Movies

In a universe not so far away, a film titled "Flight Risk" has landed—or more appropriately, crash-landed—straight onto streaming platforms, helmed by a name once synonymous with epic storytelling, Mel Gibson. Prepare yourselves, for this is not "Braveheart," nor is it a movie that wrestles with deep philosophical themes. Instead, it is a whirlwind, turbulence-riddled escapade of bewildering decisions and a plethora of questionable accents. Central to this cinematic odyssey is a pilot of questionable credentials—wink, wink—and a handcuffed accountant. Hats off to the daring filmmakers who decided the vast Alaskan wilderness would be best portrayed from inside one small cabin for 90% of the runtime.

Takeshi Kitano, the renowned maestro of cinema, presents "Broken Rage," a 2024 Japanese action comedy with a peculiarly inventive twist. Released on what seems to be a mission to unsettle and intrigue, the film deftly combines the dire seriousness of an aging hitman's final, life-defining ultimatum with the zany unpredictability of slapstick comedy. Kitano, wearing multiple hats as writer, director, and leading man, transforms this narrative into an experiment that defiantly resists conventional genre boundaries. It's a venture as peculiar as it is daring, illuminating Kitano's vision of storytelling that transcends the mundane.

Watching a film about a plane crashing while you're on a flight slicing through a storm might sound like a recipe for tension, but it’s a unique juxtaposition that turned my viewing of "Plane" into an unforgettable experience. Jean-François Richet's 2023 action thriller transformed what could have been a predictable disaster narrative into a gripping tale of survival and redemption. As my aircraft swayed ominously through the tempest, Gerard Butler and Mike Colter delivered a story within the story, elevating my expectations from their storm-induced low to soaring heights of captivating cinema.

When I stumbled upon the 2024 action flick "Aftermath," directed by Patrick Lussier and starring Mason Gooding, Dylan Sprouse, Megan Stott, and Dichen Lachman, I braced myself for a thrill ride filled with suspense and explosive action. Instead, what I got was a front-row seat to a demolition derby of filmmaking: a spectacular collision of bad scriptwriting, painful performances, and puzzling plot choices that could run circles around any B-movie cache.

When you sit down to watch a biographical film named The Ballad of Davy Crockett, you may have some fair expectations. Perhaps a legendary tale filled with thrilling adventures and a touching narrative, one that would pay glorious tribute to the life and times of the famed American frontiersman. Alas, this cinematic endeavour by director Derek Estlin Purvis with Colm Meaney, Jesse Hutch, and William Moseley isn't just disappointingly far from it, it's perturbing.

Diving headfirst into "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time" (2012), I felt a wave of excitement wash over me. Here was a seemingly promising Korean gangster film, directed by Yoon Jong-bin and starring Choi Min-sik and Ha Jung-woo.

As an avid follower of The Roundup series, I approached this latest chapter with hope that it would carry forward the same storytelling marvel that earmarked its preceding siblings. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t quite the high-stakes rollercoaster ride I had hoped for.

After unexpectedly diving into the Korean cinematic universe over the weekend, I resurfaced with The Roundup: No Way Out, an action-packed crime film from 2023. This film, directed by Lee Sang-yong and starring searing talents like Ma Dong-seok, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Munetaka Aoki, offers a thrilling blend of action, humor, and a head-spinning storyline, marking the third installment in the popular Roundup series.

With the promise of Ma Dong-seok reprising his role as Detective Ma Seok-do, an element of familiarity added to my excitement for this film, despite my apprehension about the grist for the sequel mill.

As the first installment of the acclaimed "The Roundup" series, the film boasts its grounding in reality, centered on the infamous incidents that occurred in the Chinatown of Garibong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul in 2004 and 2007. Released in 2017, this South Korean crime-action film was then, a newcomer director Kang Yoon-sung's debut, featuring prominent actors Ma Dong-seok, known to many as Don Lee, and Yoon Kye-sang.