A reactivated assassin is killed; then brought back from the dead with a 24-hour lifespan. Gleeful medium-budget SF actioner, directed in the manner of John Woo by a seasoned stunt coordinator. Well-cast and made; a superior genre entertainment for high-concept gunplay fans.
Tag: ethan hawke
The Kid (2019, dir. Vincent D’Onofrio)
A brother and sister, on the run from their vengeful uncle, cross paths with both Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid. Deliberately-paced Western focusing on character playing, landscape, and on actorly performances as much as on its narrative approach to an oft-told bit of genre history.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017, dir. Luc Besson)
Two elite agents work to uncover a dark secret at the heart of a gigantic space station. Clunkily-scripted and unevenly-acted but undeniably spectacular and well-designed SF fantasy; a $200m auteur piece, for good or ill, and all the better for its distinctiveness.
Another view? Here’s Lemonsquirtle’s thoughts.
In a Valley of Violence (2016, dir. Ti West)
A US Civil War veteran swears revenge on the men who killed his dog. Lean spaghetti western homage, equal parts John Wick and Pale Rider, with lots to enjoy if you’re a genre aficionado. Nothing too original, but diverting nevertheless. The cast plainly has fun.
The Magnificent Seven (2016, dir. Antoine Fuqua)
A band of hired guns seek redemption by protecting a town from a robber baron. An enjoyable nth version of Seven Samurai, this throwback western references Tombstone and Pale Rider as much as its nominal source material; all involved seem to have fun.
255 Review 