Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan finally gets the character due treatment, though I was entertained by the feature films, giving him time to develop over the five season run, and John Krasinski showcasing his action and dramatic chops.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a fun sequel and watching them in succession, kind of enjoyed this one a bit better as it does include a great villain in Moriarty played by Jared Harris, and his ability to go up against Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes.
Angel of Mine is a mixed bag, though I tilt it towards being worthy of a rental as the performances from both Rapace and Strahovski were top-notch and most of the film was a masterstroke of great character-driven psychological suspense-thriller.
Unlocked actually isn’t a terrible movie though it is on the average range of spectrum as the script needed and the villain’s ultimate motive is just nonsensical but at least Noomi Rapace was good in the lead role.
The Drop is a well made if not a bit ordinary crime-drama that excels with the main three actors headlined by Tom Hardy who continues to impress and there’s special interest with James Gandolfini being his final feature film and he gives his usual great performance.
Passion only has two things going against it, the screenplay and Noomi Rapace, but those are huge issues that are hard to overcome. That being said, I do think there’s enough here that it might be worth checking out especially if you are a fan of either Rachel McAdams or Brian De Palma (for his directing style).
Dead Man Down is a rare film in Hollywood, one that puts character first and action/thrills second, and both fronts are mostly successful. The chemistry between Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace is palpable and although it was “one the nose”, the lost soul’s aspect to their characters is a nice touch.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a satisfying sequel but at nearly 130-minutes, it does get a bit long in the tooth by the two-hour mark. Even so, the continuing chemistry between Downey and Law is fantastic and the new additions of Jared Harris and Noomi Rapace makes this at least a worthwhile rental.