Category Archives: Redbox
Movies available at Redbox.
The Man With the Iron Fists (2012) Movie Review
What happens when Quentin Tarantino presents something with RZA and David Bautista in it? A lot of style but lacking in substance. This had potential to be a live-action Afro Samurai but fell flat on its brass face.
Cast
RZA stars as the Blacksmith, the main role in this movie (unfortunately). Russell Crowe stars as Jack Knife, the British officer sent to the small town under the Emperor’s hospices. David Bautista, formerly of the WWE, stars as Brass Body, one of the interesting characters of this film but too underplayed. Madame Blossom is played by Lucy Liu of Kill Bill fame. Rick Yune stars as Zen Yi, the X-Blade. Daniel Wu stars as Poison Dagger. Lastly, two other notables are Cung Ye who plays Bronze Lion and Zhu Zhu who plays Chi Chi.
Plot
Per IMDb, on the hunt for a fabled treasure of gold, a band of warriors, assassins, and a rogue British soldier descend upon a village in feudal China, where a humble blacksmith looks to defend himself and his fellow villagers.
Review
What could have been a spectacular film rivaling Sukiyaki Western Django or transforming itself into a live-action Afro Samurai didn’t happen. The movie tried too hard to be cool and deep as music was constantly jarring the movie itself and exposition continuously broke the flow of the movie. Some of the earlier action sequences involving the Gemini Twins were cool as well the later action sequences involving David Bautista as the Brass Body. But having two great action sequences does not make a great movie make. Once RZA stepped up and became the main character during the last minutes of the film, that’s the straw that broke this movie’s back.
Verdict (Out of 10)
Overall, this film deserves a 3 out of 10. Too much exposition, too much music and too much RZA killed this film. You’re far better watching the original Enter the Dragon, Kill Bill or Sukiyaki Western Django. The Man With the Iron Fists would have been better as an anime film instead.
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Dredd (2012) Movie Review
Cast
Karl Urban stars as Judge Dredd, and he may be familiar as to some as Bones in Star Trek. Cassandra Anderson, a psychic and recruit, is played by Olivia Thirlby. Lena Headey stars as Madeline Madrigal or “Ma-Ma,” the drug lord of Peach Trees. She may be most recently recognized as Cersei Lannister of the Game of Thrones television series. Caleb, one of her henchmen, is played by Warrick Grier. Kay, another one of Ma-Ma’s henchmen, is played by Wood Harris.
Some of the other minor roles include: Judge Lex played by Langley Kirkwood; Judge Alvarez played by Edwin Perry; Judge Chan is played by Karl Thaning; and Judge Kaplan is played by Michele Levin. Lastly, Rakie Ayola stars as the Chief Judge who makes an appearance at the end of the film.
Plot
In the future on an irridiated Earth — and United States, there exists few safe zones. With the destruction of the former cities, there came mega-cities, slum towers, drugs, high-crime, overpopulation and Judges. These Judges serve as judge, jury and executioner without forgiveness. Judge Dredd is one of many judges in Mega-City One and he and his new recruit, Cassandra Anderson, must overtake Peach Trees, a drug-filled, crime-filled slum tower, as they attempt to escort Kay, one of Ma-Ma’s henchmen. Ma-Ma is the druglord of Peach Trees who leads the manufacture and distribution of Slo-Mo, an illicit drug, throughout Mega-City One. However, with the arrival of the Judges in her tower, she takes control of the security room and seals the building thus preventing Judge Dredd and Anderson from leaving with Kay. Ma-Ma escalates the violence and bloodshed as one failure follows after another — eventually pulling a couple of aces out of her pocket to no avail.
