JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mace Neufeld

Screenplay by Adam Cozad, David Koepp

Based on Jack Ryan by Tom Clancy

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Starring Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, 

Keira Knightley, Nonso Anozie, Colm Feore, 

Gemma Chan, David Paymer, Karen David

Chris Pine (Star Trek’s Captain Kirk) stars as Tom Clancy character Jack Ryan alongside Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley and director Kenneth Branagh in a wholly satisfying reimagining of the Jack Ryan movie universe. 

Pine is the fourth actor to play Ryan on the big screen, following Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and most recently by Ben Affleck in 2002’s The Sum of All Fears.

Already a hero to geeks everywhere, Pine’s action-packed performance as somewhat reluctant CIA agent in Shadow Recruit begs for more movies right out of the gate. 


Can Jack Ryan out-Bond James Bond?  Will Ryan replace Mission: Impossible’s Ethan Hunt as your must-see American action hero?   Sir Kenneth Branagh directs a post-9/11 action hero flick with an accessible storyline based on the evils of terrorism, economic fear and residual Cold War rivalries. As scary and stoic villain Viktor Cherevin, Branagh strikes fear with a stare. Costner and Knightley are of course amazing as second leads to our hero.

The movie opens on a familiar scene; on a college campus everyone gathering around a public television set, September 11, 2001.

Jack sees the terrorist attack on U.S. soil, and we flash forward to the fateful helicopter crash over Afghanistan that leaves him injured in 2003.

In physical rehabilitation, Jack meets his future fiancé Dr. Cathy Muller (Knightley) and is noticed by top secret agent William Harper (Costner). Harper assigns Ryan to Wall Street on a top secret long tail mission to analyze international financial data from the inside.

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'THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY' (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., John Goldwyn, 

Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller

Screenplay by Steve Conrad

Based on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber

Directed by Ben Stiller

Starring Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, 

Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Sean Penn, Patton Oswalt

Ben Stiller stars in and directs The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, in theaters this Christmas Day.

Mitty works at LIFE Magazine in the mundane but important position as the print publication’s archivist, made even more important as the cancellation of the magazine has become imminent.

In a series of daydreaming fugue states and real life adventures, Walter Mitty is a comedy that is also full of action as Walter’s job threatens to end, his crush is unrequited and his family struggles to make ends meet.


Kristen Wiig co-stars as love interest Cheryl Melhoff and the two sparkle on screen in this romantic delve into daydreams. Adam Scott plays the villainous Ted Hendricks, new boss at LIFE and Sean Penn plays LIFE’s on assignment globetrotting cover photographer.

Stiller’s performance is impressive in this reimagining of the classic 1939 short story written by James Thurber.

Walter is constantly being awakened by his friends and coworkers after drifting off into a fantasy world, magically filled with half-understandings and half-articulations of his inner dialogue. For example, when crushing on Cheryl (Wiig), he imagines having Benjamin Button disease, though has not seen the movie, and isn’t ‘sure how it works’. This leaves an old lady Wiig on the porch swing with a baby old-man Stiller nustled into her bosom as the two garner SNL skit belly laughs in the greased lens of the daydream.

 [READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

'GRUDGE MATCH' (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

‘GRUDGE MATCH’ (review)

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Peter Segal, Michael Ewing, Bill Gerber, 

Mark Steven Johnson, Ravi D. Mehta

Screenplay by Doug Ellin, Tim Kelleher, Rodney Rothman

Directed by Peter Segal

Starring Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Hart, 

Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger, Jon Bernthal

Somehow, Jake “Raging Bull” LaMotta and Rocky Balboa are pitted against each other in a fight to end a 30 year rivalry while both are in their golden years.

Grudge Match is directed by Peter Segal and surprises audiences with funny performances by DeNiro and Stallone alongside Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin and Kim Basinger.  This Christmas release is funnier and classier than the initial pitch sounds, with family moments and longtime rivalries being at the center of the tension in the film.

An ersatz sequel to Rocky Balboa (2006), this comedy starts with a theme of that movie.


Dante Slate, Jr. (Kevin Hart) is the son of late 70’s boxing promoter Dante Slate, and he approaches Henry ‘Razor’ Sharp to provide motion capture for a new boxing game.

Also appearing in the game, Billy ‘The Kid’ McDonnen (DeNiro). The appeal of extra money convinces Razor to join in—as long as his rival The Kid is not at the studio.

Something happened in the past that is unforgivable, and the 30 year grudge weighs on both of the older gentlemen. 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: NECESSARY EVIL: SUPER-VILLAINS OF DC COMICS

DC Comics released Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, a sleeper study of the anatomy of a villain, on DVD/Blu-Ray and Digital Video in October. Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics features everyone from Andrea Romano and Neal Adams to Zack Snyder and Len Wein as the ensemble cast of interviews and video clips going deep into the minds of Luthor, Riddler, Bane, and Reverse Flash. If you still have a comics fan on your holiday gift list this is a great pick. Dracula Christopher Lee narrates.
 

