Dark Blue (2002) Review:

Officers of the law are supposed to be and created for a means of protection. To keep the innocent safe and put away the corrupted. And while that is majority of the case, there's always one bad apple who fouls it up for everyone else. When these kinds of reports hit the news, it becomes harder for the public to trust those who sworn to uphold the law. However, in cities where crime is up far beyond the capabilities of the local departments, judgement can get skewed on what's right and wrong. For James Ellroy, best known for his novel L.A. Confidential, cops seem to be a common theme in his works. While according to him his written work was not adapted at all here, it sure fits his mode of thought. The product here is definitely an entertaining piece because scenarios like this can happen in the real world.

"Alright guys,....how long we gonna be waiting here?"

The plot is about a special unit within the L.A. Police Department that work to take out all the bad people in town. The problem is, their method of getting the job done isn't always proper. Kurt Russell plays Eldon Perry, a detective who grew up in L.A. learning from his Father how to be a cop. Working under Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson), Perry will do what it takes to get the job done. Under Perry is new recruit named Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman) who is still learning what to do. However, after an encounter gone wrong involving two perpetrators Gary Sidwell (Dash Mihok) and Darry Orchard (Kurupt), another official named Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames) is on the tale of both Meter and Perry. All the while, Keough is having a fling with Beth Williamson (Michael Michele) and Sally (Lolita Davidovich), Eldon's wife is having second thoughts about their marriage.

Writing the screenplay to this feature was David Ayer, who also wrote for Training Day (2001) and The Fast and the Furious (2001) at the time. For not baring any relationship to Ellroy's work, Ayer's interpretation is well covered for the most part. The story is compelling enough to believe both sides of the argument. While it may seem like putting away people who committed crimes but not for that reason seems validated, it isn't justified in that way. People should go to jail for the crime they committed, not for someone else's. It's this kind of conflict in morality that helps develop several of these main characters. It also displays to the audience how rough it can be choosing sides when it feels like both sides are right in their own way. Ron Shelton heads this picture and his direction is fairly focused aside from one plot point that gets dropped. Shelton's also the director of White Men Can't Jump (1992) and Cobb (1994).

The cast of actors brought on for this feature perform well too. Kurt Russell as usual does his very best to embody his role to the fullest. While he seems rough around the edges, he does have his softer side. Scott Speedman and Michael Michele work well off each other too. Of the two though, Michele is the stronger half showing great emotion in her role. Then there's Gleeson's character who really puts the command in his orders. As for Ving Rhames, a little more focus could have been put on him. Rhames plays his character calm, cool and collected even with other people breathing down his neck. Even Lolita Davidovich and Khandi Alexander who play Eldon and Arthur's wives, do an adequate job considering they fit in just for sub plots. It can be a real challenge to fit all the characters in for enough time, but this was done fairly well.

Ving Rhames

Supporting components to the story did their job. Since this was more of a thriller, the action in this film is not as abundant. So for those who are looking for some energetic action, they might be disappointed. However, the cinematography shot by Barry Peterson works for the setting. While urban terrain usually ugly and unappealing, Peterson is able to give the setting scope and depth showing just how out of control L.A. has gotten. Peterson would also shoot for 21 Jump Street (2012) and Central Intelligence (2016). As for music, composer Terence Blanchard took the lead. Incorporating all kinds of instruments like flute, drums, organ and bass guitar, the sound is not from the typical film score. This is what makes it sound all the more unique. Occasionally a trumpet is included as well to emphasize a more dramatic scene. Well done.

The action and one part of the story is weak but that's it. The story is an interesting look at corrupt and loyal officers of the law and how it affects society. The main cast do a good job, the camerawork matches the mood and the music stands out from many other film scores.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) Review:

Watching the deterioration of a franchise that began so strong is quite disheartening. John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and following sequel of Halloween II (1981) were films that told a tense but gripping story. After the flop that was Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), producers wanted to turn back to the Myers story, thus leading to Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) and Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) revolving around Laurie Strode's daughter Jaime. Unfortunately, the attempt wasn't enough with the last two having a bunch of continuity issues and other subplots being introduced without exploration. This entry really doesn't conclude that.

Paul Rudd as Tommy Doyle

It's six years later and viewers see that after the events of the last film, Jaime Strode (J.C. Brandy) is back but now with a newborn child. With the same cloaked villain from the last entry on the chase, she flees to get away from not only them but Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur) himself. Meanwhile, more Strode relatives such as Kara (Marianne Hagan) and her son Danny (Devin Gardner) move into the house that belonged to Michael Myers, however they don't know that. Next door is Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd) who ever since the first film has been studying Michael to understand him better. At the same time, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is requested from colleague Dr. Wynn (Mitchell Ryan) to come out of retirement.