Overall (Out of 10)
Overall, this is an enjoyable action movie, but it was filled with cliches. The Slo-Mo effect was a bit distracting although the use of it was understandable. Comparably though, The Matrix trilogy still did the effect much better than Judge Dredd. The acting in of itself was decent as Karl Urban could only do so much in his helmet. Olivia Thirlby was too soft in her role and not entirely believable as a Judge or recruit potential for one. Wood Harris as Kay and Lena Headey as Ma-Ma played their roles to perfection — almost. As an action movie, it was solid, but action cliches filled the entire movie whereas others have done better. I will give credit to this movie was quite faithful to the source, the comic books. In my honest opinion, The Raid: Redemption and the original Die Hard both were better action tower-climbing movies and added far more testosterone. This movie deserves a 7.5 out of 10 — worth a watch but not much more.
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Looper (2012) Movie Review
Time travel is invented in the future in 2074. But only the mob has it. They use it to transport those who they want killed, and loopers instantly kill them in the past, thus removing any traces of the person in the future. However, these loopers are not without their issues with the system — as sometimes they are targeted. Sometimes, loopers are forced to “close the loop,” their own; and when they don’t, other loopers pursue them until the days end…
Cast
The main character, Joe, is played by two roles, one older and one younger. The older Joe from 30 years in the future is played by Bruce Willis of Die Hard fame. The younger Joe is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, perhaps better known as John Blake in Christoper Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Paul Dano stars as Seth, younger Joe’s friend and fellow looper. Older Seth is played by Frank Brennan. Abe is the capo of the mob sent back into the past, and he is played by Jeff Daniels. However, Kid Blue eventually becomes the main villain, and he is played by Noah Segan. Emily Blunt stars as Sara, the owner of the farm and foster mother of Cid, her telekenetic son. Cid is played by Pierce Gagnon.
Suzie, younger Joe’s girlfriend, a showgirl, is played by Piper Perabo. Qing Xu stars as older Joe’s wife, Summer Qing. These two are minor roles in the movie overall, but they each play a significant part in Joe’s life.
Plot
The plot is fairly simple in terms of science fiction. Loopers are essentially assassins in the past (relatively) whose sole purpose is to kill the people that the mafia from the future send back. The problem arises for Joe is when his older self is sent back but escapes being shot. The older Joe is after a villain from the future, the Rainmaker, who kills the mafia and their older loopers and comrades indiscriminately in the future. Older Joe soon discovers that the Rainmaker is a strong telekenetic — who also happens to be a child. In the older Joe’s mind, by eliminating the threat now, the Rainmaker will no longer pose a threat in the future. With that, the younger Joe has differences and culminates in a showdown.
Review (Out of 10)
This movie overall was a fairly solid movie, and it was well-acted for the most part. Kid Blue, Abe and both Joes played their roles convincingly. However, it was not them that stole the show. Cid, played by Pierce Gagnon, acted well-beyond his age. For a 10 or some year-old, he acted more mature than some adults would. However, the melding of three or four different sub-plots did not serve the film well in my honest opinion. However, the last plot, the one concerning the mother’s love for her son perhaps struck best and hardest when it needed to.
This movie had elements of 12 Monkeys, Minority Report and Push, and for the most part, mixed fairly well. In my opinion, this movie was perhaps doing too much. Unlike 12 Monkeys, the basic plot was simple, but the entire movie was focused on that simple element, retrieval of the cure. However, Looper, to me, lacked focus, particularly in the beginning, which impacted the rest of the movie. Overall, Looper is a solid movie worth watching — an 8.0 out of 10.
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Final Destination 5 Movie Review
Horror. Comedy. These two words pretty much sum up Final Destination 5 in a nutshell. The deaths are gruesome for certain, but the Rube Goldberg method in which the people die in this film is admittedly comedic. As a side note, Final Destination 5 is the prequel to the original Final Destination.
Cast
Nicholas D’Agosto plays Sam Lawton, the lead character in this film. Sam sees the original vision of the death of the entire group. His girlfriend, Molly Harper, is played by Emma Bell. Peter Friedkin, Sam’s best friend, is played by Miles Fisher. Nathan, Sam’s other friend, is played by Arlen Escarpeta. Ellen Wroe stars as Candice Hooper, and Olivia Castle is played by Jacqueline MacInnes Wood. Isaac Palmer, the tech support, is played by P.J. Byrne. The boss, Dennis, is played by David Koechner.