The New 52 was taken over by the baddies in September in a company-wide event called Villain’s Month, coinciding with the limited series Forever Evil storyline written by DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns. The comics, with special lenticular (plastic, 3D) varied in quality and interrupted the flow of the monthly titles, but as an experiment was not all bad. Joker took over Batman #23.1, written by Andy Kubert and drawn by Andy Clarke.

Count Vertigo – Green Arrow 23.1 – Cover by: Andrea Sorrentino

Pointing the spotlight on the villains, in what seem to be increasingly darker themes in our entertainment these days (see our Man of Steel review) makes sense.

Besides, aren’t we all rooting for the bad guy in the movies? I mean, how cool was Bane?

This four-color exploration into what makes a villain want to subvert our favorite heroes gets into the armchair psychology of the thing with interviews from new and classic Batman writers, top DC executives, and even Zack Snyder—director of this year’s aforementioned Zod movie!

Some extreme fans like myself like to hear ’70s Batman artist Neal Adams go on about Ra’s al Ghul and get the latest from the mouths and twitter feeds of Aquaman’s Geoff Johns and current Batman writer Scott Snyder. For the more casual fan this video takes a look at scoundrels of all kinds, and at points clinical psychology researcher Andrea Letamendi, PhD. offers her expert opinions as to how singular events (like being dropped into a vat at ACE Chemical) can or would affect someone’s development.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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THOR: THE DARK WORLD (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

The sequel to Thor and the eighth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,Thor: The Dark World converges on the Nine Realms with Chris Helmsworth once again starring as the title character opposite a returning ensemble cast which includes Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, and Natalie Portman as Earthly love interest and scientist Jane Foster.

Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander return as Marvel favorites The Warriors Three: Volstagg, Hogan and The Lady Sif (joining them in this installment is Zachary Levi as warrior Fandral).

Also returning is Stellan Skarsgård, as scientist Erik Selvig, now somewhat damaged from his participation in the events from The Avengers.

The stellar cast mixed with the fantastical elements of Asgard, the technological advances of the evil Dark Elves makes for a terrific sci-fi fantasy film. Fans of epic space battles as well as swords and hammer swinging are in for a raucous good time.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

MACHETE KILLS (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

MACHETE KILLS (review)

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Robert Rodriguez, Rick Schwartz, 

Sergei Bespalov, Alexander Rodnyansky, 

Aaron Kaufman, Iliana Nikolic 

Screenplay by Kyle Ward 

Story by Robert Rodriguez, Marcel Rodriguez 

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Starring Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofía Vergara, 

Amber Heard, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding, Jr., 

Walton Goggins, William Sadler, Demián Bichir, Mel Gibson, 

Jessica Alba, Lady Gaga, Charlie Sheen

Open Road Films / Rated R

Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) is back, baby and with a blade to kill for in the most ridiculous movie you can strap on this fall.

An all-star cast includes Charlie Sheen somehow referencing his Dad’s stint on The West Wing as the President.  The ‘Winning’ actor is all Tiger Blood and more in the role with self referential zeal, billed as “Carlos Estevez.”

Trejo steals the romp with a steely glance, and iron constitution. An action comedy like no other, the second film in the Machete franchise might not be worth a special trip to the theatre, but as a matinee or a RedBox rental, you really can’t go wrong. This has just about everything: girls, guts, helicopters, speed boats, explosions, strap-on weapons and a hero that only needs one weapon — his name!

Robert Rodriguez starts off the film with a Barbarella/Moonraker mock commercial preview for what has been announced as the next film in the franchise, Machete Kills Again … In Space. We’re a few years away from that, but after nailing movie two with this earthbound Mexican/American conflict we might be ready for his take on 70s space camp.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

RIDDICK (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Vin Diesel, Ted Field, 
Samantha Vincent

Written by David Twohy, Oliver Butcher, 
Stephen Cornwell

Based on Characters Created by 
Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat

Directed by David Twohy

Starring Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, 
Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, 
Dave Bautista, Bokeem Woodbine,

 Raoul Trujillo, Karl Urban

Radar Pictures/One Race Films / Rated R

Riddick, the third film in the Chronicles of Riddick series takes us to a lonesome desert planet where our shiny-eyed star Vin Diesel fights for his life against alien forces of nature and two team of bounty hunters looking for his head.

The underground appeal of the past films coupled with Vin Diesel’s recent box office success spawned this chapter, costarring briefly Karl Urban (Star Trek, Dredd) as his nemesis and reason for exile as well as Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) channelling Starbuck in her bounty hunter role.

There is action, bloody horror and creepy space beasts in the end of summer Riddick directed by franchise creator David Twohy.

Riddick starts off with our hero playing the part