Day 137: Balls of Fury

Balls of Fury
Director: Robert Ben Garant
Starring: Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken and George Lopez
Rated: PG-13
Length: 90 min.
Released: August 29th, 2007
Trailer

Synopsis:
In the unsanctioned, underground, and unhinged world of extreme Ping-Pong, the competition is brutal and the stakes are deadly. Down-and-out former professional Ping-Pong phenom Randy Daytona is sucked into this maelstrom when FBI Agent Rodriguez recruits him for a secret mission. Randy is determined to bounce back and recapture his former glory, and to smoke out his father’s killer – one of the FBI’s Most Wanted, arch-fiend Feng. But, after two decades out of the game, Randy can’t turn his life around and avenge his father’s murder without a team of his own. He calls upon the spiritual guidance of blind Ping-Pong sage and restaurateur Wong, and the training expertise of Master Wong’s wildly sexy niece Maggie, both of whom also have a dark history with Feng. All roads lead to Feng’s mysterious jungle compound and the most unique Ping-Pong tournaments ever staged. There, Randy faces such formidable players as his long-ago Olympics opponent, the still-vicious Karl Wolfschtagg. Can Randy keep his eye on the ball? Will he achieve the redemption he craves while wielding a paddle? Is his backhand strong enough to triumph over rampant wickedness?

My Thoughts:
It’s been far to long. About time I posted another movie review…right?

So I decided to detach from the action/suspense/mystery genera (since I’ve had more than my fill of it thanks to Mr. James Bond) and watch something on the lighter side of life. Thus, I watched Balls of Fury.

This film is a total tongue and cheek bash on old school kung-fu movies. It’s not ment to be taken seriously…it’s a comedy. A rather over the top comedy that does a great job making fun of many old school classic martial arts film greats like Chuck Norris, Jean Claude Van Damme and of course…Bruce Lee. In fact the title is a little wink at arguably Bruce Lee’s greatest kung-fu films Fists of Fury from released in 1971.

It has a stellar comedy cast that does a great job portraying an absurdly slap stick American spin on the world of underground tournaments…of ping pong. Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken and George Lopez all do a great job. However, are just the beginning of this talented cast featuring great cameo appearances from a variety of comedy stars including James Hong, Terry Crews, Diedrich Bader, Thomas Lennon & Patton Oswalt among others.

There is a little bit of sexual humor in it on occasion, but for the most part it’s slap stick kung-fu comedy at it’s best. Walkin, is the perfect villain…because he portrays the opposite of what a traditional kung-fu villain would be and it plays so perfectly into the comedic tone that is intended.

Over all, I laughed a lot…and for a comedy, that’s a good thing. Then again, I don’t mind stupid immature humor as long as it isn’t raunchy. Now, if you don’t like immature, slap stick humor it’s doubtful that you’ll like this one. My guess is you’d likely just find yourself repeating the phrase, “That’s so stupid,” through the whole film and suck all the comedic life out of the room there by ruining the movie for those in the room that enjoy this type of comedy…like myself. This one gets 4 stars out of 5.

Day 136: Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring:  Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric and Judi Dench
Rated: PG-13
Length: 106 min.
Released: Nov. 14th 2008
Trailer

Synopsis:
Is there solace in revenge? Bond and “M” sniff a shadowy international network of power and corruption reaping billions. As Bond pursues the agents of an assassination attempt on “M,” all roads lead to Dominic Greene, a world-renowned developer of green technology. Greene, a nasty piece of work, is intent on securing a barren area of Bolivia in exchange for assisting a strongman stage a coup there. The CIA looks the other way, and only Bond, with help from a retired spy and from a mysterious beauty, stands in Greene’s way. “M” wonders if she can trust Bond, or if vengeance possesses him. Beyond that, can anyone drawn to Bond live to tell the tale?

My Thoughts:
Finally…the Bond movie era of the Goulson Movie Marathon comes to a close. Now I can finally write about something else…like…Finding Nemo or something. Not sure what yet, but is not going to be the start of another collection and it will not be about explosions and car chases.

