Proud
Mary action thriller
January 5 "Taraji P. Henson is Mary, a hitwoman working for an
organized crime family in Boston. Mary's life is completely turned
around when she meets a young boy whose path she crosses when a
professional hit goes awry." Taraji does an excellent job with
the action à la John Wick. I only wish it had been longer. At 1 hr
28 min, it felt like they cut the ending short. Also, a little more about
where she came from at the beginning would have made her efforts to
get the boy clear more meaningful. She kicked ass! These days, I
really try to focus only on the good. But, on the minus side, what
was glaring at me was that in her line of work, she made no effort
at home security. Also, in this day and age, most of what went on
would be on some camera somewhere, which seemed a little naive on
the script side. On the plus side, when she charges in against
"every man we got", it's not inconceivable that she could win.
Taraji is convincing and handles weapons well. There's no
hesitation, there's no overconfidence. She comes across as capable.
She's good and she's not backing down. The
cinematography was beautiful. It had a Hopper-esque feel;
a little The Matrix-y with beautiful compositions
(urban setting, angles, shadows); a little John Wick
in color scheme. Taraji said she wanted to do an Action Movie. I
expected something more like the 1980 version of Gloria—tough
love, only tougher. Kudos to Taraji #grrrlpower.
12 Strong action thriller
January 19 "12 Strong tells the story of the first Special
Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11. Under the leadership
of a new captain, the team must work with an Afghan warlord to take
down the Taliban." Stars William Fichtner, Chris Hemsworth,
Michael Peņa, Rob Riggle, and Michael Shannon. 2nd Unit Director and
Stunt Coordinator Mic
Rodgers, Assistant Stunt Coordinator Don
Lee.
Den of
Thieves action thriller
January 19 "A gritty crime saga which follows the lives of an
elite unit of the LA County Sheriff's Dept. and the state's most
successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly
impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank." Filmed in Atlanta,
and stars Gerard Butler.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure action sci-fi thriller
January 26 "Young hero Thomas embarks on a mission to find
a cure for a deadly disease known as the 'Flare' ".
February
Braven action drama
February 2 "A logger [that means tools!] defends his family
from a group of dangerous drug runners."Jason Momoa bringeth the smacketh down.
This is going to be a 'Boy Scout shit' movie, as in "You really
think this Boy Scout shit is going to work?" LOL from Predator.
Oh yeah, it works!
Scorched Earth action sci-fi
February 2 "The planet has suffered an environmental
collapse; the air became dangerous to breathe, the water became
toxic, and billions of people died. Generations later, mankind has
finally re-established a rudimentary society, in an attempt to pick
up the pieces that continue to blister in the sun. Attica Gage (Gina
Carano) is a bounty hunter with a chance at the bounty of a
lifetime: to bring down the ruthless outlaw, Elijah Jackson. Gage
infiltrates Jackson's gang, and everything is going to plan until
she meets a slave girl who reminds her of her dead sister. With her
loyalty to only herself now tested, Gage learns that there might be
more to life than just survival."
Black Panther action adventure sci-fi
February 16 "T'Challa, after the death of his father, the
King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically
advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his
rightful place as king." REALLY EXCITED to see this movie. It's long overdue. Chadwick Boseman did a great job
as Black Panther in
Captain America: Civil War.
Samson action drama
February 16 "After losing the love of his life to a cruel
Philistine prince, a young Hebrew with Supernatural strength defends
his people, sacrificing everything to avenge his love, his people,
and his God." Well, this Bible story has a tragic albeit
redemptive ending, and judging by the trailer, it's true to form.
Taylor James stars as Samson.
Game Night action comedy crime
February 23 "A group of friends who meet regularly for game
nights find themselves trying to solve a murder mystery". The
trailer of this movie looks hilarious, like those videos where
someone gets hurt and it feels like you shouldn't laugh but you
can't help it. Stars Jason Bateman who is a comic genius! Love him.
