Bruce Willis gets bored, you know? So he made another Die Hard movie. This time we see John McClane venture to Moscow (comedy gold already, right?) to find his son Jack, played by Spartacus' Jai Courtney, whom he hasn't heard from in years.
Assuming the worst (not kidding, the worst) of his son, good 'ol John wastes no time in finding trouble. This leads to the obligatory car chase, explosion scene, and hostage situation.
The problems start once you realize that the movie only really has two characters. Nobody else really needs a name. You've got John, and Jack. Everyone else is generic and kinda pointless. The movie centers around the banter between father and son, their attempts at comedy get a chuckle out of you every once in a while, but it often falls flat. John's one liners are also uninspired at best. His "I'm supposed to be on vacation" lines happen a couple of times too many, akin to Lethal Weapon's"I'm getting to old for this shit". Even the mandatory Yippee Ki-Yay moment feels phoned in.
Story wise, it isn't anything special. Bad attempts at plot twists don't really work because you only care about the two main characters, and even when it gets the chance to do something interesting the McClanes always seem to figure it all out surprisingly quickly, leading to more action instead of interesting storytelling. And honestly, that might not be a bad thing.
The action scenes are another story. Some of these segments are legitimately jaw dropping. The chase scene comes to mind, brutally over the top and quite entertaining. The stunt work is very well done, and the slow motion is used sparingly and it really works surprisingly well.
Ultimately a lack of memorable characters leads to nothing special. This is easily the weakest of the Die Hard films. That doesn't mean it's bad, just not good. There's no Hans Gruber to give you memorable bad guy lines, there's nothing to challenge running barefoot on broken glass. It just falls flat.
This probably won't be the last Die Hard. The way Hollywood works these days this will keep going. And of course, we'll watch them... We can only hope that they can once again find their charm and they stop with the ridiculous title puns.
Fine... The title puns can stay.
A Good Day To Die Hard... Who comes up with this shit?! 5.5/10
The time has come once again to look forward into the next year and the films that will be released in order to weed out the good from the bad. There are a lot of interesting looking films coming out from well-known, as well as from some lesser known, directors. So, let's just get on with it and see what we should be looking for next year.
Honorable Mentions
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
I don't care what anybody thinks of Frank Miller's graphic novel on which this movie (as well as the original Sin City), I enjoyed the hell out of it. The feel of the film, the use of the same techniques that were used by Miller in the graphic novel but in movie form, it all felt like it fit perfectly. Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller team up once more in the shared director's chair. Hopefully they can make this movie as enjoyable as the last one. One thing that might hurt it is that some of the characters had to be recast because of death or pregnancy. Luckily, none is one of the important roles. Jamie Chung (Battlestar Galactica) will now play the role of Miho that Devon Aoki used to play, and Dennis Haysbert (The Unit, 24) will replace Michael Clarke Duncan who sadly passed away. I'll be hoping this is at least as entertaining as the first one.
The Lone Ranger
This is a strange one for me. I'm not looking too forward to it because I love the original or anything of the sort. I guess I'm just interested in seeing the two main characters together on screen. Armie Hammer was probably the breakout star of The Social Network and I guess I just want to know what he can do. Having Johnny Depp besides you playing Tonto is not too bad either. I also want to see Depp do something other than another lame Tim Burton movie and while I'm not the hugest Gore Verbinski fan, I want to see what Verbinski's take on these characters is.
13. Zero Dark Thirty
Katheryn Bigelow killed at the Academy Awards a few years ago with the movieThe Hurt Locker. While I am not a huge fan of that movie, I understand why it was universally lauded as the best of that year. There is something gritty and grimy about that movie and I am hoping that it will be the same when Bigelow tackles the spy genre. I'm not sure exactly how much spy it will have, but it being about the search and death of Osama bin Laden, we can be sure that it will be controversial either way. The movie stars the beautiful Jessica Chastain in a role that I didn't expect. I'm hoping to see if she can pull off this kind of movie. Alexandre Desplat will be working on the music, which is pretty awesome as he can do some really fantastic stuff.
12. Elysium
A few years back South African director, Neill Blomkamp, came out of nowhere with a little sci-fi film that really seemed to catch the attention of the masses. District 9 was an incredibly interesting take on the alien invasion film while also touching on topics like racism and apartheid in an entertaining way. This new flick stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster and it deals with a future in which the divide between economic classes has really stretched incredibly and one man's battle to try to bring equality. The blurb doesn't really give us much information about anything other than the setting, so I'm interested to see more news about this movie, or better yet, go in completely blind.