Anyway, what a journey the James Bond franchise has taken. Quantum of Solace didn’t get as many rave reviews as Casino Royale did, but I feel much of that is because the film is not intended to be a stand alone movie. The Bond films through the 80s and 90s where all about wrapping it up by the end of the movie. They stood on their own, but to understand the new direction the franchise is taking with Daniel Craig you need to view each film more as a chapter in the larger story that is unfolding. Quantom of Solace is a chapter…a very chritical one that sets up all the other films to come. It doesn’t stand much on its own, but when we connect it with Casino Royale and the movies to come I can only imagine we will come to see how it plays a more important role in setting up the story for an epic battle between MI6 and a new villainous organization…Quantum.

The film ties in a lot with Casino Royale, picking up right after the previous film’s end. Great chase scenes, fights and explosions…but still very grounded like Casino Royale. Though the villain isn’t as memorable in this one, you need to keep in mind that this film is setting up the larger picture. This villain is just a small fry. He’s big enough for the story at hand, but he has others he is reporting to and it’s good to keep that in mind.

It also raises some interesting questions about the nature of revenge, the consequences of living a life of violence as well as governments and businesses working with unsavory people for political or financial gain. One of my favorite lines is “Yeah, right…we should only deal with nice people.” It’s a funny line, but actually speaks to a very sad truth.

Really the only irritation I have with Quantum of Solace is that it raises far more questions than answers. We see Bond snap pictures of all these major players in this new secret organization…and have no clue who they are or what they want exactly. We don’t know why it exists in the first place…just that they “have people everywhere.” Watching it makes me want to see the next chapter that much more, because this organization looks far larger and more devious than anything Bond has faced yet.

It reminds me a bit of the earlier Bond films where Bond faced off against the evil Soviet organization “SPECTRE.” Now, it isn’t fair to compare the two exactly, but it is fun to see the big bad antagonists of each film slowly reveal more about the larger enemy much like in the olden days. I can’t wait for the head of this organization to finally show us their face and see Bond take him/her on directly.

For a while it seemed as though the franchise was over with Quantum of Solace to be it’s last film. Luckily that will not be the case.  There will be another Danial Craig Bond film called Skyfall coming out in 2013 and I can’t wait. For being a good set up story for the films to come and making me excited to see Bond take on this new villain…Quantum of Solace gets 4 stars out of 5.

Day 135: Casino Royale

Casino Royale
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring:  Daniel Craig, Eva Green and Judi Dench
Rated: PG-13
Length: 144 min.
Released: Nov. 17th 2006
Trailer

Synopsis:
Actor Daniel Craig assumes the role formerly occupied by such screen greats as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan to set out on the character’s very first 007 mission. James Bond has earned his “00″ status by masterfully executing a pair of death-defying professional assassinations. Now assigned the task of traveling to Madagascar to spy on notorious terrorist Mollaka (Sebastien Foucan) for his maiden voyage as a 007 agent, Bond boldly goes against MI6 policy to launch an independent investigation that finds him traversing the Bahamas in search of Mollaka’s notoriously elusive terror cell. Subsequently led into the company of the mysterious Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) and his exotic girlfriend, Solange (Caterina Murino), Bond soon realizes that he is closer than ever to locating well-guarded terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), the man who has personally bankrolled some of the most prevalent terrorist organizations on the planet. When Bond learns that Le Chiffre is planning to partake in an upcoming high-stakes poker game to be played at Montenegro’s Le Casino Royale and use the winnings to establish his financial grip on the globe, M (Judi Dench) assigns beguiling agent Vesper (Eva Green) the task of watching over the fledgling agent as he plays against Le Chiffre in a covert attempt to destroy the nefarious gambler’s well-established monetary stronghold in the underworld once and for all. Bond will need more than his legendary gambling skills in order to win this dangerous game, though, and after allying himself with local MI6 field agent Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) and CIA operative Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), the endlessly suave super-spy puts on his poker face for a high-stakes game of cards in which the stakes are not measured in dollars, but human lives.