Rachel McAdams looks funny too. Looks at least as good as
Harold & Koumar Go to White Castle or 21 Jump Street, and
the action looks great.
March
Alpha action drama thriller
March 2 "A story of survival set 20,000 years ago during the
last Ice Age." LOVE me a caveman movie, or a movie set 'in the
wild'. Very excited to see this one!
Death Wish action crime drama thriller
March 2 "Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only
sees the aftermath of his city's violence as it's rushed into his ER
-until his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter (Camila
Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the
police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts for
his family's assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous
slayings of criminals grabs the media's attention, the city wonders
if this deadly avenger is a guardian angel...or a grim reaper. Fury
and fate collide in the intense action-thriller Death Wish." Eli
Roth directing.
Gringo action comedy drama
March 9 "A dark comedy mixed with white-knuckle action and
dramatic intrigue, explores the battle of survival for businessman
Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) when he finds himself crossing the
line from law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal."
Looks REALLY funny! If David
Oyelowo is this hilarious in the trailer, it's got to be
better in context. Also stars: Thandie Newton, Charlize Theron,
Sharlto Copley, Joe Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried, Kenneth Choi, Diego
Catano, and in her first movie: Paris Jackson.
April
Rampageaction adventure sci-fi
April 6 Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock aka
Samoan Thor aka The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment
aka Rocky aka Rocky Maivia aka The People's Champion aka
The Brahma Bull (he's a Taurus) aka The Great One aka Flex Kavana aka
The Silverback gets to magnify himself (so to speak) in this movie as he and his gorilla pal share his bawdy sense of humor. This movie throws a lot at you: a super-sized gorilla, wolf, and crocodile/alligator do some damage to downtown Chicago, with a military element thrown in. It's a little like
King Kong meets Transformers (not that there's anything wrong with that). Whereas Kong: Skull Island
was "big and dumb" (my 3-word review), this movie was big and fun (what's not to like?!). Fans of The Rock (like me) will love this ride. It's very Saturday matinee in the way that
2005's King Kong satisfied. It reminded me the most of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I especially enjoyed Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Tommy-Lee-Jones-ish cowboy lawman. What's become clear is The Rock knows is how to share the spotlight with a strong cast of supporting characters (part of why
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is so popular).
Avengers: Infinity War action adventure fantasy
sci-fi
April 27
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
You know, the movie everyone's waiting to see who all is in it.
And more Black Panther. We definitely want to see more Black
Panther!
Armed action thriller
April 27 Written and directed by Mario Van Peebles, he also stars in the
movie. Mr. Peebles loves Action Movies so I expect it will
satisfy! "A former U.S. Marshall struggling to put his life together after a case gone wrong. A former colleague reappears in his life and explains all of the survivors of the man's unit are suffering the same symptoms and that there may be a larger conspiracy at hand."
May
Breaking In action? thriller
May 11
"A woman fights to protect her family during a home invasion."
This movie stars Gabrielle Union and it seems a lot like "Revenge"
below, but this one is not labeled "Action". The
Director is James McTeigue (Ninja Assassin) so I expect some
creative ass kicking.
Dubbed "An Anthem of Empowerment", I still think I'll pass on this
one . . . Just really tied of seeing this crap on screen . . . "Rated R for strong bloody gruesome violence,
a rape, sexuality, graphic nudity, drug use and language."
Revenge action thriller
May 11 "Never take your mistress on an annual guys' getaway, especially one
devoted to hunting - a violent lesson for three wealthy married
men."
"After surviving a
near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson)
struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry's hottest
bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste.
Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor,
Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually
aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the
importance of family, friendship, and flavor—finding a new taste for
adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World's Best
Lover." Pithy LOL and fitting. On the plus side . . .
Terry Crews is in it!
Solo: A Star Wars Story action adventure fantasy
May 25 Or maybe this is the movie you're waiting for . . .
"During an adventure into a dark criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future copilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion."