11. Gangster Squad
The director of one of the funnest zombie flicks this side of Shaun of the Dead begins January with the period mafia film Gangster Squad. With a pretty damn interesting cast comprised of actors like Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, and Robert Patrick, this definitely might be a surprisingly good movie. I also liked Ruben Fleischer's stylish take on the zombie flick, so I am looking forward to what he can do with the gangster movie. He is lucky to be working with such an ace cast. My only worry about this film is the music. Of course, trailer music doesn't constitute the whole of what we will see when we go to the theater, but I think this kind of film needs a specific kind of music. Either way, I'll be looking to see this one next month.
10. Trance
While I know that some people dislike Danny Boyle's style, but I am a very big fan of his work. Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire,and 127 Hours are all movies that I enjoy to different degrees. What I mean is that I look forward to seeing whatever Boyle is coming up with next because he is not afraid to take chances and he will always try different things. The story of Trance is pretty interesting but pretty vague. Apparently it deals with a fine art auctioneer joining forces with a hypnotherapist to recover a lost painting. In between, it seems to deal with the effects of hypnotic suggestion and reality. The three main players Boyle will be working with are James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson and Vincent Cassel which is an interesting mix and one I will be looking forward to seeing. I believe this movie is expected to come out on March of 2013.
9. Los amantes pasajeros (I'm So Excited!)
Any time that Pedro Almodovar is about to release a film, I get excited. He always has a way of getting some amazing performances from the actors he works with and his movies are always different and interesting. This one specifically interests me because I have no idea what it is about. All that I have seen is that it looks like a comedy or at least it looks like it will be a lot more comedic than his last few films. Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and Paz Vega seem to be the big players here and also Argentinian actress Cecilia Roth seems to be making an appearance as well. Even without knowing what the film is about, I definitely want to check it out.
8. Oz: The Great and Powerful
Although at first sight this probably isn't my cup of tea, Sam Raimi is a director that I always try to give a chance with every new film he releases. Although I absolutely loathe his Spider-Man franchise, I think he is a pretty good director that can work well when given the opportunity to do his schtick. This particular movie has James Franco playing a magician that gets sent to the land of Oz where he meets three witches played by Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis. Basically it is the story of the way the Wizard of Oz began. I'm afraid that it will be looking too much like the really terrible Alice in Wonderland. Hopefully Raimi's fantastic sensibilities will make this a really interesting film to watch.
7. Ender's Game
I have been hearing for years that one of my favorite science fiction books from when I was younger was being turned into a movie. I have always been incredibly leery about this project, because of one simple reason: I worry that the kid actors wouldn't give Orson Scott Card's story justice. The movie deals with Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a really gifted kid who is sent to an advanced military training program in space in order to prepare for invasion. From what I remember from the book, this is a bloody story with a lot of violence between the young kids. While I think that Butterfield is a great young actor, I'm not sure his look feels right. The same goes for Abigail Breslin, who plays Ender's sister. Rounding the cast are Harrison Ford, Viola Davis and Ben Kingsley. I do worry that this movie won't live up to my expectations, and I especially worry that director Gavin Hood will come out with another X-Men Origins: Wolverine instead of a Tsotsi.
6. Kick-Ass 2
I tried as much as humanly possible to refrain from putting too many sequels on my list. This one I just couldn't help. I really loved the first Kick-Ass. It was a breath of fresh air when it came to superhero movies. So it makes sense that I am really excited about this film. One of the things that freaks me out a little bit is the new director. Matthew Vaughn, who directed the original, is not back at the helm and instead of him, we get Jeff Wadlow. Wadlow has directed Cry Wolf and Never Back Down. These are two movies that I never cared for. So, I am definitely worried about this. Most of the cast is back, though with some interesting additions. I'm looking forward to seeing Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes.
5. Pacific Rim
I admit that I am a huge fan of Guillermo del Toro. Ever since I first saw Hellboy, I began my mission of trying to watch everything he has released. Then I saw Pan's Labyrinth and I was hooked on his style and his storytelling. While this one is certainly not Pan's Labyrinth, I'm still excited over the film. I'm guessing that anyone with a mecha fetish (I'm looking at you Fefi!) will also be interested. As far as I know, it deals with an alien invasion and humans defending themselves with giant robots. Charlie Hunnam and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy) will be part of the cast along with Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and motherfuckin' Heimdall himself Idris Elba (Luther). Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones) will be working on the music, which is pretty interesting as well. I'm looking forward to this one.
