After singlehandedly dominating the meth game in New Mexico, Bryan Cranston is now an undercover Narc dead set on bringing down drug lord Pablo Escobar in this new trailer for The Infiltrator:
And here’s your synopsis:
Based on a true story, Federal agent Robert “Bob” Mazur (Bryan Cranston) goes deep undercover to infiltrate Pablo Escobar’s drug trafficking scene plaguing the nation in 1986 by posing as slick, money-laundering businessman Bob Musella. Teamed with impulsive and streetwise fellow agent Emir Abreu (John Leguizamo) and rookie agent posing as his fiancé Kathy Ertz (Diane Kruger), Mazur befriends Escobar’s top lieutenant Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt). Navigating a vicious criminal network in which the slightest slip-up could cost him his life, Mazur risks it all building a case that leads to indictments of 85 drug lords and the corrupt bankers who cleaned their dirty money, along with the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, one of the largest money-laundering banks in the world.
So there you have it, a fairly generic cop thriller that could be elevated by the presence of Cranston, who brings incredible weight and energy to all of his work. Even Malcolm in The Middle.
Alice Through the Looking Glass, the Tim Burton-produced sequel to Burton’s 2010 re-visioning of Disney’s animated film based on Lewis Carroll’s classic stories, delivers all the visual splendor one might expect given its predecessor’s colorful sights and characters.
However, it’s all smoke and mirrors, eye candy meant to distract from a pedestrian sequel concept and a weak script. It’s slow and stiff at the start, and though it does manage to get rolling halfway through, by then it’s too late to salvage the film experience.
What’s it about?
After years at sea captaining her late father’s trading vessel, the Wonder, Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) returns to London to find her father’s legacy as well as her own future imperiled. While at a loss as to how to face that real-world crisis, Alice finds herself drawn through a magical looking glass by an old friend, the butterfly Absolem (voiced by the late Alan Rickman) and returned to “Underland”, the place of her fantastical childhood adventures.
Once there, her old tea party companions — the Tweedles, Dee and Dum (both voiced by Matt Lucas), Bayard the Bloodhound (Timothy Spall), McTwisp the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), Mallymkun the Dormouse (Barbara Windsor), Earwicket the March Hare (Paul Whitehouse), and Cheshire the Cat (Stephen Fry) — and White Queen Mirana (Anne Hathaway) beg her to visit the Hatter (Johnny Depp), who has become “mad” with melancholy over a discovery from his past.
That discovery and Hatter’s malady puts Alice on a quest through and against Time itself, literally, as the embodiment of Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) seeks to prevent her from re-writing the past in order to save her friend. Along the way, an old enemy, Iracebeth the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), rears her heart-shaped head hoping to use Time’s powers for her own purposes, and Alice must face the possibility that even for her, there are some things that may truly be impossible.
Not enough madness
In Alice Through the Looking Glass, screenwriter Linda Woolverton (Maleficent, The Lion King) makes sure to utilize all the wondrous toys she previously re-tooled and put to use in her script for Alice in Wonderland. She also promises in the film’s set-up to build some backstory for audience favorites Hatter and Iracebeth, while also creates a memorable new bauble in the character of Time. Sacha Baron Cohen clearly enjoys his time in the role, but audiences may enjoy even more all the opportunities for puns and one-liners at Time’s expense.
But even with all those exquisite toys at his disposal, director James Bobin (Muppets Most Wanted) chooses to play it safe with the material. Unlike Burton, who has never shied from at least intimating some undercurrent of darkness to his visual feasts, Bobin keeps things light, kid-friendly, and unsophisticated in Alice Through the Looking Glass. There’s no edge, not even a trace of real “madness” to be found, even in scenes featuring the Hatter, who’s more sad than “mad” for most of the film, and the once-murderous Red Queen, who is simply sullen and shrill here.
The rest of the returning cast is more or less walking, talking window dressing, with Anne Hathaway’s presence easily the most wasted here. There’s simply not enough for everyone to do, and their inclusion in the story feels obligatory. Yes, the characters would be missed if they were absent, but as constructed, Alice Through the Looking Glass makes them feel shoehorned in as little more than glorified cameos.
Tea party for the eyes
Where Alice Through the Looking Glass does not disappoint is in its visuals, which benefit from the ongoing improvement of CGI and motion capture technology. Make no mistake, must of the film looks and feels as though it was shot in front a green screen, but that’s the standard that was set with the 2010 film, and thus its to be expected here.
