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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.

Film reviews

The Surfer Review

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For Nicolas Cage, The Surfer is another flick where his egotistical and bipolar moments solidify lead to chaos. This dark comedy flows as it explores many aspects of an individual looking to fulfill his dreams. Along the way, The Surfer feels intuitive. Directed by Lorcan Finegan, this film is a fascinating portrait of a man hoping for his dream to become reality. Cage is the center of all of this. Throughout The Surfer, there are plot twists which become more enriching than the audience may see at first. To be clear, there is no surfing in the movie. Instead, I think of it as Cage “surfing” his way to establish a foundation on uncharted territory. In the early stages of his journey, there are plenty of obstacles. With Cage as the lead character, audiences know what he tends to deliver when annoyances come his way.

Cage’s character’s name is The Surfer. He takes his son on a surprise visit to his favorite beach that he grew up on. He tells his son he is going to buy a house so they can have many surfing adventures. Finn Little plays The Kid, the son. There are many issues that arise during their trip. The Surfer is in a bidding war on the home he wants to purchase. He is waiting for a call from a real estate agent and is all set to get the home of his dreams, which is the home he grew up in. To prove his commitment, The Surfer spends his days in his car awaiting this important call. From that point on, the movie is filled with adventure involving a bunch of odd characters and wannabes that cause things to boil to a breaking point.

What makes The Surfer quirky and attention-grabbing is all the crazy scenes. It is clearly uncharted territory when it comes to Cage’s performance especially when people keep telling him, “DON’T LIVE HERE…DON’T SURF HERE!” The comedy and dark fantasy in the film’s setup are compelling. The film’s writing makes Cage’s performance unravel like a bipolar dragon. When he does so, it is chaotic and silly but also relentlessly brilliant. This is the role for Cage, playing a man so angry that his first-world issue is not being prioritized. The Surfer is not gnarly because of the waves, but due to the treacherous plateaus in Cage’s character. Two-and-a-half out of four stars for The Surfer.

Film reviews

Flight Risk Review

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Mel Gibson directed Flight Risk, but it does not fly high. It is a thriller set in one setting that is rushed with mediocrity. My senses told me it would be a hit-or-miss experience, especially with a slated release date of October (2024) and then forwarded to now. The delay in its release stands corrected. Flight Risk is a mess of suspense with poor writing, characterizations, and a horrid foundation.

The film gears on a fugitive, Winston (played by Topher Grace). He is to go on trial, and his air marshal is Madolyn (played by Michelle Dockery). Their pilot is Daryl (played by Mark Wahlberg). Their flight is going over the wilderness of Alaska. Once they are in the sky, red flags begin to arise. Winston and Madolyn see signs of a questioning personality with Daryl. Also, he becomes abusive. Therefore, Winston and Madolyn must figure out how to keep themselves from crashing with the aircraft or battling with Daryl. Also, with Winston (as one who is a criminal), the level of trust lies in the balance of the film’s suspense.

The title and the cast are the appeal of Flight Risk. The conflict is what is the blur. The criminality part has little explanation, and the problems in the plane are boring. There are a few moments that have audiences jump. Its quality is like it belongs to a reality show in a TV movie. It is challenging to take seriously.

With Wahlberg (as the bad guy), he is the one who brings in the vindictive vengeance danger to the aircraft. With Grace and Dockery (as the protagonists), it is like Three Stooges meets Con-Air. Flight Risk lacks authenticity and big means of awry.  Flight Risk continues down its path of a disaster setup.

The film leaves many questions. What is the crime of Winston? How many charges are there? How did all the legalities begin? Why is Daryl the pilot to question? There is not much means of a foundation. Its audiences do not have much background to the upbringing of the conflict in and of itself.

The plane flies in hurdles. It is not shot vividly to create enticing entertainment. There are some moments of sharp turns, but other than that, all the conflicts are inside the plane. There is no place to escape, and only inside the plane is the boredom of time wasted in Flight Risk.

What came to my mind was the other films directed by Gibson. He is one that is known to push the envelope of violence. I wonder if this one was lighter because of going into production with his next project The Passion of the Christ. It is like he decided to direct a thriller in the sky before the intense process of his next biggest project. Regardless, Flight Risk did not display realism or in-depth moments like his other fascinating projects. I would rather revisit Braveheart or Hacksaw Ridge to feel “the envelope of violence” again. I rate Flight Riskone-in-a-half out of four stars.