Another 48 HRS is another average if not also forgettable sequel to a movie that I personally never was in love with, although I found it mostly entertaining. The dynamic between Murphy and Nolte wasn’t very strong and the manufactured conflict was pretty annoying.
48 Hrs is a great buddy-action flick but not because of the story but, like others in the genre, the dynamic between the two leads. Both Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy do a great job bouncing off one another.
Angel Has Fallen is pretty much in-line with the first two movies, meaning they’re fine time-wasters but not top-of-the-line action-thrillers and it is on the predictable side. Still, thanks to Gerard Butler and the indispensible Morgan Freeman, it still was an entertaining thriller.
Who’ll Stop the Rain is based on the novel “Dog Soldiers”, I assume this was titled for the 1970 hit song, but whatever the case, it’s a well made, barely-known, thriller.
Return to Sender is a mixed bag, wanting to be both a revenge film and drama but doesn’t do either very well. However, the acting isn’t half bad led by Rosamund Pike playing well opposite Shiloh Fernandez.
Run All Night isn’t great but a perfectly satisfactory and entertaining action/thriller flick. Liam Neeson does employ his “special set of skills” but unlike the Taken movies, his character does get more depth and actual emotion. The writing isn’t the best, in particular developing the plot, but this is at least worth a rental.
U Turn is not one of Oliver Stone’s strongest films, although it is one of my favorite of his (taking into consideration I’ve never been a big fan of his), but features a great cast and fantastic performances by Sean Penn and Jennifer Lopez. The Blu-ray distributed by Twilight Time might be limited in features but the video and audio transfers might make it a worthwhile purchase, though as usual, it’s not a cheap release.
Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad no doubt blew the opportunity to be a special crime-drama and instead it stumbles trying to emulate other gangster movies in the past. Still, I couldn’t help but enjoy the movie especially the performances from Brolin, Gosling, Robert Patrick and Sean Penn that it makes for a worthwhile viewing even with its flaws.