Written by Daniel Farrands, the screenplay to this sequel tries to make sense of the confusion but fails in almost every way. While the story itself did go through several re-edits, it still suffers from lack of clarity. The unknown cloaked man is touched upon now as well as the new thorn tattoo that was featured in the last film. But this doesn't really solve the haphazard story. Kara's son Danny sees visions of the cloaked figure but the reason for them influencing him isn't explained. Nor was it really explained as to why exactly Michael Myers is involved with all this. It's just very muddled and adds unnecessary complexity to it all. The film was directed by Joe Chapelle, who has had no experience with the franchise prior to this. Sounds about right.

Of the characters, the only two to come out seeming somewhat likable was obviously Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis since he's been at it since the beginning, and Paul Rudd as Tommy Doyle. Everyone else from Marianne Hagan, Devin Gardner and even George P. Wilbur don't really don't stand out. They're just actors playing characters that feel highly remote to the story at hand. It's actually more surprising Paul Rudd even has a role in this film considering where he is now being Ant-Man and all. The fact that his and Donald Pleasence's role have a connection to the beginning is what makes it more interesting. Yet, that's really all the audience has to go on because everything else is so remarkably dull.

"Hmmm,....it needs a little straightening"

For a horror film, it too is a bumbling mess. The violence and gore is fine if weren't chopped up so much by editor Randy Bricker. Having all kinds of flashing lights and random scene cuts is annoying. Hopefully his skills improve. The cinematography by Billy Dickson isn't that great either. Having much more experience filming for TV movies, his camerawork isn't that special nor does it even try to emulate past DPs from other sequels. Thankfully music is a slight bit better. While the re-edited score contains guitar rips from Paul Rabjohns (most likely), Alan Howarth returns once more to score the film. And while it's not as great as his past scores, it still manages to hold up.

With the second story timeline coming to a close for the silent killer, this entry in a string of sequels neither concludes all of the questions from the past film nor answers the new ones it creates. While the gore, music, Paul Rudd and Donald Pleasence remain the highlights, the rest of the cast is boring, the cinematography is uneventful and the editing is obnoxious.

Points Earned --> 4:10

From Paris With Love (2010) Review:

Action fluff pieces are workable projects. They may not always produce a large volume of devoted followers, but they do have their own set of admirers. For actor John Travolta, who has had his fair share of ups and downs, he has also shown to be a versatile performer. Playing in musicals, drama, science-fiction and action films, Travolta has been all around. But like many other actors, Travolta has also chosen certain roles that don't seem either plausible or just a good match. This film however seems to disprove that to some degree. Produced by a team of people who have worked with John Travolta and Luc Besson's wife to boot, this film is an odd mix of comedy and action set in the spy genre. The thing is, even with that said, it's still a mindless shoot 'em up.

"Do I look like I belong here?"

Written by Adi Hasak, who hadn't penned a script since Shadow Conspiracy (1997), surprisingly was able to create a story not too derivative for such a long hiatus. The plot involves James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) a fresh employee to the US Ambassador of France, seeking to ramp up his profession. He recently gets engaged to his fiancé Caroline (Kasia Smutniak) only to be assigned on a top notch job that may change his life for good. The job is stopping a suspected terror plan to happen at a summit and the only person who can help is a man named Charlie Wax (John Travolta). Wax who's from the United States, follows no rules and is quite unreasonable, yet makes the time to snort coke and enjoy occasional fornication. Sounds like a really nice guy to work with.

For what it's worth, the whole concept behind the story is absolutely ludicrous. Why on earth would the US Government hire someone like Travolta's character to do jobs like this? Viewers are not let in on Charlie Wax's background so there's really no understanding as to how he got the way he is. Sure, films like xXx (2002) is about as equally silly, but, viewers knew where the character was coming from. Whether it be Darius Stone or Xander Cage. Where is Charlie Wax from, profession wise? Why is his name Wax, because of his head? The same could actually be said for Johnathan Rhys Meyers' character too. In the run time, certain pieces of information are revealed that will have the viewer asking, "Why hasn't he learned this yet"? Some of these instances involve very simple things, which seem so obvious when seen in hindsight.

While these are critical aspects to the character depth, the rest of the feature works okay. While Charlie Wax and James Reese are nowhere near being a great match or a memorable action duo, they do have some chemistry on screen. James Reese does receive character development while on the job with Wax. That and the dialog exchanged between the two can be funny at times seeing that Wax is serious but takes it easy doing his work. While Reese is more uptight and unsure of how to do what Wax does. The action also entertains. Being that it's rated R, blood is readily available to flow, but really it's just Wax and his foul mouth. Some of the more energetic scenes though involve gunfights, hand-to-hand combat and various other loud weapons.

