PixlBit

Not any game stuff at the moment other than I tried Middle-Earth: Shadows of Mordor. I suck at it.

 

But in recent weeks I treated myself to 2 of the best movies I've seen in years and if you like Action, Drama and Westerns, these films are for you.

 

John Wick: Chapter 2

The sequel to the cult, sleeper hit John Wick, the storty of a retired Assassin so legendary they call him Boboyega (The Bogeyman) is abruptly taken out of retirement after his car is stolen and the dog his deceased wife gave him after her burial is killed by the Son of the city's biggest crime boss.

It was a stylish well acted well shot piece of Cinema more involving than the Bourne Series, it shows the action as intense and methodical and is some of the best acting in the Keanu Reeve's career (which might not be saying much but is non the less impressive).

Part of the enjoyment in this film is the world building, the mob and affiliates and competitors follow rules or are punished, you get a sense of protocol without knowing how deep the rabbit hole goes, just hints, seeing how everyone reacts to John's name or sometimes presence is almost subtle but there's a history of great respect or fear. John Liguasamo and Wilem Dafoe lend their acting chops as well as a few vets and new faces. The African Receptionist is a joy to watch his dry humor and professionalism.

Long story short, he Kills everyone (and gets a new dog), not much of a spoiler.

 

The sequel? Think about what Aliens was to Alien. Larger in scale.

Taking place a few years after the film, it starts with a 15 minute or so recap, not in flashbacks but in expositional narration to what you see on screen, it is entertaining in execution.

 

After that the real plot begins, in the previous movie you get a hint at what Wick had to do to get out of the crime world but here we get context, he had help from a bigger/rival mob family to even get that chance and the man who gave it to him returned to fulfill a "blood oath" which Wick signed in blood. He says no at first... And then he had to say yes. I won't say why.

 

He is tasked to Assassinate someone in the same crime family because he wanted to run it in the first place, John Wick, Kinda succeeds but as he leaves it's revealed he was never going to eave alive after a narrow escape the Mob boss puts a hit on his head.

And here is when we get the Aliens comparison, we gett more assassins, more hired goons,more creative kills and more action scenes 1 of which is an homage to a Bruce Lee film.

It's more intense, violent, builds the criminal world even more as a very solid and detailed system through mostly visuals which some returning actors from the previous movie and New Faces like Common or Laurence Fishbaun.

In action movies like these they tend to show the main character as unstoppable and/or invincible, they do here but they are clever enoughh to make it through both skill and luck why he not only survives but why he's the best, Like how John McLane was one of the few early Action heroes (other than Clint Eastwood in some of his westerns) to show visible, emotional and physical vulnerability.

That requires talent.

 

The only bad things in this movie is that there's less of an emotional connection in this movie than the first, he was just in the process of grieving, here he's just going through the motions (not in a bad way) and though I liked WHY it ended HOW it ended, stretched plausibility to much, as in that just wouldn't happen in public, at all.

 

This is a solid Movie and a great new Franchise which reinvigorates the Action genre. Everything you've Heard about this film has been watered down. A little in movie reference to this film 

 

 

Logan.

 

This movie made me cry.

 

If you like westerns, drama or Western Dramas, you'll love this. It's the Heart breaking tale of Wolverine only now going by Logan as 20 years have past and the X-men are dead and their have been no new mutants since then and are almost legends.

You don't need to read any comics for this one and you barely need to watch the old films to get this one, so don't worry.

 

the Setting is New Mexico (I think), Logan as well as Xavier are essentially both dying, Xavier of a degenerative brain decease while Logan,though not specified if dying due to the metal on his bones wearing out his healing factor and body to the point he can barely "snikt" his claws out his fists.

He's saving money so he can leave with Xavier by driving people around, it's a hollow mundane and demoralising life... until he meets a little girl.

It turns out the "Weapon X" program still has a legacy in his life time, to which they have to escape from a sanctuary in Canada (The fact it matches up so well with the Current US political Climate is bizarre).

 

The Action is (the film in general), though grounded is still well shot entertaining and bloody as hell. There's only one real BIG visual affect if you discount the 3rd act and it's when Xavier uses his powers, I keep using the word "Intense but it's a perfect word here" as the sheer magnitude of his power is displayed and only Wolverine due to his Adamantium is the only one strong enough to resist.

The score is very understated at times but when it comes you feel it (might apply to John Wick too), the sound mixing and Sound cues know exactly when and where to hit for ultimate affect.

This is also one of the few movies that show a black family ass just plain normal, notion special, just an average farming family who are being pressured by some rednecks (typical).

 

There are some stand out roles but X-23, Laura Kinney (actor, Dafne Keen) who is wonderful to watch, when she says nothing and when she eventually does, a bright new talent with so much charisma for a little girl, ironically more Like the traditional Wolverine than Jackman ever played (). Think HitGirl and River Tam.

For all you  Anglophiles Stephen Merchant is a Mutant called Caliban, an Albino mutant who can track any mutant who decides to help Logan but like him is getting grumpy and demoralized by life in his attempt to make amends for helping hunt down his own kind in the past, his exchanges though brief is well acted and if only we got to see how his powers work i'd say he was perfect.

The villains are a weakness but are still portrayed well, The mutant hunters are called Reavers, tracking down Mutants keeping them in line in a shady off the books government (or private) organisation, they have full robotic limbs which a very realistic, not over the top just very rough but exceedingly functional. the Main bad guy though doesn't do a lot I like, the Son of William Striker of the Original Weapon X program is the cause of all this, (again a British villain, Richard E. Grant) and typically behind his calm well spoken veneer is something sinister, evil bubbling under the surface, both subtle and blatant (I kinda wish this was Mr Sinister).

There's a little movie shout out to Shane the western too.

This isn't a typical Superhero movie, it's downbeat, a little dour, intense yet captivating.

This is some of the best Acting of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart's careers not as the characters either, you see the connection between them even near the third act when the beat you over the head with it you don't mind because it was earned.

It's rare that a movie would intentionally disappoint it's audience by not giving us a good bad or bitter sweet ending, it's bitter, even when the children survive.

 

This is a film I never knew I wanted, I wanted the First Spider-man, I wanted Avengers and I  wanted a Dark Knight Returns but this was something different, something the Superhero Genre hasn't really addressed well just yet, getting old and the passage of time, and sometimes the good guys don't win. I grew up with the X-men movies having it end this way with the 2 actors now retiring from their roles, I feel a deep sense of solace.

This movie was small yet it had such huge scoop through the theme of, as cheesy as it is, "Hope" and maybe faith.

 

This is a must watch for comicbook fans, western lovers alike, it's one of the best Marvel Superhero movies ever made, arguable the Best X-men Movie and a damn good movie on it's own. It's worth it if not just to see Patrick Stewart swear 

 

 

 

Go watch these great movies, please

 

This is V saying "Bring Tissues"