Movie Review: Pain and Gain (2013)

We want to pump you up

Daniel Lugo, a Miami bodybuilder formulates a plan to get rich.  After recruiting some accomplices, they make a plan.  Unfortunately the plan involves kidnapping and murder, something which none of them are any good at pulling off.  The film is filled with cliches and stereotypes.  It gets old after a while.  And I can't stand Michael Bay.  In spite of all that, this film was well shot, funny, outrageous, and had some really good action sequences.

Pain and Gain gets 2.5 out of 5 stars!

Director: Michael Bay
Writer: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie
Rotten Tomatoes: 49%
Metacritic: 45%

The Purge (2013)

Oh say can you see...

In the year 2022, and the New Founders of America control the nation.  Each year the Purge is held.  On this one night of violence and mayhem, the NFA allows almost every crime to go unpunished, even murder.  The powers that be consider the Purge a way for people to cleanse themselves of their anger and hatred so that they can get on with their lives.  For 12 full hours, anything goes.  The idea behind the plot has mouthwatering potential, kind of a Battle Royale or Hunger Games for the whole nation.  Sadly this very flat thriller is a predictable and mildly entertaining execution of an intriguing concept.  It tries to be creepy and suspenseful, but ends up being neither.

The Purge falls too easily into cliche and only comes away with 2.5 out of 5 stars!

Director: James DeMonaco

Writer: James DeMonaco

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield

Rotten Tomatoes: 38%

Metacritic: 41%

 

World War Z (2013)

Don't say the zed word!

People start turning into zombies.  Worldwide chaos ensues.  Brad Pitt helps to save the day.  Having read the book and loved it, I was skeptical about a film being made from it.  And while the film version is very different than the book, it is still pretty great.  It is rare than a big budget Hollywood action film keeps my attention like this one did.  The first and third acts of this film were dripping with tension.  The story was great, the acting was great, the zombies were great, everything was great.  The high caliber scribes and very able director deliver a very satisfying addition to the zombie genre.  And even though the zombie craze may fade away someday, this film will remain a great film which will stand the test of time. 

World War Z claws its way to 4 out of 5 Poblanos!

Director: Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Stranger Than Fiction, Quantum of Solace)
Writer: Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom), Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, Cloverfield)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos (The Killing), Daniella Kertesz
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Metacritic: 63%

Total Recall (2012)

Its all in your head; or is it?

Douglas Quaid is a normal working stiff.  He lives on an oppressive future version of Earth where the majority of the world has been wiped out.  When he seeks an escape from his humdrum life, he infds out that there is more to himself than he could have ever imagined.  Total Recall is a big budget action film with a sci-fi backdrop.  It is not the greatest film ever made, but is a good entry into the 'sci-fi/ action' genre.  Having said all that, this film is still way better than the 1990 Schwartzeneggar version. 

Total Recall gets a respectable 3 out of 5 Poblanos!

Director: Len Wiseman (Underworld franchise)
Writer: Kurt Wimmer (The Thomas Crown Affair, The Recruit), Mark Bomback
(Live Free or Die Hard)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, and Bryan Cranston
Rotten Tomatoes: 31%
Metacritic: 43 out of 100

Bellflower (2011)

Crazy, just plain crazy
Woodrow and Aiden are obsessed with building a flame thrower.  They dream of being Mad Max.  They have dreams but their lives are going nowhere fast.  Bellflower is thoroughly depressing and a bit brutal.  It is also awesome.  This film was made for only $17,000, which is surprising because the production quality is so good.  The story is engrossing, the characters intriguingly tragic.  Not for the faint of heart, but worth it for everyone else. 

Bellflower sets the place on fire with 4 out of 5 Poblanos

Director: Evan Glodell
Writer: Evan Glodell
Starring: Evan Glodell, Tyler Dawson and Jessie Wiseman
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Metacritic: 72 out of 100

Bunraku (2010)

Vengeance is dish best served cold
A mash up between a comic book, a Tarantino flick, Natural Born Killers, and The Science of Sleep, Bunraku plays out like a dystopian fairly tale. I love the mix of animation, origami, and live action. The sets are fantastic as are the costumes. There are some really amazing shots (be on the lookout for Josh Hartnett's jail break-in). Very watchable, very enjoyable, and very fun. 

Bunraku knocks me over with 4 out of 5 Poblanos!

Director: Guy Moshe
Writer: Boaz Davidson (story), Guy Moshe (screenplay)

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Ron Perlman and Woody Harrelson

Rotten Tomatoes: 16%

Metacritic: not reviewed

Tropa de Elite (The Elite Squad) (2008)

Extreme prejudice
In Rio de Janeiro, the police are corrupt.  Rookie cops Neto and Andre are frustrated by the corruption and aspire to BOPE, Rio's elite task force.  Capitão Nascimento is looking to leave the squad and is searching for his replacement.  Tropa de Elita is a gandland tale with lots of action that is inspired by true events.  Told with a semi-non-linear narrative (the first half is non-linear, the second half is mostly linear).  The story was engaging and the subject new and interesting (I knew nothing about life in Brasil).  It is a gritty and realistic film which presents corruption and violence without glorifing or romanticizing it .  On a technical level, the camera work is great especially considering that a lot of the film involved running through the slums of Rio.  This is my first Brazilian film and I loved it. 

Tropa de Elita is a ball of hot smokin' police justice 4 out of 5 Poblanos!

Director: José Padilha
Writer: José Padilha, Bráulio Mantovani,
Starring: Wagner Moura, André Ramiro and Caio Junqueira
Rotten Tomatoes: 53%
Metacritic: 33 out of 100