Limitless

Limitless trailer

Limitless  is about a down on his luck writer, Eddie Morra, played by Bradley Cooper, that has lost just about everything in his life.  His wife left him, his girlfriend left him too, so he has just withdrawn from the world.  That is until a chance encounter with his drug dealing ex-brother in law changes his life.  He gives Morra an experimental pill called “NZT”, it makes you smarter, stronger, and heightens your senses.  It clears your mind and allows one to focus your brain power at superhuman high levels.  Like learning a different language fluently just by hearing someone say a sentence.  This part of the movie was cool.

Then he starts to play the stock market with money he borrows from a Russian loan shark, his second big mistake.  He does well in the market and attracts the attention of a Wall Street tycoon Van Loon, played by Robert DeNiro .  They join forces for a hostile merger of a rival company to Van Loon’s.  However, no one told him that he would get sick like a heroine addict if he stopped taking the drug and possibly die.  He finds this out the hard way and through chance encounter by his ex-wife.  Lots of chance encounters in this movie, hmmm.  Eventually through trial and error he figures shit out, blah, blah, blah.

This movie starts off great, I was actually enjoying it.  The plot goes to shit when he gets back with his ex-girlfriend played by Abbie Cornish.  I mean he gets her to go get his drugs when he’s jonesin, she gets chased by a mysterious man, she takes a NZT pill and escapes him, then breaks up with Morra. Wow, glad they wasted film for those scenes, it does nothing to lend to the movie in any way.  The Russian comes to collect money and takes one of the pills that falls out of Morra’s pocket while he’s getting his ass kicked and later the Russian wants in on the pill biz.  This part of the plot in the movie actually plays out great, I liked it.Then there is DeNiro’s character Van Loon, it made no freakin sense. It did nothing but take the movie on a side track that led to nothing but a dead-end.  If the would have been better if they would have developed Van Loon’s character more and then delve into the how he and Morra were going to work together.  But the movie went in another direction, or should I say many directions.  I was never really clear what exactly Van Loon did and why was it so important for Morra to be involved with him.  Sure it was to make money but if you’re the super genius why did Morra even need him. Some of the other directions it took;  a mysterious man who chases him and his girlfriend and is not above murdering people in broad daylight. That other people are taking NZT too including the CEO of the rival comapny that Van Loon and Morra are trying to take over. If he is taking NZT how come he didn’t see it coming, your supposed to be a genius, you dumbass!

The movie starts off like a blockbuster and then that block busts, all over the place!  It seems, in my opinion, that it was trying to tell 4 different stories that never really clicked together. Here is some advice to director Neil Burger, watch some Tarantino movies so you can develop other characters first before you try to connect them.  Otherwise you end up with a mishmash of stories that don’t gel.

I did like this movie, for about 35 minutes.  Then it all went down hill, except for the fight scene with the Russian’s.  That was one of the two great scenes in the movie.

I give this movie 2 Beers.

Reader Question:  What other languages does Bradley Cooper speak fluently?

The Grey

The Grey trailer

The Grey is an intense survival drama starring Liam Neeson.  He is a shooter that works for the Alaskan pipeline to protect the workers from bears and wolves.  He is also grieving the loss of his wife and is ready to check out when the call of the wild interrupts his train of thought.

His co-workers and he are involved in a horrible plane crash in a remote mountain area of Alaska’s vast wilderness.  The survivors are led by Neeson as they try to survive the elements and a vicious, I mean really VICIOUS pack of wolves that stalk them through out the movie.

You find yourself shivering as they move through the blizzard like conditions to make it to the relative safety of the trees.  As they move along through movie its like a moving buffet for the wolves that pick them off one by one.  Until the movie reaches its final climatic scene.  It ends rather abruptly for my tastes but I suppose it ends the only way it could have.

This by far is Neeson’s finest acting role he has ever done in my opinion.  He would convey dramatic scenes and you knew exactly what he was thinking just by the expressions of his face, no need for words.  He was awesome!  The movie however, not so much.

The movie is filled with intense scenes with the four-legged nemesis, some will absolutely make you jump in your seat.  I know I did.  However, unless it was the plane crash scene or the wolves attacking the survivors, there was not much action to this film.  It was more about a self discovery in each person, who means the most to them in their lives and what drives them.  Each actor and especially Neeson played their roles superb.  The movie itself is what was the let down for me.  It was a very limited plot.  You get to know a survivor he gets killed.  Get to know another survivor he dies, until finally we reach the end of the movie.  The film just left me feeling, excuse the pun, grey.  I just expected more from the movie.  I kept looking forward to the scene I saw in the trailer with a big black wolf leaping at Neeson with jaws wide open, it was not in the movie at all. Come on man!

