chat with on the MOKA podcast / INTERNET RADIO SHOW(!). It’s always fun talking/arguing on air and I hope we get to do it for years to come. It’s always a pleasure, guys.

But most of all, thank you, the readers, for visiting this little part of the internet and stopping to take a look. The only reason I write this stuff is so someone can read it and (hopefully) gain some deeper insight and appreciation into the movies we love.

You guys are awesome, and keep us going. You’re the best.

Feel free to add anything to the comments and above all else have fun out there.

Best,

Derek Scarzella (a.k.a D Rock, a.k.a Ragu (thanks Nick), a.k.a DScarzilla)

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