Fatman review
Many people think that Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson is a Christmas movie. This week I retro review a Mel Gibson movie, Fatman, that leaves no doubt that it’s a Christmas movie. I mean, Gibson plays Santa Claus so come on! Now this isn’t your fantastical, wondrous North Pole that you see in Rudolph, The Red Nose Reindeer or Elf. Gibson’s Santa lives on a very northerly remote farm location instead in this more grounded, brilliantly bizarre and violent Christmas tale. Santa and Mrs. Claus are falling on some hard financial times with all the money they’re spending on making and delivering gifts to all the kids worldwide. In comes the U.S. military to provide them a new lucrative opportunity to make their not-so-merry money mayhem go away. Santa has to wrestle with his convictions in deciding on accepting these new “milk and cookies” from them. As if that weren’t enough, he has no idea that a kid, who rightfully got coal for Christmas, has hired a hitman to kill him. The hitman, played by the fantastic Walton Goggins, also has a certain bone to pick with jolly ol Saint Nick. Woe to anyone that gets in his way in his mission, including Santa’s elves. Is it worth you delaying your Christmas shopping to watch Fatman? Check out this review to find out! Fatman also stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Chance Hurstfield, Susanne Sutchy, Robert Bockstael, Michael Dyson, Deborah Grover, Ellison Grier Butler, Eric Woolfe, Lynne Adams and Ekaterina Baker.
MaXXXine review
There have been some bizarre movie trilogies but the Ti West-directed “Pearl Trilogy” tries to take the bizarre trilogy crown. “Maxxxine” is the final movie in this bloody, murderous trilogy where all the movies feature two dynamic, driven, crazy ass women who will do anything for fame. One is Pearl and the other is Maxxxine. Mia Goth plays both parts in a provocatively intriguing way. We first saw Maxxxine in the first movie in this trilogy, “X.” Now in this third movie she’s in 80’s Hollywood trying to find that elusive fame that so many crave. She’ll do anything to get it, including some things you just couldn’t imagine. On top of that, there’s a serial killer running around Hollywood doing things you just couldn’t imagine. Maxxxine suddenly has something maybe chasing her while she chases fame. The body parts pile up even if the primo acting parts aren’t piling up for Maxxxine. Also Kevin Bacon co-stars as a private detective who threatens Maxxxine with her bloody past. Will she survive this and get the fame she’s looking for? Is it worth surviving traffic to get to the theater to find out? Check out this episode to find out! “Maxxxine” also stars Elizabeth Debicki, Giancarlo Esposito, Michelle Monaghan, Halsey, Charley Rowan McCain, Simon Prast, Deborah Geffner, Daniel Lench, Chloe Farnworth, Brad Swanick, Uli Latukefu, Susan Pingleton, Moses Sumney, Zachary Mooren, Ned Vaughn, Marcus LaVoi and Sophie Thatcher.
The Bikeriders review
Motorcycle clubs get some attention this week on Movies Merica with the new Jeff Nichols movie “The Bikeriders.” You may know Jeff Nichols from his previous movies “Mud” and “Midnight Special.” This movie stars Tom Hardy as Johnny, the founder of the Vandals bike riding club and Austin Butler as Benny, another member. Butler is like a younger “rebel without a cause” member to Hardy’s older, settled but still rough founder. Enter Jodie Comer as Austin Butler’s wife Kathy, who is scared of the club, yet intrigued and awed by it. As you might expect, this bike riding club doesn’t just stay a bunch of guys and their old ladies riding around, having a great time. These are roughnecks who just don’t care, so that gets them in trouble with people who hate bike riders, the law and other clubs. The heat gets turned up on the club and life gets bloody real fast and this causes tension between Johnny, Kathy and Benny. The club also has to deal with increasing danger as the club expands to other cities and they find they now have some scarier members that don’t take orders from anybody, not even Johnny. The fuse has been lit, when will it explode? “The Bikeriders” also stars Michael Shannon, Damon Herriman, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Karl Glusman, Toby Wallace, Happy Anderson, Paul Sparks and Will Oldham.