I see Star Wars has its own YouTube channel, how
long before it's a subgenre?! I think it looks
amazing!
June
Upgrade action comedy horror
sci-fi thriller
June
1
"Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when Grey, a self-identified technophobe, has his world turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant called
'Stem'." Writer/Director Leigh Whannel's 2nd film as a
Director, and "written by" credit #9 (used when a writer/team
has written an original script (versus "screenplay" when the script
was based on another work). He's the creator of the Saw and
Insidious series (written by), although he got to direct only
"Insidious: Chapter 3". He has 34 Acting credits as well and a
big TV background. He's a true film lover and while I am not a fan
of the Saw series, I thought Insidious was scary. This movie,
Upgrade, is a whole other 'bent' though, and it made me laugh out
loud. That's a little warped, yeah, but that's what it means to be
an Action Movie Freak. They have to deserve it though. That's
different. You feel me?
American Animals crime drama
June
1
"Four young men mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of
the most audacious heists in U.S. history." It's not labeled Action
and it doesn't look like Action but I think some big stars could be
getting their start with this movie.
Incredibles 2 animation action
adventure comedy family sci-fi
June
15
"Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for Jack-Jack while
Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world". If the trailer is
any indication, the baby is SO stealing the show.
July
Mission: Impossible - Falloutaction adventure thriller
July 27
Tom Cruise@tomcruise
joined instagram to promote Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Take my money!
Tagline: "The best
intentions often come back to haunt you." Excited to
see Ilsa Faust is back. Absolutely NOT watching the
trailer. Can't wait to see it all for the first time on the big
screen. #nospoilers
August
filling it in . . .
September
Peppermintaction drama thriller
September 7
Five years after her husband and daughter are killed in a senseless
act of violence, a woman (Jennifer Garner) comes back from
self-imposed exile to seek revenge against those responsible and the
system that let them go free.
The
Predatoraction adventure horror
September 14 Shane Black has re-started the Predator series with a really
cool ending to this
Super Soldier movie. Co-written with a college classmate
Fred Dekker, the movie has almost as much humor as Action. The
Gnarly Kills are off the chart. From the opening in space,
which puts you back in that in-the-jungle-danger-feeling form the
original movie, to the "killer" ending, you're going to love this
action-packed killfest. Bring on the sequels!
October
Venom action sci-fi
October 5 Tom Hardy takes the comic book movie for a spin. He's
a great actor and this role gave him the chance to do lots of weird-ness.
From the most subtle reaction moment (his face/reaction when he's
dumped in priceless) to raging monster moves, he takes it all in
stride. I'm really intrigued that he said the best 40 minutes ended
up on the cutting-room floor. We can only hope we get to see the
"Tom Hardy version" on DVD. I enjoyed it.
Hunter Killer action thriller
October 26
"An untested American submarine captain teams with U.S. Navy Seals to rescue the Russian president, who has been kidnapped by a rogue general."
Gerard Butler starring in and
producing another of his own Action Movies. I love submarine
movies, and the good news is, it's a full 2 hours and one minute.
That must be one hell of a minute! The 2nd Unit Director and
(co-)Stunt Coordinator is
Paul Herbert(with Dan Hristov). This is his first directing
stint (he was a stuntman and then a Stunt Coordinator on lots of
amazing movies, like
Centurion). The tagline is "Start a Battle to Stop a War".
This man-packed cast includes Gary Oldman, Common, Michael
Nyqvist, and Toby
Stephens (Black Sails, 13 Hours, Dame Maggie Smith's son).
November
River Runs Red thriller
November 9
Not "Action" but it looks good. Stars John Cusack, Tae Diggs, George Lopez,
and Luke Hemsworth. "When the son of a successful judge (Taye
Diggs) is killed by two police officers (Luke Hemsworth/Gianni
Capaldi) and the system sets them free, a hardened veteran detective
(John Cusack) finds some incriminating files on the officers and the
judge teams up with another mourning father (George Lopez) to take
the law into his own hands." 2nd Unit Director is
Greg Rementer, who has worked on a lot of really great
Action Movies as a stuntman/stunt double. He's the Fight Coordinator
for Hobbs and Shaw.
