Copshop (2021)

 

There was some promising buildup, despite a whopping dollop of foreshadowing shots and stories. Ultimately the air squeaked out of this shoot-em up with very little intrigue or fun. 

Rating: C-

The Purge: Election Year (2016)

A more compelling story than the first two films, with a few returning characters. Still a lot of senseless violence around a premise--the purge--that doesn’t make a whole lot of logical sense. Of course, I choose to watch anyway.

Rating: C

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Don’t watch with your mom. This is some violent stuff. On par with the first Purge.

Rating: C

Edge Of Darkness (2010)

I had to see Mel Gibson's return to the screen after 8 years, even if it was a by-the-book revenge flick. Mel's acting was solid. Script was ok. Violence and action were so-so. No real surprises here.

Rating: C

Minority Report (2002)

Much of this film had a similar feel to Spielbergs previous movie, A.I. Of course, both take place in the future and deal with darker material. Lot's of cool futuristic stuff to keep an eye out for on the sidelines of the main plot, which keeps you guessing.

Rating: C+

The Sweetest Thing (2002)

I gave this one a second viewing recently. Before there was Bridesmaids, there was The Sweetest Thing. It’s a raunchy girl’s comedy where Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, and Selma Blair are given free rein to be as bad as they want to be. The script is fast and loose, including some borderline fantasy montages that skew away from the main narrative. There’s a lot of comedy thrown against the wall. Some of it sticks, some of it doesn’t.

Rating: C

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

There’s a lot of torture and paperwork to wade through before the big payoff at the end arrives. Plenty of cruelty and human suffering from both sides as well. Don’t mistake this for a traditional action movie—just one really long reenactment. Films should not be nominated for best picture simply because they depict Osama being shot in the head.

Rating: C+

End Of Watch (2012)

More and more I find myself determining whether a movie is good or not based on how it measures up to my favorite television shows. Hopefully it gives me something more than a good episode of TV.

End of Watch is reminiscent of Southland, a fantastic cop show. Both make use of different camera styles and angles to bring the viewer into the action. The plot isn’t readily apparent. It sneaks up on you through slowly intertwining subplots. A nice companion piece to the directors other film—Training Day.

Rating: B-

The Grey (2011)

I enjoy a good man-versus-nature survival story as much as the next guy, but I expect a satisfying resolution and that at least one person make it out alive. Those are the rules. The Grey provided some thrills, and a lot of chills. That place looked miserably cold. I wasn’t happy with the pacing. Long-winded dramatic speeches followed by quick deaths. Rinse and repeat. Very one note. Points for realism, but I needed more story.

Rating: C

Warrior (2011)

Having MMA showcased in a major motion picture shows how far the sport has come. The plot isn’t anything special. This territory has been covered in countless boxing movies. It’s the acting that helps Warrior rise above average status. A lot of heavy themes are covered. The cage fighting itself would have been better suited in an R rated film. My mom wouldn’t agree, but I felt it was a little watered down.

Rating: C+