End Of Watch review
We go rough and tumble this week on Movies Merica with a retro review of the gritty cop drama End Of Watch. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena star as LAPD cops, Brian and Mike, who patrol one of the worst, if not the worst, crime-ridden parts of L.A. This film shows the seedy world they have to protect and serve the citizens of, all while not getting killed by any number of criminal scum. Gyllenhaal’s character, Brian, takes up filming his, and Mike’s, exploits in this world with his personal camera so we get a unique take on the cop drama. Also with this distinctive perspective, it shows the brotherly bond between Brian and Mike as they bust each others chops when they’re not busting perpetrators. Alongside the rough edges and brutal violence of their job, End Of Watch also presents Brian and Mike’s personal lives and who they’re trying to protect and stay alive for. End Of Watch doesn’t hold back on the darkness of the job while at the same time infusing the movie with humor to help you make it through. Is this movie worth your time? Check out Movies Merica to find out! End Of Watch also stars Natalie Martinez, Anna Kendrick, America Ferrera, Frank Grillo, David Harbour, Cle Sloan, Jaime FitzSimons, Cody Horn, Shondrella Avery, Everton Lawrence, Richard Cabral and Diamonique.
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die review
In 1995, Michael Bay made Bad Boys and introduced us to the characters of Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey, played respectively by Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. Now 29 years later, they’re back in the fourth Bad Boys movie, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die. Again it brings you some more intense action than you’d expect in a comedy but also of course the slap you in the face laughs you’d expect. Since it’s all these years after the first movie, Marcus and Mike have much more complicated off-duty lives. However, that doesn’t stop them from having to deal with some serious baddies. This time the baddies are trying to frame their dearly departed Captain Howard, played by Joe Pantoliano, and Marcus and Mike aren’t having it. Plus, Captain Howard is trying to help them find the baddies involved from beyond the grave sort of speak. You get the gun fights, the car chases, the mid-air death-defying action sequences, the hard-edged comedy and some returning characters. Does it all add up to some riveting bad boy action or is the movie just plain bad? Check out this episode to find out that very thing. Bad Boys: Ride Or Die also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Nunez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio, Melanie Liburd, Tasha Smith, Rhea Seehorn, Tiffany Haddish, DJ Khaled, John Salley, Bianca Bethune, Dennis Greene and Quinn Hemphill.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review
We’ve been getting Planet of the Apes movies for decades now and the latest installment is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. This installment jumps many generations into the future after the events of the last Apes movie, 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes. We meet the main character of this installment, Noa, and his friends and family. They’re part of a peaceful ape clan who raise eagles as part of their tradition. On the eve of Noa’s bonding ceremony with his eagle, murderous invaders lay siege to his clan, and those they don’t kill, they take prisoner. Noa barely survives and recovers only to find all of them gone. He begins a journey to find his clan and rescue them but finds he is being followed by a rare human. He also happens upon an orangutan named Raka and together, with the human, they form a trio for this rescue journey. They’re pursued the entire way by the murderous invaders. Will they be able to rescue the clan on time? Is it worth going to the theater to find out? Check out this review episode to find out. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes stars Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, William H. Macy, Peter Macon, Lydia Peckham, Dichen Lachman, Sara Wiseman, Karin Konoval and Eka Darville.
The Fall Guy review
Movie stars are made to look heroic, awesome, tough and gritty in their movies and who makes them look that way? Stunt men and women. The Fall Guy is a love letter to the stunt community within the movie business directed by former stuntman David Leitch. It’s of course also a take on the hit 1980s Lee Majors TV show of the same name. This time it’s Ryan Gosling playing Colt Seaver as a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a detective of sorts. Colt is the stuntman for the biggest movie star in the world up until something drastic happens. When that happens he vanishes, including ghosting his flame, a movie writer named Jody played by Emily Blunt. However, he’s called back into action when his old job suddenly becomes available again. Does he want to jump off buildings, barrel roll cars, get set on fire and do all the things stunt people do again? When he finds out his former flame Jody is directing the movie the stuntman opening is for, well that changes the game. You get explosions, car chases, gun fights, an action movie lovers dream and work that keeps plenty of stunt people employed. Is it worth checking out at the theater? Watch this episode to find out. The Fall Guy also stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke, Ben Knight, Matuse, Adam Dunn, Zara Michales, Angela Nica Sullen and Megan O’Connell.
