Fast X might have some good stunts and a great over-the-top villain performance from Jason Momoa, but otherwise you really couldn’t care about any of these characters. Perhaps it’s worth a rental especially if you’ve made it this far in the franchise but it is running out of steam at this juncture.
F9: The Fast Saga might have some insane scenes but not quite in the good way. There are some okay little moments like seeing some old character reunite, however this is missing the magic with the series’ height: the chemistry with Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker.
Pitch Black is a movie I just could not get in to, be it the sloppy/choppy quick editing, weird image stretching effects that were overly employed in the 1990s or the thin story and characters, it’s a film that has garnered plenty of fans.
Avengers: Infinity War was an amazing feat for comic book movies and although I don’t believe it’s the greatest one, it’s still a great accomplishment from all involved.
Saving Private Ryan is just one incredible experience from the amazing war sequences from the D-Day invasion to the Ramelle scene but in between are some excellent performances headlined by Tom Hanks, and should’ve taken home Best Picture especially over Shakespeare in Love.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 is a good step down from the first movie but still enjoyable enough even if the jokes at times feel forced and the story not quite as strong, and a villain’s motivations a bit of a letdown. That said, the performances were mostly good especially Karen Gillan and Michael Rooker.
The Fate of the Furious is a perfectly fine entry into the now long-running franchise that doesn’t really show signs of slowing down. The action scenes are well done and although none of the acting, or dialogue for that matter, will impress, I still found myself relatively entertained.
xXx: Return of Xander Cage, like the first movie, is technically not good but with that had over this entry was a sense it was competently made and was for sure this was a good 8-10 years too late. Having said that, they seem to be set up for a truly fun fourth movie.
xXx now going on 15 years later still is as dumb and ridiculous as ever… and entertaining as all hell. The stunt work is rather impressive and while Vin Diesel may not be some thespian actor, movies like this and Fast and the Furious is right in his wheelhouse.
The Iron Giant is one of the better classic animated movies that have come along in the past 20 years and can compete right alongside Disney’s best, it’s just unfortunate Warner dropped the ball marketing it and instead it bombed at the box office. Thankfully since making its way on home video, the film has found a fanbase.
The Last Witch Hunter is a misfire on all fronts save perhaps for the passion I’m sure Vin Diesel (who also served as executive producer) had. But despite his good intentions, the script is a mess and could’ve used fresh blood. I’m confident this is the type of movie that in year’s time will air on SyFy or USA Network.
Furious 7 takes insanity to the next level with incredible action sequences as well as impressive stunt work to go along with seeing characters I’ve come to care about since the beginning. No doubt the loss of Paul Walker weighed heavily on the cast and crew and one must give kudos for getting it done.
Boiler Room unabashedly takes its cues from Wall Street and Glengarry Glenn Ross with a clip from the former being shown and quoted by the characters, so kudos for at least not denying it and claiming to be original through and through. The performances are mostly solid but the screenplay and in particular, the ending needed work because it had potential to be memorable.
The Fast & Furious franchise continues to rev along gaining more momentum with each new installment and this sixth one offers more of the same with insane, albeit illogical, action set-pieces but thanks to its core cast, doesn’t really miss a beat even if on the whole is not as precise as Fast Five. Given the post credit sequence, I can’t wait to see what Fast 7 has in store.