Aylmer to Zazzoo and Beyond: July 2013

RED 2
(2013 - July 19)
Action | Comedy | Crime
1 hr. 56 min.

Rated: PG-13 Pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, some language and drug material. Common Sense Media says OK for kids 14+. Read more on child suitability
Grade: C

Director: Dean Parisot
Writers: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Warren Ellis (characters), Cully Hamner (characters)
Stars: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker | See full cast and crew

In RED 2, the high-octane action-comedy sequel to the worldwide sleeper hit, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they’ll need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the next-generation weapon. The mission takes Frank and his motley crew to Paris, London and Moscow. Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world—and stay alive in the process.

RED 2 (Retired, Extremely Dangerous Part 2) in case you are confused about the title, is the follow up to the 2010 hit RED. Red 2 had a better opening weekend besting RED by about $7 million exceeding $28 million. RED cost $58 million to produce and brought in $199 million plus, you do the math, was there any doubt there would be a sequel?

I saw the first film in this franchise, yes, RED 3 is on the way, and I wasn't particularly impressed. I can't suspend belief enough to accept that these retired people would be able to function as they are portrayed in the film, that much they could so easily best and out smart much younger and fitter agents with similar training.

Nor is the dialogue all that clever, its all old stories rehashed and consequently the humor, for me anyway, falls flat. Since smug Smart Alec quips are the intended strength of these films, it doesn't quite achieve its goal.

RED 2 has assembled an impressive group of talent. The cast is very capable, it just doesn't have that much to work with. Many of its stunts, though impressive, are outside of the realm of believability. It is, however, pretty much free of nudity, vulgar and profane language which is a plus in my humble opinion.

On the set with director Dean Parisot

Cast

Bruce Willis John Malkovich

Frank Marvin

Helen Mirren Mary-Louise Parker

Victoria Sarah

Byung-hun Lee Catherine Zeta-Jones Anthony Hopkins

Han Cho Bai Katja Bailey

THE WOLVERINE
(2013 - July 26)
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
2 hr. 6 min.

Rated: PG-13 Language, Intense Sci-Fi Action, Some Sexuality and Violence | Read more
Grade: B-

Director: James Mangold
Writers: Mark Bomback (screenplay), Scott Frank (screenplay)
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima | See full cast and crew

Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine in this sequel to the member of the X-Men's first solo outing. Mark Bomback and The Usual Suspects' Christopher McQuarrie penned the script, which takes its inspiration from the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Marvel miniseries from the 1980s dealing with the character's adventures in Japan as he fights ninjas in the ceremonial garb of the samurai. Knight and Day's James Mangold directs. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Lured to a Japan he hasn't seen since World War II, century-old mutant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) finds himself in a shadowy realm of yakuza and samurai. Wolverine is pushed to his physical and emotional brink when he is forced to go on the run with a powerful industrialist's daughter (Tao Okamoto) and is confronted -- for the first time -- with the prospect of death. As he struggles to rediscover the hero within himself, he must grapple with powerful foes and the ghosts of his own haunted past.

I was truly dreading seeing this film. I am so over the recent flood of Marvel Comics Superhero movies. However, this film is really a cut above most of the films in this genre. This is in part due to the excellent direction of James Mangold and the screenplay by Mark Bomback and Scott Frank, at least for the first 90% of the film. The last 10%, the climax, does go a bit over the top with the common 'throw everything in including the kitchen sink' type superhero finale, but it is not so egregious as most.

Hugh Jackman is a fine actor and he carries this film on his very ample shoulders. The word is that he buffed up for this film and that his Wolverine physique is his, not photo shopped or enhanced via CGI. His presence and strong acting carries this film a long way, this is definitely his movie. He makes The Wolverine is his role, his franchise.

Even though the theme of the movie is that the mutant Wolverine, for the first time in his immortal existence, is threatened with death, we also know that this is never going to happen. We know that somehow he will prevail and in turn save the planet from some diabolical plan. That's his job, that's what superheros do.

The Wolverine is for the most part a wholesome film for the entire family but Hollywood had to throw in one very unnecessary 'F-bomb', from the title character, that distracts from the rest of the film.