Even Neeson’s commanding part could not take the movie to a higher level.  Go see the movie if you must but I would wait for the DVD.

I give this movie 3 Beers.

Reader Question: What was your favorite survival movie?

Brotherhood of the Wolf

Brotherhood of the Wolf trailer

This French movie is in my top 15 favorite movies.  It’s not what you’d expect from the French, simply this movie kicks ass!

The movies premise is based loosely on actual events of 18th century France in the province  of Gevaudan.  The king dispatches two men the Cheavalier de Fronsac, played by Samuel le Bahin and his native american sidekick Mani, played by Mark Dacascos, to investigate the legendary “beast of Gevaudan” that has killed many people, mainly women and children.  Everyone believes the beast to be just a rabid wolf of some kind but no one has seen the beast only the mangled bodies left behind.

They stay and hobnob with the local aristocrats and try to get a feel of the land and gather information.  Fronsac learns a little about the beast from the weird one-armed Jean Francois, played by Vincent Cassel, the son of the richest and most powerful family in the province.  He also gets the dirt on people from the local whorehouse and a beautiful but mysterious whore named Sylvia, played by Monica Belucci ( she is so freakin hot).

As the movie progresses and the plot thickens, Fronsac discovers that the beast is not a wolf but some unknown species and is controled by a religious cult known as “le pacte des loups” or brotherhood of the wolf.  No one believes Fronsac.  So he and Mani must stop the beast and the brotherhood alone.

This is one of the coolest and most original movies I have ever seen.  From the opening scene you know this movie is different.  It is a historical period piece with a splash of horror movie and a bunch of kick ass kung fu fight scenes.  What? Thats right I said kung fu!  The way the fights scenes were filmed, with the slow motion start and stop action, lends to the hard-core effects of Dacascos’s and le Bahin’s scenes.  The whole movie is shot like that for the dramatic but kick ass effects, (a la “300″).  The movie is visually stunning too.  From cinematography, angles, and effects all combined to be an ambrosia for the eyes.  Now this is a French movie so you can watch it with the subtitles or dubbed in English.  The dubbed version is really good because it’s the actual actors doing their own voices in English.

The story is very complex, full of twists and intrigue.  It is not just about the beast but also about a power struggle between the church and the King of France.  This movie has it all, a monster, kick ass kung fu, nudity, and mystery.  I highly recommend this movie to anyone.  So grab some beer, popcorn and watch this.  I guarantee you will say”that was a bad ass movie” or as the French say “cela a ete’ la merd”

I give this movie 5 Beers

Reader Question:  What is one your favorite foreign action films?

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer trailer

Talk about an obscure movie.  I never would have watched or even have heard of it if it my brother had not recommended it.  I’m glad he did.

This movie explores the sense of smell and its relationship with how we react to what we smell. Just like different ways a person reacts to smelling a fart for example. But it goes further into the emotional meaning that scents carry.

The story is about a boy born literally on the streets of 18th Century France, Jean Baptiste Grenouille (means frog in french)  played by Ben Whishaw.  He was born with an extra ordinary super sense of smell.  He has a rough life growing up in orphanages and seeing the brutality of street life in Paris.  He decides to get a job where his talents can be used.  He approaches world renowned perfume maker Giuseppe Baldini played by Dustin Hoffman.  Baldini is impressed with his talents and gift then takes him under his wings as an apprentice.

One night while walking the streets he comes across a girl whose  scent he just has to be near. He creeps her out and she screams so then he kills her by accident. The scent of her dying is intoxicating to him. After she is gone and so is the scent. Right then he decides that his purpose in life is recapture that scent and bottle it.  He leaves the city and starts working at a tannery on the property of Antoine Richis played by Alan Rickman. Richis is the richest man in the city of Grasse and has a beautiful daughter that Grenouille has taken a fancy to.  Bad for her because while he is working at the tannery he is systematically killing young girls in secret and using their bodies to cultivate his masterpiece of smells.  It’s not long that Grenouille knows that he needs Richis’s daughter to complete his work.

