Categories Movie and Series Rating 2/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
A movie that relies of a lot of cliche writing, mostly given to the child actors, and a whole hell of a lot of non-sense. Nobody behaves intelligently and it comes so rapid fire that it isn’t upsetting so much as exhausting.
I truly believe this falls on the writers and directors shoulders.
On the plus side, the opening scene is really promising. Maybe just watch that.
It is like a lot of Liman movies. It trades sense often for flash but it isn’t bad at doing it. When I think of dumb-but-fun-flicks, this is what I want. It beats sorting past 100 action hero flicks at a Redbox. Wow, Redbox. Are those still around?
Categories Movie and Series Rating 4/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
A very good movie. Some casting felt obligatory but a really fun surprise of a movie.
It felt like it wanted to do a lot of things but without much planning. This left a lot of beats feeling shoehorned in purely “because.” The few things it does well are fun to watch but its a movie where the cast largely drag it to its better moments. If Jason Isaacs, January Jones, and Ed Harris weren’t here, I think it would be immediately forgettable.
I’m torn because I really loved some aspects but some liberties felt out of place. Starting there, I think the romance plot and the mustache twirling officer felt a bit hamfisted. To not go into spoilers, I will just say this reaches a peak at the end of the film.
That being said, the cast did wonderful and there was some really good writing. I also felt mixing in direct-life clips was handled well and that is not easy to do.
I ended up peaking the wiki page for this one after and I found a lot of the parts I had trouble with were the parts adjusted to fit a Hollywood movie. Kinda a shame because the movie is fantastic in so many ways. Obviously there was a way to do these things but as is I think they felt too from-the-script-to-the-screen. It didn’t feel natural.
Don’t let what I am saying deter you though. I feel I am being a bit picky and I will probably wish I had given another half-star later.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 2/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
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.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 5/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
A movie you peel back again and again.
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.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 5/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
Just a joy of a film. Great practical effects are only a feature of a movie that has characters you want to watch every moment.
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.