Jason Statham once upon a time was a guy who seemed like he was going to carry the torch and deliver a brand of unique action film roles. And then somewhere around 2010, he kind of backtracked and just reverted to playing the same variation of Jason Statham that we’ve seen well in to fifteen years now. “The Beekeper” is the latest in a line of what the internet are now labeling “Dad movies” where your everyday Joe becomes a bonafide angel of vengeance. This time directed by David Ayer and written by Kurt Wimmer, the pair team to deliver, so far, one of the stupidest action movies of the year.
Tag Archives: Crime
Dress Code (2022)
I had a lot of respect for Joseph Pupello’s desire to deliver a gangster picture that’s less about gangsters and more about our personal lives. It’s rough around the edges, and the screenplay by Peter Panagos isn’t entirely cohesive, but they do manage to concoct an interesting storyline for a central character who is being pulled in all kinds of obligations. The one big goal in his a life involving mobsters, and assassinations, and a pregnant wife is to live as the person he really wants to be, and that makes his struggle pretty turbulent.
Our Five Choice Indie Features of 2023
It’s been an interesting year and we’ve manage to cover a few of the usual film festivals and found some favorites along the way. We were thankfully able to compensate for last year by really digging our heels in to the indie movies and festivals, and we’ve combed over some really talented directors, and writers.
These are five of the best indie feature films that we saw in 2023.
Finestkind (2023)
Director Brian Helgeland’s “Finestkind” would be a great movie if he and the screenwriter ever decided what kind of movie they’re actually intending to make. “Finestkind” has a lot going for it, but it’s hobbled by its terrible tonal shifts. It’s about four movies anxious to burst out and rise to the surface. For a whole hour it’s a drama about the beauty of sailing, then it’s a crime thriller, then it’s a neo-noir about a botched drug bust, then it becomes a tragic familial drama. It never focuses on one theme, thus it comes off feeling so confused and disorienting.
Merry Little Batman (2023)
Now Streaming Exclusively on Amazon Prime.
Color me shocked when I found out that Warner were not only releasing a Batman animated movie this year, but a Christmas themed one at that. The way they’ve been run lately, it’s not entirely shocking that this one snuck under my radar, I guess. “Merry Little Batman” is unlike any Batman animated movie I’ve ever seen. The animation style is wild, somewhat in the vein of “Chowder,” and focuses on a completely separate non-canonical narrative.
Silent Night (2023)
America has really done John Woo no favors in regards to his film legacy. And despite kind of hitting some gems in the 1990’s, director Woo has accomplished so much more in his heydays. “Silent Night” is proof positive that he needs a renaissance, as it’s about as basic and disappointing an action movie that you can get. I was cautiously optimistic about “Silent Night” as the premise seemed so interesting. An action movie with no dialogue based around a revenge plot akin “John Wick” seemed like a good time. Throwing in Joel Kinnaman was just the icing on the cake.
The Warriors (1979) [Arrow Video Limited Edition]
After a meeting of the local New York gangs goes wrong, The Warriors find themselves accused of killing the leader, forcing them to make their way across the city while under threat at every corner.