The Mummy Returns.

Review #2126: The Mummy Returns.

Cast: 

Brendan Fraser (Rick O'Connell), Rachel Weisz (Evelyn O'Connell / Nefertiri), John Hannah (Jonathan Carnahan), Arnold Vosloo (Imhotep), Oded Fehr (Ardeth Bay), Patricia Velásquez (Meela Nais / Anck-su-namun), Freddie Boath (Alex O'Connell), Dwayne Johnson (Mathayus of Akkad / The Scorpion King), Alun Armstrong (Baltus Hafez), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lock-Nah), and Shaun Parkes (Izzy Buttons) Written and Directed by Stephen Sommers (#201 - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and #1748 - The Mummy [1999])

Review: 

I did enjoy the 1999 Mummy film, albeit as a neat little romp. It did not exactly improve on previous films under that same title that had been released in 1932 or 1959, but as an action/effects feature with that general dose of horror, well, it worked out well. Sommers apparently was hesitant about doing a sequel, even if it was basically inevitable with the resulting success of that first film, which he had a hand in writing. In fact, he had described the original script of said film as "a bit reckless" before eventually getting to an "okay" result. Aside from an enlarged budget (which stems from a few raises to actors), not much has changed here, since over half-a-dozen actors from the first return here to go with a script done by Sommers. The film was a general success with audiences on the level of the original. The Scorpion King (2002), a spinoff film featuring, well, Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as the character of the same name, came out the year after this film and inspired its own run of films. Sommers did exactly one further horror-ish film with Van Helsing in 2004, which went pretty much where you would expect. A third Mummy film would come in 2008 with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which retained Fraser and Hannah only in cast while Sommers served only as a producer.

Well, sometimes you just can't win them all. 129 minutes somehow seems pretty disposable for a film that is just a bit short in comparison to the first film when it comes to holding itself together for overall cohesion. It is a bit too familiar to go with being bereft of effective pacing. Granted, Fraser and Weisz do still have a good deal of charm together, and in general one will be just fine with watching the film when it comes to looking for just spectacle (okay, maybe some of those effects don't help). They seem to enjoy the strangeness that comes with being in a sequel with less to do in quick charm, which is more than one can say for most middling sequels. At least the kid actor that comes for the film makes for a few chuckles, but if I am drawing straws by saying this for a film released in the new millennium, what is it saying about the parts as a whole? One sees folks like Hannah seem to be having some sort of fun being around here again (relief or otherwise), but the stakes don't seem as presentable here. One senses their attention start to drift even before a dirigible makes an appearance and boy do I wish I felt some sort of presence of terror in seeing the return of said mummy from before (complete with creating big water). It trots out pygmy mummies and past lives to go with utilizing wrestler-turned-actor Johnson mostly for spectacle sequences in the start and end (one to explain just what he has to do with anything and the other for effects that look as rushed as one could expect). Even the one sequence of a character getting killed seems destined to be undone for the climax, and, well, it is funny being right for the dumbest and shallow of things. As a whole, it just isn't as freshly interesting as its predecessor, managing to be as average as one painfully can see in countless other features that is merely just okay rather than fully satisfying in fun. It is a mild disappointment that pleases a few requirements but doesn't make for a great sequel in enough categories to recommend it more than once. The fluff just isn't enough here to be as good fluff as before.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Next: Re-Animator.

The Bourne Identity.

Review #1852: The Bourne Identity.

Cast: 

Matt Damon (Jason Bourne / David Webb), Franka Potente (Marie Kreutz), Chris Cooper (Alexander Conklin), Clive Owen (The Professor), Brian Cox (Ward Abbott), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Nykwana Wombosi), Gabriel Mann (Danny Zorn), Julia Stiles (Nicolette "Nicky" Parsons), Orso Maria Guerrini (Giancarlo), Tim Dutton (Eamon), Nicky Naude (Castel), Russell Levy (Manheim), and Vincent Franklin (Rawlins) Directed by Doug Liman (#1064 - Jumper (2008), #1256 - Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and #1569 - Edge of Tomorrow)

Review: 