True Lies review
I go back to 1994 for this week’s review. Specifically the epic, action-packed Arnold Schwarzenegger spy thriller True Lies. This was James Cameron teaming up again with his Terminator for this big budget, eye-popping spectacle. Schwarzenegger plays Harry Tasker who has his wife and daughter convinced that he’s just a dull to the bone computer salesman. In reality he’s a spy for the covert Omega Sector hunting down and stopping threats. Things get dicey when he hears something that makes him think his wife is having an affair and he investigates. Some terrorists really end up spoiling his investigation, just to launch a nuclear attack plot on the United States. Schwarzenegger is joined by Jamie Lee Curtis as his wife, Eliza Dushku as his daughter, Tom Arnold as his partner and the late, great Bill Paxton as “super spy” Simon. If, amazingly you haven’t seen this, is it worth checking out? Watch my retro review of True Lies to find out. True Lies co-stars Tia Carrere, Art Malik, Grant Heslov and Charlton Heston.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare review
The British pride themselves on being gentlemanly. That goes all out the window in the movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare when they know they’re dealing with Nazis during World War II. British officers, along with none other than Winston Churchill himself, send a team of bad boys to deal a critical blow to the German submarine fleet. This team is led by Henry Cavill, who’s character they had to let out of military prison to lead this team. He’s joined by Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Henry Golding and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. The boys find themselves heading towards Africa where the boats that supply the German submarine fleet is headquartered. These ungentlemanly bad boys are tasked with wreaking havoc on this submarine supply system. They also get help from Eiza Gonzalez as a half-Jewish actress who is very motivated to hurt Nazis and Babs Olusanmokun who is a casino owner near these headquarters, who doubles as a British spy. The action gets good and brutal, you might say, downright ungentlemanly. Is it worth a gentleman and gentlelady taking the trip to the theater to check this out? Check out this episode to find out. This also stars Cary Elwes, Rory Kinnear, Til Schweiger, Freddie Fox, James Wilby, Henrique Zaga, Danny Sapani, Matthew Hawksley, Simon Paisley Day, Mark Oosterveen and Victor Oshin.
Civil War review
Up until this movie, everyone has had to picture only in their mind what the next civil war in America would look like. Now the new movie from director Alex Garland, “Civil War”, provides the visual representation of what such a war would look like. As you’d expect, it’s horrifying and brutal and the protagonists in this movie are there to take pictures of much of it. Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny play war photographers along with Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson working alongside them. They all embark on a road trip from New York City to Washington D.C. to try to get an interview with the President of the United States before the forces fighting him take him out. Along the way, they see the horrors of this civil war and come close to death themselves. This isn’t war fighting in some other country. This is a bloody war in these modern times in America. Is it worth your time and strength to experience this movie? Check out this episode to find out. “Civil War” also stars Nick Offerman, Jefferson White, Nelson Lee, Evan Lai, Vince Pisani, Justin James Boykin, Jess Matney, Greg Hill, Edmund Donovan, Tim James, Simeon Freeman, James Yaegashi, Dean Grimes and Alexa Mansour.
Land of Bad review
The gunfights are plentiful, the explosions are numerous, the hand-to-hand combat is abundant and the tension is sky high in the new movie Land of Bad starring Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, Milo Ventimiglia, Ricky Whittle and Luke Hemsworth. In Land of Bad, special forces operators are sent on a mission in the Philippines to rescue a CIA asset in the hands of terrorists. Unfortunately for Sgt. JJ Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), he’s been picked for the mission to coordinate all military aircraft in the area to support the mission. Before long, things go south and Kinney finds himself in the title of the movie, a land of bad. Russell Crowe plays an Air Force drone pilot that has to help Kinney make his way through this hell and occasionally pummel some terrorists with drone missiles along the way. Will Kinney make it out alive with his eyes in the sky and bringer of doom helping him? Is it worth finding out at the theater? Check out the show to find out. Land of Bad also stars Chika Ikogwe, Daniel MacPherson, Robert Rabiah, Jack Finsterer, Lincoln Lewis and Gunner Wright.
