This film was far better than it had any right to be. In all honesty, I wasn't expecting much when I sat down with this one. But, oh was I pleasantly surprised. A totally bonkers concept featuring an NPC as the main protagonist, Free Guy has no shortage of laughs while also being amazingly heartfelt. This movie could have gone off the rails in so many ways at so many times. It's a comedy, action movie, and romance all at the same time. And you won't be disappointed by any aspect of it.
Since Netflix began its run of producing original content, the results have been mixed. They've given us a lot of dogs. With fleas. This is not one of them. This is a western that gives you everything. Vengeance, intrigue, brutality, a chillingly cruel villain, guns a-blazing. As someone who isn't normally big on westerns, this one has the goods.
As I said in my review, Copshop is just a film of pure no frills entertainment. Does it always make a lot of sense? No. Do you necessarily care? Also no. At its core, Copshop is a tight cat-and-mouse thriller between a crooked informant and an assassin contracted to take him out with a small Nevada police department caught in between. As I also said in my review, this is a predator-prey game that pays off in the end unlike some (No Country for Old Men are you listening).
Tell me if you ever thought these four words would come from your lips.
BOB ODENKIRK, ACTION STAR
Yes, that Bob Odenkirk. The sleazy lawyer of Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul fame. The comedian. Not only does he do action here, but he credibly does it. This story of a boring everyman with a dangerous past has some John Wick-ish elements. It gives a good dose of the ultraviolence while remaining slick, cool, and fun.
By far the best horror movie I saw in 2021. Creepy, violent, jawdropping. Malignant may not scare the pants off you, but it will make you wince repeatedly. James Wan takes you on a journey of the macabre walking through one grisly death after the other until the big reveal. It's a doozy. The name of the movie is very appropriate. When you get that reveal in the police holding tank, what follows after is the stuff of nightmare fuel.
Now this is a solid Jason Statham actioner that got little recognition. A somber Guy Ritchie tale, Wrath of Man adds a little mystery that slowly unfolds during the film's runtime. It's a tale of revenge that has no classic heroes, just worse villains. There's a little more storytelling involved than in a typical Statham movie. He plays the role of stoic badass that he plays so well. But the narrative is more complex than what you usually find in one of his features. Wrath of Man is an underrated action film many missed out on. You should check it out if you have the time.
Long time no see. Since 2017 it appears. I could go into a lot of reasons why I haven't done something like this in years, but I'll boil it down to one thing. Time. Most of you who know me, know that I have a life outside of blogging and that tends to get in the way. I try to watch as much as I can, but it's impossible for me to see everything. It takes a long time to see what I do. And let's be very honest. I don't want to see everything. When I tried, I drove myself crazy. I began to sour on the movie watching experience a bit. So, I came to the decision "I've gotta be me." I make the decisions of what I consume and don't consume. I focus less on what's "important" to see. After all, I'm not the Academy and I just don't have the time and energy.
So, all that said, I'm changing the format of the Golden Lightsaber Awards to a "Best of" feature at year end. Will the old format return? Who knows? Maybe one day. But this works best for me for the time being. The previous way took a long time to write up and a fair amount of brain racking to get through. This will hopefully be easier. I'm not necessarily going to go with a strict number format. I'm recognizing movies I believe warrant special consideration however many that may be.
So sit back and enjoy. Agree or disagree. Respectful comments are always welcome.