My Thoughts:
So we finally come to Casino Royale and the new James Bond…Danial Craig. At first thought I wasn’t sure how to take this movie since it is such a departure from the rest of the Bond films. Though Martin Campbell returns to the directors chair and since I am a huge fan of Goldeneye I had my hopes up. In Casino Royale the franchise finally tackles Bond’s first mission as a 00 and Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel. In all honestly this was the perfect time to reboot the series.

And that is the real heart of this film. Casino Royale  is not a “prequel” or “sequel” it’s a total re-envisioning of the Bond Franchise. United Artist took the liberty to start the series over from scratch and they hit the ball out of the park. If you ever get the chance to watch the special features there is a really cool documentary following the odd journey this Bond book/film has taken to get to this point. Ironically, the last official Ian Fleming novel to be made into a movie…was the first Bond book he wrote. Talk about taking the long way around, but it was well worth the wait.

Casino Royale is not the typical over the top carnival action the franchise had been known for. There’s no Q branch, there aren’t explosions every five minutes, no odd villains with absurd characteristics like a guy that can’t feel pain or a giant with metal teeth. Honestly it’s closer to the Jason Bourne movies than the previous films of the series.

I thought I would really miss the lack of gadgets…but to my surprise, I didn’t miss them at all. It’s so raw and honest in it’s portrayal of Bond. It’s a much more serious portrayal of the character making him easier to connect with. There is more emotion in this film, and it makes the twists and turns feel that much more personal. That’s what makes this film so much different. As a result it makes me totally forget that there are no “gadgets” in this movie. In fact if it did have gadgets they could easily become distracting and detract from the more serious and emotional tone that makes the film one of the best in the series. Casino Royale  gets 5 stars out of 5.

So, agree…disagree? What was your reaction to Casino Royale and the new direction of the Bond franchise?

Day 134: Die Another Day

Die Another Day
Director: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike
Rated: PG-13
Length: 133 min
Released: November 22, 2002
Trailer

Synopsis:
Pierce Brosnan makes his fourth appearance as suave super-spy James Bond in this espionage thriller, the 20th film in the official Bond series. While on assignment in North Korea, Bond is captured by government agents, where he’s imprisoned and tortured for over a year. When Bond finally wins his freedom, not everyone is certain 007 is still capable of doing the job, but after Zao (Rick Yune), the North Korean operative who snared Bond, is discovered to be in cahoots with unscrupulous entrepreneur Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens), Bond is back on the case, and he finds the two men have sinister plans which could decide the fate of the world. As Bond hops from England to Cuba to Korea to Iceland in pursuit of his quarry, he (as usual) makes the acquaintance of two beautiful and mysterious women, Jinx (Halle Berry) and Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike). Judi Dench and John Cleese return in Die Another Day as, respectively, Bond’s superior M and gadget-master Q; Madonna contributes the film’s theme song and makes a cameo appearance as a fencing instructor.

My Thoughts:
So had I written this review in 2002 I probably would have given this 2.5 stars. Watching it again, this Bond film has really surprised me! It seems to be a really under rated Brosnan Bond film. After the disaster of the last film I can imagine many people thought the series was loosing its mojo. I know I did, thus I didn’t really give this film much of a fare shake when it originally released. However, it aged much better than many other Bond films and is now tied with Tomorrow Never Dies for my second favorite Brosnan Bond film.

The villain is done in the spirit of classic bond bad guys and the car is absolutely amazing! It’s not exactly the most realistic…but amazing none the less. John Cleese makes a nice addition as the new Q bringing the right amount of wit and humorous banter that is required when shooting the breeze with James Bond. It also takes a wink at several of the classic gadgets in prior Bond films.

Halle Berry brings a nice addition to the role…some of the time. She is a far better actress than other Bond Girls, but she isn’t the most dynamic character in the movie, but that isn’t exactly her fault. Several lines come off as corny and I don’t know how anyone could deliver them without it sounding bad. In particular I’m thinking of a “your momma” line. That just made me shake my head.