Bob Marley One Love review
Bob Marley is known as the most famous Jamaican but he’s also considered the paragon of reggae music. Bob Marley One Love is the new movie that gives us a closer look into what drove him and the turbulence he experienced. Marley grew up in poverty, the son of a black mother and a white father, but his undeniable musical ability helped him rise above that. This movie features those sweet musical offerings peppered throughout. Kingsley Ben-Adir plays the legendary Marley and Lashana Lynch plays his wife Rita who braves the danger of Jamaica with him. Marley’s musical career origins are also explored, along with providing some cinematic representation to what his songwriting process was like. Does Bob Marley One Love give us a look into Marley’s life in an entertaining way? Check out this episode to find out. Bob Marley One Love also stars James Norton, Tosin Cole, Umi Myers, Anthony Welsh, Nia Ashi, Aston Barrett Jr., Anna-Share Blake, Gawaine “J-Summa” Campbell, Naomi Cowan, Alexx A-Game, Michael Gandolfini.
The Crow review
When someone makes a list of the best 90s movies, this week’s movie is usually on the list. I bring you my review of classic, The Crow. The Crow was Brandon Lee’s final film. He sadly was accidentally killed on the set of The Crow. He was famously precluded in death by his father Bruce Lee, who also died far too early in life. We still got a masterful performance by Brandon Lee as Eric Draven, who comes back from the dead to avenge his, and his fiancée’s, murder. He goes up against some slimy baddies led by the murderous and twisted Michael Wincott as Top Dollar. He gets help from a cop played by Ernie Hudson and his friend Sarah played by Rochelle Davis. The action, the drama, the tension is all accompanied by a edgy, hard-hitting lineup of tracks that enhance it all. Join me to do a deep dive on this dark classic. The Crow also stars David Patrick Kelly, Jon Polito, Bai Ling, Tony Todd, Sofia Shinas, Anna Thomson, Angel David, Laurence Mason, Michael Massee, Bill Raymond, Marco Rodriguez and Kim Sykes.
The Beekeeper review
If Jason Statham isn’t kicking somebody’s butt, he must be sleeping or in the shower. Statham has carved out a nice niche in the action genre for decades now. The Beekeeper is his latest, and honey, is there a lot of buzz about it as it’s coming out! Statham plays Adam Clay who befriends an elderly lady who lets him keep bees on her property. She is then becomes a victim of cybercrime and loses all her money and takes her own life from the anguish. Statham isn’t having any of that and someone cyberpunks have to pay. Let’s just say he’s got a particular set of skills and some baddies are about to pay the bills. Directed by David Ayer who also directed End Of Watch, Fury, Suicide Squad and Street Kings and wrote Training Day. Is the buzz around this enough to get you to leave your hive to check it out? Check out this spoiler-free review live show to find out! This also stars Phylicia Rashad, Josh Hutcherson, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Bobby Naderi, David Witts, Michael Epp, Taylor James, Jemma Redgrave, Don Gilet, Enzo Cilenti, Minnie Driver and Jeremy Irons.
Silent Night review
After seeing this movie, when you sing Silent Night, you might start thinking of automatic weapons and gang members. Silent Night is directed by John Woo and stars Joel Kinnaman as a Dad who’s young son has been killed by gang members. He’s understandably wrought with grief and filled with rage. He decides that he’s going after the gang that took his son and turned his life into a living hell. Not sounding at all like what the song Silent Night is about? Exactly. The silent part comes from when he’s shot in the throat by a gang member and permanently loses his voice. That doesn’t stop him from training to be Rambo and looking for some payback. Does this movie have very much to do with Christmas? Watch my spoiler-free review to find out and to see if it’s worth firing up the sleigh for this movie. Silent Night also stars Catalina Sandino Moreno, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, Vinny O’Brien, Yoko Hamamura, Anthony Giulietti and John Pollack.
