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McCoy on Movies: The Fast & the Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

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Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw delivers everything
fans of the series have come to expect and love

“OK – Luther the Movie vs. “The Rock” vs. “The Transporter” in a biggest box office draw wins triple threat match!” Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson, left in t-shirt) sits chained with his unlikely partner Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) while Brixton (Idris Elba) watches front and center in a scene from Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Credit: Universal Pictures © 2019 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eliana Sua, Cliff Curtis, Eddie Marsan, Lori Pelenise Tuisano, Eiza González and Helen Mirren

DIRECTOR(S): David Leitch

THE BACK STORY: The Fast & The Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw centers around two men who could not be more polar opposites: Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is a hard-nosed, meat and potatoes, truck-driving badass who splits his time working for the DSS and being a father to his 9 year-old daughter Sam (Eliana Sua). Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is a suave, suit-wearing former Mi6 agent with skillful hand-to-hand fighting skills to go with his beloved sports cars. His imprisoned mother Queenie (Helen Mirren), however, wishes he would reconcile with his sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby) so she could see her kids together before she possibly gets out of jail.


As luck would have it, Queenie may get her wish because Hattie, who is currently a top-level Mi6 agent, just got framed for murdering the rest of her crew by Brixton (Idris Elba), a cybernetically-enhanced worker for a mysterious corporation named Eteon that looks to speed up the next step in human evolution … By releasing a super virus inadvertently created by Professor Andreiko (Eddie Marsan) with a 100 percent fatality rate. But guess who stole the virus and injected into her body before Brixton could get his hands on it, leaving her only 72 hours to live unless those capsules get taken back out of her body first?


Now with Hobbs and Shaw commissioned by their respective agencies to go recover the virus and save the world – and if they can in the process, save Hattie, too – these two dudes are going to have to learn to get along before they kill the bad guys … Or each other.
THE REVIEW: After eight Fast & Furious movies, you could say that the series pretty much has its formula down pat: You get a bunch of guys (and girls) who are equal parts pure sex and testosterone who in turn exhibit traditional values of family over everything, staying faithful to those faithful to you … And forgiving people who have been coerced into seemingly turning against only to find out they had good reason to do so and/or never did. Hobbs & Shaw continues this tradition, pausing only to add two big name comedic stars in roles that could have long-term implications, a precocious child in Sua’s Sam and another female lead that proves she can more than hold her own.In short, if you’ve liked the last say three or four Furious movies, you’re going to love Hobbs & Shaw which does everything in its power to prove the old adage of “too much of a good thing” never applies when you’ve got insane driving sequences, rampages of hand-to-hand combat and gunplay and a group of Samoans ready to throw down.

Evoking a strong “I hate you/No, I hate you more” vibe not seen working this efficiently since the days when Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte were also paired up against a clock, Hobbs & Shaw focuses on everything Johnson and Statham are good at: Kicking asses while dispensing quick one-upping one liners before turning to show the classic “badass with a heart” mode with their respective family members. Each actor makes all three elements of their characters work in a genuine fashion, never once feeling forced, out of place or silly in a way that would make an ever-so-tight-lipped Dominic Toretto smile.

Elba hits all his marks as the bad guy who doesn’t really view himself as the bad guy yet know why everyone thinks he’s the bad guy (besides all the killing), making his Brixton the baddest black Brit since Lennox Lewis was winning heavyweight titles. He fares well as a matchup for Hobbs and Shaw, playing his antagonist well in much the Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger vein of black supervillains. Likewise, Kirby more than holds her own as the tomboy girl all young boys would want to hang with before growing up into the girl next door you’d love to date … If she and/or her older brother didn’t beat you down first with their fighting skills.

Throw in a final showdown in Samoa that pays homage to both The Rock, er, Johnson’s wrestling roots (complete with a signature move by his cousin Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i) and the Fast & Furious longstanding foundation of family and you’ve pretty much got everything you need to make Hobbs & Shaw a worthwhile spinoff. (The three well-known comedic actors who also lend their talents to the film also carve out great comedy niches in their abbreviated screen time, making their roles more effective in the brevity.)