Great villain, great car, great action, but the best part of this film has to be primary plot point of Bond working as a disavowed agent. Conversations between M and Bond almost hint at similar conversations during Licence to Kill but are far better and far more serious with better actors and better dialogue.

When thinking of Brosnan Bond films Die Another Day rarely seems to come to mind but it is well worth the watch. It’s a hidden jem in the Bond films that often gets overlooked. I’m giving it 4 stars.

Day 133: The World Is Not Enough

The World Is Not Enough
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle & Denise Richards
Rated: PG-13
Length: 128 min
Released: November 19, 1999
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
James Bond is back. An oil tycoon is murdered in MI6 and Bond is sent to protect his daughter. Renard, who has a bullet lodged in his brain from a previous agent, is secretly planning the destruction of a pipeline. Bond gains a hand from a research scientist, Dr. Christmas Jones who witnesses the action which happens when Bond meets up with Renard, but Bond becomes suspicious about Elektra King, especially when Bond’s boss, M goes missing. Bond must work quickly to prevent Renard from destroying Europe.

My Thoughts:
Well…I’m getting back into the blogging world. Done with school…no full time job…what else am I doing. LOL.

So on with the review!

This is not my favorite Brosnan Bond Film. In fact I’d say it’s probably my least favorite. Equally, it’s probably in my top ten list of worst Bond films of all times. Maybe even the top five.

Why is it so bad? Well it starts with the acting. Above all Denise Richards is horrible in this movie. She can’t say a single line without it sounding forced. The only reason she is in the movie is to run around in a white wet t-shirt as a ditsy bond girl. Easily the worst performance in the whole film and quite possibly the worst in the entire James Bond franchise.

Also, the villain is just stupid! Some guy who has a bullet in his head?…can’t feel pain?…so what. He should have less of a role and been reduced to a mindless muscle guy like Od Job or Jaws. There is another villain in the movie that adds a little bit more credibility…and could be considered the “brains” behind the plot, but it isn’t enough to redeem the whole movie. Combining the two together still make for a week villain.

Lastly…they barely used the car!!! The only reason it was in the movie at all is because BMW signed a deal with United Artist to have a new BMW featured in 3 consecutive Bond films starting with Goldeneye. As I understand it there was a bit of a falling out between the two companies by the time this movie came along and UA used this movie to stay in the legal parameters of their agreement while simultaneously sending a message.  As it turns out this was number 3 and in the next film Die Another Day the car an Aston Martin Vanquish is used a lot more and is a whole lot sweeter.

Perhaps the saddest thing about this movie is that it is the last time we see Desmond Llewelyn as the legendary Q as he will pass away before the film is released. I only wish the movie better. It wasn’t exactly the best Bond film to say good by. Though I have to admit, his moments on screen are among the best in the whole movie. He has fitting last moments on screen and a fine farewell.

I’m giving this one 2 stars.

Day 132: Tomorrow Never Dies

Tomorrow Never Dies
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh & Teri Hatcher
Rated: PG-13
Length: 119 min
Released: December 19, 1997
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Agent 007, the unstoppable action hero must prevent a tremendous disaster ripped from tomorrow’s headlines. Someone is pitting the world’s superpowers against each other – and only James Bond can stop it. When a British warship is mysteriously destroyed in Chinese waters, the world teeters on the brink of World War III – until 007 zeros in on the true criminal mastermind. Bond’s do-or-die mission takes him to Elliot Carver, a powerful media mogul who manipulates world events as easily as he changes headlines from his global media empire. After soliciting help from Carver’s sexy wife, Paris, Bond join forces with a stunning yet lethal Chinese agent, Wai Lin, in a series of explosive chases, brutal confrontations and breathtaking escapes as they race to stop the presses on Carver’s next planned news story: global pandemonium!

My Thoughts:
So, it’s been FOREVER!!! I know…I know. Lets just say that James Bond did me in…that was a LOT of Bond. I mean come on…a whole month! On top of that I had to drop my internet, so…yeah…it’s been a while.