The movie is a loose adaptation of the 1980 novel of the same name by Robert Ludlum. He did not have his first novel published until he was over forty years old, as he actually served as a theatrical actor and producer before finding a desire to make a living with writing; his writing may have been influenced by his experiences there, as he once stated that good theater and suspense were quite similar to him). An adaptation of the novel had occurred once before in 1988 that featured Richard Chamberlain as Bourne, which aired as a three-hour television movie on ABC. The basic premise of the novel is the key element retained here, since the novel was done during the Cold War with a lead threat involving terrorist "Carlos the Jackal", as the book includes newspaper articles from 1975 of his crimes (apparently, the Bourne in the book was actually a double-agent killed by the lead character before he assumed Bourne's identity to draw out an assassin). Ludlum followed this novel with two further books; after his death in 2001, with the approval of Ludlum's estate, new novels with the Bourne character were commissioned. After the success of his film Swingers (1996), Liman expressed interest in making a film adaptation of Bourne, and he wrote an outline, complete with taking inspiration for the CIA operation detail from the memoirs of Arthur L. Liman, chief counsel for the Senate investigation of the Iran-Contra Affair in the 1980s. Development would take a number of years in securing the rights to the novel alongside production; the final script was done by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron. The film was originally set to release in 2001, but the attacks on September 11 led to the producers deciding to alter the opening and ending sequences (which apparently featured flashbacks). The movie would prove quite successful, leading to further Bourne movies such as The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Bourne Legacy (2012), and Jason Bourne (2016), with all but one featuring Damon.

It is the kind of character-driven action movie where one seems to watch a man get calmer when things become more intense. As a different road presented when compared to spy movies such as James Bond or the Mission: Impossible series, it stands out pretty stark with its touch of action alongside its thriller aspect. It basically rolls along the lines of a noir (to the point where it has been thought to be a "neo-noir) with its slow unravel of mystery that manages to pull off the tightrope of balancing character interest with action that doesn't see one wanting more of either. The car chase in Paris alongside the hand-to-hand sequences are good ones to highlight in that regard. While Liman did not get to any of the sequels, he did serve as a producer on a number of them, while Gilroy would write the next two features, and it is evident that Identity makes for a good start to seeing further burrowing into who the lead character is without baiting itself. At the heart of that is Damon, who prior to this had been involved with films such as Good Will Hunting and Saving Private Ryan (interestingly, one actor who rejected the role before Damon was Brad Pitt, who did his own thing with Spy Game, released in 2001). Damon does pretty good here with the role required, one that is confused by the very idea that they can just have a hazardous situation thrust onto them and not bat an eye when solving it carefully. Sure, there is vulnerability present here, but the main idea is that we have a capable lead trying to find themselves more so than any random objective, and he also handles the action sequences with effectiveness. Potente, wrapped in the middle of all this, fares fairly well in meaningful patience, one who seems capable in being paired with Damon in general reaction (such as when she sees a man jump out a window). In a sense, Cooper is the adversary of the film, since he is the one trying to deal with a wayward agent. He approaches the material with steely timing and determination that matches differently on a spy movie without a willing spy, especially when Cooper and Cox are present together. The rest of the cast includes quiet adversaries such as Owen and mildly interesting side folks like Stiles or an outspoken Akinnuoye-Agbaje. At any rate, a movie like this works best when on its feet, for which the movie shuffles along with careful efficiency in 119 minutes with general effectiveness that makes for a fairly solid action-thriller that stands pretty well two decades after its release.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Suicide Squad.

Review #828: Suicide Squad.

Cast
Will Smith (Floyd Lawton / Deadshot), Jared Leto (Joker), Margot Robbie (Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), Jai Courtney (Digger Harkness / Captain Boomerang), Jay Hernandez (Chato Santana / El Diablo), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Waylon Jones / Killer Croc), Cara Delevingne (Dr. June Moone / Enchantress), Karen Fukuhara (Tatsu Yamashiro / Katana), Adam Beach (Christopher Weiss / Slipknot), Ike Barinholtz (Griggs), and Scott Eastwood (GQ Edwards) Directed by David Ayer (#694 - Fury)

Review
Earlier in the year (April Fool's Day to be exact), I saw DC's attempts at setting up the Justice League with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (#788), which was...divisive to say. For me, it was a bad muddled mess. Four months later, Suicide Squad attempts to try and bring some sort of humor. It's strange that this review comes nearly two years to the day of when I saw Guardians of the Galaxy (#626), which was also a movie about lesser known heroes as a group, though this one is with villains. So how does this movie hold up? It's as about as muddled as the movie itself. In a way, it's as if someone read the Wikipedia page on Guardians of the Galaxy being successful with a bunch of characters not well known to everyone while skimming through exactly why it was so successful.

