All Things:Thriller/Crime/Action

Watch: Tom Hardy & Gary Oldman Face Off In The First Trailer For Thriller ‘Child 44’



Based on the first novel in author Tom Rob Smith’s trilogy featuring disgraced MGB Agent Leo Demidov investigating a series of gruesome child murders in Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union, the movie stars Tom Hardy as Demidov and co-stars Noomi Rapace, Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Vincent Cassel. Here's the official synopsis:

A politically-charged serial killer thriller set in 1953 Soviet Russia, CHILD 44 chronicles the crisis of conscience for secret police agent Leo Demidov [Tom Hardy], who loses status, power and home when he refuses to denounce his own wife, Raisa [Noomi Rapace], as a traitor. Exiled from Moscow to a grim provincial outpost, Leo and Raisa join forces with General Mikhail Nesterov [Gary Oldman] to track down a serial killer who preys on young boys. Their quest for justice threatens a system-wide cover-up enforced by Leo’s psychopathic rival Vasili [Joel Kinnaman], who insists “There is no crime in Paradise.”
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That's a hell of a cast.
 
Review: 'Wild Card' Starring Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Milo Ventimiglia, Anne Heche, Sofia Vergara, And More

As the nifty "The Bank Job" proved, Statham is capable of working in a much more dialed-down mode when required, but he's not an actor who can elevate material. It needs to be there on the page first, and it's just not there in Goldman's script. What's more frustrating is to see the array of talent (which also includes Stanley Tucci, Hope Davis, and Max Casella), most of whom show up for one or two scenes and exit the movie, so thoroughly wasted, particularly when the characters are this promising. "Wild Card," mostly taking place in second-rate casinos and in establishments far off the main strip of Las Vegas, creates a great world for this film, but forgets to deliver a story worth telling, or even attempts to give any meaning or weight to certain creative decisions, like setting the film around Christmas, another tired genre trope trotted out for no significant purpose. Should someone even dare a third attempt with this material, I'd advise taking it to television, ditching Goldman's script, keeping the characters, and turn it into an old-school flavored weekly procedural, with Nick tackling a fresh assignment each week. "Wild Card" certainly didn't need to reinvent the wheel, but the film doesn't even bring a full deck of cards to play with. [C-]
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ucsdguy1 said:
I don't really know if Kingsman is considered action or whatnot, but after reading this, I want to see it even more..

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/matthew-vaughn-kingsman-the-secret-service-director-x-men-first-class-kick-ass/
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Actually based on a comic book...but this is just as good a placement since not too many people are aware of the source material. Gonna check it out Friday, apparently goes places you don't expect it to go...which sounds interesting. Not your usual Jan/Feb dumping ground material.
 
I think the obscene level of commercials for it has actually worn me down and I might go see it.
 
Loved Kingsman. Not just because it has the word 'Kings' in it either. :)
 
My parents apparently saw it and gave it a good review, and one of them is not a big action fan at all.
 
jerseydevil said:
You should. Its fantastic, and unless something better comes along, my early vote for movie of the year. A true BLAST.
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My parents who had no desire to see it but did anyway just gave me pretty much the same review. I've gotta find some time to see this
 
Sony Fast-Tracking Driverless Car Race Pitch from Gore Verbinski and Steve Conrad
http://collider.com/gore-verbinski-steve-conrad-car-race-sony/

Director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring) and writer Steve Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) have lined up their first feature since their North Korea comedy Pyongyang fell through in the wake of the Sony hack. Deadline reports that Sony pictures has acquired an action-adventure comedy pitch from the duo, centered on a transcontinental race between autonomous cars.

The race begins as a beta test comparing the vehicles of competing start-up companies looking to dominate the world of driverless cars, but quickly spins out of control when the passengers of the test cars reveal their competitive nature and try to take control of the experiment.

gore-verbinski-johnny-depp-dead-mans-chestVerbinski says the film will unleash the “funniest comedic actors of this generation”, and this is just a shot in the dark, but I’m guessing one of those actors will be Johnny Depp.

Essentially, we are going to take the funniest comedic actors of this generation and slowly unleash them as we examine the very notion of ‘passengers’ who fundamentally cannot remain passive.
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Sooooooooooo a virtual Cannonball Run...? Y'know...there is something there.
 
Review: Salma Hayek Goes Full John McClane In The Surprisingly Spectacular 'Everly'

It's effective and gore-soaked and occasionally shocking. And when it plays to packed audiences, it's easy to imagine them whooping in agreement. As the "Die Hard" franchise gets bigger and more bloated as the endless sequels wear on, it's nice to see an action movie that captures the original film's spirit so well. "Die Hard" with a woman seems like kind of a no-brainer. But no matter the reason that it never materialized, it's here now. Thankfully it was worth the wait.
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adgy-san said:
Review: Salma Hayek Goes Full John McClane In The Surprisingly Spectacular 'Everly'
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You managed to find the one decent review of this one Adgy. Most of the critics were none too kind. One going as far to say that it made him appreciate Luc Besson like he never had before. Too bad really, cause I like Lynch and he got screwed on that LARPing flick he did with Steve Zahn and Tyrion Lannister...

Samuel L. Jackson Is a President in Peril in the New BIG GAME Trailer
http://collider.com/big-game-trailer-samuel-l-jackson/

Sorry, no embed yet. Looks like fun. Critics either really loved it, or didn't when it played at(I think) Sundance. One thing makes it a must see...Ray Stevenson!!!!!!
 
jerseydevil said:
You managed to find the one decent review of this one Adgy. Most of the critics were none too kind. One going as far to say that it made him appreciate Luc Besson like he never had before. Too bad really, cause I like Lynch and he got screwed on that LARPing flick he did with Steve Zahn and Tyrion Lannister...
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I haven't had a chance to check out any other reviews as of yet, but would you say that the ones you have seen are from people who wouldn't necessarily enjoy this type of movie in the first place? A quick browse of the one sentence reviews on Rotten Tomatoes makes it seem like a lot of them are.

I will grasp at all straws available.
 
adgy-san said:
I haven't had a chance to check out any other reviews as of yet, but would you say that the ones you have seen are from people who wouldn't necessarily enjoy this type of movie in the first place? A quick browse of the one sentence reviews on Rotten Tomatoes makes it seem like a lot of them are.

I will grasp at all straws available.
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Not particularly. The repetetive complaint is the general nastiness and exploitative nature of the more rape-y aspects of the plot. And the perceived monotony that the entire movie takes place in a single apartment. Look, this was held back for a while...and given a same day vod release with the meager theatrical release right during the dumping season. Clearly there are some issues.
 
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