However…I’m back! It may not be at a once a day pace like before, but on a weekly basis I will be updating on a movie or two that I have been watching. Because I am still watching them…a lot. So let’s get this started!

Picking up where I left off we have the second Brosnen Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Arguably my favorite. It’s neck and neck with Goldeneye. Why is that?…again I have to go back to the villan. I am a HUGE media junky so the concept for this villan was right up my alley.

On top of that, I am a huge ninja/kung-fu fan…so the Chinese element is awesome as well. By far, the best car in the Brosnen era is showcased in this film. An innovative and modern take on integrating a cell phone with the car in that way was a perfect modern gadget update for a modernized bond film.

The acting is also spot on…for a bond film. In particular Teri Hatcher is a pleasant surprise along with a fantastic job by Johnathan Pryce as villan Elliot Carver. This villan almost is reminiscent of various other screen portrayals of an Anti-Christ  figure…without all the religious/demonic/spiritual elements added to it. He does a great job.

Last but not least, I have to give mention to the music. Techno/House DJ Moby got his hands on the Bond Theme and gave this technology driven Bond modernization a well needed update. His version is perfect for the feel of this much needed update. In addition, the films theme song “Tomorrow Never Dies” by Sheryl Crow is probably my favorite Bond theme song to date.

So…where do I stand on this one? You probably guessed it…4 stars.

Day 131: Goldeneye

Goldeneye
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen & Judi Dench
Rated: PG-13
Length: 130 min.
Released: November 17, 1995
Trailer & a cool Teaser Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
9 years after infiltrating a chemical weapons facility in Russia, where friend and fellow M:I-6 agent Alec Trevelyan 006 was killed by corrupt Russian military officer General Ourumov. Seductive British secret agent James Bond 007 is assigned by his new boss, a female ‘M’ to recover “GoldenEye” the access key to a top secret space weapon orbiting the Earth which fires a electromagnetic pulse which shuts down all electronic equipment. The “GoldenEye” has been stolen from the Severnya space research station by General Ourumov and the lethal and deadly Xenia Onatopp and slaughtered everyone at Servernya. Helped by Russian computer programmer Natalya Siminova, who was the sole survivor of the Servernya massacre and witnessed Ourumov and Xenia steal the “GoldenEye”, Bond learns Ourumov and Xenia are working for Alec Trevelyan, now a renegade M:I-6, and 006 plans on using GoldenEye to wipe out London. 007 and Natalya set out to Cuba where Bond faces Trevelyan in a thrilling showdown as 007 sets out to save London from destruction.

My Thoughts:
Arguably the BEST Brosnan Bond film of them all. This film got an incredible amount of attention because of the success of the N64 video game by the same title (which is being updated and re-released in November). To this day I still consider it (the movie and the game) one of the best Bond products ever released. Certainly Brosnan’s best Bond film…hands down.

This film revived the Bond series in a huge way. It breathed new life into a dying series and gave it a much needed makeover/update. It really took the series out of the rut it was in.

The acting is spot on sassy sarcastic over confident Bond…with a 90′s attitude. The addition of Judi Dench as M was a particularly nice touch. She’s perfect and a perfect parallel to Brosnan’s Bond.

Also, I think this has one of the best Bond villains of all time…which just makes the film that much better. What better villian is there than a former friend who knows Bond’s every move?

This one gets 5 stars out of 5.

Day 130: Licence to Kill

Licence to Kill
Director: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell & Robert Davi
Rated: PG-13
Length: 133 min.
Released: July 14, 1989
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
After attending the wedding of friend CIA agent Felix Leiter and his bride Della Churchill, seductive British secret agent James Bond 007 disobeys orders and turns in his license to kill, when ruthless drug lord Franz Sanchez (After helping Feliex and the DEA capture Sanchez) tortures Felix and leaves him for dead and kills Della. James sets off on a personal vendetta against the drug lord, and arrives in Mexico City. Helped by cocky and beautiful CIA agent and pilot Pam Bouvier, Sanchez’s sexy mistress Lupe Lamora and Bond’s friend and fellow quartermaster ‘Q’. Bond plays on both sides of the law, as he infiltrates his organization by bringing Sanchez down. Where 007 embarks in the ultimate confrontation and he will not rest until he kills Sanchez and those responsible for torturing Felix and murdering Della.