Taken for what they are, there’s much to enjoy in the spectacles delivered on screen, especially if seen in 3D. Sequences built around Alice traversing the Oceans of Time, or she and her allies making their way through Iracebeth’s gargantuan fortress make for memorable set pieces. Note that these sequences take place later in the film, helping Alice Through the Looking Glass overcome its relatively slow and stilted start.
Worth seeing?
If you were a fan of the first film, then yes, Alice Through the Looking Glass is worth seeing, and further, its worth seeing in a premium venue, such as IMAX or IMAX 3D. Better that way to enjoy all that visual whimsy, and be fully immersed in the world crafted by the film’s truly talented special effects and production design teams.
But if you’re looking for depth beyond all the eye candy, or if you were just hoping for something a little more Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter-centric this time around, best to wait for video.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. Directed by James Bobin.
Running Time: 113 minutes
Rated PG for fantasy action/peril and some language.
If you’re looking for bloody, crime oriented action thriller with a captivating storyline and bad ass fight scenes, the 2010 South Korean film The Man From Nowhere is the perfect watch!
Although there’s a lot to be said about this film, I will keep it very brief because I want potential viewers to watch this film with very little clues as to what the movie is about so it doesn’t ruin the awesome anticipation and twists the film provides. The movie basically centralizes around a quiet pawnshop owner named Cha Tae-sik, who is befriended by his adorable little neighbor So-mi. Unfortunately So-mi is a product of REALLY bad parenting in which her mother Hyo-jeong gets involved with some gang activity and therefore provoking the sudden kidnapping.
The thing I adore most about The Man From Nowhere is that is follows the tradition of illustrating an intriguing story line in South Korean form. If you haven’t had an opportunity to watch any sort of South Korean cinema, they tend to pack a surprise punch to the emotional gut on top of already reeling you in with their beautifully compelling style of storytelling while orchestrating a power music score to top it all off. And it’s not any different with The Man From Nowhere, as I totally unexpectedly caught myself embarrassingly choking up with tears streaming down my face as my heart completely melted at certain parts of this film.
However, there is an immense amount of action and fight scenes we can’t forget about. The relentlessness of Cha Tae-sik in regards to finding So-mi is what makes the entire film so fantastic. Just as with American film regarding the one lone badass taking out a huge platter of skilled men, this follows the same format but with a little more brutal qualities, as Cha Tae-sik isn’t in game to just temporarily knock those who get in his way out. He is literally out to seek and destroy leading up to one of the best knife fights I have ever seen in film.
So quit skipping past it on Netflix, and check out The Man From Nowhere today! It is also available on various streaming outlets such as YouTube, Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu.
By now, everyone is familiar with Steve Rogers, better known to most as Captain America. Captain America has managed to stay relevant throughout the years, and with the release of ‘Captain America: Civil War’ it’s not hard to see why. Be sure to get in on the action by checking out the Captain America online slot machine on the Ladbrokes website today! But where did the star-spangled-hero start out?
Created in 1941, Captain America was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first introduced to the world in ‘Captain America Comics #1’. Capitalising on the patriotic feelings that were widespread during the Second World War, Steve Rogers was the all-American that the United States wanted to see, and his ongoing stories often saw him clashing with the Nazi forces on the frontlines.
Before he was a soldier, though, Steve Rogers (born in 1920) was just a scrawny kid from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, making his living as a comic book writer and artist while he studied fine arts. Rogers is finally moved into taking action against the rising Third Reich when the USA joins the Second World War. However, Rogers’ attempts to join the army are rebuffed, as he doesn’t measure up to the physical standards for recruitment. This rejection doesn’t deter him, though, and Rogers continually applies to different sectors of the military-and eventually, his determination pays off.
Roger’s commitment and drive brings him to the eye of General Chester Phillips, who is head of the Secret Project: Rebirth. The idea of the project is to use a special ‘super-serum’ to make a super soldier, and while he is only initially a test subject, Rogers reaction to the serum is perfect, transforming him into Captain America!
Taking part in many exciting battles and campaigns, Captain America was joined in the midst of World War Two by many different allies, the most recognisable being Bucky Barnes, the teenage sidekick who was featured in nearly all of Captain America’s adventures from the start. From punching Hitler in the face to thwarting the Red Skull, Bucky and Cap were inseparable-until (in the closing days of World War Two) the two came up against a sabotaged prototype drone plane that is rigged to explode. After failing to defuse the bombs, Bucky is caught in the blast, and Captain America is thrown from the plane into the North Atlantic Sea, where his body is frozen, and left in suspended animation.
