Category Archives: Action

1969 Films, Action, Bernard Lee, Best Film of the Year, Diana Rigg, Gabriele Ferzetti, George Lazenby, James Bond, Joanna Lumley, John Glen, Lois Maxwell, Scott's Top 100 Films, Telly Savalas

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service-1969

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On Her Majesty’s Secret Service-1969

Director Peter Hunt

Starring George Lazenby, Diana Rigg 

Top 100 Films #25

Scott’s Review #156

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Reviewed August 19, 2014

Grade: A

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) is often shamefully derided by fans of the James Bond franchise, which is sad since artistically and story-wise it is top of the heap and is my personal favorite from the series.

Bond, now played by George Lazenby, is on the hunt for arch-nemesis Blofeld, played by Telly Savalas. Blofeld is intent on securing amnesty for his past deeds and is threatening to ruin the world’s food supply if his demands are not met.

Often known among Bond historians as “the one with George Lazenby”, who, if not for Sean Connery returning to the series in the next film, could have lasted much longer in the role, is a breath of fresh air and wonderfully cast.

Lazenby brings his form of charisma, great looks, and charm to the role and Sean Connery is a tough act to follow, but Lazenby succeeds in spades.

Diana Rigg is one of the best Bond girls of all time as she is intelligent, sophisticated, confident, and beautiful, a great counterpart to Bond- she is more his equal, rather than simply just a conquest for him, and the two actors have real chemistry.

Telly Savalas is effective as the Blofeld, though not my all-time favorite Bond villain by any stretch- something is missing in his performance.

In typical Bond fashion, the film begins in sunny Portugal, side steps to London, and finishes in cold Switzerland. I love the icy, snowy Switzerland locales in the film and the ski chase, downhill bobsled chase, car chase on ice, and subsequent blizzard, which are brilliantly atmospheric.- a perfect film to view on a cold winter’s night!

I love the inside quips in this one especially when Lazenby says “I bet this never happened to the other fellow” and “He had lots of guts” both are laugh-out-loud clever.

The shocking and tragic ending is uncharacteristic of a Bond film and a brilliant change from many of the films as Bond is humanized.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) is more character-driven than the other films in the franchise while still providing lots of adventure, and should be revered as a more layered Bond offering.

2012 Films, Action, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw, Daniel Craig, James Bond, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Sam Mendes

Skyfall-2012

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Skyfall-2012

Director Sam Mendes

Starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench

Scott’s Review #136

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Reviewed July 26, 2014

Grade: B+

Skyfall is the latest (and twenty-third) installment in the decades-long running James Bond franchise (1962’s Dr. No was the first one) and this one receives major kudos from me.

When one looks back upon all of the Bond films, they have had to adjust to keep up with the times and Skyfall does this very successfully.

In addition, Skyfall brings a good, old-fashioned, compelling story to the table.

An attack on MI6 is initiated by a former agent, Raoul Silva, beautifully portrayed by Javier Bardem, who has a personal vendetta against M, played by Judi Dench.

Bardem gives a complex, powerful representation of the villain and is not overly cartoonish.

He appears crazy!

James Bond, of course, must come to the rescue and save the day.

The story finally gives M. a chance to shine as the main plot revolves around her. The relationship between M. and Raoul is interesting and layered with history, which makes for a compelling story.

Standard with Bond films, exotic locales are used. This time we get Shanghai, London, Scotland, and Macau.

James Bond’s past is also explored- He grew up in Scotland. The Bond family estate is a major backdrop for the action.

The reintroduction of two famous Bond characters- Moneypenny and Q is like a breath of fresh air added to the franchise, although I was not crazy about the casting choice of Q.

Also, one minor flaw with this film is there is no clear “Bond girl” to root for.

Skyfall (2012) provides a successful return to its Bond roots and will hopefully allow the Bond franchise to continue for many films to come.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Original Score, Best Original Song-“Skyfall” (won), Best Sound Editing (won), Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography

2013 Films, Action, Brad Pitt, Drew Goddard, Marc Forster, Mireille Enos, Ruth Negga, Science Fiction, Thriller

World War Z-2013

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World War Z-2013

Director Marc Forster

Starring Brad Pitt

Scott’s Review #121

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Reviewed July 20, 2014

Grade: B

World War Z (2013) is the type of film that is a summer hit but will most likely be forgotten over the years. It is a slightly above-average, enjoyable action/ zombie thriller, but not much more.

It stars Brad Pitt as a former United Nations investigator called in to save the world from a zombie pandemic. The crisis is spreading throughout major cities of the world simultaneously.

The film sees Pitt traversing the globe in an attempt to find a cure for the epidemic before it is too late and the zombies make the world extinct from humans.

The zombies are super zombies in that they can fly and move at lightning speed making them ultra-dangerous.

The story is implausible and plot-driven, but it doesn’t matter and works on some level. My theory for this success is that the film is fast-paced, the action starts almost immediately, and Brad Pitt is charismatic.

He is the star and all the action centers around him.