But for a franchise now nine films deep with at least two more on the way, brevity is not something Fast & Furious fans are going to have to worry about – at least not while Hobbs & Shaw has anything to say about it.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Skyscraper

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Dwayne Johnson flexes his dramatic muscle to lead familiar-yet-palatable Skyscraper

“You know, compared to this, taking steel chairs to the head from other men in spandex wasn’t so bad!” Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) used a makeshift rappelling apparatus for reasons he’d rather not have to deal with in a scene from writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber’s action thriller SKYSCRAPER. Credit: © 2018 Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC. and Universal Pictures. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han, Roland Møller, Noah Cottrell, Bryon Mann, McKenna Roberts, Hannah Quinlivan, Elfina Luk, Noah Taylor, Adrian Holmes and Pablo Schreiber
WRITER(S): Rawson Marshall Thurber

DIRECTOR(S): Rawson Marshall Thurber

WEB SITE: https://www.skyscrapermovie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) is a simple man. A decorated military veteran, his life was changed 10 years ago when an unfortunate situation altered his life in two drastic ways: the loss of the lower half of his left leg and meeting the love of his life, his cell phone-challenged/fellow veteran/doctor wife Sarah (Neve Campbell). Now working as the proprietor of his own small security company, Will finds himself thrust into the opportunity of his working lifetime when an old military buddy (Pablo Schreiber) gets him a gig checking out “The Pearl.” 


What is the Pearl? It’s the new commercial/residential structure in Hong Kong designed by billionaire Zaho Long Ji (Chin Han), who now wants Will to make sure that everything in his buildingis up to snuff before the residential half opens up (from the 96th floor on up). But what Will doesn’t know is that why he, Sarah and their two kids Georgia (McKenna Roberts) and Henry (Noah Cottrell) are enjoying their stay, there are some nefarious forces plotting a much different visit to the Pearl. That would be the ruthless assassin Xia (Hannah Quinlivan) and the mercenary Botha (Roland Møller), who are after something that Will has no knowledge of nor why.


But he and his family are about to – if they can survive the certain to be fatal scenario awaiting them in the world’s tallest skyscraper. 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Dwayne Johnson fans who like it when he does physical roles that don’t focus on comedy; Neve Campbell fans; people who like 80s-style action movies without 80s style dialogue

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who will find some of the scenarios too implausible; those who prefer action movies that either go full-on outrageous or full-on logical; anyone who hates violent films

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? An action movie that tries to balance its more (seemingly) outrageous moments with committed performances and intriguing camera work before tying together just how you’d expect (if you pay attention to all the foreshadowing), Skyscraper is an entertaining, family-involved-yet-extremely-violent at times diet Die Hard that while not original, it’s satisfying enough to keep you interested. And if that sentence seems like a mouthful, it should.


Because that’s what happens when you are catering to at least three different types of audiences at once.Johnson, as he has proven in a variety of his roles, commands attention as Will Sawyer, a man who is not invincible yet at the same time extremely determined to do what he needs to do to save the people he loves. His limited stunts seem ridiculous yet, given his commitment and approach, plausible – which, for action movies, has long been an issue for many people paying attention (skip ahead to 1:54 in that link; language NSFW!). Likewise, neither Campbell nor young co-stars Roberts or Cottrell seem to act in an over-the-top fashion, their actions instead seeming reasonable, logical and again, (somewhat) sensible given the situation in which they find themselves.Writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, We’re the Millers) has a history of producing surprising hits, most of which are exclusively comedies. With Skyscraper, he proves he has potential to deliver an action film that, while it does not do anything to reinvent the genre, doesn’t have to be dumb, either. While it lacks a distinct quality to make it stand out from the pack – Johnson’s prosthetic leg accessory comes into play quite often, but it doesn’t always feel as handi-capable as intended – the interplay between the characters works more than it does not, the film moves along swiftly and, again, the story plays out with a good mix of brain and bravado … As best you can in this type of film. Sure, the film could have likely reached a more classic status with a full “R” rating or a

Or at least it does it enough to keep you from wanting to burn down the theater the way the Pearl does on the screen.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: Rampage

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Rampage proves not all video games deserve to be movies … Especially when they’re this bad.

“Wait! Stop – I’ve got a better movie coming out soon!” Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) and George (Jason Liles) in New Line Cinema’s and ASAP Entertainment’t action-adventure RAMPAGE. Credit: © 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dwayne Johnson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Naomie Harris, Jake Lacy, Malin Akerman, P.J. Byrne, Marley Shelton, Breanne Hill, Jack Quaid, Matt Gerald, Jason Liles, Demetrius Grosse and Will Yun Lee

WRITER(S): Ryan Engle and Carlton Cuse & Ryan J. Condal and Adam Sztykiel (screenplay), Ryan Engle (story)

DIRECTOR(S): Brad Peyton

 
WEB SITE: www.RampageTheMovie.comHERE’S THE STORY: Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) is a primatologist who loves working with his buddy George (an albino gorilla performed by Jason Liles) more than he does with people. But unbecknownst to him, the cunning and manipulative Claire Wyden (Malin Akerman) and her halfwit brother Brett (Jake Lacy) are the heads of a Chicago-based corporation that conducted an experiment that will soon change George’s life forever. You see, Claire and Brett have come up with a pathogen engineered by disgraced scientist Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) that can weaponize anything that comes in contact with it.


