Tag: David Buckley

Movie Review – ‘Jason Bourne’ – Enough is Enough

Directed by Paul Greengrass
Written by Paul Greengrass & Christopher Rouse, based characters created by Robert Ludlum
Cast: Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Julia Stiles, Riz Ahmed, Ato Essandoh, Scott Shepherd, Gregg Henry
Soundtrack: David Buckley and John Powell

More like Jason Bore…

I had originally intended to start this review by talking about all of the many stars who have appeared in these movies (the list is long and distinguished), and maybe give something of a retrospective on the series as a whole, but, it doesn’t matter; none of this matters.

It may not presently occur to you, because it’s not as actively corporate on the surface, but Jason Bourne might be just as much of a cynical cash-grab as Ghostbusters.  Despite bringing back series lynchpins Matt Damon and Julia Stiles, and Paul Greengrass to direct (although people seem to forget that Doug Liman directed the original, and still the best), Jason Bourne is little more than an extremely predictable (aka Boring) rehash of things you’ve already seen before done better.

Not only that, but everything is less interesting and less intelligent.  The heroes, the villains, the other side characters, the plot; everything feels like it was just cobbled together as an excuse to make another Bourne movie, as opposed to a smart story that needed to be told (or at least someone really wanted to tell).  In all honesty, it’s worse than The Bourne Legacy, because say what you want about that movie, at least they tried to do something different, if only moderately.

And, do I even need to go into the Shakycam at this point?

Seriously, Paul Greengrass and Christopher Rouse, please stop.  Please stop shooting and editing action sequences that are not meant for human consumption.  Your impact in this regard has been indelible in the worst way, perhaps the most infamous example being Quantum of Solace (co-edited by your former colleague, Richard Pearson).  I mean, have any of you ever heard of the Steadicam?  It’s a wonderful invention.

You see, I could have found this movie at least mildly entertaining if the action scenes had been enjoyable, but they’re not; they’re a chore.  I understand that the Bourne franchise has always been more serious than Bond or Mission: Impossible, so I wasn’t expecting out and out “fun” along those lines, but, I also wasn’t expecting Jason Bourne to be entirely joyless, which it is.  Boring and joyless; a lethal combination, to be sure.

I hate to say it, especially because I didn’t think I’d be in this position, but stay far away from this one, my friends.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

P.S.
I’m not mad, I’m just really disappointed, and that is worse.

Movie Review – ‘The Nice Guys’ – Hitsville U.S.A.

Directed by Shane Black
Written by Shane Black & Anthony Bagarozzi
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Angourie Rice, Kim Basinger, Margaret Qualley, Yaya DaCosta, Keith David, Beau Knapp, Matt Bomer, Daisy Tahan, Ty Simpkins, Hannibal Buress
Soundtrack: David Buckley and John Ottman

Even if you don’t know him by name, if you’re an action movie fan, you probably already love yourself some Shane Black.

From being one of the guys in Predator, to being the screenwriter of  Lethal Weapon 1, 2, 3, and 4, to other odd jobs like directing Iron Man 3, Shane Black has always had a knack for blending action and humor.

Nowhere is this gift more apparent than in, dare I say, his magnum opus, The Nice Guys, which is, if you couldn’t tell already, a 1970s Los Angeles pulp detective story with more than a dash of comedy.

I expected this movie to have laughs.  I was not necessarily expecting it to be funnier than, say, Deadpool.  In fact, The Nice Guys is probably funnier than any marketed comedy you’ll see this year, but, don’t get it twisted, it’s still a killer detective story at heart that’s got fangs when needed.

The key to the whole thing, save for Black’s screenplay, is the chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe.  Both have comedic chops on their own, particularly Gosling, but together they’re absolute dyn-o-mite.  Throw in a brilliant young actress named Angourie Rice and you have a film that’s solid gold.  We don’t get too many private eye stories anymore (pretty much the whole reason why Shane Black wrote this), and I’m sure glad we now have this one, but I’m willing to bet this movie could have been about anything, and as long as you had that combo of Black, Crowe, and Gosling, it’d be a smash (having Keith David show up certainly doesn’t hurt either, because that guy rules).

Other than that I don’t feel the need to say too much more.  I anticipate The Nice Guys will be a Top 5 movie in 2016, and you definitely don’t want to miss out.

Go see it at your earliest convenience at your local moviehouse.

Rating: ★★★★½