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Film reviews

She Rides Shotgun Review

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For Taron Egerton, he has taken on roles that are diverse with accomplishments from playing a boy to being a young spy in The Kingsman. He played as a rookie athlete with the hopes of doing high jumps at the Olympics in Eddie the Eagle as well assinging his heart out in Rocketman. Take all those blockbusters and throw them out the window. She Rides Shotgun is by far one of the best films he has starred in! Directed by Nick Rowland(director of Calm Horses and Floodlights), this is a low-budget feature that gives its all with a rare tenderness in what is all bound to be lost. The film revolves around a struggling father in the center of conflict, and a riveting direction that has many heart pumping moments for its audiences. This is a story where criminality carries consequences through the hurdles of agony. On top of it all, it maintains a consistency of thriving to stay alive. An auteur’s force of direction that is bound to receive attention for its realism.

The setting of the film is around Albuquerque, New Mexico. The film’s plot revolves around a father and his daughter. The father is Nate, and he is played by Taron Egerton. The daughter is Polly, and she is played by Ana Sophia Heger. Nate is in all kinds of trouble with the law with many legalities surrounding a drug lord. So much to the point that his problems chase him until he is dead. With time of the essence, Nate is repeatedly scrambling and running. He puts Polly in the car and takes heron his fleeing journey. Polly begins to realize that the many conflicts around her are due to her father’s errors. At the same time though, she wants to protect him, especially with her age playing a factor. She does not understand the very grown-up problems of what is put in front of her. The young mind seeing all kinds of dangers sparks a new adventure of vengeance in She Rides Shotgun.

The film keeps its politics and criminality to be a cat-and-mouse game with the vulnerable side of Polly as the driving force of the film’s wonders. It is hard to predict her outcome. Around the running from all the dangers, there is clarity to making it out alive. Rowland’s usage of sabotage has an eloquent approach tomoving parts that are damaged and looking to be reconciled. This aspect is truly expressed when it comes to the law enforcement party of, She Rides Shotgun. With a detective assigned to hunting down Nate and the danger to his daughter Polly, there is the tone of truth finding light. The detective is John, and he is played by Rob Yang (Succession and The Menu). John is put in the middle of all the moving parts but also knows the corruption of the landscape. Where Nate chooses to run his problems will continue to follow him.

The juxtapositions of livelihood, fatherhood, and criminality all tango intrepidly. Nate teaches his daughter Polly how to defend herself, as she is in the front seat throughout the many crimes of this odyssey. The film’s exploration of the criminal underworld loops into a landscape of fear that is relentlessly aching. The pain of fear stands for a sacrifice of purpose in She Rides Shotgun. The biggest factor and enemy though, is the criminal boss Dave, and he is played by John Carroll Lynch (The Founder and Lucky). Lynch is an actor that can play any type of happy, negative or empowering character. With this one, he goes off the edge of the deep end to make evil swirl under his hands.

All of the characters play a role in getting themselves to a place where they feel safe and stable. The setup of there being laws and ways around them is where Rowland’s directing is a knockout. He knows how to have the troubled characters test the waters of tolerance and the law. But also, he does so with those who are the law enforcement. The masterful talent of Egerton, Heger, Yang, and Lynch are all superb in playing those wanting to find their heroism. Much of my appreciation shouts out to Heger, because for a young girl her seriousness dives into the realistic feeling portrayed in She Rides Shotgun. How did riding that seat truly make her feel though? Find out for yourself with She Rides Shotgun. Four out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

From the world of John Wick: Ballerina Review

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I love all the John Wick films and I truly adored From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. I enjoyed it from the structure in thebeginning to the pattern of revenge which evolved throughout the film. Directed by Len Wiseman, the aspect that fuels thisfilm is the background correlating to the John Wick franchise. As it moves forward it contains the same momentum that results in non-stop mayhem until a price is paid. It is a rollercoaster that is unstoppable and a force of power that is not to be messed with. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina weaves a mode of continuity that makes audiences come to worship Ana de Armas.

Ana de Armas plays Eve in the film. She saw her father get killed right in front of her at a young age. Her childhood wasrough, but she always has a plan for revenge. She is introduced to Winston (Ian McShane). For those familiar with the John Wick films, Winston is an inspiration for some unsettling and throttling events. Eve begins her training to find the man who killed her father. The dangerous target is The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Over the course of the film, Eve gets her training and finds herself on the run while hunting down The Chancellor. The correlation to John Wick is the presence of his character, played by Keanu Reeves. Wick is not a massive presence, but the correlating lines of vengeance expand rapidly. 

It is a two-hour ride where Armas is brutally and insanely good. The riveting components of revenge leads to in-depth motions that are loud and fearless. Gasp as grenades go spiraling, watch fighting on roller skates, and do not mess with Armas. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina paints a portrait of one “ballerina” that is not be reckoned with. The many intriguing aspects of this franchise’s universe are bound to have more to offer. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.

Film reviews

Shadow Force Review

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It is a thriller that lacks qualities. It has spies and political factors, and it moves too quickly. Shadow Force is an enticing title, but the outcome is flawed. Directed by Joe Carnahan, who also wrote the film. Leon Chills was a co-writer of Shadow Force. There is a 007 feel to Shadow Force. Lots of it feels like a TV series. One that felt like it was still in development. It is just all over the place. It did not hold my attention, but it did when there was a safety area of a car for a child. Shadow Force has a creativity with gadgets and a poor foundation.

The plot of the film is set on a separated couple. They are Kyrah Owens (Kerry Washington) and Issac Sarr (Omar Sy). They have their son, Ky (Jahleel Kamara). Their old employer is on a hunt for them. Their old boss is Jack Cinder (Mark Strong). Jack is a ruthless man of wealth, greed, and always succeeding. However, the costs of livelihood are at stake.

The approach to the film is slow with pacing. Its speed to brutality is rapid, and it happens without context. It brings in a team of spies behind the scenes. Ones that relate to Kyrah and Issac, and their character names are Auntie (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), Unc (Method Man), Cysgod (Marvin Jones III), and Anino (Jenel Stevens). They are all spies behind the shadows. The hunt is hot, but Shadow Force does not boil well to sell.

The spy plot is just one that continues down the path to mingle. Some moments had me sold, and some had me in boredom. Much of the “boredom” was the instant direction to rampage violence. I understand mayhem sells in action movies, but layers of why and what is happening should have a brighter presence. There were not many “layers” of clarification for justification with Shadow Force.

The dynamic of two-faced spies and mistakes is where I feel Shadow Force had a chance. One to bring a loop of more turmoil to the story and fulfillment of what is causing karma. The hidden operations and truths do not deny lies. The context of invigoration is where Shadow Force is a blur. It is a massive smoke screen.

I will say that the cleverness of characterizations was dazzling with Shadow Force. They were just the wrong characters in the wrong spy movie. It is one where it is a bucket that is just a paint of confusion. What were the missions of the characters? How serious are politics and spy issues? Where are the layers of a puzzle? The film starts with a bam, and moving along, it begins redundancy.

To give any form of positivity, the diversity is one-of-a-kind. Sy’s character brings in the French language with a young boy. I felt there would be a correlation between bringing more international politics for a point-of-action mode on this factor. It did not suffice, only more dragging and unexpected action. They had no means of support to better Shadow Force. Two out of four stars.