Awoken in the present day, Rogers body was recovered by the first iteration of The Avengers. Then consisting of Iron-Man, Thor, Ant-Man and Wasp, The Avengers were happy to welcome in the newly revived Captain America, whose skill and experiences lent themselves brilliantly as the leader of this new team.Together with his new comrades, Rogers would come up against many of the enemies he faced down in the Second World War; One of which being The Red Skull.
Once a leading Nazi, and now the head of the criminal organisation Hydra, The Red Skull is committed to his idea of a perfect world, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Obsessed with domination and an insane need to defeat Captain America, The Red Skull is probably Rogers’ most threatening adversary-certainly the most recognisable.
The first issue of DC Rebirth is here, and things are looking rather interesting for the DC universe. Spoilers will be kept to a minimum for those still wanting to have an untainted palette for the story…
For a first issue, it wasn’t too bad. It seemed at times to be repeating the same beat over and over with the focused character. This did help set up a decent climax but it did seem to be a little lagging in a couple of places. Personally I wasn’t turned off by this because of the ending, but I know many might not be keen on that element.
The story isn’t too complex in the general narrative. However, if you didn’t read Justice League #50 and Superman #52, you’ll be missing some important information in regards to setting up the whole scheme of things for DC Rebirth. Though in that respect, things weren’t too hard to catch up.
Legacy was a major element being played here throughout the issue. Mainly to the effect of a new generation being trained and taken under the wing of the established heroes of the DC pantheon. There was also the legacy of hidden truths and even lies being brought forth and how many would have to come to terms with this and figure out how to handle this problem in their own way.
One thing that I did appreciate was how this wasn’t a full reboot, like New 52, but simply added a new element to the already established story. So while this is a new beginnings of sorts for the franchise, it’s also not an attempt to wipe the slate completely clean and say “Mulligan.”
The epilogue of the first issue was also handled well. And there is a brief teaser at the greater foe to come. And I’m hoping the story stays the course, because so far I’m enjoying everything so far.
Which Episodes From The Second Season Of ‘Flash’ Make It On This List?
As Season 2 of ‘The Flash‘ comes to a close, we look back at the 5 best episodes from this season. There will be spoilers for previous episodes and minor spoilers from the season finale so readers beware!
If you haven’t seen the season finale that aired May 24th, stop reading this and watch the insanity! After that, it’s time to fully take-in all that happened & rank which episodes stand out. From the return of the Reverse Flash to more Grodd, so much happened in the season that introduced another Earth and the evil Zoom.
“Run, Barry, Run”
–Everyone
Honorable Mentions:
-Enter Zoom
-Legends Of Today
5. The Race Of His Life
The latest episode and second season finale of ‘The Flash‘ was a grand spectcale. Following the heartbreaking ending of the episode before, “The Race Of His Life” wrapped up a season-long arc with villainous Zoom. It also left the fate of our beloved characters up in the air as Barry once again used his speed to cause some drama. Just when we thought Barry Allen’s Flash would finally be in a good place, his constant running has once again gotten him into trouble…
4. The Man Who Saved Central City
From the finale to the premiere! Season 2 started with a bang as we find out the damage that was done at the end of Season 1. Barry was in a dark place, something that would happen more this season, and the team was disbanded. It took a new foe to bring the group back together. They start to overcome all the previous drama when someone named Jay Garrick tells them their Earth is in trouble.
3. King Shark
Not only boasting amazing effects for the titular King Shark and being a fun ‘Jaws‘ homage, this episode also finally told us who Zoom really was. The entire season had some amazing fight scenes but the water finale with Barry vs a massive shark was some of the show’s best work. There was also a small crossover with sister-show ‘Arrow‘ here. Do you think King Shark will return in Season 3?
2. Welcome to Earth-2/Escape from Earth-2
Yes, these are two episodes but they work so well as a pair that I have to include them together. All season long, the characters of Earth 1 have heard stories of what Earth 2 was like. They have met good and bad people from that Earth but they were not ready to head to Earth-2. When Barry, Cisco Ramon, and Harrison Wells travel there, we had no idea how much it would impact the show. Also, we see the mysterious Man In The Iron Mask for the first time. Oh boy…
1. The Runaway Dinosaur
Film director Kevin Smith directed this stunning episode in which Barry Allen is taught a valuable lesson by the Speed Force. Rarely does the show find a balance between the main story and a side-story but this episode worked on all levels. Not to take away from everyone else but the stellar performance of Grant Gustin stole the show. I’m very excited that Smith will be return to direct another episode.
Do you agree with my list?
Let me know in the comments below if I missed your favorite episode this season.
