MOVIE REVIEW: A WORKING MAN

 

Levon Cade left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple life of working construction. However, when human traffickers kidnap his boss's daughter, his search to bring her home uncovers a world of corruption far greater than he ever could have imagined.

Director: David Ayer

Cast: Jason Statham, Michael Peña, David Harbour, Jason Flemyng, Arianna Rivas, Noemi Gonzalez

Release Date: March 28, 2025

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence, language throughout, and drug content.

Runtime: 1h 56m

Review:

A Working Man, David Ayer's second collaboration with Jason Statham, is self-serious but entertainingly over the top at the same time which makes it feel like an old school, 80's actioneers likely due to the influence of Sylvester Stallone who co-wrote the script.  Ayer brings his usual grim style to the proceedings while lifting bits and pieces from the John Wick franchise in the form of garishly, cartoonish villains that populate the vast underworld that Statham is tasked with annihilating in steady succession.  The script does try to humanize Levon Cade with relationship to daughter, but it never lands the way it should since Cade is pretty much an invincible killing machine with a singular mission.  Statham has made a career of playing these sorts of characters with his steely gaze even as he unleashes increasingly violent and extreme forms of violence on whoever stands in his way.  Michael Peña and David Harbour have small supporting roles with each popping up sporadically throughout, but neither is given much to work with outside of the most generic characteristics.  Harbour's character in particular seems to be screaming for a bit more depth which the script never offers.  The villains are equally forgettable with each serving as paper thin versions of countless clichéd bad guys we've seen before.  The final act starts to border on Schwarzenegger's Commando territory without the one liner as we watch Statham's Cade mows down wave after wave of bad guys.  A Working Man will make people of certain age feel like they've been transported back to the 80's where action films weren't terribly concerned with logic as much as it was with kicking ass.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEWS: CLASH OF THE TITANS

Sunday, April 04, 2010

IN THEATERS



CLASH OF THE TITANS



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The 1981 mythological fantasy adventure Clash of the Titans is resurrected in this remake from Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier. The joint Legendary Films/Warner Bros. production focuses on Perseus (Sam Worthington), the mortal hero made to carry out a series of quests by the gods in order to win the hand of the imprisoned princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos). Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Mads Mikkelsen, and Gemma Arterton co-star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton.

Release Date: Apr 02, 2010..

Rated PG-13 for some frightening images, fantasy action violence and brief sensuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Action

Review:

Being a child of the 80’s I have had a handful of my childhood movie loves remade with varying degrees of effectiveness. The original Clash of the Titans for all its flaws is still a terribly enjoyable film for me that take me back to childhood. It left indelible images on my young mind and was one of those films that helped shape my general love for films. I doubt Louis Leterrier’s remake will leave that type of impression on today’s children. I could be wrong but I doubt this type of uninspired and chunky film making will leave much of an impression after they leave the theater but who knows, a lot of people said that about the original as well. This film is a chesse fest that’s only occasionally fun and mostly tedious. Leterrier’s direction does his best to give the proceedings an epic feel but for the most part it feels like that is way beyond his talents. The large scale action set pieces are handled with a pedestrian hand only occasionally capturing any sense of grandeur or scope. The battle in Medusa’s lair and final battle with the final battle with the Kraken are the best of the group but the scorpion battle feels more like something out of Starship Troopers. The script makes various changes to the original plot changing the general motivation of Perseus and the gods. They work to certain extent, the gods in particular are a tad more interesting even if we only get Zeus and Hades for the most part and the remainder stands around looking godly. The changes to Perseus aren’t as effective mainly because it makes him less heroic and more petulant. Worthington’s performance doesn’t help as he appears to have mastered the ability to be aggressively wooden. He lacks any fire or drive and just comes across as disingenuous for the better part of the film. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes have more fun hamming it up, Fiennes in particular looks like he’s having a ball. Gemma Arterton doesn’t make as much of an impression as she should and Mads Mikkelsen is overly serious throughout. The cast is saddled with a script that’s just as clunky as the film’s direction; neither seems to be able to decide if it wants to be serious or cheesy. While I suppose there is a chance this could become a cult favorite like the original I think it’s a long shot. The original has a certain endearing campiness to it and this remake has a terribly generic feel to it.

C-