Categories: Movie and Series Reviews, Action

Don’t Breathe 2 (2021) 2/5

Categories 2/5, Action, Crime, Horror, Movie and Series Reviews, Thriller

This sequel does not play as well as its predecessor. Characters act against their own interests and common sense too often and a lot of suspense is missing that was there first the first film.

Nothing is mysterious anymore and the delivered twists are not delivered in any way that sticks the landing. If anything it is all a bit too mustache twirly — not a good counter to the Blind Man who’s crimes we know and feel much more grounded.

Now I am going to turn heel a little here and disagree with people saying the whole idea of having the Blind Man be a sorta-protagonistish-person is a bad one. I just think making the audience root for a bad guy is hard, and the film did not really try to do that. Sitting with the bad a little more, less attempts at action and twists, less environments to move the movie through, and some self awareness. Probably with a different lead character and having Lang still as this ominous figure, but instead stepping between a situation and getting involved. A lot less screen time would have kept some of the mystery and probably bothered less people.

Atlas (2024) 1.5/5

Categories 1.5/5, Action, Adventure, Drama, Movie and Series Reviews, Sci-Fi, Thriller

There are a lot of neat parts here but it just doesn’t come together well, and I think that falls very heavily on the direction and the script.

Everything else ranges from serviceable to good. I am not a big JLo listener/watcher but I think I could see people wrongly putting it on her shoulders because her face is all over it. None of the actors felt like they were slacking off and the fx house did some neat work.

3:10 to Yuma (2007) 3.5/5

Categories 3.5/5, Action, Crime, Drama, Movie and Series Reviews, Western

A good movie but a little too cleanly puzzled together. The scripts cleanliness takes front stage to character motivations. This makes for some admittedly fun one liners and impressive scenes, but it feels very Hollywood by the end. Even the wrapping up feels like everyone says the right thing in unnatural ways to get it to the overall cool idea. This leaves Dallas Roberts, as the money man, to just be super agreeable at every step.

This also may be the cleanest R rated film. I am not advocating for going Bone Tomahawk, but it detracts how every death is so visually polite. Especially when quite a lot of characters are motivated by dealing and avoiding death out.

If that seems tough on the film, it is only because I really like certain parts. Ben Foster is fantastic and chews what he can with his dialogue. Peter Fonda really nailed his holyer-than-thou role. Bale is awesome and lets scenes breath around him. It is always fun to see Alan Tudyk, even if his character felt very cut down in editing here or in need of some actual doctoring scenes along the journey.

End of Watch (2012) 3.5/5

Categories 3.5/5, Action, Crime, Drama, Movie and Series Reviews, Thriller

End of Watch dances all over the line of over-the-top and plausible reality. Its characters are immensely watchable, even down to the supporting cast like Frank Grillo and David Harbour.

The character-perspective camera work captures the chaos in a unique way and furthers character development. However, it is also a distraction as the film explains in unbelievable ways why various characters are recording things. Ultimately though it feels unnecessary as the film mixes this documentary style with regular camera work.

Some of the script is really good, genuinely eliciting laughs, and some feels written with a hammer. The hammer can be said for a lot of things though, even outside of dialogue, with a movie that starts off with its lead cops immediately breaking their cover to walk up in a shoot out for the cool guys factor.

A really rough spot is the curbside gangsters, a constant villainous element throughout. These characters were comically mustache twirly. That could have worked fine, but they got too much screen time and it only greatly detracted.

It would be hard to have a bad time with End of Watch, just be ready to suspend some disbelief.