As “The Flash” reaches the end of its second season, the CW has succeeded in the building of a television multiverse. With “Arrow” and “Legends of Tomorrow”, the network is quickly shaping up to be a connected DC TV Universe- with “Supergirl” transferring from CBS. Yet Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns continue to produce consistently good work with “The Flash”, and this season finale is on such example.
This is one hell of a race
Picking up from the last episode, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) pursues Zoom (Teddy Sears) after the death of his father, Henry Allen (John Wesley Shipp). The burial scene is a quiet, somber moment, in which Barry, Iris, and Joe (Jesse L. Martin) come together in their grief. When Barry is unable to speak, Joe talks about how Henry lost both his wife and son after being framed for murder. Afterwards, Wally West (Kenyan Lonsdale) is able to confide in Barry, whom he now knows is the Flash. Barry admits to Iris (Candice Patton) that he was almost ready to move on after Henry had been exonerated for his mom’s death. Suddenly, Zoom shows up to face Barry again. He demands to know who is the faster man of Earth-1 and Earth-2. Barry warns him to leave his friends alone, but Zoom warns him that he cannot guarantee their safety.
Team Flash is skeptical as to whether a race is all that Zoom wants. Dr. Wells reveals Zoom stole a magnetar from Mercury Labs that could destroy the Multiverse. Since Zoom is hellbent on being the fastest man of both worlds, the device can syphon off the energy off of Barry and the rest of the Multiverse. Despite Joe’s protests, Barry states he has no choice but to race his foe, because he doesn’t want anyone else to die. However, he seems to forget the last time he raced brought Zoom back to terrorize their world Ultimately; this leads to the team placing him in a cell for his own protection.
With Barry sidelined, Team Flash decides to move ahead with sending Zoom back to Earth-Two. Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Wells, and Joe manage to corner him in a tense confrontation, but it results in Zoom and Joe being. Desperate to save his father, Wally frees Barry from his cell. Back on Earth-2, it is revealed that the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask is the real Jay Garrick. The Flash tracks down Zoom and agrees to race him in exchange for Joe’s freedom. As the two speedsters begin to race, Barry has to act quickly in order to stop Zoom’s magnetar and save both worlds, but is it possible for him to do so?
Directed by Antonio Negret, the episode is one of the series’s finest to date. Grant Gustin’s acting is one of the episode’s highlights. His monologue about nearly having moved on from his mother’s death is heartbreaking. Candice Patton is given a great material to work with in this episode. The post-funeral scene shows the emotional support Iris gives to Barry in moments of grief. Jesse L. Martin’s quiet, firm plea to Barry is another intense moment, in which Joe begs his foster son to not risk his life again.
“The Flash” has proven itself to be consistently good in its storytelling, acting and technical achievements. Berlanti and company should be proud of their work. Now all that remains is to wait for the third season.
THE DYING OF THE LIGHT part 4! Twilight’s last gleaming! The end is nigh. No chance of escape. No last-minute reprieve. But nothing loosens the tongue like imminent death, and the crew of the Lost Light use their final hours to say what—until now—was unsayable.
This issue is all about goodbyes and preparations. The preview for issue 54 says not everyone will make it out alive. This is the last time to enjoy some of these characters before they go into battle against an enormous enemy force with no back up in sight. For this, the fans will have to excuse the lack of any action because the next issue will be overloaded with it.
The issue isn’t without its charm though. There are a lot of good character moments, such as Nautica saying a special goodbye to all those who meant something to her, Cyclonus and Whirl having a frenemy talk together, and Rewind solving the mystery with his lost love. The last one comes out of nowhere but not really in a bad way and seems to blend well with flow of the story. James Roberts really is setting things up to make the fans feel something big in the next issue. Of course he does deliver something big this issue by providing Ultra Magnus with a very impressive upgrade.
Alex Milne’s and Hayato Sakamoto’s artwork works so well together at times it hard to tell who did which pages. They are able to draw some very emotional and worried characters who are tired and not sure they are going to make it out alive. Joana Lafuente’s color work is the last piece which helps to bring it all together. Their teamwork makes for a very engaging visual comic.
Given how much built up to the battle next issue there is if someone in the main cast doesn’t die it’s going to feel a bit of a let down. Still, the way things are set up, it’s a guarantee the fans will lose a member of the cast they have come to love. Ready the handkerchiefs everyone as next month heroes maybe lost.
Since the release of Victoria on the festival circuit, it has become a critical darling because of its technical ambition – a movie that was made in one continuous shot for the run-time of two hours and 10 minutes. It is now out on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.
