The Longest Ride is new this weekend, and the latest Nicholas Sparks book to come to the big screen.
The last few Sparks flicks have been nothing short horrible, including last years The Best Of Me, which I picked as the worst movie of 2014 for every reason there is. This movie I am happy to report is far better in about every regard.
The Longest Ride is the story of Sophia (Britt Robertson) and Luke (Scott Eastwood). Sophia is a college senior in North Carolina but is originally from the East Coast. She is an art major, and is planning a new career of working in the art world. Luke is a North Carolina native who is one of the best professional bull riders in the world. They meet, and of course strike up a steamy romance trying to meld their very different worlds.
They befriend a very nice old man they saved from a terrible car accident Ira (Alan Alda). Sophia becomes a very good friend of Ira's, as he cannot read anymore. Sophia and Ira bond over many days of her reading his old love letters to him he wrote over the decades to his deceased wife, Ruth (Oona Chaplin).
As Luke and Sophia march on, the differences of their world become very difficult. Is this bad timing? Or is this fate and will they end up together as it would seem they are supposed to? And what role will Ira play in their fate at the end of his life? These are the questions asked in The Longest Ride.
This movie does a number of things very well. There has been some talk of it being very different in some aspects from the book. But on screen they do capture well, the characters and how they live and act in today's world. Sophia is a of course a Sparks character, and she's a bit too god to be true, but she does represent in her actions that of a nice college senior. Luke, is a typical "old school" traditional values guy, and for the most part he is believable. This does stick to the typical Sparks formula of movie making, but not as much as in the story on screen.
It is amazing that all of these Sparks movies can look the same after a while, but they do. This move does dare to be a bit different. For once, we are not on the Carolina Coast, and there are not boat, boat house, or seaside scenes. Also, bull riding is a part of this movie and that is way outside of the realm of Sparks. And even though this does deal with flashback stories running side by side much like The Notebook, it doesn't really feel the same. Alda is very good in this limited role, and he gives this a nice boost.
It is stunning how much Scott Eastwood looks, sounds and acts like Clint in parts of this movie. He is well cast, and does a nice job here. Robertson is a nice fresh presence on screen, and is actually quite likable. There really nice no supporting cast to mention, as these three are the primary people on screen. This is well done for the most part, it paces along fine, and even though Sparks movies all seem to be the same, this one is OK.
The Longest Ride. Good, schmaltzy movie for romantics.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
MOVIE REVIEW - Furious 7
This is the seventh installment of the Fast And Furious franchise, and somehow these just keep getting bigger, and yes better.
This is the continuation of the franchise with virtually all of the cast still in tact. Vin Diesel and his crew always find a way to really entertain us, with new and different action sequences. Of course, this is the final goodbye for the late actor, Paul Walker who was killed during the filming of this movie, as he has been a staple from the beginning. This had an amazing opening weekend, bringing in 143 million.
You do have to know what this series is all about to jump in and hang on to Furious 7. This has been a sequential series, and the back story is mandatory. But I don't think that's a problem for those who go to these. This has developed an amazing fan base who are ultra loyal. This installment also bring in stars, Kurt Russell, Rhonda Rousey, and Jason Statham to add to the cast of Diesel, Walker, The Rock, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludicrous, and the rest. And they all fit and it all works.
This movie is just flat out fun. This is packed with really fun and over the top action sequences that involve about every kind of vehicle there is, and yes including some really great cars. Our crew is trying to again do right, and work off the books, trying to save the world from terrible fates, and all the while being hunted by the brother of one of the bad guys they took down a movie or two ago.
One of the things I have always admired about this series is that they have never really sold out. Yes, there is some violence. Yes there is some lawbreaking. Yes, there are some scantily clad women from time to time. But this series has never crossed the lines the could have many movies ago, and most other movies do. The language overall is fairly tame. The violence is not the gory, bloody type, and as the movies have gone on the story has grown, and the characters have developed nicely.
