Spy Kids: Armageddon

6.5/10

In this fifth Spy Kids movie on Netflix, Tony and Patty Tango-Torrez (played by Connor Esterson and Everley Carganilla) do not know their parents are spies, but that all changes when evil forces target a dangerous item the family is harboring.

This is a... Spy Kids. Definitely. Story's not high art, but it is something your kids will probably enjoy. Since this movie is introducing yet ANOTHER duo of spy kids, the whole part about the kids finding out their parents are spies has become old hat. You know where things are going and you're waiting for the action to kick up. However, once that exhibition is done you get what makes the films work: silly action with colorful and campy vehicles, gadgets, and villain appearances. I really do like director/co-writer Robert Rodriguez's designs in these film. Surprised they haven't made more toys and action figures off of his ideas. They have this simplicity to them but are never too basic.

This is strangely enough a retread in that this movie is focused around video games like SK3-D was. However, the plots are different just enough that I don't mind. (To be honest, I think they do a better job with the concept here.) I also appreciate that Rodriguez uses this movie as a warning against media over-reliance and the importance of honesty in an easy to digest lesson for the kiddos.

I'd rank the film beneath 1 and 4-D and above 2 and 3-D. The latter two just didn't have much in the plot department. Weirdly, Rodriguez puts more emphasis on the stories for the films where the characters are introduced.

If I'm not mistaken, the kids are the youngest they've ever been. Which is a bit of a downside considering how very young Carganilla is. There is nothing natural about her acting. Esterson's a little better but not by much. Shazam!/Chuck's Zachary Levi and Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez are the parents. They're both charismatic actors, but they cannot make the dialogue work. Faring better are D.J. Cotrona as the head of the spy agency and Game Night's Billy Magnusson as the villain. Cotrona gets the inherent silliness of a serious guy in a ridiculous world. Wouldn't say that Magnusson is the best villain in the franchise, but he is one of the better ones. For a simple movie, you get where he's coming from. Magnusson was clearly hired because he can do camp and has this child-friendly feel to his energy and delivery.

Kinda recommended. Younger kids will probably love this. Parents may dislike this or be neutral. Rodriguez has always focused on making kids films for kids and has never worried about adult references or maturer storytelling. I salute him for sticking just to the core audience.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

7.5/10

In this the seventh entry of the long-running film series based on the 60s/70s TV show, Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) and his IMF (Impossible Missions Force) team are on the search for two parts of a key to a new and very dangerous weapon.

It's surprising how consistently entertaining the MI movies have been over the years (yeah, 2 might be the weakest, but it still had its value), especially the more recent ones. Director Christopher McQuarrie, who did the last two entries as well, retains his emphasis on practical effects over digital. This gives more weight to the action scenes and the suspense. There is one tense moment in particular that though short kept me captivated more than I've felt in a long time. Doesn't help that the action is really well thought out and shot here. This movie really dominates the new Transformers, Indiana Jones, and Fast and Furious movies in action scenes.

I won't go into much detail about what the threat in this one is, but it definitely is unique in the MI-verse. Dead Reckoning also has some of the better villains in this franchise. Some comedy was added this time which I felt worked well.

The two hour and forty-three minute run-time focusing on long action scenes and double-crossing may not be for everyone. Considering that this is part one, the drawing out of the plot could be frustrating to some. There are a couple MI tropes that have been used once too often in this (I'll get to one in a minute). There are also a couple scenes where a group of people deliver exposition in the exact same tone and delivery which feels a little unnatural.

Cast remains good. Hayley Atwell joins the cast as thief Grace. She's Hayley Atwell, so she's naturally enjoyable. Admittedly after the last two movies, the whole Ethan-works-with-a-woman-whose-goals-don't-always-align schtick has gotten old. Cruise works well with Atwell, but it is surprising to see Ethan become protective of Grace so early when she hasn't proved she can be trusted. Shea Wigham (who's always great with whatever he's in) and Greg Tarzan Davis are a couple of US agents who also become involved in the goings-ons and those two are so watchable in this. They're new but they're delivery and actions feel so natural. Guardians of the Galaxy's Pom Klementieff is the henchwoman Paris in this and she's the kind of villain who loves action for the sake of action. She's clearly having fun whenever she's let off the leash.

Recommended. This has the best action scenes of the summer. The only reason I'm not rating this higher is that all the intrigue is a bit much and there is a smidge of formula fatigue. However, this is still a well-done film. I'd rank this below the fourth and fifth entries and above the rest.

Ghosted

7.5/10

In this new Apple+ movie, Cole Turner (played by Chris Evans) falls in love with one Sadie Rhodes (Ana de Armas) after going on one wonderful date with her. He leaves her his number but doesn't get a reply. Finding out she's in London, he decides to surprise her with an ill-advised visit. He quickly finds out she's a spy and gets embroiled in one of her missions.

This is a lighthearted and fun enough work. (The movie has one scene in it that's super amusing.) The spy plot is predictable, but Evans and de Armas both are likable performers and work well off of each other. It's their love-hate chemistry that makes this work.

Admittedly, this movie is based on a guy making unhealthy decisions. To the movie's credit, more than one person calls him out on it, and he's punished for his bad decisions. However, this is still a movie making light of and showing positive benefits from what would be considered creepy behavior in real life.

Also, Burn Gorman from Torchwood among other stuff has a small role as a stereotypically lower-class British cabby, and I felt his talents were squandered. Anyone could've played that role.

For a movie that's a comedy, it takes the action seriously. There were a couple shots that seemed off (I think the greenscreen work might be the movie's weakest point), but as a whole the stunts and choreography are well-executed. The action has a couple moments of sheer creativity, including the memorable last fight, that you wouldn't expect.