Eventually he is found out and caught. Brought to a public execution where thousands show up to see him killed.  Before they can kill him he opens his bottle of dead girl essences and waves it into the air.  The effect it has on the crowd is unbelievable and then the largest orgy in film history ensues. I was like holy shit, was not expecting that!  During the melee he escapes. I won’t say anymore because it has a shocker of an ending.

I really liked this movie.  It’s hard to describe and for me to explain.  It’s a serial killer flick without all the blood and gore that I’m use to.  The movie leads you down a path where you start to question whether Grenouille is really a bad person.  He is of course but not in the classic sense.  This movie is so well told and acted that you cannot stop watching.  It does have a few slow parts but they lend to the story.  I am confident in saying I think you will like this movie too.

I give this movie 4 Beers.

Reader Question: What obscure movie have you seen that you might recommend?

Bunraku

Bunraku trailer

This artsy, stylized, star studded, action movie caught me of guard when I first started watching in it.  I thought I was watching a new violent remake of Westside Story (minus the singing).

The movie takes place after of global war of some kind and soon after, all guns were banned.  So the ways of the fist and sword returned to style.  Ron Perlman plays Nicola aka “The Woodcutter” (he prefers axes to swords), the most powerful warlord/crime boss on the east coast.  He has wronged a lot of people but none more than “The Drifter” played by Josh Hartnett and “Yoshi” played by Gackt.  Both have vowed revenge on Nicola but they will have fight their way through an army  of Nicola’s gangs with different fighting styles and are run by numbered killers (bosses), like Killer #7, Killer #2, ect.

They will need some help and combine forces with a philosophical bartender played by Woody Harrelson.  Nicola has stolen the bartenders wife, played by Demi Moore, and has made her his bitch.  He agrees to help them to get his wife back and the battle lines are drawn.Mayhem ensues and pretty cool artsy fight scenes through out.  The 3 battle their way through the levels of gangs to the final showdown with “The Woodcutter” and Killer #2 played by Kevin McKidd.

This was a pretty cool movie but not my pint of beer for an action flick.  It was like Sin City meets The Warriors meets The 7 Samurai meets Westside Story.  You get the picture.  I appreciated the art that went into the movie but it was kind of hokey.  The acting of course was great, even by Gackt (he look’a like a woman) whose 1st language is definitely not English.  However, the plot and script was just recycled stuff from old Spaghetti Westerns.

It is a cool movie but like I said, not my pint of beer.  You may like it however, rent it but keep your expectations low and you might enjoy it.

I give this movie 3 Beers.

Arena

Arena trailer

I came across this movie via a trailer on another movie I was watching.  It looked like a low-budget action flick but it was hard not to be impressed by the fighting sequences.  So I dropped it in my que and gave it a whirl.  What I found was a hidden gem of an action flick.

The movie features a relatively new comer Kellan Lutz as David Lord, a fire fighter that tragically looses his pregnant wife in an auto accident.  Although it did not appear to be an accident.  As grief consumes him he is found later in the movie drowning his sorrows in a cantina in Mexico.   This is where he is drugged and kidnapped by a naked femme fatale played by Katia Winter (click to see her nudes scenes from the movie).  He is then forced to fight for his life in an evil gladiator style death matches with virtual backdrops for the battles.  Online subscribers can watch the violence ensue and vote on whether the loser lives or dies.  This evil organization is owned by a character played by none other than Samuel L. Jackson and his brutal right hand man the “Reaper” played by Johnny Messer.

Despite just being a fireman this guy kicks some major ass!  The fight scenes are bone crunching, bloody (really bloody), and very well done.  If he can win 10 fights or something like that he gets to go free, yeah right!  The showdown that we all know is coming goes as planned.  This does however have a little surprise at the end that you don’t really see coming.   Pretty cool.

I enjoyed this movie.  I mean it’s no shinning example of film making but it does have everything you would expect from a really good action flick.  It has bloody gory fight scenes, a plot, nudity, sex, and an asshole villain that you hate.  Overall it was more than I expected.  I think you will find it pretty cool too.  Sorry ladies this ones not for you, unless your into movies like this (so hot if you are).  Check it out.

I give this movie 4 Beers.

Conan the Barbarian

Conan the Barbarian trailer

Here is a remake I was skeptical on renting to watch. I mean Schwartzenegger owned this role and made it legendary. I will give credit where credit is due.  Jason Momoa is a much better Conan than Arnold.  I know, I know you die hards are saying no “F’”ing way, sorry that’s just my opinion.