I have a ton of respect for this franchise. They have been able to keep this going, keep you interested and they keep pushing the envelope of what they can do with their amazing action sequences to hold you engaged. Are these movies perfect? No, but they are wildly entertaining, and have a heart. They continue to reinvent themselves, 4 movies after the tremendous flop that the Tokyo Drift installment years ago when they though about packing it in. They brushed off the dust, and moved ahead to heights unimaginable.
Furious 7. This is just fun. Well done, enjoy. If you're a fan, you'll love this.
This is the continuation of the franchise with virtually all of the cast still in tact. Vin Diesel and his crew always find a way to really entertain us, with new and different action sequences. Of course, this is the final goodbye for the late actor, Paul Walker who was killed during the filming of this movie, as he has been a staple from the beginning. This had an amazing opening weekend, bringing in 143 million.
You do have to know what this series is all about to jump in and hang on to Furious 7. This has been a sequential series, and the back story is mandatory. But I don't think that's a problem for those who go to these. This has developed an amazing fan base who are ultra loyal. This installment also bring in stars, Kurt Russell, Rhonda Rousey, and Jason Statham to add to the cast of Diesel, Walker, The Rock, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludicrous, and the rest. And they all fit and it all works.
This movie is just flat out fun. This is packed with really fun and over the top action sequences that involve about every kind of vehicle there is, and yes including some really great cars. Our crew is trying to again do right, and work off the books, trying to save the world from terrible fates, and all the while being hunted by the brother of one of the bad guys they took down a movie or two ago.
One of the things I have always admired about this series is that they have never really sold out. Yes, there is some violence. Yes there is some lawbreaking. Yes, there are some scantily clad women from time to time. But this series has never crossed the lines the could have many movies ago, and most other movies do. The language overall is fairly tame. The violence is not the gory, bloody type, and as the movies have gone on the story has grown, and the characters have developed nicely.
I have a ton of respect for this franchise. They have been able to keep this going, keep you interested and they keep pushing the envelope of what they can do with their amazing action sequences to hold you engaged. Are these movies perfect? No, but they are wildly entertaining, and have a heart. They continue to reinvent themselves, 4 movies after the tremendous flop that the Tokyo Drift installment years ago when they though about packing it in. They brushed off the dust, and moved ahead to heights unimaginable.
Furious 7. This is just fun. Well done, enjoy. If you're a fan, you'll love this.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Passing My Dad
I am lucky. I have been blessed with great health my entire life, and it's something I do not take for granted.
But I can't always say that truthfully. When we all were younger, getting a medical physical was simply a formality. You went they did what they did, and you got a letter a week or two later saying all is well. Maybe lose a few pounds and don't smoke. That's how I always thought of it until this year.
I am seldom sick and honestly outside of hernia surgery 4 years ago, I have never really entered the health care system. And that was outpatient stuff. I took a konk above the eye with a ricocheted golf ball a few years ago for my one and only ER trip. But by and large, I have been very healthy and I am thankful.
Next week I go in for a yearly checkup and a couple of other things that you need to do. This year it's a little different for me. I am the exact age my dad was when he got sick and passed away. That was a long time ago. In those days you got cancer, you did chemo, radiation, and then you died. Things are very different today as treatments are so much better and results are as well and we should all be thankful for that.
But this is a bit sobering for me especially since I am so much like my dad. I look like him, am built like him and have so much in common, my mom still shakes her head at me and laughs. Plus, there are people in my life that have been battling illnesses and conditions they don't deserve many at or around my age. I am not afraid of this appointment by any means, but I would be lying if I said it hasn't been on my mind some. I have done what you can do. I have lost some weight, I am eating better, I have not smoked cigarettes in 27 years, and have an active lifestyle. I look forward to the letter in a couple weeks saying I am OK.