Caroline

With director Pierre Morel heading this feature, it's understandable why the action is suitable. He was the one who directed Taken (2008) which was heavily praised for that reason. For visuals the cinematography was not that engaging. Michel Abramowicz who also worked on Taken (2008) and would also film for The Thing (2011) didn't provide a whole lot to look at. Most of the terrain is urban and in cramped quarters. Not a whole lot is seen. Music on the other hand was adequate. Composed by David Buckley, the score incorporates a blend of synths, guitar and percussion for most cues. Though sometimes a trumpet or piano is highlighted for softer moments. While it's not the most memorable score, it is certainly better than his score from Parker (2013).

An action film that's more fluff than anything else, John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers can be interesting leads, but the writing behind their characters are underdeveloped. Even with uninspired cinematography though, the action sequences are fun, the chemistry between the leads work and the music is sufficiently engaging.

Points Earned --> 6:10

xXx: State of the Union (2005) Review:

When Vin Diesel starred in xXx (2002), the concept behind it was similar to that of The Fast and the Furious (2001). The Fast and the Furious (2001) was to try and popularize the craze of underground street racing. The early 2000s was also the time where things were trying to be emphasized as the next generation of "whatever". xXx (2002) was about trying to popularize stunts and extreme sports, which was what the character Vin Diesel played was all about. And while the film itself was loud and stupid at times earning middling reviews, it was granted a sequel. However, Vin Diesel did not return. Thus a last minute recasting was done and a short was produced titled The Final Chapter: The Death of Xander Cage (2005) showing exactly that. Was it the best call? Ehh,..no but the following execution probably was more the issue.

Ice Cube, Xzibit & Scott Speedman

After being ambushed at their headquarters, Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) and Agent Shavers (Michael Roof Jr.) recruit Darius Stone (Ice Cube) as the new "xXx". Being that Stone had a history in the military, Gibbons felt like he'd be a good fit to take over. The problem is, there is a concern that a mole within the president's cabinet is secretly plotting a coup. The person in question is George Deckert (Willem Dafoe) who serves as secretary of defense to the president (Peter Strauss). Writing wise, the script is very basic and not that interesting for a couple of reasons. One being that having Willem Dafoe as the antagonist is not even surprising. He has played so many other villains in the past, his performance doesn't stand out.

The script for this sequel was the debut for writer Simon Kinberg, the same person who would go on to write for X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). Sadly, as a first for Kinberg, it shows. For one, the motivation for Willem Dafoe's role feels very unclear. General Deckert shares a past with Gibbons and Stone, however what specifically Deckert wants to accomplish as an end goal is muddled. That and the other being that the dialog relies too heavily on referencing the first movie when this story acts as a completely different animal. The style and themes presented in the picture don't involve anything related to sports and acrobatic stunts. Because Stone is from a military background, there's more military type action sequences involved. Yet it still tries to be like it's the same xXx.

Directing this feature was Lee Tamahori, best known for Die Another Day (2002), another spy film and Once Were Warriors (1994). Sadly, with this experience, he doesn't seem to know how to transform it into a spy film. If anything it just boils down to a standard action romp and nothing more. The action is entertaining though. Anything using a tank to punch holes through thick walls is always fun and while some other scenes are entirely unrealistic, it is entertaining. Even Ice Cube, Michael Roof Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson do their best to keep scenes interesting. It's just the rest of the cast like Scott Speedman, Xzibit, Sunny Mabrey, Nona Gaye and John Gleeson Connolly who don't add much to it. All play characters that are just there for convenience of plot.

"Do I look evil enough?"

Visuals are also a mixed bag. The special effects are a hit and miss at times. Being that it's from 2005, depending on the scene it can look out of place. Though the cinematography by David Tattersall was decent. Capturing as much as possible, Tattersall made sure to include as much action as possible, whether it be on a train, aircraft carrier or in the white house. Tattersall was also credited to The Green Mile (1999), Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). As for music, Marco Beltrami replaced Randy Edelman as composer. And while there is a main theme, it's not as memorable as Edelman's. However, seeing that the lead has changed and is more rough, Beltrami's sound fits more with this version.

While there are still some strong components to the feature, the sequel is regrettably not as good as the original. Ice Cube and the returning cast try, but the dialog relies too much on reminding viewers of the first film. The villain's motivations also are a bit hazy as well as some of the special effects.

Points Earned --> 5:10