Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Year: 1975

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow, John Houseman

Director: Sydney Pollack

My Review: Outstanding! Sydney Pollack directed this movie based on a James Grady novel. Starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow and others. This movie is a thrilling spy drama starring Robert Redford. A well thought out, highly structured, thoroughly constructed plot. This one is very believable, and it didn't annoy me by explaining everything the protagonist did. Robert Redford plays an CIA researcher. His job is 'reading books'. He reads everything, feeds it into a computer, analyzes it and comes up with ideas for the CIA. New schemes, plots, codes trends, possibilities, leaks?. When he stumbles upon something hidden, he sends an inquiry up the chain. Days later he's out to lunch, when his entire office is wiped out. Someone put a hit out on these CIA researchers, and Redford is suspect number one. On the run, in constant danger, he's afraid to turn himself in - Is the CIA trying to kill him? With nowhere to turn, he kidnaps Faye Dunaway and forces her to act as an unwilling accomplice. A conspiracy film of magnificent proportions. More relevant now than the day it was made. Redford eventually asks a very important question "Do we have plans to invade the Middle East over oil?" Excellent acting, directing, editing and music. I'm adding this one to my 'must buy' list.

Summary: A mild mannered CIA researcher, paid to read books, returns from lunch to find all of his co-workers assassinated. "Condor" must find out who did this and get in from the cold before the hitmen get him.

Genre: Action

Year: 1998

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Ken Leung, Jackie Chan, Tom Wilkinson, Tzi Ma, Robert Littman

Director: Brett Ratner

My Review: Screenplay by Ross LaManna and Jim Kouf. Directed by Brett Ratner (57 movie credits - This is his second feature film (previous was Money Talks with Chris Tucker)). Brett Ratner has been good for Chris Tucker, and deservedly so. This film, and Ratner's previous helped launch Chris Tucker's career, and it marked the beginning of Brett Ratner's meteoric rise. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan make the perfect buddy cops (yes it’s a genre - Re: In the Heat of the Night, 48 Hours, Lethal Weapon). Chris Rock is sassy and smack talking. Jackie Chan is respectful and a little lost. In this movie Jackie Chan plays Hong Kong inspector Lee and Chris Rock plays L.A.P.D detective Carter. The two mis-matched cops are teamed up in an international caper to catch some Chinese kidnappers who've taken the consul's 11 year old daughter. This movie has it all; action, comedy, and a couple of crime fighting detectives who get the job done. The fastest hands in the east meet the biggest mouth in the west. I give this buddy cop comedy a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Two cops team up to get back a kidnapped daughter.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Jessica Lange, Sam Neill, Jessica McNamee

Director: Michael Sucsy

My Review: Three different people worked on the screenplay developed from someone else's story, none of those people directed the film. The film was directed by Michael Sucsy (his first feature film). Starring Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill and others. This was a movie picked by Kim. Every now and then you have to watch one of these 'Chick Flicks' - This one won some awards, and got a lot of buzz in the media, so I figured it couldn't be all that bad. The movie had some great music, and it was well produced. The story features two easy on the eyes actors (Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum) who've been together (married) for the last five years. A car accident puts one of them in a coma, and when she wakes up, she can't remember any of it. Who's this stranger who claims to be her husband. The last thing she remembers is being engaged to a totally different guy! The romance angle comes in when he tries to win her back by starting over with dating and dinners out. Unfortunately, the movie may be inspired by a true story, but it lacked real emotion. While someone I know was sobbing and teary-eyed, I was yawning and wondering why they didn't have any chemistry. The acting was mediocre and the casting was a bit too perfect. The level of selfishness exhibited by the 'Paiige' character seemed ridiculous. I get that she didn't 'know' the man who claimed to be her husband, but the acting didn't convince me, it only made me think she was a heartless and selfish… Well, I won't be using the word here. I didn't really care for the movie. I guess it's portrayal of a different generation just didn't resonate with me. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: Leo and Paige are a couple who just got married. After an accident, Paige is left unconscious, and when she awakes she doesn't remember Leo. Her parents, whom she hasn't seen since she and Leo got together, come and visit her. She can't believe that she hasn't seen them for such a long time. Leo wants to bring her home with him but her parents want her to go with them. She goes with Leo but when she doesn't recognize anything, she goes to her parents. And she wonders why did she cut off contact with her family. She also runs into her ex and wonders why they broke up. Leo tries to win her back by courting her again.

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 2012

Country: USA, UK, France

Rating:

Starring: Robert Wahlberg, Caleb Landry Jones, Jason Mitchell, Paul LeBlanc, Mark Wahlberg

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

My Review: Screenplay is based on another film (Reykjavik-Rotterdam) - It's a remake for an American audience. Direction by Baltasar Kormakur; a writer, producer, director and lead actor from the original Icelandic film. Starring Mark Wahlberg (who also appeared in 3 Guns directed by Kormakur), Giovanni Ribissi, Kate Beckinsale and others. In order to protect his brother-in-law from a gang of criminals, Chris Faraday (former smuggler, now security guard) returns to smuggling for one last run. Smuggling drug money for a group of criminals who threaten your family doesn't really sound like a good idea. This movie was exceedingly cliched and boring. About a third of the way through I already knew everything I needed to about the movie. I knew that the bad guys were going to double-cross the protagonist. I knew they were going to do bad things to his family. I knew he was going to vow vengeance. The movie was well produced, and Mark Wahlberg and Giovanni Ribissi could have played these characters in their sleep. Nothing new. No surprises and in the end not worthy. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: Chris Faraday once smuggled illegal items or contraband into the country on freighters. He left that life behind, got married, has a family and went legit. But when his brother-in-law got involved with Briggs, a drug dealer and when he blew a deal, Briggs demands restitution which he can't deliver. So Chris offers to find a way to pay Briggs but then he threatens Chris' family if he doesn't deliver. So he gets on a freighter destined for Panama and he sets out to bring back some counterfeit currency. Briggs "goes to see" Chris' family. When Chris learns of this he asks his friend Sebastian to take care of them which he does. He tells Chris that it would be better to bring drugs instead of the cash.