Son of a Gun (2014)

Directed by Julius Avery
Written by Julius Avery and John Collee
Starring Ewan McGregor, Brenton Thwaites, Alicia Vikander and Jacek Koman

JR busts out of prison with Brendan Lynch, Australia's most notorious criminal, and joins Lynch's gang for a gold heist that soon pits the two men against one another.

Never have I ever watched a movie with so many peaks and valleys when it comes to it's quality. With a strong beginning, it finds itself becoming less inspired. Then, it picks up again. This happens several times throughout the story. The characters, while interesting often seem melodramatic and will change emotions to another extreme at the slightest bit of provocation.

In a role unlike any other I have seen him in, Ewan McGregor commands the screen as the intimidating career criminal with everything to lose. The delicate situation he finds himself causes him to act like a wild animal backed into a corner.  He is equally charming and intimidating, which is far off from his usual "romantic interest" or "Jedi" roles.

The movie, overall was decent. But there were many writing and general flow problems that made certain scenes seem forced or half thought-out. The story felt as though it jumped around quite a bit and many things were rarely explained to the point where you knew exactly what was going on. It wasn't a confusing movie. The information just wasn't given to you in a clear and concise manner. However, there were scenes that were fantastically shot and kept drawing me back in. I just wish the scenes that followed and led up to them were as good.

My Rating: 6/10

JCVD (2008)

Directed by Mabrouk El Mechri
Written by Mabrouk El Mechri, Frédéric Benudis, Frédéric Taddï, Vincent Ravalec and Christophe Turpin
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, Zinedine Soualem and Karim Belkhadra

While visiting his family at home in Belgium, Van Damme is caught in the middle of a robbery, and the cops think the aging star has snapped and pulled the job himself. Now, on top of dealing with financial problems, a nasty custody battle and a waning career, he has to make like a real-life action hero and find his way out of a very tense situation.

The muscles from Brussels finds himself in trouble as the hero becomes the victim in this movie. A more in depth than expected look at the consequences of fame and fortune, this movie is much more than an action movie. It has a lot to say about societies perception of celebrities.

You can really tell that this is a passion project of Van Damme's. This is by far his best and most relatable performance of his career. Topped with the single best soliloquy in the past ten years and an impressive delivery in said scene, I honestly would not have counted him out of any awards race in 2008. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing when he started rolling out that monologue.

You guys have no idea how freaking good it was.

This movie is fun, intense and brings an element of humanity you rarely see with action heroes. It was definitely a refreshing change from the formula's that other action movies follow. I highly recommend this film to anyone who want's to be blown away by how good Jean-Claude Van Damme actually is.

My Rating: 9/10

Alex Harmon is the biggest TF in the world.

Get the Gringo (2012)

Directed by Adrian Grünberg
Written by Mel Gibson, Stacy Perskie and Adrian Grünberg
Starring Mel Gibson, Kevin Hernandez, Daniel Giménez Cacho and Dolores Heredia

An American with a lengthy criminal record gets picked up by Mexican authorities after crashing his car just across the U.S./Mexico border. Finding two-million dollars in the car, the corrupt Mexican officers throw him into a tough prison and keep the money for themselves. He must now learn to survive in this prison that is unlike any he has been in before.

A balanced mix of a modern take on old western movies and a prison break heist, this movie is entertaining. While I would find it hard to believe if I found out that the film makers didn't take any creative liberties in their depiction of Mexican prisons, it is certainly an interesting comparison to the prison movies Americans are used to.

Think what you will about Mel Gibson in his personal life, but it would be ignorant to say that he doesn't know how to make a good movie. His writing proves itself to be unique and slightly over the top and his performance shows that even at 56 (the age he was when this was made), he can still hold his own in an action movie.

He's really good at having everyone around him get shot and

coming out unscathed.

This is no "Lethal Weapon" (which I haven't seen, but there must be a reason people still talk about it). It doesn't match up to "Braveheart" or "The Patriot". But it is a fun movie that is worth the watch. And there are so many taco stands throughout, it will make you want taquitos.

My Rating: 6/10