4. Oldboy
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not expecting this movie to be a fantastic film. It could even be that the movie sucks balls. Spike Lee has always been a very hit or miss director to most people. Add to that the fact that the original Oldboy directed by Chan-wook Park has become a cult classic in the United States and you have what most people believe is a recipe for disaster. I find it hard to believe that Lee could in any way surpass the greatness of Park's film. So, why is it on my list? This is not a list of which movies I think are going to be the best, but of movies I think people should see. I am interested in seeing Lee's interpretation of this film. I am looking to see if the gritty violence and more unsavory plot points survive the transfer to American audiences. I'm also not sure about the rest of the cast except for Josh Brolin. While Elizabeth Olsen was fantastic in 2011's Martha Marcy May Marlene, I'm not sure how she will fit here and Sharlto Copley (District 9) seems like an odd choice as well. All we can do is wait for this now and hope that Lee brings his A game.
3. Stoker
We were just talking about director Chan-wook Park and who else could I have put at number three other than that directors new film? This is Park's first film without a Korean cast. It deals with India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) and how she deals with the death of her father, her estranged mother (Nicole Kidman) and the arrival of her uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode). At first glance it doesn't seem like a Chan-wook Park film, but I'm sure that he has some surprises up his sleeve that will throw everyone off. At first glance, it seemed like the plot was pretty similar to Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, but either way, I'd watch it. After watching the trailer, you can tell that there is something there brimming that we will not figure out until Park wants us to. I'd like to see what Park can do here.
2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Ever since the Lord of the Rings came out, people have become enthralled by the world that J.R.R. Tolkien built many moons ago. People really couldn't get enough, so they decided to make Tolkien's children's book, which took place in the same world and had a couple of the same characters as his adult series, to turn it into a movie. I already saw the first part, An Unexpected Journey and I have to say that it really did meet all my expectations. Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins was a revelation. Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Hugo Weaving as Elrond and Sylvester McCoy as Radagast were all their fantastic selves. This is the second part of the trilogy and I can't help but be incredibly excited to see this film. I am sure this one will be just as great and might even be greater than the first one. Trust Peter Jackson.
1. The World's End
What do you get when you mix actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost with writer/director Edgar Wright? Pure, unadulterated awesomeness. Spaced, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are favorites of mine. They are great as parodies, comedies, buddy movies (series), and just about anything they set out to do. So, seeing them tackle the end of the world is pretty cool and I just can't wait to check it out. Add to the cast Paddy Considine and Martin Freeman and I imagine more of Britain's best will make some cameos to make this a really entertaining cast. This is the third one in what Pegg and Wright have called "The Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy" and it will be their homage, parody, whatever you want to call it, to science fiction. This is the film I am most looking forward to seeing next year and even if it is not yours, you need to go see it when it comes out!
There you have it. The list of 13 movies I think people should watch next year. There will be a lot more interesting films to check out, but these are the ones I want to see. Got a movie you think should be considered? Let me know!
Kudos to the WWE for pulling off such an entertaining rollercoaster PPV event. WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs was a pay-per-view that could have easily been mediocre, but ended up being one of the more entertaining shows of the year.
First off, the low-key but tasteful tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School was welcome, considering the events of that day happened in the WWE's corporate backyard.
Opening match of the night: Rhodes Scholars vs Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio (#1 Contender's Table Match):
Definitely a great way to start the PPV, a nice seesaw match that surprisingly enough saw almost next to no botches from Sin Cara, what a miracle! Cody Rhodes pushing Sin Cara off of the ropes after attempting to springboard unto Damien Sandow and watching Sin Cara crash through the table to end the match, priceless! Screw you Power Ranger wannabe!
Winner: Rhodes Scholars
Match #2: Antonio Cesaro vs R-Truth (U.S. Title match):
*wakes up from the sound of his own snoring*
I apologize. I must’ve given you the impression that the match was just pointless filler? It was. Please bring back some measure of prestige to the U.S. Championship or unify it with the Intercontinental title. That being said, Cesaro is a great talent that deserves a better push; let’s see what the WWE creative team has in store for him in 2013.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
Match #3: Kofi Kingston vs Wade Barrett (Intercontinental Title match):
Another snoozer mid-card match with a pointless rivalry that has completely stopped dead in the water. Hopefully this will be the last we hear of this; hopefully for 2013 the powers-that-be will put some actual moxie behind the mid-card division. So much wasted talent needs to be molded, but there is definite potential there to be exploited. Let’s just hope 2013 is the year of change we have all been hoping for.