As for the other two characters, Agent Jim Black is played by Courtney B. Vance, and Tony Todd reprises his role as William Bludworth.
Plot
As Sam Lawton approaches the suspension-bridge in a van for a business group retreat, he has a vision of the death of the entire group with each member successively impaled, burned or other means. He warns them of the danger, and all of them escape. However, as they find out, they cannot cheat Death.
Review
This movie was definitely horror-comedy. The Rube Goldberg manners in which the members of the business group died was entertaining and comedic. Additionally, I wish to preface this review by saying that I have never seen any of the previous Final Destination movies. This movie does have some solid entertainment value, but it won’t any awards. It’s worth a rental but not much more than that.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie gets a 6 out of 10. It does have some salvageable entertainment value, but the cast and the plot won’t get any awards. That much is for certain.
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The Veteran Movie Review
Returning from Afghanistan, a British soldier returns to London only to find himself in yet another war. This time, the war lies on the streets of London, his streets. The Veteran is reminiscent of Harry Brown, another dark movie about war. Sometimes when one stares into the abyss long enough, the abyss stares back…
Cast
Toby Kebell stars as Robert Miller, the soldier returning from Afghanistan. Tony Curran stars as Chris Turner, his friend and ex-soldier as well. Danny Turner, Chris‘ brother, is played by Tom Brooke. Gerry, the head of the intelligence organization outside of the CIA and FBI, is played by Brian Cox. Ivanno Jeremiah stars as Fahad Sahal, Robert’s close friend. Alayna Wallace, the female informant, is played by Adi Bielski. Ashley Bashy Thomas stars as Tyrone Jones, the drug kingpin of the Estate, an apartment complex in London. Ryan Sahal, Fahad’s son and Tyrone’s confidant, is played by Eboseta Ayemere.
Plot
Upon returning home from Afghanistan, Robert Miller finds his way home to the Estate. At the Estate, however, drugs and guns run rampant in the apartment complex as Tyrone Jones leads the gang of thugs. Miller is recruited by an intelligence agency to rescue an informant, but he uncovers something much deeper. Through his military experience, he battles the onslaught on all sides on the streets of London.
Review
The Veteran is a very stark and violent film. It can be compared to Harry Brown in that they both deal with military veterans adjusting to civilian life in the only way they know how, the use of guns. This film has a lot more drama than blood and violence than depicted in the trailer, and all the actors were well-selected for their roles. The buildup of drama only leads to a violent and tragic ending (not with much blood however).
Verdict (Out of 10)
This film deserves a 7.5 out of 10 in my honest opinion. It is a solid movie and worth a watch.
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Real Steel Movie Review
In the near future, instead of the UFC, Pride or other mixed martial arts venues, robots come into the scene as fighters. It’s the irony of ironies: geek boxing. Real Steel came as a pleasant surprise. Although it is somewhat touted as a family movie, one must be careful because it still has some foul language and violence.
Cast
Hugh Jackman stars as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up boxer. Max Kenton, his son, is played by Dakota Goyo. Bailey Tallet, Charlie’s close friend and daughter of his former trainer. Anthony Mackie stars as Finn, Charlie’s friend and promoter of an illegal fighting ring. For those familiar with The Adjustment Bureau, he played Harry Mitchell in that film. Charlie’s wealthy Aunt Debra and Uncle Marvin are played by Hope Davis and James Rebhorn respectively.
Now to the cast of villains…Ricky, the nemesis of this film, is played by Kevin Durand. Karl Yune stars as Tak Mashido, the creator of Zeus, the champion of the World Robot Boxing (WRB) league. Farra Lemkova, the shady female promoter of Zeus (and Tak), is played by Olga Fonda.
Plot
In 2020, human boxing is replaced by robot boxing. In this world, Charlie Kenton tries to bring Bailey and himself money to survive. However, when he had an opportunity with the former great robot, Noisy Boy, he overestimated his control of the robot fighter and ultimately lost. However, through Max’s discovery of a Generation-2 robot named Atom, Charlie and Max find redemption, friendship and ultimately, a winning combination.