Widows crime drama thriller
November 16 "Set
in contemporary Chicago, amidst a time of turmoil, four women with
nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands'
criminal activities, take fate into their own hands, and conspire to
forge a future on their own terms." What a cast! Viola
Davis, Liam Neeson, Jon Bernthal,
Michelle Rodriguez, Robert Duvall, Colin
Farrell, and Cynthia Erivo.
The Last Race documentary sport
November 16 Magnolia Pictures'
offering The
Last Race is "the portrait of a small-town stock car racetrack and
the tribe of blue-collar drivers that call it home, struggling to
hold onto an American racing tradition as the world around them is
transformed by globalization and commercialization."
Creed II drama sport
November 23 More Rocky! Give us all the Rocky we can get. There is no
more inspiring fighter but these movies have shifted the focus to
Apollo Creed's son Adonis, and now he goes up against Ivan Drago's
son Viktor. Action Movie Freaks are simple people, just give us what
we want: our big heroes. Starring
Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Michael B. Jordan, we're gladly along for
another training montage, another heart-breaking bout.
Robin Hood animation action adventure
November 23
Yet another Robin Hood movie, and yet, it looks good. When I first
saw this trailer, I thought Jamie Dornan might have been better as
Robin Hood but Taron Egerton seems to be gifted at the physical
parts, so let's see what he can do with this. I expect it will come
down to the script. Everything/everyone else looks great. 2nd
Unit Director Simon
Crane.
December
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse animation action adventure
December 14
"Spider-Man crosses parallel dimensions and teams up with the
Spider-Men of those dimensions to stop a threat to all reality."
This looks great! Love the Dad. Great voice cast, including:
Nicolas Cage, Mahershala Ali, Liev Schriber, John Mulaney,
and Jake Johnson as Peter Parker and Shameik Moore as
Miles Morales.
The Mule crime drama mystery thriller
December 14
Clint Eastwood directing Clint Eastwood and a stellar cast
in another interesting project inspired by the New York Times
Magazine article "The
Sinola Cartel's [El Chapo] 90-Year Old Drug Mule" by Sam
Dolnick. "A 90-year-old horticulturist and WWII veteran is caught
transporting $3 million worth of cocaine through Michigan for a
Mexican drug cartel." Bradley Cooper, Michael Pena, Andy Garcia,
Laurence Fishburne, Alison Eastwood,Dianne Wiest, and
Noel Guglimi (monkey butt).
Stephen S. Campanelli is 2nd Unit Director.
Aquaman action adventure fantasy
sci-fi
December 21
I've waited my whole life for this movie! I loved Aquaman
comics as a child and then the cartoon TV show. And, no, it doesn't
bother me that he's not blonde. I think for a campy version, Dirk
Diggler would have been spot on, looks wise, but I think it's a
genius move that he's half Hawaiian: "There's not too many brown
superheroes, so I'm really looking forward to representing the
Polynesians, the natives,"
he said at a Walker Stalker Con panel in Atlanta a couple of
years back. "My family are some of the greatest water men on Earth .
. . it's really an honor just being a Polynesian." Aquaman has
amazing powers, hope they do it justice.
Remember this?
And this?
Bumblebee action adventure sci-fi
December
21
Transformers movie starring a girl (open the fridge)! I'm a sucker for Transformers
movies. Looks like it should have been a summer movie. Did I mention
. . .
JOHN CENA?! I'm in.
Destroyer action crime drama
December
21 Heist Movie starring Nicole Kidman. If the critics love
it, I probably won't. It doesn't look like an Action Movie but maybe
she'll trash talk and have her "Do you feel lucky, punk?" moment. That would be epic.
By the director by Girlfight and AEon Flux
Karyn
Kusama. It's clear how much she loves film from
her IMDb bio.