Tuesday, September 27, 2016
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington return to collaborate on this remake of the classic, The Magnificent Seven (a remake of Seven Samurai). It also stars Ethan Hawke, Chris Platt, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Byun-Hun Lee as part of the magnificent seven with Peter Sarsgaard as the nemesis. Seeing Hawke (Training Day) collaborating again with Washington was certainly a treat and great performances by the aforementioned along with D'Onofrio and Sarsgaard were acting highlights. Fuqua's remake certainly doesn't trump the originals, but it's a great effort with a talented cast and it's certainly obvious that they were having fun with the western genre. Fuqua excels in directing the action scenes and there's no denying that in this film. Understandably so, it's a challenge in developing the characters and unique subplots, but The Magnificent Seven was in competent enough hands with writer Nic Pizzolato (True Crime). There are deficiencies in the film for sure, but it's mostly the type of film to entertain with the sheer star power and action scenes. That, it does.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
SPL 2: A Time For Consequences
Supposedly, Sha Po Lang: A Time For Consequences (Kill Zone 2), the sequel to the 2005's Sha Po Lang though the recurring cast of characters are rearranged like musical chairs and the story is an exercise in melodramatic cinematic hyperbole gone awry. Director Wilson Yip seems to be using the SPL vehicle as an excuse for bringing back an updated mix of actors and action stars. Returning in different roles are veterans Simon Yam and Wu Jing, but now with the addition of Tony Jaa (Ong Baak film series) and Zhang Jin (The Grandmaster). I must admit that is an exciting mix of folks, for sure. For the most part, their respective talents do standout in the action sequences, especially as one would expect from martial artist Tony Jaa, Zhang Jin, and Wu Jing. It's Hong Kong meets Thai action, though action director and co-star Ken Lo certainly could have left out some of the fucked up wirework. The story itself, strives to live up more to the mantra of Sha Po Lang in the story of a dying protagonist in Jaa's daughter and antagonist in gangster Louis Koo, both in need of medical transplants under the most extraordinary and ironic circumstances. This is where it starts off murky in figuring out what the hell was going on in the first place. So by the time there is some semblance of understanding amidst the action, I hardly cared anymore about the unbelievable nature in plot and character. Just get to the action and finale. There is brilliance in SPL 2: A Time For Consequences somewhere because it is entertaining in the diverse combination of cast. It has the right ingredients in that and even story arch. However, it feels more like an unfinished sculptor lacking much refinement and direction. Wilson could have thrown us a better bone after a decade.
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