Category Archives: Action

The Equalizer 2 review— Thriller meanders through muddy plot

August 5, 2018 flawintheiris

Directed by Antoine Fuqua | Written by Richard Wenk | 120 min | Netflix Three key things to take away from the sequel to the 2014 actioner, The Equalizer. One: It's the least actually cinematic thriller in recent memory. This franchise is based on a TV series—if you're under 35 likely you won't recall the Edward…Read More

Mission: Impossible – Fallout review — Spy actioner goes from strength to strength

July 30, 2018 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Christopher McQuarrie | 146 min The Mission: Impossible franchise has proven surprisingly hardy. This is the sixth entry, going back to Brian DePalma's 1996 movie, the first cinematic adaptation of the Bruce Gellar's TV series, turning 1960s spycraft into a pre-millennial Tom Cruise action picture. Until this one, each subsequent entry…Read More

Upgrade review — Bonkers cyberpunk a summer highlight

July 6, 2018 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Leigh Whannell | 100 min An Australian sci-fi exploitation picture from the good people at Blumhouse (Insidious, Split, Get Out), with writer/director/actor Whannell helming his second feature, this is a genuine surprise for the summer of 2018. It's a total blast, an R-rated, near-future mindbender in the tradition of the original Terminator and…Read More

Game Night review — A surprisingly hilarious mainstream comedy

June 17, 2018 flawintheiris

Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein | Written by Mark Perez | 100 mins | on Netflix There's a scene in this picture where a suburban couple, Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams), work to remove a bullet from Max's arm. They're entirely incompetent, and worse, they can barely keep from tossing…Read More

Revenge review — Brutal, blood-soaked, and beyond

May 29, 2018 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Coralie Fargeat | 108 min | on iTunes This French-sploitation actioner is getting a lot of love from the critics, and I can see why: It's unusual and praise-worthy for a female filmmaker to take on this (unfortunately) predominantly masculine genre, the revenge picture, and give it a potent, stylish kick,…Read More

Now on Canadian Netflix: Spring 2018

May 10, 2018 flawintheiris

Mute (2018) A sci-fi thriller half a mess and half an interesting exercise in style. That it comes from Duncan Jones, the filmmaker responsible for Moon, Source Code, and, yes, Warcraft, hopes were high this would be a strong genre entry, but Mute never hits above its pulpy elements. We're in future Berlin, which looks…Read More

Rampage review — Big dumb fun with monsters amok

April 16, 2018 flawintheiris

Directed by Brad Peyton | Written by Ryan Engle, Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal, and Adam Sztykiel | 107 min If there was any doubt at before now, it should be clear today: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is this generation's Arnold Schwarzenegger. He moves effortlessly from comedy to family fare to action movies without breaking…Read More

Pacific Rim: Uprising — Machine-tooled but trashy

March 27, 2018 flawintheiris

Directed by Steven S. DeKnight | Written by DeKnight, Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder, and TS Nowlin based on characters by Travis Beacham | 111 min | Netflix Guillermo Del Toro's 2013 monsters-fighting-giant-robots movie was a delight, one that just managed to reach the magic worldwide box office take to trigger a sequel. Del Toro is…Read More

Tomb Raider review — Remarkably entertaining video-game adaptation

March 25, 2018 flawintheiris

Directed by Roar Uthaug | Written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Alastair Siddons, and Evan Daugherty | 118 min I can barely recall the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movies. What I do remember is Jolie's Lara Croft was a largely personality-free automaton who looked great kicking ass. Was it a pre-007 Daniel Craig's ass she kicked? Maybe.…Read More

Raid On Entebbe (1977) and 7 Days In Entebbe reviews — Real-life hijack thrillers span generations

March 25, 2018 flawintheiris