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Showing posts from February, 2022

Will Smith Month - Men in Black 3 (2012)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we're officially at the end of Will Smith Month , which means it's time to review Men in Black 3 , once again directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. Newcomers this time include the likes of Jemaine Clement, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Nicole Sherzinger, Michael Chernus, Alice Eve, Bill Hader, Will Arnett, Keone Young, and Mike Colter.          Okay, so just like with Serleena in Men in Black II , out villain this time is an alien with a previous history with Agent K. The criminal is a Boglodite named Boris, but is cruelly nicknamed "Boris the Animal." After escaping from LunarMAX prison with help from his girlfriend Lily, which is on the Moon, Boris goes after Jeffrey, who is the son of one of Boris' fellow LunarMAX inmates Obidiah Price. Jeffrey apparently has a piece of technology that Boris wants in order to kill someone.         Meanwhile, Agents K and J investigate the c

Will Smith Month - Men in Black II (2002)

         Hey guys, Chuck here. We're almost at the end of Will Smith Month , so let's dive into the second film of the Men in Black series: Men in Black II . Released in the summer of 2002, director Barry Sonnenfeld and actors Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Rip Torn, Tony Shaloub, and David Cross all return from the first film, and joining the cast this time around are Lara Flynn Boyle, Rosario Dawson, and Johnny Knoxville, with minor appearances by Patrick Warburton, Nick Cannon, Peter Graves, Biz Markie, and Michael Jackson.        So, the movie opens with a Twilight Zone esque television series called Mysteries in History,  where host Peter Graves tells of a mission by the Men in Black in the year 1978. Apparently the people of the planet Zartha, led by Princess Lauranna, sought to hide their precious treasure, the Light of Zartha, from an evil Kylothian named Serleena. The MIB, not wanting to put the Earth in danger, are unable to intervene in the conflict, but are able to su

Will Smith Month - Men in Black (1997)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we're nearly at the end of Will Smith Month , and now it's definitely time to talk about arguably the most popular franchise that Will Smith has been a part of: Men in Black . Based on the comic book series written by Lowell Cunningham and published by Malibu Comics, which would become an imprint for Marvel Comics, this 1997 movie was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and starred Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Tony Shaloub, David Cross, and Rip Torn.          The movie focuses on a top secret government agency known as the Men in Black, or MIB for short. The MIB investigate, monitor, and police extra-terrestrial activity on the planet Earth. We meet Agent K, whose partner Agent D is ready to retire, as they investigate an alien named Mikey, who is sneaking back into the United States disguised as a Mexican immigrant. After destroying Mikey and using a standard issue device called a Neuralyzer to wipe the inci

Will Smith Month - Bad Boys for Life (2020)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, after a really hectic week, it's time for me to get back into Will Smith Month , and to wrap up the Bad Boys trilogy with Bad Boys for Life . Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and actors Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and Joe Pantoliano are back, but we have two new directors with Adil & Bilall, who take over directing duties from Michael Bay.         So, Mike and Marcus have been partners for twenty-five years, and Marcus is ready to retire in order to spend time with his newborn grandson. Unfortunately, the widow of a cartel kingpin escapes from prison in Mexico and sends her son to Miami to collect a cache of money left behind by her husband, as well as exact revenge on everyone who put her husband behind bars, including Mike. After an attempt on Mike's life, Marcus decides to retire, while Mike teams up with the new elite unit known as AMMO to find the guy that tried to kill him. And, I think that I should stop there, because again, I don'

Review - Uncharted (2022)

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Uncharted  is the new action-adventure treasure hunt movie based on the popular video game franchise produced by Naughty Dog, and marks the first feature film from Playstation Productions.          So the movie follows Nathan Drake, and showcases his first encounter with his longtime friend and mentor Victor "Sully" Sullivan. The two are ultimately after the lost treasure of Ferdinand Magellan, which Sully had previously been searching for along with Nate's older brother Sam. With assistance from Chloe Frazer, Nate and Sully must find the clues and locate the treasure before villains like Santiago Moncada and Jo Braddock can get their hands on it.         Okay, so let's start with the obvious. I honestly wasn't sure about Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg as Nate and Sully. However, I will admit that the dynamic between the two is just as fun here as it was in the games. I also enjoyed Sophia Ali as Chloe, who is definitely a fun additio

Will Smith Month - Aladdin (2019)

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, today for Will Smith Month , it's time to talk about a Disney remake that, believe it or not, I actually really enjoyed. And that, of course, is the 2019 live-action remake of the 1992 animated classic Aladdin .          So, in a quick summary, here's the story: Aladdin is a street rat in the Arabian city of Agrabah, and one day, he meets and becomes attracted to the Princess Jasmine. Unfortunately, the law prevents them from being together, due to his status. However, the evil vizier Jafar tells him of a magical oil lamp hidden in the Cave of Wonders, and the lamp will give Aladdin what he wants most.         So, Jafar leads Aladdin to the Cave of Wonders, and he finds the lamp. However, Jafar betrays Aladdin and leaves him to die, but Aladdin's pet monkey Abu nabs the lamp, leaving Jafar with nothing. Trapped in the Cave of Wonders, Aladdin rubs the lamp and releases an all-powerful Genie. The Genie helps get Aladdin, Abu, and the Magi