The film contains exciting, tense scenes including a plane crash sequence and a chase around a medical lab.

World War Z (2013) is a popcorn film, meant to be sat back and enjoyed and not overanalyzed or taken too seriously.

It is a perfect summer hit.

2013 Films, Action, Barkhad Abdi, Biography, Catherine Keener, David Warshofsky, Paul Greengrass, Thriller, Tom Hanks, Yul Vazquez

Captain Phillips-2013

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Captain Phillips-2013

Director Paul Greengrass

Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi

Scott’s Review #28

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Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B

Captain Phillips (2013) is an intense, gripping, action, thriller film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.

As much as I enjoyed the film, I do not think a nomination for the top honor is warranted.

I have seen this type of film many times before and the underlining tone of “USA- good, other countries- bad”, whether intentional or unintentional, distracted me.

Another distraction was that all the protagonists are white whereas all the antagonists are African.

This is based on a true story but seems to be glorified.

The target audience must have been older, white, conservative men, who would revel in this type of film.

Tom Hanks is great and his performance during the final fifteen minutes of the movie should have cemented him an Oscar nod instead of the film

The main villain, played by a complete unknown, Barkhad Abdi, was excellent, especially considering the actor had no acting experience.

What a big break!

Overall, an interesting, exciting experience, but short of the Oscar glory.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor-Barkhad Abdi, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing

2013 Films, Action, Adventure, Drama, Independent, Independent Adventure, Independent Drama, J. C. Chandor, Robert Redford

All is Lost-2013

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All is Lost-2013

Director J.C. Chandor

Starring Robert Redford

Scott’s Review #4

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Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: D

The accolades heaped on All is Lost from 2013 escape me.

Some felt that this was Robert Redford’s late-in-life masterpiece. I’ve never found him to be a great talent as an actor, and while not horrible in this film, it is not the Oscar-worthy performance being bandied about.

Many actors would play this role better- Tom Hanks and Sean Penn come to mind.

Beyond the performance, facets of the film remain unexplained. How did he become shipwrecked? Why did ships pass by not noticing him? Who is he?

Much of the movie drags and a feeling of having seen this film many times before kept gnawing at me. I do give the film credit for containing only one cast member.

But castaway and shipwreck movies have been around since the beginning. They all have the standard plot developments- broken equipment, sharks, and storms, which makes it quite contrived.

Fail.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director-J.C. Chandor, Best Male Lead-Robert Redford, Best Cinematography

2014 Films, Action, Aidy Bryant, Andrew Garfield, Campbell Scott, Chris Cooper, Dane DeHaan, Denis Leary, Emma Stone, Felicity Jones, Jamie Foxx, Marc Webb, Marton Csokas, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Stan Lee, Super Hero

The Amazing Spider-Man 2-2014

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2-2014

Director Marc Webb

Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

Scott’s Review #2

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Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: B+

Superhero movies are not my top genre (although admittedly, I see many of them).

They are fun, popcorn-type films not to be over-analyzed or taken too seriously.

One thing that confuses me is the seemingly constant reboots of the Spider-Man franchises and forgetting the previous installments.

Wasn’t this series just made with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst not too long ago?

That being said, the strongest part of this film is the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, which is undeniable and great to watch. Sally Field adds life to anything she appears in.

The more “human” parts of the film are the best.

The special effects/CGI are admirable. I enjoyed how one “villain” is a close friend of Peter Parker’s, wonderfully played by Dane DeHaan. His character has many nuances.

The other villain, Electro, played by Jamie Foxx, is silly and his story almost seems botched. His motivations are weak. He hates Spider-Man and wants to destroy the city because of a contrived misunderstanding.

I do not want to over-analyze The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), as this is a fun, enjoyable summer film.

2013 Films, Action, Adventure, Amanda Plummer, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Francis Lawrence, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Lenny Kravitz, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire-2013

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire-2013

Director Francis Lawrence

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson

Scott’s Review #1

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Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: B-

I confess to not having read any of the Hunger Games books, so I am critiquing the film on its film merits only with no knowledge of the books.

Interestingly, I graded the first Hunger Games (2012) film a B- and that is what I am giving this one, almost for the same reason.

The first hour sets up the second hour, but it is unnecessarily drawn out. At times it’s slightly dull.

The meat of the film then takes off and the film is quite good though the film still does not completely hold my attention throughout.

First and foremost, Jennifer Lawrence is the best part. She has the charisma and likability to carry it off.

The chemistry between the two leads (Lawrence and Hutcherson) is there so there is rooting value for the couple.

The third part of the triangle is weak (Liam Hemsworth has far too little screen time to make him a viable rooting factor).

Donald Sutherland is wonderful as the evil President, but Philip Seymour Hoffman seems to phone in his performance and the character is not all that intriguing.

The mood of the film and visuals (fog, train sequences) are great because there is modern darkness, and the premise and wondering who will die next during the games are interesting.

The somewhat twist at the end was effective.

To summarize nice characters/acting, great looking film, mediocre story, and slow pacing in the first act.