So, when George starts to grow in size and aggression, Davis is understandably concerned since he doesn’t know or understand what is happening to his friend. But, once government cowboy Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) tells him about the 30-foot wolf also on the loose, he starts to get an idea.


… Just wait till they all find out about what has started swimming off the coast of Florida …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Children under 18; people who just need a few explosions, fight sequences and simple jokes to make them happy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans; people who like gorillas

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Dwayne Johnson and Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans; anyone paying attention

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Two things I’m going to admit right off the top of this review: 


(1) As a professional wrestling sports entertainment fan, I have for the better part of going on 20+ years been a fan of the man once known as The Rock, Dwayne Johnson. As my all-time favorite in-ring performer, I’ve seen nearly every TV and film role the man has done, save for The Game Plan, San Andreas and The Tooth Fairy – the latter two of which are regarded as, while somewhat commercially successful, among his worst work. (I mean there’s always The Scorpion King, but everyone has to start somewhere.)


(2) I grew up as a child during the 1980s, when arcades were plentiful and rich, glorious after school haunts where hordes of children would congregate to play the latest in the still relatively new technology of video games – and oh, how glorious those days were! There was Punch-Out! (long before Mike Tyson came into the mix), Paperboy, Dragon’s Lair … And then there was Rampage. The inspiration for the video-game-within-the-video-game-movie Wreck-It Ralph, Rampage was a simple, side-scrolling beat-’em-up that had a simple concept: Three human beings had been mutated – George into a giant brown gorilla, Ralph into a huge werewolf … And a woman named Lizzie into a huge alligator – by a mega-vitamin, radioactive lake or food additive. As you fight off military forces trying to stop you, you eat people hiding in buildings while smashing buildings, clearing a level once you had finished obliterating the structures present to little more than rubble. And if your character’s rampage stopped, you were reduced to a very embarrassed human being walking off screen with your hands covering the parts a leaf would if this were the Garden of Eden.


And that was it. A game simple enough in its execution and enjoyment that seemed as basic as your could get for 1986. Problem is, someone decided that classic by Midway Games needed to be a nearly two hour movie. Wanna know what 40 year-old me learned that nearly 10 year-old me didn’t know back then?


Sometimes its best to leave childish things to children … because as much as I love Dwayne Johnson and the Rampage video game, Rampage the movie is a prime candidate for the 2018 Golden Raspberry Awards and deservingly so. For this movie is an absolute gorilla-sized horrible excuse of a B (or F) movie that thankfully Harambe will never see.


I almost don’t even know where to really start with Rampage. I mean, Johnson tries his absolute best to make the film anything close to salvageable, but given the downright cartoonish brother-sister villain combo played by Akerman and Lacy (who also deserve Razzies for their “work”), the “I’m Negan 24/7 now” smiling slickness that is Morgan’s performance, the fake “I’m a soldier – I can’t listen to anything close to reason!” colonel that is Demetrius Grosse (channeling his inner Thunderbolt Ross right down to the high-and-tight mustache) and the “here’s the answer for everything even though I seem clueless as hell” scientist played by Harris, there is no other option even close to choose. 


George might not only be the best character but best actor in the film, which is either a CGI triumph or a travesty for his human counterparts, if not both. (At least Joe Manganiello had the common sense to take a role that obscures his face so that most people won’t even notice.)


Of course, the bad acting is only possibly outdone by the film’s dialogue – which sounds like a 12 year-old wrote it with the help of his slightly smarter but still immature older brother. Of course, when you make every scene predictable so you can sit in the audience and deconstruct it as it unfolds on the screen Mystery Science Theater 3000-style with direction that feels copycatted from just about any other monster movie you’ve seen, you can’t be surprised at the “how is the hero surviving moments that should have killed him five times over?!” action sequences. (Seriously, for a man with no superpowers, even Bruce Willis’ John McClane would have said “C’mon man – you’d be dead by now!”)At the advance screening I attended, there were more than enough audience members who laughed at a few of the film’s borderline-level dad jokes, liked the monster fights and ignored the straight illogical (even for the world the film creates) actions of the film’s characters. Then again, plenty of people once thought the world was flat … And many people who are not scientists (or who have never paid attention to science) still think it is.Unfortunately, the only thing flat is Rampage – because this film is so corny/ridiculous, it might make smart audiences go on one back to the ticket office demanding their money back.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):