Mike Deerfield is missing, and AWOL after returning home from a tour Iraq. As his father Hank (Tommy Lee Jones), a former sergeant and MP, goes looking for his missing son, the soldier is found dead, dismembered and burnt. Working with a local detective (Charlize Theron), Hank tried to unravel the mystery and determine why his last surviving son was murdered.
The film lacks suspense. It lacks drama. It's a journey of discovery and acceptance. But most of all its sad, not just for the characters but for all the real lives pointlessly destroyed by a pointless war.
In the Valley of Elah
2007, 121 minutes, directed by Paul Haggis
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Kick-Ass 2
I have mixed feelings about this franchise. While I have nothing against the films per se, my experiences with Kick-Ass were less than idea. Moreover, the existence of these led directly to the cancellation of Defender, the U.S. remake of the excellent Mirage Man with the same director and star.
But then, there's the badass that is Hit Girl. Really, the series is better every minute she's on screen and in action. In this installment, several years have passed since Dave a.k.a. Kick-Ass retired. He's in high school now, as is Hit Girl (Mindy). She's never given up her father's purpose, and still roams the streets, more dangerous than ever, dodging the oversight of police detective / guardian Marcus. Other vigilante masked heros have emerged in Kick-Ass' absence, inspired to carry on his mission. One team, which calls itself Justice Forever, is led by Colonel Stars and Stripes, a former mob enforcer cum born-again Christian.
As Dave and Mindy interact, she pulls him back into a life of crime fighting, while she eventually promises Marcus to "retire". Kick-Ass joins Justice Forever and helps in their quests to bring down human traffickers.
Meanwhile, Chris ("Red Mist" from the first film) accidentally kills his mother, and thus becomes a multimillionaire orphan, still obsessed with Kick-Ass' identity and hope for revenge. With Dave back on the crime-fighting scene, Chris don's his mother's old bondage gear and becomes Motherfucker, a superhero whose power is Wealth, which he immediately uses to hire a group of actual villians who wreak havoc on the town in their search of fame and Kick-Ass. Much violence ensues, until Kick-Ass and Motherfucker must meet for a final confrontation, and Hit Girl decides if she can truly fit into society or accept her role as perpetual outsider.
There's a dearth of kick-ass heroines, and in this series the existence of Hit Girl shines as its brightest contribution. This could easily be the end of the series, or a bridge story; it's difficult to say if it will work with them both as adults, but if it does, I'll be there to see it.
Kick-Ass 2
2013, 103 minutes, directed by Jeff Wadlow
But then, there's the badass that is Hit Girl. Really, the series is better every minute she's on screen and in action. In this installment, several years have passed since Dave a.k.a. Kick-Ass retired. He's in high school now, as is Hit Girl (Mindy). She's never given up her father's purpose, and still roams the streets, more dangerous than ever, dodging the oversight of police detective / guardian Marcus. Other vigilante masked heros have emerged in Kick-Ass' absence, inspired to carry on his mission. One team, which calls itself Justice Forever, is led by Colonel Stars and Stripes, a former mob enforcer cum born-again Christian.
As Dave and Mindy interact, she pulls him back into a life of crime fighting, while she eventually promises Marcus to "retire". Kick-Ass joins Justice Forever and helps in their quests to bring down human traffickers.
Meanwhile, Chris ("Red Mist" from the first film) accidentally kills his mother, and thus becomes a multimillionaire orphan, still obsessed with Kick-Ass' identity and hope for revenge. With Dave back on the crime-fighting scene, Chris don's his mother's old bondage gear and becomes Motherfucker, a superhero whose power is Wealth, which he immediately uses to hire a group of actual villians who wreak havoc on the town in their search of fame and Kick-Ass. Much violence ensues, until Kick-Ass and Motherfucker must meet for a final confrontation, and Hit Girl decides if she can truly fit into society or accept her role as perpetual outsider.
There's a dearth of kick-ass heroines, and in this series the existence of Hit Girl shines as its brightest contribution. This could easily be the end of the series, or a bridge story; it's difficult to say if it will work with them both as adults, but if it does, I'll be there to see it.
Kick-Ass 2
2013, 103 minutes, directed by Jeff Wadlow
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