osterhoutj_2 Reviews

Maggie (I) (2015)

Arnold is solid, movie is decent...but lacking

[6/10 · 27 May 2015]

When I first saw the trailer for Maggie I thought it looked interesting and a potential "breakout" for Arnold in a dramatic roll, although I thought the movie was good, it was also disappointing. Most of the disappointment begins with some weak acting performances: Abigail Breslin just seemed to mail in this one and Joely Richardson was awful (what was with that awkward, southern-ish accent? Terrible). On the other hand, I thought Arnold did a very solid job and I actually thought his performance in this movie was solid.

Maggie lacked any real excitement or horror that you typically would get with this genre, instead focusing on the emotional toll the zombie virus takes on loved ones and the infected themselves as they slowly turn. Honestly, the movie could've been much better if only the performances around Arnold would've been better, Breslin just didn't make me really care about her character. By the end of the film I just didn't really care what happened to Maggie.

Overall, decent film that would have greatly benefited from being written a little better (give me a reason to care) and better acting (again…give me a reason to care). Maggie could be a nice introduction of Arnold in dramatic rolls that could be a very nice fit for him in his "later years" as an actor, but I worry that no one will really remember this film. I do hope to see more of this version of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the future.

Grudge Match (2013)

Better movie than you'd expect...Give it a look

[7/10 · 28 April 2014]

What could have easily been a cheesy, weak, terrible effort by all involved is actually a heartfelt, entertaining movie with two actors who didn't take themselves too seriously while also having some pride.

For all those who would have loved to see Balboa vs La Motta match 25 years ago get a little taste of it but with some more slapstick, lightheartedness sprinkled in. Both of these actors could have easily mailed this one in for a quick paycheck, but instead they gave us some great moments and seem to really care about the characters they were playing. Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin deliver some of the more humorous moments, breathing in a little more life and an additional layer to this solid flick. Don't get me wrong no Oscars will be handed out for this one, but you'll find yourself laughing far more than you thought and invested enough in both characters you won't know who to cheer for when they finally square off.

Bring the family, all will enjoy.

Non-Stop (2014)

Liam's Lingering Action Slump continues....

[2/10 · 7 March 2014]

I am a big fan of the Liam Neeson and have become an even bigger fan of his slap-fu action films over the last 5-6 years starting with Taken, A-Team, The Grey, even Unknown was decent...Liam could do no wrong! So I thought.

First there was the absolutely awful Battleship - terrible idea, craptastic script, complete Peter Berg fumble. Huge budget, lost a ton of money and should have just never been made. But hey, it happens, everyone makes a mistake.

Then oh thank God, they're making a sequel to Taken, can't go wrong! Oh wait...Oops. All things that made Taken awesome where bastardized into this pathetic effort at a sequel that disappointed fans of the first film to no end. Personally I just try to forget this film ever happened.

And now we have Non-Stop...if you thought Bryan Mills using hand grenades while running across rooftops of Istanbul to find his kidnapped daughter wasn't stupid enough, well then we got just the plot for you! Non-Stop is a non-stop roller-coaster of ridiculousness from terrible campy lines to bad acting by good actors (guilty parties include Liam, Julianne Moore & Scoot McNairy) to the over-the-top unbelievable plot. The only saving grace of this film is Liam's ability to dominate every adversary in his path in the same fantastic fighting method (I described earlier as "slap-fu") he's employed over this last 5-6 year span of action films.

If you expect Non-Stop to be a reboot of Bryan Mills version 1.0 (Taken) just stop, you'll be reminded that version 2.0 (Taken 2) did happen and immediate become sad. I hinge my hopes on Liam coming out of the action-slump soon as I happen to see that Taken 3 pops up on his IMDb profile as "announced" for 2015...please be good, please be good!

Wish You Were Here (I) (2012)

Wish You Were Better

[6/10 · 10 December 2013]

This film had a great deal of promise but fell short in my opinion. Excellent acting by the cast, mainly the performance of Joel Edgerton who portrays Dave the grief tortured, terrified family man superbly. The cast carried this film.

The plot was solid, but I think the film suffers from the choppiness of the telling. The film opens with about 10 minutes of the vacation to Asia where the catalyst for the film originates could've been longer to eliminate some of the flashbacks, while still maintaining the mysterious integrity of the story. By the end of the film you have it figured out that the mystery around Jeremy's disappearance lacks optimism, but there is still shock factor in the reveal.

