MOVIE REVIEW: EQUALIZER 3

 

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall finds solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Now living in Southern Italy, he soon discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall becomes their protector by taking on the mafia.

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Cast: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Sonia Ammar, Remo Girone

Release Date: September 1, 2023

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence and some language.

Runtime: 1h 49m

The third and possibly final installment of the Equalizer franchise is a leaner, more focused entry which makes it the most effective of the three.  Antoine Fuqua's film is still as violent as ever, but he gives his main character a bit more time to breathe outside of his avenging angel persona.  There's a bit more nuance at play throughout which helps flesh out the character especially if you've followed his journey from the start.  Fuqua still delivers plenty of hero shots for his leading man with those visuals boarding between triumphant and menacing.  The action sequences are just as visceral and bloody as the past entries, but they are far less frequent than the first two entries leaning more on Washington's acting chops.  Denzel Washington has always been this series secret weapon as he pulls so much more out of the character than what's written on the page.  In this entry, he is given more room to explore moments of happiness and contentment before external forces bring him back to unleash his talents on a slew of faceless villains.  Washington does give the character a slightly different feel here, older more weathered and almost brutish in certain moments.  It makes those moments where his character unleashes his brand of justice interesting in that it could easily be flipped into a horror movie with little effort. Sadly, the supporting character are paper thin across the board, something that's been an issue with the three films.  Adding former Man on Fire costar, Dakota Fanning, should work better than it ultimately does with her character feeling more perfunctory than necessary.  Still the series as a whole is a testament to Washington's impressive talent and ability to make these films far more watchable than they would be in lesser hands.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Austin Butler, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern,  Al Pacino

Release Date: July 26, 2019

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references

Runtime: 2 h 45 min

Review:

Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s 9^th film, is a gloriously unfocused tome that takes the audience back in time to another era.  Tarantino’s film feels like a unrelated assembly of story vignettes which ultimately do converge in an interesting and unexpected fashion.  While the finale will get a lot of buzz but the journey is just as enjoyable.  The film is anchored by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt who are both clearly having a blast in their roles.  They both share some amazing chemistry that keeps the film watchable and enjoyable for the duration.  Their takes of their character layered, subtle and ultimately lots of fun.  There’s a huge whose who of faces that pop up through out the film that boost the film at just the right times.  You can almost feel Tarantino’s gleeful energy come through the screen as some of the screen legends pop up on the screen.  There might be a bit of a complaint about how unfocused the whole thing is and in comparison to his other films, the story here isn’t the strongest.  Still it’s hard not to enjoy this dazzling stroll through a bygone era brought back to life by one of films most talented directors.


A-

MOVIE REVIEWS: THE RUNAWAYS

ON DVD

THE RUNAWAYS



The story of the groundbreaking '70s female rock group the Runaways is recounted in this River Road Entertainment production focusing on the duo of guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett (portrayed by Twilight's Kristen Stewart) and lead vocalist/keyboardist Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) as they navigate a rocky road of touring and record label woes under the malevolent eye of abusive manager Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) during their teen years. Acclaimed video artist Floria Sigismondi directs from her own script, with Scout Taylor-Compton co-starring as guitarist Lita Ford. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Floria Sigismondi

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton

Release Date: Apr 09, 2010

Rated R for sexual content, language and drug use all involving teens

Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.

Genres: Drama, Drama, Music/Performing Arts

Review:

The Runaways, based on Cherie Currie’s memoir, is film that should be a lot more interesting and captivating than it is. Instead of exploring some of the more interesting angles of preteen exploitation and other more diverse themes, director Floria Sigismondi hits the usual notes of most rock band biography. Occasionally the first time director will hit a sweet spot, mostly during the musical numbers, and when she does the film really has a spark of life. Sadly, outside of those moments the film drags and feels more like a made for TV film with more explicit teenage drug use and sex as the only differentiating aspect. As a result strong performances from the film 3 main player in the film are mostly wasted. Dakota Fanning delivers an incredibly strong performance that full of texture and depth, probably more than is on the actual page. Kristen Stewart has the right attitude throughout but her character feels terribly underwritten for some reason, strange considering Joan Jett is one of the producers. Stella Maeve, Ali Shawkat and Scout Taylor-Compton are paid to hold instruments and remain mostly mute with Compton being allowed to scream from time to time. Michael Shannon delivers the most interesting performance as Kim Fowley and he’s easily the most interesting character in this tepid biography.

C-