Winner: Kofi Kingston
CM Punk getting injured was, in my opinion, one of the best things that could've happened at this time, believe it or not, as we are nearing the very crucial juncture that is Wrestlemania season. The Royal Rumble is nearly upon us, and that one event will set the tone for the rest of 2013. Unfortunately, that is a topic for another post, let's stick with TLC 2012 for now.
Why do I bring up CM Punk's knee injury? Simple. His absence from the spotlight gave way to what could easily have been the match of the evening; a match that I am sure will live in infamy for quite some time:
Match #4: Ryback and Team Hell No vs The Shield (Tables, Ladders and Chairs match):
I felt goosebumps as I went back in time to the Attitude Era while watching the match. WWE definitely hit a homerun in holding back The Shield's actual in-ring debut for this PPV, because trust me, sparks flew when these three hombres hit the ring. All six participants gave it their all and easily won the crowd over. If this is any indication of the direction which WWE intends on taking for 2013, then we are in for one hell of a ride. And yes, hopefully Vince McMahon will give Seth Rollins a well-deserved Christmas bonus for that amazing fall he took last night!
Winner: The Shield
Match #5: Eve vs Naomi (Divas Championship):
Bathroom break.
All kidding aside (well, kind of), Naomi put on quite the display from her NXT days, but, it’s all for naught. We all know the Divas Division is just WWE’s way of giving everyone a bathroom break after awesome matches.
Winner: Eve
Match #6: Big Show vs Sheamus (World Heavyweight Championship Chair Match):
I expected so much more. It was nowhere near as good as their match at Hell in a Cell, but this was a decent match to add to their rivalry. I actually thought Sheamus was going to get his revenge and take the title, but they are going to roll with Big Show a little longer. The rivalry is kind of up in the air at the moment, so we shall see if WWE will drop the ball on this one. If this is the end, who challenges for the title next? If Sheamus is done with Show, what does he do after this? I think these are all good questions. I think they can get another match out of Show/Sheamus until it comes time to cash in the Money In The Bank, but I'm fine with this rivalry ending this way.
Winner: Big Show
Match #7: The Miz, Alberto del Rio and the Brooklyn Brawler vs 3MB:
One of the surprises that I did not see coming was Alberto del Rio’s face turn at this PPV. Yes, it’s been rumored for some time, but actually seeing it with my own two eyes was a welcome change of pace. And yes, that's right. Out of everybody available in the back, they pick the Brooklyn Brawler as the third man in this impromptu filler match. Now, even though I can see people complaining about this, I actually got a chuckle out of this. Come on, it's the Brawler fighting in his hometown. The greatest jobber in WWE history gets his Christmas bonus. A passing of the torch, if you will, one jobber to the next generation of jobbers. Very fitting indeed.
Winner: The Miz, Alberto del Rio and the Brooklyn Brawler
Final match of the night: John Cena vs Dolph Ziggler (Money In The Bank Ladder Match):
What started off as a routine match soon became quite the spectacle, a match that I had no idea Cena and Ziggler had in them. From eye injuries to Cena lifting Ziggler up in the air complete with ladder hunched on his shoulders, this match was beyond entertaining, which is more than I expected from these two. The crowd was beyond vocal, the energy was off the charts, and without a doubt one of the out-of-the-blue heel turns ever occurred when at one point Vicki Guerrero goes to interfere in the match, gets pounded by AJ, and then when everyone expects Cena to climb up the ladder to regain the MITB, AJ simply knocks over the ladder. With Cena stumbling down, Ziggler with a confused look on his face, and AJ doing her usual psychochick shtick, Ziggler quickly climbs up the ladder for the win, retaining his Money In The Bank contract.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
All in all, I thought this was a pretty fun show. I'll admit that it wasn't perfect since some matches did drag. The first hour of the show didn't feel very memorable, but I didn't think it was that bad. I really think the tables match got the PPV to a good start, but those two mid-card title matches were pretty boring to watch. Everything picked back up with that Tables, Ladders and Chairs match and I think the evening continued to be on par for the rest of the night until the main event. This night featured some good wrestling AND good storyline development. We are left with a lot more questions than answers after tonight. Why did AJ screw over Cena? What will Vicki do now that AJ is apparently allied with Dolph? What is in store for The Shield after this? How will WWE continue to make The Shield a formidable foe? When will Dolph cash in the Money In The Bank? What do Big Show and Sheamus do after tonight? Alberto del Rio as a face? All these make the upcoming Monday Night Raw more intriguing. If I have to give WWE TLC 2012 a score between 1-10 and 5 being average, I'll give this an 8 out of 10. A great way to end the year folks, see you all at the Royal Rumble 2013!