This checkup coming up is the same week as my dad's passing, in fact just a few days before the actual date. It worked out that way by accident, and I'm glad. It's a chance to look back to a different time, stare it down, and go zooming by a place that was his last stop. And that's exactly what I am planning to do. It's the least that can be done considering his time was cut so short.
It's a funny thing when you start to look at things differently than earlier in your life. I remember when my dad died, I thought I was the one who got a bad deal. After all I was only 16 and I think under the circumstances it is normal to have those feelings. But now, I realize that it was him that really got the bad deal as I have now caught him in age and I feel his mortality. He lived a healthy life, and it all didn't work out for him like he planned, or deserved. And I feel somewhat ashamed for thinking for years it was my loss alone, when it was more accurately his. But I was young, and proper perspective is not granted to the less seasoned.
So here's to good health and leaving places behind that are better left there. And to my dad Robert who will be cheering me on well past his finish line, all the while telling me that mine is well beyond the horizon and no where in sight.
But I can't always say that truthfully. When we all were younger, getting a medical physical was simply a formality. You went they did what they did, and you got a letter a week or two later saying all is well. Maybe lose a few pounds and don't smoke. That's how I always thought of it until this year.
I am seldom sick and honestly outside of hernia surgery 4 years ago, I have never really entered the health care system. And that was outpatient stuff. I took a konk above the eye with a ricocheted golf ball a few years ago for my one and only ER trip. But by and large, I have been very healthy and I am thankful.
Next week I go in for a yearly checkup and a couple of other things that you need to do. This year it's a little different for me. I am the exact age my dad was when he got sick and passed away. That was a long time ago. In those days you got cancer, you did chemo, radiation, and then you died. Things are very different today as treatments are so much better and results are as well and we should all be thankful for that.
But this is a bit sobering for me especially since I am so much like my dad. I look like him, am built like him and have so much in common, my mom still shakes her head at me and laughs. Plus, there are people in my life that have been battling illnesses and conditions they don't deserve many at or around my age. I am not afraid of this appointment by any means, but I would be lying if I said it hasn't been on my mind some. I have done what you can do. I have lost some weight, I am eating better, I have not smoked cigarettes in 27 years, and have an active lifestyle. I look forward to the letter in a couple weeks saying I am OK.
This checkup coming up is the same week as my dad's passing, in fact just a few days before the actual date. It worked out that way by accident, and I'm glad. It's a chance to look back to a different time, stare it down, and go zooming by a place that was his last stop. And that's exactly what I am planning to do. It's the least that can be done considering his time was cut so short.
It's a funny thing when you start to look at things differently than earlier in your life. I remember when my dad died, I thought I was the one who got a bad deal. After all I was only 16 and I think under the circumstances it is normal to have those feelings. But now, I realize that it was him that really got the bad deal as I have now caught him in age and I feel his mortality. He lived a healthy life, and it all didn't work out for him like he planned, or deserved. And I feel somewhat ashamed for thinking for years it was my loss alone, when it was more accurately his. But I was young, and proper perspective is not granted to the less seasoned.
So here's to good health and leaving places behind that are better left there. And to my dad Robert who will be cheering me on well past his finish line, all the while telling me that mine is well beyond the horizon and no where in sight.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
MOVIE REVIEW - Get Hard
Kevin Hart and Will Farrell star in the new comedy, Get Hard, that's out this week.
Have you seen any comedy over the past few years? This is a buddy comedy that is squarely targeted at 18 year old boys, and to them this may be one of the funniest things ever. What they have done here is cram all the dirty words, phrases, and body part humor into one big movie with a big cast and shove it down our throats. Truth be told there are some funny moments in this movie but it lacks any originality, and any kind of taste.
Get Hard is the story of James (Farrell). He is a highly successful and rich investment broker who works for his soon to be father in law, Martin (Craig T. Nelson). James is then framed for embezzlement by Martin and ends up being sentenced to 10 years in maximum security prison which is in no way ready for.