Overall, solid movie, very well acted…just takes too long to get to the end which could've been improved upon by a slight difference in the way the story was told.

Redemption (I) (2013)

Statham at his best!

[9/10 · 27 November 2013]

I've been a fan of Jason Statham since he came on the scene as Bacon in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" & Turkish in "Snatch". I thought he was fantastic in both. He's done several entertaining movies since then, but always the same recipe - fast cars, fast women, lots of fighting.

Although Redemption employs the violent element of most all Statham movies, it's his character that separates this movies from the rest. Statham's Joey is reticent with a haunting past that boils under the surface throughout the film, that you find yourself routing for despite his criminal behaviors.

Redemption has plenty of action to keep you entertained, but it's the dramatic tone and excellent acting by Statham that drives the film. The film is a must see for all viewers.

Would You Rather (2012)

Great for what it is

[7/10 · 14 February 2013]

With consideration to the genre of disturbing/gore/horror films, 'Would You Rather' is a very good film. The beginning starts out fairly slow as it builds the back story of Iris (Brittany Snow) who takes care of her ailing brother, Raleigh, in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant, while also drowning in the debt left behind by their parents. Per the recommendation of Raleigh's doctor, Iris agrees to attend a dinner/competition host by Mr. Lambrick (Jeffrey Combs) who promises the winner with the means to completely turn their lives around. Once the dinner party begins the movie gets sadistically intriguing.

Jeffrey Combs is creepily entertaining as the merciless dinner host and, in my opinion, steals the show. If you enjoy the 'Saw' franchise, I would recommend checking out 'Would You Rather', but I might wait until it comes out on DVD as the redeeming value to this movie doesn't quite live up to the steep price of admission to the theater these days.

Paper Man (2009)

Surprisingly Good Movie

[7/10 · 29 October 2012]

I remember seeing a preview for this movie once a while back and thought it looked interesting, but then I never heard about it again. While roaming through Netflix one night I came across it in my queue and decided to check it out and very glad that I did.

Paper Man is a very charming dramedy with excellent performances by Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone who form a unique friendship that fills the opposite voids each character has in their lives. The type of friendship they form could have easily been ruined by coming off too romantic, but both Daniels and Stone teeter the line of awkward and endearing perfectly to keep the dramatic aspects in a comedic tone.

Then there's Captain Excellent, the imaginary friend to Richard Dunn (Jeff Daniels) played by Ryan Reynolds. Captain Excellent is the sarcastic "voice of reason" to Dunn that leads to many comical exchanges between the two. The sarcastic tone of the character plays well into Ryan Reynolds' wheelhouse and, because of that, I really enjoyed Reynolds in this roll. I thought both he and Daniels were great playing off each other.

All in all, this is a very solid flick that I would definitely recommend you check out.

Taken 2 (2012)

Complete Disappointment

[1/10 · 8 October 2012]

I was so excited at the idea of a Taken sequel that I hadn't occurred to me at how bad it could end up being; unfortunately this movie is a perfect example of how lightning typically doesn't strike twice.

In Taken you felt as though you were with Bryan Mills while he slammed through Europe utilizing his "particular set of skills" to track down his kidnapped daughter, Kim. You could feel his sense of urgency and anger throughout the gritty film that was strongly written by Luc Beeson and well directed by Pierre Morel. Every situation Mills found himself in and got himself out of was realistic enough to believe and kept the audience captivated, not distracted.

All of those things that made Taken great were basically ignored in Taken 2. For the most part, the script was filled with lame/cheesy dialog, ridiculous action sequences (see the car chase for examples of both) and completely unrealistic situations (see the scene in which Kim finds her parents via rooftops and grenades). It seemed as though Luc Beeson, whom I very much enjoy usually, mailed in this script for a quick paycheck banked on the success of the original. There were so many poor attempts at humor between Mills and Jamie, Kim's boyfriend, that the movie would have been better off allowing actor Jon Grimes, one of Mills' ex-agent friends, to reprise his Uncle Rico role from Napoleon Dynamite. At least that would have been funny.

In the end, I will continue to watch my Taken DVD while attempting to block out the fact Taken 2 was ever made and find comfort in knowing Luc Beeson said this would be the only sequel.