Review
This movie was a pleasant surprise. Although the premise of robot boxing is quite fantastical, it was Hugh Jackman, Bailey Tallet and Max Kenton that made the film. They all gave wonderful performances. The CGI for the robots was spectacular and only made the film more believable. This is a family film, but it is best with teenagers. I certainly would not take children younger to see this film, no matter how good the message is.
This movie was a twist of ironies and absurdities. In the end, it became a blue-collar film with robots and thousand-dollar budgets. Kind of funny…
(On a side note, this movie is based on the short story “Steel” by Robert Matheson. And on another, the MIT Autonomous Robotic Competition, which features current fighting robots, will be held on February 1, 2012 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. If you enjoyed this movie, this is certainly more than a treat.)
Verdict
If one can get past the backstory of robot boxing and some of the graphic violence and language, this is a wonderful movie to watch with the family, given that you have teenagers or so. Overall, this film gets a 9 out of 10.
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Cowboys and Aliens Movie Review
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, I am reviewing this strange science-fiction-western mashup, Cowboys and Aliens. Although the idea was fairly unique, the execution of it unfortunately wasn’t.
Cast
Daniel Craig stars as Jake Lonergan, the outlaw and the anti-hero. He’s immediately familiar to those as the new James Bond in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Harrison Ford stars as Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde who is out for Jake Lonergan and his stolen gold. Olivia Wilde stars as Ella Swenson. She played Thirteen in House, M.D. television series and Quorra in TRON: Legacy, among other credits. Doc is played by Sam Rockwell. Adam Beach plays Nat Colorado, the Indian translator of Dolarhyde’s posse. Percy Dolarhyde, the Colonel’s wayward son, is played by Paul Dano. Keith Carradine stars as Sheriff John Taggart.
Plot
Arizona. 1873. A lone stranger, Jake Lonergan, who has no memory arrives in the town of Absolution to attempt to find out who he is but instead finds trouble with Colonel Dolarhyde. Strapped with a bracelet of unknown origin, he saves the town after an attack by the alien spaceships. Through recollections gradually of the events and the amassing of hands, Dolarhyde, Lonergan, Doc, the Indians and others eventually find and attack the mothership.
Review
Granted, this movie had star power, but the actual substance of the film was lacking. The Western plot was weak, and the alien invasion was unusually quiet. At some moments throughout the film, it seemed as if the movie had an identity crisis or bipolar disorder. It couldn’t decide whether to be a science-fiction movie or a western. Ultimately, it became a derivative pulp western with a dash of science fiction. Maintaining interest, despite all the action and special effects, was difficult as I almost fell asleep through sheer boredom. All in all, Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde deserved better than these roles and this movie.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie deserves rightfully a 6 out of 10. If you don’t have anything to watch, then watch this movie, but otherwise, avoid it if you can.
Related articles
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Warrior Movie Review
With the rise in popularity of mixed martial arts and the unfortunate decline in boxing, more movies about mixed martial arts have come onto the scene. This is one of them. Although Warrior is touted as the Rocky of mixed martial arts, this movie does have its moments and then none.
Cast
The movie stars Joel Edgerton as Brendan Conlon, a former UFC fighter turned physics teacher. Tommy Conlon, his brother who served in Iraq, is played by Tom Hardy. Nick Nolte plays Paddy Conlon, his drunk father who taught them both wrestling and mixed martial arts when they were younger. Jennifer Morrison stars as Tess Conlon, Brendan’s wife. Kevin Dunn plays Principal Zito, the principal of Brendan’s school. Frank Grillo stars as Frank Campana, Brendan’s trainer. Kurt Angle plays Koba, the undefeated Russian mixed martial arts fighter.