Yes, there are parts where the film has humor and some semblance of fun. But by the end of it, one will wonder exactly was edited in and out of the movie, though unlike Dawn of Justice, this movie is marginally better at that department, as well as being a decent, if not flawed movie. Smith does a fantastic job, with a good edge of charisma inside a character devoted to shooting people. Robbie certainly has a good deal of energy to her and the character, which either can come off as right for the film or just a tiny bit grating. For me it was a bit of both, sometimes helping the movie out but also sometimes making the movie a bit annoying, with a costume that veers on being entirely ridiculous (Hot pants? Must hurt after a while). Kinnaman is the straight man in all this lunacy, and he does a fine job in a role that could have been just played with blandness, having some fine moments with Smith while also having some sort of personality. Davis plays her role with no semblance of fakery, completely making for a compelling character trying to wring all these powerful people to do something for her, which works. Courtney is fine, but his character doesn't really get much to do in terms of character development, which could also be said for Fukuhara as Katana, though the latter is slightly more interesting to watch, what with the sword and all. Hernandez is pretty decent, having a surprising turn of characterization near the end that makes the character more than just a fire breathing dude. Akinnuoye-Agbaje, for all the brief times he speaks, is okay. Delevinge does okay, but she isn't given much time until the climax to try and shine, though the main cast overshadows her for the most part. Lastly, there's Jared Leto as the Joker, resembling Macaulay Culkin mixed with Hot Topic...who is the weakest part of the film, for the brief amount of time he was in (probably less than 10 minutes), mainly because his scenes derail the momentum along with having no real sort of charisma, coming off as a wannabe Joker. The scenes with Joker and Harley Quinn sometimes work, but honestly they're less compelling than the scenes with the actual squad. I understand the dynamic between the two, but I also understand that I could just watch Batman: The Animated Series if I wanted to see that dynamic not distract from the actual film. It's strange that the Joker kinda just disappears right before the climax, though if you don't like the Joker, it probably helps.

The action scenes are sometimes fun, but other times it feels muddled in grey/blue, with about as much shooting as one would expect. The effects are also fine, if not sometimes a bit distracting (especially with Killer Croc). Honestly, the movie is muddled between action and quipping lines, seeming like it's trying to emulate Deadpool (#779) at points, but it's also accompanied by a plot that's kind of muddled between recruiting the group (taking around 20-30 minutes) and a climax that plods at times. The music cues that accompany the film in the beginning somewhat work but also seem to be shoehorned in. The group does have at least some chemistry together, in a strange sort of way, considering the nature of their mission. Near the end, it even flashbacks to an earlier scene in a weird way to explain something that probably could've just been explained in dialogue only. Honestly, it either should've gone entirely gritty or go for something a bit more organic, but for me it's an average movie, being the ultimate take it or leave it kind of film that will work for some, but exhaust others. There is a mid-credits scene, which is fairly decent (look, not all movies need a credits scene, but it's a nice little bonus). Experiencing it in a movie theater with a bunch of friends is probably the best way to take the movie in the long run. That, or not paying more than five/six bucks to see it.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Review #201: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Cast
Channing Tatum (Conrad S. Hauser / Duke), Marlon Wayans (Wallace A. Weems / Ripcord), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Hershel Dalton / Heavy Duty), Rachel Nichols (Shana M. O'Hara / Scarlett), Sienna Miller (Anastasia DeCobray / Ana Lewis / The Baroness), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), Saïd Taghmaoui (Abel Shaz / Breaker), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Rexford G. "Rex" Lewis / The Doctor / Cobra Commander), Christopher Eccleston (Laird James McCullen XXIV / Destro), Lee Byung-hun (Thomas Arashikage / Storm Shadow), Jonathan Pryce (The President), Dennis Quaid (General Clayton M. Abernathy / Hawk), and Karolína Kurková (Courtney A. Krieger / Cover Girl) Directed by Stephen Sommers.

Review
It's been a few days since my last review, and given the subject matters of the last two films, let's dissapoint with this film. First off, I'm not a follower of G.I. Joe (Sadly, the most I've heard of it was on That 70's Show, and that as a debate over if it was a doll or an action figure), but with this film, I wouldn't want to. The acting is standard, with not much substance to help out. And to certain fans of one actor, you'll be dissapointed that he is in this at all (Those fans? Probably 3rd Rock from the Sun or something) The action isn't much better, at one point I went to sleep at the underwater part (and I had to rewind the film, that's a first) I have one question (among others) Why do they need to steal their own warheads? Why build a base under the polar icecaps? With all the silliness, they could've had the base in space and it would've made sense. You know, with Transformers, there were Robots and humans to go with it. This is just humans and some tech that desn't have much style, but can be a film of dumb fun. Just turn off the brain, ignore everything, and don't sleep at the end. There will be a sequel to this, but after 4 years does anyone really care? Not really.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.