So he hires a friend Darnell (Hart), to teach him how to cope in prison all the while James is thinking that Darnell has been to San Quentin and done time there. Which he has not. But since Darnell needs a ton of money to buy his wife and daughter a new house he accepts the job and tries to prepare James for his prison stay in just 30 days. And the humor is on, and you can imagine what James is being prepared to do and not to do in prison.
All humor aside and setting aside the few laughs there are in this, Get Hard is immensely stereotypical in every regard. No group of people, no matter what their color is is immune from the sting here. This movie completely reinforces every stereotype there is. This movie is a great example of Hollywood and their approach to the contemporary comedy. They write two jokes. And they tell them over and over again for about 2 hours. They don't understand that the joke gets old, and a small amount of this is far greater than a ton of it.
Get Hard is raunchy from start to finish. The love of the F-word is in full throttle here. Also the love of talking incessantly about male body parts and what to do with them. Plus, making fun of the gang culture in Los Angeles, that's always fun. To its credit, this movie does have a direction and does move along at a nice pace. It's just so laden though with unoriginal thought and humor. Farrell has crossed over into a new phase of his career. He is now the laughable straight man to his funny man's humor. That formula is a nice change over the past few movies, but it's not enough to make this legit.
Hart is a funny guy, but it's a shame for him he is not a bit more discerning of the projects he takes on. He is incredibly versatile and naturally funny, more times than not way funnier than the movies he is in. Here he is funny at times, but the scrawny script cannot save him, or this.
Get Hard. Typical March mediocre comedy.
Have you seen any comedy over the past few years? This is a buddy comedy that is squarely targeted at 18 year old boys, and to them this may be one of the funniest things ever. What they have done here is cram all the dirty words, phrases, and body part humor into one big movie with a big cast and shove it down our throats. Truth be told there are some funny moments in this movie but it lacks any originality, and any kind of taste.
Get Hard is the story of James (Farrell). He is a highly successful and rich investment broker who works for his soon to be father in law, Martin (Craig T. Nelson). James is then framed for embezzlement by Martin and ends up being sentenced to 10 years in maximum security prison which is in no way ready for.
So he hires a friend Darnell (Hart), to teach him how to cope in prison all the while James is thinking that Darnell has been to San Quentin and done time there. Which he has not. But since Darnell needs a ton of money to buy his wife and daughter a new house he accepts the job and tries to prepare James for his prison stay in just 30 days. And the humor is on, and you can imagine what James is being prepared to do and not to do in prison.
All humor aside and setting aside the few laughs there are in this, Get Hard is immensely stereotypical in every regard. No group of people, no matter what their color is is immune from the sting here. This movie completely reinforces every stereotype there is. This movie is a great example of Hollywood and their approach to the contemporary comedy. They write two jokes. And they tell them over and over again for about 2 hours. They don't understand that the joke gets old, and a small amount of this is far greater than a ton of it.
Get Hard is raunchy from start to finish. The love of the F-word is in full throttle here. Also the love of talking incessantly about male body parts and what to do with them. Plus, making fun of the gang culture in Los Angeles, that's always fun. To its credit, this movie does have a direction and does move along at a nice pace. It's just so laden though with unoriginal thought and humor. Farrell has crossed over into a new phase of his career. He is now the laughable straight man to his funny man's humor. That formula is a nice change over the past few movies, but it's not enough to make this legit.
Hart is a funny guy, but it's a shame for him he is not a bit more discerning of the projects he takes on. He is incredibly versatile and naturally funny, more times than not way funnier than the movies he is in. Here he is funny at times, but the scrawny script cannot save him, or this.
Get Hard. Typical March mediocre comedy.
Monday, March 23, 2015
MOVIE REVIEW - Divergent:Insurgent
Part 2 of the Divergent franchise is a movie that is not going to get a fair shake from anyone involved.
First off, from the paying public that is going to see this. They loved every single frame before they even walked into this. They love the books, they love the idea, they love this kind of formula. They cannot watch it with an honest eye, and they like it. Not from the national critics either. They are flat out weary from this old and tired formula of the world after an apocalypse, with a young woman and her hunky friends are here to save they mankind.