Commando review
In this episode, I’m going Commando. The 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic bullets and bodies action extravaganza, that is! I’m going retro this week since there’s nothing good enough at the theaters to review for my beloved movie maniacs and fellow freedom-fueled film fanatics. Commando is about ex-Special Forces soldier John Matrix trying to save his daughter after she’s kidnapped to force him to assassinate a president. Matrix escapes the baddies tasked with escorting him to the country to kill the president, and the action blows up from there. He’s joined by Rae Dawn Chong, as Cindy, who involuntarily at first, becomes his valuable ally. Will he get his daughter, played by Alyssa Milano, back in time? Of course he will! Commando also stars the late great Bill Paxton in a small role, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells, David Patrick Kelly, James Olson, Bill Duke, Drew Snyder, Sharon Wyatt, Michael DeLano and Bob Minor.
The Equalizer 3 review
No Denzel isn’t Malcolm X or a dirty cop or a Civil War soldier in The Equalizer 3. He again plays Robert McCall, a ex-government contracted killer who just wants to help even the score, or equalize, against bad people in the name of good people. In this finale in the Equalizer trilogy, McCall is in Sicily trying to equalize a situation and it gets bloody. Afterwards, he ends up in a small Sicilian town where he learns to care about the people and finds a home. However, some evil Italian mobsters terrorize the town and they’re interrupting McCall’s peace and tranquility. That’s the last mistake they’ll ever make. Is this movie worth the drive to the theater? Check out this spoiler-free review to find out. The Equalizer 3 also stars Dakota Fanning, Eugenio Mastrandrea, David Denman, Gaia Scodellaro, Remo Girone, Andrea Scarduzio, Andrea Dodero, Daniel Perrone, Sonia Ben Ammar and Zakaria Hamza.
Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 review
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to groan as loud as you can for me making that reference. I bring you the latest installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise with Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1. We’ve had to go five years without seeing Ethan Hunt, and the rest of the IMF team, head out on another adventure. In this one, old enemies and old “friends” come back to face Ethan as a worldwide threat rises up. This threat is like no enemy that the IMF, or you, have ever seen. Christopher McQuarrie returns to direct this Mission movie, his third. In this installment, we get desert gun fights, intense submarine action, car chases, an epic jump off a cliff with a motorcycle by Cruise himself, a standoff on a train and a train crash. A little bit of everything from the action smorgasbord. Is it good enough to make sense for you to get up off your couch to check it out? Watch, or listen, to this spoiler-free review to find out!
Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny review
It was 1981 when we first got to see Indiana Jones in action and he’s still slinging that whip to this day. Harrison Ford jumps back into one of the roles that made him a movie star known around the world. This time he’s pulled into a search for the Dial Of Destiny, that can enable time travel, by an old friend’s daughter. He was about to retire but suddenly he’s globe-trotting again like the old days fighting Nazis. This is the first Indiana Jones movie to use de-aging technology so you’ll see an attempt to recreate the younger Indy we knew from the 80s. This is also the first Indiana Jones movie not to be directed by Steven Spielberg. Does it make a difference? Check out this review to see for yourself.
Extraction 2 review
Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake is a black ops specialist/rescue operator. To put it simple, he’s a man of action. In Extraction 2, he’s requested to rescue a mother and her two children from a Russian gangster. To make it even harder, he has to break into a prison to free them. To say it gets harder from there would be a massive understatement. He’s also haunted by a family tragedy that he’s forced to come to terms with when his ex-wife comes back into his life. This is the sequel to the 2020 Netflix action-packed surprise hit and Hemsworth’s character barely made it out alive of that movie. This movie is directed by ex-stuntman Sam Hargrave so he injects a ton of intense fighting, gunplay, explosions and general mayhem into this. It’s also based on a graphic novel written by the Russo Brothers who directed Marvel Captain America and Avengers movies. Does it all add up to a good movie? Check out this spoiler-free Extraction 2 review to find out!