Victoria (Laia Costa) is a young Spanish woman new to Berlin. After a night of partying she meets four local men, Sonne (Frederick Lau), Boxer (Franz Rogowski), Fuss (Max Mauff) and Blinker (Burak Yigit) and they promise to show her the real Berlin. After a fun time with the men, Victoria ends up being sucked into the local underworld.
Unlike other movies that were shot to look like one continuous shot i.e. Rope and Birdman, Victoria was shot in one long go – there were no edits, hidden cuts or jumps in time. Director Sebastian Schipper and his cast and crew shot the movie in the early hours of 27 April 2014 – it took three attempts for it the filmmakers to make Victoria. This was extremely risky because of the logistics that were required, making things like lighting from exteriors to interiors and all the choreography that would have been required. The script for Victoria was only 12 pages long, so the actors had to improvise most of the movie and it was shot in real-time. Cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen deserves the awards he received for his work.
Victoria is an audience surrogate – she is an outsider to both the criminal world and Germany as a whole. She goes from cafe worker to bank robber in less than two hours. She is unable to speak German, and half the movie is English – this disqualified the movie from being nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. When people around Victoria speak in German, she can only understand what’s going on by the tone of voice and the body language of the people around her.
Due to the filming style used for the movie the actors gave raw performance throughout Victoria. It made the movie more naturalistic because the actors had to keep going, they couldn’t do a retake. Costa was excellent in the lead role going from dancing young woman in the club (in a great opening shot), letting out her own wild side when with the men and showing her pain and panic when drawn into the criminal world. When she is upset or panicked it felt real as tears, sweat and slip stream from her face.
The main German actors were strong in their roles, particularly Lau as Sonne, who gets the most characterization of the four while Rogowski was good in the role as the more volatile Boxer. Yigit and Mauff as Fuss and Blinker were more like background characters, especially Fuss who was the less memorable. The four were perfect at playing four drunken dicks because it was true to life as they egg each other on, do stupid acts and pretend to be innocent when bystanders or the police come by. It sadly reminded me of some events in my past.
It takes 50 minutes for the crime plot in Victoria kick in. It gives the movie a certain sense of realism and it allows us to get know the characters, but it was not the interesting viewing as characters go from place to place. It too detailed for its own good. When the crime part of the movie does happen it is an intense thriller as the characters have to drive around Berlin, meet crime lords and do the bank job with Victoria going in over her head. There is a shootout sequence that is frantic and chaotic, filled with shaky-cam. This is acceptable because of the continuous shooting style, and we are seeing the action from Victoria’s eyes – a woman out of her depth.
Despite the realistic look and time frame, there is an issue with Victoria plausibility. We see a woman willing to hang around with men who shoplift and steal cars and, out of desperation, the men ask Victoria to help them – bringing her into danger. It requires a big suspension of disbelief.
Victoria is a technical marvel and deserving of the praise it has received for its cinematography. Costa was fantastic in the lead role, but it does suffer its slow first 50 minutes and ridiculous plotting considering it was striving to be realistic.
ALL HAIL OPTIMUS part 4! It’s all-out war as OPTIMUS PRIME’s forces move on GALVATRON’s DECEPTICONS—with Earth caught in the middle! Unusual alliances have formed… and secrets will be revealed.
This issue really is all out war. A four way battle erupts between the combined forces of Optimus’ Autobots together with Soundwave’s Decepticons, against Galvatron`s war monger Decepticons, while the forces of Earth attack, and Starscream sends the Cybertronian news to cover it all to make Optimus look bad. If the situation sounds intense it should because a lot happens all at once. It’s a very fast paced issue but a lot of things get looked over because of the rush to get the battle started. One of the biggest examples is Tracks and Needlenose, the brothers on opposite sides of the conflict who don’t have enough time to discuss how they are now fighting together. It’s a small complaint but at the same time the last time they tried to work things out Needlenose shot Tracks. A little nod to the idea the two of them might need counseling would be nice.
The art by Priscilla Tramontano and Josh Burcham feels a bit out place in this issue. Its very good but Tramontano’s art is more animated and Josh Burcham’s color work feels a bit softer in tone and this combined style detracts from the intensity of the building drama in the issue. It’s not bad art it just seems the darker style of Livio Ramondelli would have been a better choice for such an intense battle.
The issue is still good and helping to move the story of All Hail Optimus forward but it’s not without its problems here and there. The aftermath will be very interesting. Starscream has succeeded in making Optimus Prime look foolish to the public and the human of Earth have really caught him at a bad time. It’s starting to look like even if Optimus wins he may come out a loser.