For me? This is just not a good movie. Great books or not. Tired formula or not. Insurgent just flat out has a lot of problems that it can't overcome. And it all starts with our star, Shailene Woodley. Even though this is a poor man's Hunger Games, Woodley is not Jennifer Lawrence. This series lacks the Lawrence-type star power, and it's starting to take a toll. Woodley has done some really nice work, and I have loved her in other roles but not here. In this movie she looks 12 years old. She also looks insanely thin and washed out, and basically back-boneless. She has absolutely no screen presence whatsoever, far less than the first installment. She is not at all believable as the savior of the human race. In fact in some scenes, she looks borderline ridiculous carrying automatic weapons and shooting them.
I have no clue what has happened to Woodley and her decline in this role. But she's not alone. As impressive as some of the sets and effects are here, much of this looks like a bunch of middle level actors playing dress up. The props are silly, and so are many of the scenes. This is a sullen, depressing stiff of a movie that is a huge waste of 110 million dollars. The budget was even higher for this than the first, but the results are far weaker.
But as all the fans know, there is another movie to go. And we can only hope that it is far better than this one. Also in fairness, many times second flicks are the weak link in a trilogy. The first one is setting things up, the final brings it all together and many times the second movie just lays there. That's what happens here. This series is late to the party anyway. Twilight, and Hunger Games have really laid claim to this now tired formula, and Divergent just seems behind.
Divergent:Insurgent. Fans will love it, and they won't honestly know why. But this is not very good.
First off, from the paying public that is going to see this. They loved every single frame before they even walked into this. They love the books, they love the idea, they love this kind of formula. They cannot watch it with an honest eye, and they like it. Not from the national critics either. They are flat out weary from this old and tired formula of the world after an apocalypse, with a young woman and her hunky friends are here to save they mankind.
For me? This is just not a good movie. Great books or not. Tired formula or not. Insurgent just flat out has a lot of problems that it can't overcome. And it all starts with our star, Shailene Woodley. Even though this is a poor man's Hunger Games, Woodley is not Jennifer Lawrence. This series lacks the Lawrence-type star power, and it's starting to take a toll. Woodley has done some really nice work, and I have loved her in other roles but not here. In this movie she looks 12 years old. She also looks insanely thin and washed out, and basically back-boneless. She has absolutely no screen presence whatsoever, far less than the first installment. She is not at all believable as the savior of the human race. In fact in some scenes, she looks borderline ridiculous carrying automatic weapons and shooting them.
I have no clue what has happened to Woodley and her decline in this role. But she's not alone. As impressive as some of the sets and effects are here, much of this looks like a bunch of middle level actors playing dress up. The props are silly, and so are many of the scenes. This is a sullen, depressing stiff of a movie that is a huge waste of 110 million dollars. The budget was even higher for this than the first, but the results are far weaker.
But as all the fans know, there is another movie to go. And we can only hope that it is far better than this one. Also in fairness, many times second flicks are the weak link in a trilogy. The first one is setting things up, the final brings it all together and many times the second movie just lays there. That's what happens here. This series is late to the party anyway. Twilight, and Hunger Games have really laid claim to this now tired formula, and Divergent just seems behind.
Divergent:Insurgent. Fans will love it, and they won't honestly know why. But this is not very good.
Friday, March 20, 2015
MOVIE REVIEW - The Gunman
Sean Penn leads a real nice cast in the new action movie, The Gunman. Too bad this really stinks.
Can I ask a question? What is going on here? What on Earth is going on in this muddled mess of a movie? If you choose to go, you may ask yourself the exact same questions. This is a movie that attempts to show the ramifications of The West, or private companies sticking their nose in the business of third world countries for their natural resources. But it doesn't work. This is just about laughable.