The movie does have a bit of an odd grey tint to it. (Though, this may be an Apple+ issue. I noticed that Central Park's look a bit muted as well.)

Recommended, the movie works as a good time to sit back and relax.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre

6/10 

In this new Guy Ritchie spy/action/comedy mix, secret agent Orson Fortune (played by Jason Statham) and his team blackmail actor Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) into helping them gain access to arms dealer Greg Simmons (Hugh Grant) in order to stop him from acquiring a mysterious device known as “the Handle.”

I'm guessing that after The Wrath of Man, which might be Ritchie's darkest work, he wanted to do something fun and just lighthearted. (This also kinda has Man from Uncle vibes; Ritchie stated he liked that one and due to its poor box office, this is probably the closest he can get to doing a sequel.)

Unfortunately, this is the weakest of the several films of his I've seen (no, I haven't watched Swept Away yet). The worst part is that this the has bones of a good film in it. If parts had just been tweaked and some jokes cut, this might've worked. To be clear, this isn't straight up bad, just lackluster.

On the plus side, the movie looks great. It's very colorful, echoing the look of the Sixties' Bond films. Though this is a more tongue-in-cheek spy film, the action can be surprisingly intense at points. Also, it's got a strong cast (more on them later).

I know the part about Danny getting into the good graces of Simmons (who's a fan) sounds very similar to that film Nicholas Cage made recently, and yeah, it does a little, but much not as much as you think. The trailer makes it look the whole movie is focused on that, but it's only a subplot. (Danny's really just a supporting character not a main player.) I'm glad that section didn't wear out it's welcome, because some of the most enjoyable moments come from the actor and arms dealer interacting. (I won't spoil how it plays it out.)

On the negative side, the tone is all over the place and the movie gets too complicated for it's own good. There's a repeated bit about how Orson has expensive tastes and constantly tries to finagle extravagant benefits from his employer. It's not funny or done well, and the writers really go all in on it. It is clear that this had parts cut and reshoots. The problem is that they don't cut the parts setting up later scenes. There are three plot points that are never followed up on.

As I said, good cast. Statham and Cary Elwes as Orson's boss both play the roles they usually play, tough guy and stereotypically British person, but to be fair, they do it well. Hartnett is amusing, and Grant does an admirable job of continuing to prove in his recent years that he's a character actor. Aubrey Plaza is Orson's team's computer person. Yeah, this isn't her best work and is given dialogue beneath her, but she is still AUBREY PLAZA and brings her trademark energy.

Not a must see. It can make for a nice timewaster/background film. There are good parts. Just don't make this a film you're spending too much on.

The 355

5.5/10

In The 355, several female spies become involved in the hunt for a weapon.

For most of the movie, I was going to go with a 7/10 for this. Admittedly, a lot of the dialogue/plot scenes felt by-the-numbers/tepid (never downright awful, just so-so). Plus, Pennyworth's Jason Flemyng (a good actor who really should be in more stuff) shows promise as a main villain only to be completely wasted.

But, the action scenes were pretty darn good; kept my attention. There was one line I rather liked and a couple plot points that surprised. The main cast was good across the board.

Then the very ending came. It was so ham-fisted, didn't make a lot of sense, and was insulting. Totally not worth sitting through the weaker parts and the two hour, four minute runtime.

Not recommended. Yeah, the action's good, but the ending isn't worth it for watching what was until that point just an okay movie anyways. 

Tenet

7/10

Christopher Nolan's Tenet is about a spy simply called The Protagonist (John David Washington) in the credits. He's promoted to a secret assignment in which he has to go after a villain who has access to time manipulation. This is an interesting film with distinct concepts. A combination of a spy and sci-fi film isn't something you see every day. (I mean other than spy films involving lasers, robotics, and, that one time, going into space. I mean stuff that James Bond wouldn't even touch as it would be going too far.) However, the movie can be overindulgent, I think this could've been a leaner, stronger film.

I'll get to the good points about this first. The spy stuff is done well. (There is a lot more of that in this than the trailer lets on.) Seeing the Protagonist and his associate Neil (Robert Pattison) having to cleverly break into places is one of the best parts.  

The sci-fi stuff is really, really interesting. Let me be clear that this isn't a typical "time travel" sort of movie. It's about time inversion, leading to some legit innovative concepts. The action scenes really take full advantage of this.

Tone wise think of this as kind of being the infiltration scenes from Inception matched with the action parts of Nolan's Batman movies. 

Though a lot of the script takes itself seriously, there are occasional light lines from Washington or between him and Pattison that lend a bit of personality.

The standout actor here is probably Kenneth Brannagh as the antagonist. Brannagh delivers the best performance I've seen him do. (Bare in mind I haven't seen a lot of his earlier works including his Shakespeare films and Dead Again.) He completely loses himself in this truly despicable, dangerous man.

Okay, now for the film's issues. Considering that the lead is called The Protagonist and that title of this film about time inversion happens to be spelled out the same way forward and backward, you can tell that Nolan is be trying too hard to be clever. Way, way, way too much exposition is thrown at you; I mean a crazy amount. Almost every line is a plot point. If you don't pay attention you could become lost. I got the general gist of everything, but there were moments where I had to fill-in-the-blanks and play catch up.

Sometimes the sound effects or music are too loud or the actors are speaking too quietly, making it harder to understand what is going on.

The final action scene looks nice but is far too complicated. I couldn't even tell where the bad guys were coming from.

Besides the complexity of the story, the other major issue is the length. This didn't need to be two-and-a-half hours. The middle act in particular, could've been cut down.

When this movie is good, it is good, but it could've so much more entertaining if it was shorter and some plot points whittled down. I recommend this, especially if you're a Nolan fan, as it is a unique experience. But it's something you can sit on till it is something you can sit on till a rainy day or it is more the price is cheaper.