Momoa steps into some big shoes to recreate the role of Conan the Barbarian. The movie is almost the same as the original. His mother dies at birth and  his father played by Ron Perlman is slain at the hands of an evil warlord played by Stephen Lang. The evil warlord is on a quest to reunite some ancient mask of power or some shit like that so he will become invincible. Conan swears his life’s mission is to hunt the bastard down and put an end to his reign. Also the evil warlord has an evil witch daughter of course, played by Rose McGowan.  Before he can don the mask it must be consecrated by the blood of a pure one (some little hot virgin which Conan de-flowers).  So the hunt is on and bodies start piling up where ever Conan goes. Until the final show down.

This was not a good movie, it was an ok movie. It is however better than the original but that’s not saying much because the first one was horrible. Momoa does kick ass though and has amazing sword skills. His fighting style looks very natural unlike the robotic moves of Arnold. Lang always plays an awesome villain but McGowan’s witch was like some weird little bitch with daddy issues and Pearlman was surprisingly good as Conan’s father.

This movie was a big disappointment though, the script and direction was so predictable and lame this could have been aired on the SyFy channel. I like the action sequences but unfortunately even Momoa’s skills could not carry this movie.

Oh hell, its Conan, rent it and watch it. It is entertaining but not a great movie at all and probably one of the most disappointing movies released last year. However, it is worth the rental but keep your expectations low and you won’t be let down.

I give this movie 3 Beers.

Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings

Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings trailer

I saw the first Wrong Turn movie and was pleasantly surprised at how good it actually was, unfortunately the same can’t be said for the next three movies including this latest version of the series.

This movies takes us back to where it all started with the three psycho cannibalistic inbred hillbillies. They are locked up in a mental institution as children and of course escape and blood soon spills, a lot of it.  A group of college kids are going  to a friends cabin by snowmobile but get lost in a snow storm and have to seek shelter in the now abandoned mental institution. They are not alone and the cannibals are starving.

This version was the bloodiest and goriest one of all. The characters in this movie were over the top cliché in what you’re not supposed to do when cannibalistic hicks are after you.  I found myself cheering on the killers it was so bad. The ending is a classic though, best part of an otherwise stupid ass movie.

If you like blood and guts this is the Holy Grail for you but there is nothing else redeemingly good about this installment of Wrong Turn.  It was so bad in parts I just laughed.  Rent it if you just want to see people hacked up and eaten. If not stay away from renting it. Maybe catch it on the SyFy Channel one day.

I give this movie 2 Beers.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger trailer

Besides Ironman, I thought this was one of the best comic adaptations to a movie that I have seen.  They got it right and it kicked some Nazi ass! I love Marvel Comics.

Chris Evans (The Human Torch, Fantastic 4) plays Captain America.  He starts off as a small puny guy trying to enlist in the army to go fight Nazi’s in World War II. He repeatedly is turned down until a scientist lets him in because of his will and courage.  Evans character is transformed in to a super-soldier and the results are immediate. He eventually gets to take on the Germans and special sect of Hiltler’s forces called Hydra led by Hugo Weaving’s character Red Skull.  Battles ensue, shit gets blown up, bad guys get shot and the hero goes down in a blaze of glory or does he?

I’m glad they did this movie right, it sets up the character for the up coming blockbuster The Avengers.  This movie was excellent, I really can’t find any fault with it.  Great characters, acting, script, plot and direction.  A definite must see for all Marvel fans and people who just like a good action flick.

I give this movie 5 Beers.

Horrible Bosses

Horrible Bosses trailer

I saw the trailer and said to my wife that looks like a funny movie, and it was.  Not a gut busting comedy but it had its moments.

Three friends played by Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day each have a douce bag of a boss.  Jennifer Aniston’s nymphomaniac dentist character stole the movie. You have never seen her like this. She was freakin hot!  But I digress, one night they get drunk and decide to hatch a plan to kill each others bosses.  Then the funny business of things that go wrong in movies like this to make us laugh ensue.

This movie was funny and will make you laugh but it was not as funny as I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong great script, great acting, and was funny just not hilarious.  You will enjoy this movie, especially Jennifer’s parts (no pun intended). I recommend this rental.

I give this movie 3 Beers.