Sad part is, this has a real nice cast of Penn, Javier Bardem, Roy Whinstone, and Idris Elba. Too bad Elba is in this movie for about 4 minutes, and Bardem about 15. Penn looks tired, and past his prime. Thank goodness for the wonderful supporting actor, Whinstone. But he's hardly in this either. So who is in this? Penn, for the whole agonizing 2 hours this thing that drags on like the sled the draft horses pull at the Wayne County Fair.
This is incredibly hard to follow for a few reasons. There is an assassination in The Congo 8 years ago killing the person in charge of the nations mineral rights. The trigger is pulled by a gunman (Penn) who is working for, well they don't really make it clear who he is working for. The country then plunges into chaos as a result of the civil war that breaks out. Penn has to leave the country, and starts a new life as a humanitarian.
Flash forward 8 years, and someone is now trying to kill all that were involved in the assassination. Who? We don't know exactly. And how is this all coming together? Well, it doesn't. This simply does not work. It's boring, it's sleepy, it's agonizingly long, and this entire enterprise is just flat out a really bad idea. Being honest, it was hard to stay awake for all of this. Then for good measure, after trudging through this septic quagmire for 2 hours, we get a ridiculous and laughable climax.
This movie, for all of the good people in it, can't get out of its own way. It's over cast, it's poorly thought out, and is just not A-list actor worthy. This story, is a straight to streaming movie at best. Instead, as bad as this is it ends up being straight to steaming movie, if you know what I mean.
The Gunman. Stay home and play canasta.
Can I ask a question? What is going on here? What on Earth is going on in this muddled mess of a movie? If you choose to go, you may ask yourself the exact same questions. This is a movie that attempts to show the ramifications of The West, or private companies sticking their nose in the business of third world countries for their natural resources. But it doesn't work. This is just about laughable.
Sad part is, this has a real nice cast of Penn, Javier Bardem, Roy Whinstone, and Idris Elba. Too bad Elba is in this movie for about 4 minutes, and Bardem about 15. Penn looks tired, and past his prime. Thank goodness for the wonderful supporting actor, Whinstone. But he's hardly in this either. So who is in this? Penn, for the whole agonizing 2 hours this thing that drags on like the sled the draft horses pull at the Wayne County Fair.
This is incredibly hard to follow for a few reasons. There is an assassination in The Congo 8 years ago killing the person in charge of the nations mineral rights. The trigger is pulled by a gunman (Penn) who is working for, well they don't really make it clear who he is working for. The country then plunges into chaos as a result of the civil war that breaks out. Penn has to leave the country, and starts a new life as a humanitarian.
Flash forward 8 years, and someone is now trying to kill all that were involved in the assassination. Who? We don't know exactly. And how is this all coming together? Well, it doesn't. This simply does not work. It's boring, it's sleepy, it's agonizingly long, and this entire enterprise is just flat out a really bad idea. Being honest, it was hard to stay awake for all of this. Then for good measure, after trudging through this septic quagmire for 2 hours, we get a ridiculous and laughable climax.
This movie, for all of the good people in it, can't get out of its own way. It's over cast, it's poorly thought out, and is just not A-list actor worthy. This story, is a straight to streaming movie at best. Instead, as bad as this is it ends up being straight to steaming movie, if you know what I mean.
The Gunman. Stay home and play canasta.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
MOVIE REVIEW - Run All Night
OK, I know Liam Neeson is attempting to play the exact same character in every movie he makes these days. And he does again in the new Run All Night.
Run All Night stars Neeson, and Ed Harris. It is so good to see Harris back on the screen, I am willing to give Neeson a pass on the lack of thought on his role choices. Harris is one of Hollywood's greatest ever supporting actors. And he's great here too.
Run All Night is set in New York City with Neeson playing a broken down, drunken character named Jimmy Conlon. He is a retired hit man for a small time mobster named Sean Maguire (Harris). They were childhood friends. Jimmy carried out about 18 hits for Sean as an adult, and never faced any arrests. Sean had infiltrated the police force and had enough friends on the take to keep his illegal activities alive.
