Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Kate (2021, dir. Cedric Nicolas-Troyan)

A Tokyo-based assassin has 24 hours to get revenge on the yakuza chief who fatally poisoned her. The 1940s noir D.O.A., basically, as a stylised action movie. Okay as far as it goes, though the rote script and a fetishized approach to Japanese pop culture detracts from Mary Elizabeth Winstead badassery and intermittently-terrific action choreography.

Here’s the trailer.

Die Hard 4.0 [AKA Live Free or Die Hard] (2007, dir. Len Wiseman)

John McClane and a young hacker track down a cyberterrorist. Fourth time out, the franchise has been retooled for pan-generational appeal, with muted levels of violence/language to suit. That said, it’s an entertaining analogue v digital thriller, with all digi-tropes present and some panache in the action design.

Here’s the trailer.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) [AKA Birds of Prey / Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey] (2020, dir. Cathy Yan)

Harley Quinn, now no longer enjoying The Joker’s protection, is both the target of vengeful Gotham criminals and embroiled in a quest for a diamond. Dayglo spinoff of Suicide Squad with some verve in its playing, direction, action choreography and design. It wants to be a female-led Deadpool, but is let down somewhat by an under-par script.

Black Christmas [AKA Black X-Mas] (2006, dir. Glen Morgan)

One Christmas, an escaped killer returns to his home, now a sorority house. This first (loose) remake of the 1974 genre outlier is somewhat confusingly-organised and doesn’t hit the same gleeful stride as the same team’s Final Destination movies, but at least commits with some confident direction, gore, and a couple of weird moments.

The Thing (2011, dir. Matthijs van Heijningen Jr)

Members of a Norwegian Antarctic research base find an alien specimen. Prequel/remake of the 1982 John Carpenter-directed movie. Okay as far as it goes, but perfunctory plotting and reliance on CG over practical effects mean this doesn’t really compare, despite good efforts from the cast.

Another viewpoint wanted? We got you.

Final Destination 3 (2006, dir. James Wong)

Teens who avoid a fatal theme park accident find themselves targeted by Death. This third part avoids explicit story links to the first two, but borrows a further plot point from The Omen, and is a touch grislier and more mean-spirited than its predecessors. Some dark in-jokes lurk, though, and there’s a star-making central performance.

Gemini Man (2019, dir. Ang Lee)

An elite assassin on the verge of retirement is targeted for execution. A good-looking action flick that takes ages to tell us what the poster does. One great action sequence aside, it’s underpowered, though a game support cast of Brit character actors do their best with none-more-90s material.