This is something we've been working on for a little bit, but here it is. The first episode of The Shit is Dead Podcast. We discuss the bands that should be out of bounds when talking about your favorite bands. These bands are just too great to be picked as your favorite. So, get creative and choose someone else! Think someone else needs to be on this list? Let us know by leaving a comment.
We are living in a rare time. The age of the superhero movie is in full force, and The Amazing Spider-Man does nothing but hold up my opinion.
We finally have a proper portrayal of what the Spider-Man character is supposed to be. And anyone who didn't enjoy this movie is either just not a fan of the source material, or is unjustly comparing it to the previous movies.
From the moment the film starts it feels like a fresh take on a story that felt brutally dated. Andrew Garfield feels and looks like a believable high school student, which is surprising considering he's almost thirty. As soon as he cracks that grin for the first time on screen a fan can instantly tell he's the smart ass that that Peter Parker needs to be.
One of the gripes people have with these movies is the constant need to have origin stories. We all know how Spider-Man got his powers, and if by some miracle you don't, you can ask the person next to you. It's probably the mix of a great cast and good storytelling, tied in with some whit and humor, but this origin story was more than bearable. Martin Sheen takes full advantage of his time on screen, becoming a lovable character in his role of Uncle Ben. It's been difficult in different versions Spider-Man's origin for the viewer to feel remorse for this character's death due to how little time he's around. For a death that is supposed to cause such an impact I don't think I've ever seen it handled better, and I really do attribute it to Martin's ability to connect with an audience.
Then you've got Sally Field as Aunt May in another memorable performance. She's probably the best example of something I praise in this movie, we get just enough of each character. There's no "oh, this bitch again" moment. Also, I'm glad to see a portrayal of Aunt May where she's not 200 years old, she's his aunt, not his damn great grandmother.
With every comic book movie the big question is what villain they'll go with, and in this case I think they made the right choice by using The Lizard to reintroduce Spidey. In the last trilogy we were constantly teased by the presence of Dr. Curt Connors, one of Peter Parker's college professors. But here, he's an Oscorp scientist looking to cure a number of diseases, and most of all, find a way to regrow his lost left arm. While it's true that it's one of the franchises safest villains, he is written in a way that gives him a certain edge. Rhys Ifans does the best with what he's given, and delivers adequately.
Finally, Gwen. Yes, Emma Stone plays Gwen Stacy. This is the way this story is told. This is what on screen chemistry looks like. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are spot on in every scene. If I didn't know any better I'd say they were filming these two flirt in real life.
Yes, I much prefer Gwen to Mary Jane.
Yes, I left an important character out. My favorite asshole (leo-leo leo-leo leo-leo)Dennis Leary pops up as Captain Stacy, Gwen's father and he's nothing short of hilarious. One liners galore. His banter with Peter Parker can be as uncomfortable as it can be utterly hysterical. A great addition to an already great cast.
The story itself is pretty straightforward, but it's the little things that make it special. The little mentions and nods that comic book fans can smile at, because we know. But it's the way that director Marc Webb handled the characters that made me love this movie.
A fine example would be how the character of Flash Thompson is used. Flash is a staple of this origin story. He's the bully. The tormentor. But where other versions have made him cruel and unlikable, here he's actually human, and while he's still a bully and a dick to most, he shows his human side when Peter is dealing with the loss of Uncle Ben. He is a teenager, and teenagers are cruel, but they're not evil. A fact that seems ignored by most teen stories these days, that fact really stuck out to me.
People are griping about how we're back to having web shooters instead of it being part of Peter's powers. I couldn't disagree more, Peter needs to have some invention implemented into his abilities. He's a scientist, it's important to have that character trait implemented into his alter ego, and web shooters are the way to go; that is, as long as they don't overplay the whole "I'm out of webbing" angle like the cartoons did in just about every episode.
I was originally skeptical about this movie, but over the last couple of months my anticipation rose, mostly because of the cast. Being a fan of Andrew Garfield since his appearance on Doctor Who, loving Dennis Leary since No Cure For Cancer, and simply just being in love with Emma Stone; I can say we finally have the Spidey movie we've always wanted. I look forward to the sequel(s), the spin-off(s), and the eventual joining of it all. If Marvel knows what they're doing, they'll find a way to bring it all together, if you know what I mean.