Sean's grown, but young son wants to make his mark in the family business, but wants to take it to a far higher level. Sean's balks. So when a drug deal starts to go bad with some foreign mobsters, Jimmy's grown son witnesses Sean's son murder 3 people. Then he turns his attention on killing all the witnesses, Jimmy shows up and kills Sean's son just as he is about to kill Jimmy's son.
Then the chase begins. Sean brings out all he has to try to kill Jimmy's son, and eventually Jimmy for revenge. Also, a dedicated cop (Vincent D' Onofrio) is after Jimmy as he wants closure for all of the unsolved murders Jimmy has committed. Plus, an awesome hit man (Common) is after Jimmy hired by Sean. Will Jimmy and son survive the night? Or will it all be too much to overcome?
This is not fantastic by any means. This looks like a lot of movies before it, and will become a staple TNT in a few years. But what this movie does have are a few really good actors. The scenes with Harris and Neeson simply acting and exchanging dialogue, even mediocre dialogue, are really strong. It is so good to see great acting, even in a movie that hangs its hat on action and violence. D'Onofrio is great as well, and it is refreshing to see him in a larger role than his past few movies. The scenes that have a combination of these three simply acting are easily the movies best.
This has a nice story, but not great. There is plenty of gun play and action and that's fine too. This is suspenseful to a point, but then becomes like 5,000 other movies released in various Februaries and Marches. And that is what you expect. But this does have moments of brilliance intertwined. The national critics are not being overly kind, but that may not be apt. There's nothing really wrong here, just nothing earth shaking.
Run All Night. Nothing wrong with this on a cool and wet spring day.
Run All Night stars Neeson, and Ed Harris. It is so good to see Harris back on the screen, I am willing to give Neeson a pass on the lack of thought on his role choices. Harris is one of Hollywood's greatest ever supporting actors. And he's great here too.
Run All Night is set in New York City with Neeson playing a broken down, drunken character named Jimmy Conlon. He is a retired hit man for a small time mobster named Sean Maguire (Harris). They were childhood friends. Jimmy carried out about 18 hits for Sean as an adult, and never faced any arrests. Sean had infiltrated the police force and had enough friends on the take to keep his illegal activities alive.
Sean's grown, but young son wants to make his mark in the family business, but wants to take it to a far higher level. Sean's balks. So when a drug deal starts to go bad with some foreign mobsters, Jimmy's grown son witnesses Sean's son murder 3 people. Then he turns his attention on killing all the witnesses, Jimmy shows up and kills Sean's son just as he is about to kill Jimmy's son.
Then the chase begins. Sean brings out all he has to try to kill Jimmy's son, and eventually Jimmy for revenge. Also, a dedicated cop (Vincent D' Onofrio) is after Jimmy as he wants closure for all of the unsolved murders Jimmy has committed. Plus, an awesome hit man (Common) is after Jimmy hired by Sean. Will Jimmy and son survive the night? Or will it all be too much to overcome?
This is not fantastic by any means. This looks like a lot of movies before it, and will become a staple TNT in a few years. But what this movie does have are a few really good actors. The scenes with Harris and Neeson simply acting and exchanging dialogue, even mediocre dialogue, are really strong. It is so good to see great acting, even in a movie that hangs its hat on action and violence. D'Onofrio is great as well, and it is refreshing to see him in a larger role than his past few movies. The scenes that have a combination of these three simply acting are easily the movies best.
This has a nice story, but not great. There is plenty of gun play and action and that's fine too. This is suspenseful to a point, but then becomes like 5,000 other movies released in various Februaries and Marches. And that is what you expect. But this does have moments of brilliance intertwined. The national critics are not being overly kind, but that may not be apt. There's nothing really wrong here, just nothing earth shaking.
Run All Night. Nothing wrong with this on a cool and wet spring day.
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