Review - Death on the Nile (2022)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, I just got home from seeing Kenneth Branagh's new film Death on the Nile , which is the sequel to his 2017 film Murder on the Orient Express . And well, I had a great time watching this movie, and I'm here to share my opinions on it. So, let's go ahead and get started.         So, we actually open with a prologue, showcasing Hercule Poirot sustaining a facial injury during World War I, and a nurse that attends him, his lover Catherine, suggests that he grow a mustache to hide the scars. Years later, Poirot has returned to London after finishing a case in Egypt, and he attends a performance from jazz singer Salome Otterbourne. It is here where we meet an engaged couple, Simon Doyle and Jacqueline de Bellefort. Jackie introduces Simon to her childhood friend Linnet Ridgeway, who agrees to hire Simon as an employee.           Six weeks later, and Poirot is on holiday in Egypt, where his friend Bouc is as well, and we learn that Simon ended hi

Will Smith Month - I Am Legend (2007)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Today, for Will Smith Month, I would like to discuss a movie that was all the rage back in my sophomore year in high school, but has kind of fizzled into semi-obscurity over the years. I am, of course, talking about the 2007 film I Am Legend , directed by Francis Lawrence, and based on the Richard Matheson novel of the same name. Now, what's funny is that the novel has been adapted previously into the film's The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price and The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston. So, is this version with Will Smith any different? Let's discuss.           Okay, so we open with an interview with a doctor named Alice Krippin, who has managed to re-engineer the measles virus into a cure for cancer. Unfortunately, this inadvertently caused a much greater plague that wiped out 99% of the world's population, and those who were infected but not killed were transformed into vampiric, albino, cannibalistic mutants called Darkseekers

Review - Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

               Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, with tomorrow's release of Death on the Nile , I decided to take a look at director Kenneth Branagh's 2017 film Murder on the Orient Express . This film stars Kenneth Branagh, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr, Daisy Ridley, Derek Jacobi, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Lucy Boynton, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Sergei Polunin, Tom Bateman, and Johnny Depp, and is based on the murder-mystery novel of the same name by Agatha Christie.          So, we start off with private detective Hercule Poirot, who has been requested to investigate the theft of a rare relic in the city of Jerusalem. After solving the case, and having the local police chief arrested for the theft, Poirot then takes his leave to a ferry to Istanbul. It is at the ferry where he meets a governess named Mary Debenham, who is traveling with Dr. Arbuthnot to catch a train in Istanbul.           The train in question is the Orient Express, where Poirot's frie

Will Smith Month - Bad Boys II (2003)

         Hey guys, Chuck here, and we're back with more Will Smith Month . Today, it's back to Miami with Mike and Marcus with Bad Boys II , the 2003 sequel to Bad Boys . This film, once again stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, and is once again produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Michael Bay.             This time around, Mike and Marcus have to work together to bust the flow of ecstasy going on in Miami, and they attempt to do so by infiltrating and busting a KKK meeting. It turns out that the Klan was actually buying the ecstasy, not distributing it. Unfortunately, this incident, as well as a lot of ongoing tension with Mike, is leading to Marcus reevaluating their partnerships. Compounding this is the fact that Mike is dating Marcus' sister Syd, who is secretly undercover for the DEA trying to root out the source of the ecstasy being brought into Miami. And I think I'll just stop here with the synopsis for this movie.          Okay, so I will admit that

Will Smith Month - Wild Wild West (1999)

       Hey guys, Chuck here, and welcome back to Will Smith Month . Today, we head back to the year 1999 for Will Smith's second feature film collaboration with director Barry Sonnenfeld: Wild Wild West . Based loosely on the television series of the same name, Will is joined in this movie by the likes of Kevin Kline, Salma Hayek, Ted Levine, M Emmett Walsh, Bai Ling, Musetta Vander, and Kenneth Branagh.          Set in the year 1869, the movie focuses on US Army Captain James "Jim" West, who is hunting for notorious criminal and former Confederate General "Bloodbath" McGrath. Also seeking the former General is US Marshal Artemis Gordon. West seeks McGrath for revenge against the massacre that killed his parents, and Gordon seeks the location of several missing scientists. The two are assigned by President Ulysses S. Grant to work together and find McGrath and whomever he's working for.          West and Gordon are assigned the Wanderer  locomotive, and head

Review - Jackass Forever (2022)

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, this will be a quick one, but I just went to see the new movie Jackass Forever , the fourth film of the Jackass  franchise.           Johnny Knoxville and his merry band of idiots are back for more insane stunts, ridiculous pranks, and sheer stupidity. And honestly, it was funny. Stupid, but funny. Which is pretty much what you'd expect to see in a Jackass movie. Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Preston Lacy, Danger Ehren, and Wee Man are all terrific in this return to the franchise, and the newcomers that they brought along for the ride are all great as well. Throw in guest appearances by Eric Andre, Tyler the Creator, Machine Gun Kelly, and even Tony Hawk, and yep, you're in for a wild ride.           Again, it's not for everyone, but I definitely recommend getting some friends together and checking it out for a laugh-out-loud fun time at the movies. I'm going to give the movie a rating of 4.25/5. This is Chuck sign

Will Smith Month - Bad Boys (1995)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and welcome to Will Smith Month . All month long, I'll be looking at the films of the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith. Now, obviously, there will be exceptions, as I've already done reviews of Independence Day  and Suicide Squad , so don't expect me to re-review either of them. You can read my reviews of both to see my opinions on them. Now, with that out of the way, let's kick off Will Smith Month  with Bad Boys .           Released in 1995, this film stars Will Smith as Miami Police detective Mike Lowrey, whose partner is Marcus Burnett, played by Martin Lawrence. So, Marcus and Mike are tasked with locating $100 million worth of seized Mafia heroin, before their division in the police department, narcotics, is ultimately shut down. So, Mike and Marcus scramble to retrieve the stolen drugs, using Mike's ex-girlfriend and current informant to do so. But, will their unorthodox methods work to retrieve the stolen drugs before the enti