Plot
The youngest son, Tommy Conlon, returns home to Philadelphia to train with his father in the much-touted Sparta mixed martial arts tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the meantime, his older brother, Brendan Conlon, prepares for the same after confronting the bank who would take his house away after missing mortgage payments. After they both go their separate ways to train, the two brothers ultimately confront each other. They deal with lots of familial baggage inside and outside of the tournament. Both brothers have something to lose and a lot to gain from winning the Sparta tournament. Meanwhile, Koba poses a major threat to both as they climb the ranks of the tournament ladder.
Review
As most sites compared this movie to Rocky, this movie didn’t quite grab me like Rocky did. This movie’s titular characters, Brendan and Tommy Conlon, lacked charisma in my frank opinion. True, both had something to lose, but it didn’t come to fruition as well as expected. The disparity between the brothers and their father lacked that emotional touch. The Fighter had a better portrayal of familial bonding than this movie. Although the ending was like Rocky, as Brendan, the no-name underdog of the Sparta tournament, defeated trained fighters, I felt like I was cheering for fluff.
Verdict (Out of 10)
Overall, this movie was slightly above-average. For me, this movie deserves a 7.5 out of 10.
Limitless Movie Review
What would you do?
The potential to unleash the human brain in a simple, little pill.
Ecstasy without the stupidity you can swallow in one gulp that can change who you are, an enhanced version of what you are. This is what dreams are made of, the American Dream is made of. (The Japanese Dream is made of this as well, but that’s another discussion for another time.)
This movie is based on the book The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn, and it is now known as Limitless. This is book is available for Amazon and Kindle as well. However, this review is not of the book or e-book but rather of the movie.
Cast
Bradley Cooper, of the recent remake A-Team fame, stars as Edward “Eddie” Mora, an inspiring author but becomes much more. Abbie Cornish, of Sucker Punch fame, stars as Lindy, his girlfriend. Johnny Whitworth plays Vernon Gant, the brother of his ex-wife, Melissa Gant. Anna Friel stars as Melissa Gant. Robert De Niro stars as Carl Van Loon, a powerful and power-hungry businessman. Tomas Arana plays the Man in the Tan Coat. Richard Bekins stars as Hank Atwood, Carl Van Loon’s rival and the Man in the Tan Coat’s employer. Andrew Howard stars as Gannady, the Russian loan shark. Brian Anthony Wilson plays the Detective throughout this movie.
Plot
An unemployed writer, Eddie Mora, is dumped by his girlfriend, Lindy, due to his inability to complete a book. However, when he is introduced to NZT-48, a designer pharmaceutical designed to use 100 percent of the human brain instead of the usual 20 percent, Eddie Mora changes and grants him exceptional ability to calculate and manipulate the world around him. He is granted charisma that he never had. He is granted intelligence that he never had. And with both, he becomes a better man until he is found a suspect of murder of a super model. He is exploited by Carl Van Loon and chased by hit-men who want the stolen NZT soon after. Addiction of NZT and its price bears its ugly head to those who have taken it, and cataclysmic events fall upon each other until the end.
Review
Limitless was a surprisingly captivating movie for the most part. The movie itself simulated the effects of NZT as some shots move extremely quickly. When Lindy took the drug eventually, the movie showed how she calculated her means of escape. This movie reminded me of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in that the movie was specifically made for the modern public, the modern ADD-driven public. The drama is fast-moving as well — until the middle. When the discussion of the malignant effects of NZT, the movie went into neutral for a while and almost lost my interest.
This movie asks a lot of questions about addiction and the price of superior intellect and stardom. It was Requiem for a Dream minus the bleak outlook on life. This movie was deep without being grandiose about it.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie was a solid 9 for me. This movie would be perfect for a good philosophical discussion about society and its needs and wants. In this modern world where intelligence, charisma and speed (e.g., multi-tasking) are of the essence, this movie begs the questions as to the price of these valued personal assets — the physical and social price. Some college students, particularly Ivy League students, can relate to this as they take uppers and Red Bull to keep awake as they seek better grades than their peers. NZT would be much the same and perhaps be abused just as much.
This movie has convinced me to read the book Limitless as well. It leaves a significant impact on the viewer. It is that good.