My Thoughts:
Posted from my phone while on the road. Ha ha! I love technology!

Probably the better of Dalton’s two Bond films…in my opinion. The reason for that is it`s got an intresting idea for a plot. It`s only one of two Bond films where he goes “rogue” and becomes an “enemy” of the state to get the job done.

Also, the villian is rather sick…and brutal. Probably one of the darkest of all the Bond villians

Still…with all that said it`s still an aweful movie. It really is. It embodies a lot of cleche action movie cheese that`s just hard to except. They reach a new level of unbelievability with this one.

I`m giving it 2.5 stars out of 5.

Day 129: The Living Daylights

The Living Daylights
Director: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton
Rated: PG
Length: 130 min
Released: July 31, 1987
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
After Bond helps Russian officer Georgi Koskov make a daring defection to the West, the intelligence community is shocked when Koskov is abducted from his remote hiding place. Bond leaps into action, following a trail that leads to the gorgeous Kara, who plays Bond as easily as she plays her Stradivari cello. As they unravel a complex weapons scheme with global implications, they are forced into hair-raising chases, a riveting jailbreak and an epic battle in the Afghanistan desert with tanks, airplanes and a legion of freedom fighters on horseback.

My Thoughts:
So most people seem to agree that the Timothy Dalton Bond films are the worst ones ever made…and I would have to agree. They are darker and WAY too over the top. The are so far over the top they are just plain unbelievable…ridiculous…just ridiculous.

The Living Daylights (and the next film Licence To Kill) embody everything that’s wrong with typical pointless styalized action movies…and no real plot. Bad villians and deplorable storyline.

It’s got some awesome action/chase sequences, but for the most part…it’s great for a good laugh, and that’s about it.

I’m giving this one 2 stars out of 5.

Day 128: A View To A Kill

A View To A Kill
Director: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken & Tanya Roberts
Rated: PG
Length: 131 min.
Released: May 24, 1985
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
007 returns from the USSR with a new computer chip; one that is invulnerable to the magnetic pulse of a nuclear explosion. The chip is being manufactured by Zorin Industries, headed up by a sociopathic businessman named Max Zorin who is planning to corner the world microchip market by using explosives to cause an earthquake in the San Andreas fault that will wipe out Silicon Valley – and the millions who live and work there! Bond must face not only Zorin himself, but the equally twisted May Day and Scarpine, another one of Zorin’s henchmen. Assisted by San Francisco City employee Stacy, Bond goes after the would-be computer magnate in a series of frightening confrontations – including fire in the SF City Hall, a wild chase through the city with Stacy at the wheel of a fire department ladder truck, and finally in a hand-to-hand fight atop San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

My Thoughts:
This Bond marathon is really taking it’s tole. I’m getting so sick of James Bond…you have no idea. I just need to push through the two crappy Timothy Dalton films and I’ll be on the home stretch. They get much better in the 90s.

So, A View To A Kill. Up until I purchased this movie I had no idea that Christopher Walken had been in a James bond movie! I was so excited!!! This was Roger Moore’s final Bond film and he really goes out with a bang.

There are several parts that seem a bit over the top…typical James Bond style. Like driving half of a car?…yeah right. I want to see that one busted on Mythbusters. Then there’s the henchman..err…henchwoman May Day?…creepy, butch and kind of ugly. Like a female Jaws with ninja skills. I wasn’t a fan, but then again…I find female body builders frightening.

Still, it’s a highly entertaining movie. Not Moore’s best, but certainly not his worst either. Not to mention Duran Duran sings the theme song! Heck yeah!!!

Also, Walken is a fantastic villian! He has such a unique style that makes for an intresting dynamic when it’s contrast against Moore as James Bond. I’m giving this one 4 stars out of 5.