Creed

For all that the original Rocky movie has become a frequent target of parodies, it's actually a pretty darn good film that made a lot of people root for its hero.  The many sequels must have made money, but they paled in comparison to the first, and they quickly became the province only of those seeking another action flick.  (I was one of those people, as you might expect.)

Creed, though a film in this series, is not another sequel.  If anything, it's a modern re-imagining of the original that also manages to build on the whole series.  Director and co-writer Ryan Coogler had to convince Sylvester Stallone to let him co-op Stallone's world, and I'm glad he did.  Creed tells a familiar story, but with a lot of heart and an interesting approach.

Lead actor Michael B. Jordan, who previously teamed with Coogler on Fruitvale Station, makes you forget his Fantastic Four role and see a very different and more interesting character.  Stallone plays an aging, solitary Rocky Balboa with more grace and dignity than I would have thought possible for him.  The supporting cast members generally turn in good performances, but Jordan and Stallone rightly dominate the story.

Speaking of which, I can't tell you to expect a lot of surprises from the plot, because this is a song you've heard before--but this particular version has its own heart and its own specificity.

If you enjoyed the original Rocky film--and I do mean that specific film, not the whole series--then you will enjoy Creed.  If you don't know Rocky or its sequels, as long as you can handle some boxing violence, you should check out Creed.  I definitely recommend it.

Escape Plan

In a post nearly four months ago, I said I would have to catch this action flick, so on the last night of CONtraflow I treated myself to a late showing of it. I know that many of you are now thinking, "Wow, he really will see anything," and of course that's mostly true, but this one proved to be an entertaining bit of fluff.

Yes, we had to tolerate Stallone sitting and thinking, but the director wisely distracted from this cerebral activity with lots of graphics. Stallone and Schwarzenegger looked old, but they still have presence, and they were clearly having fun together. Jim Caviezel took a break from his Person of Interest duties to deliver a similarly muted performance as a bad guy, the warden of the impossible-to-escape-from prison in which Stallone finds himself. You already know the plot, but that doesn't matter, because the movie implements it reasonably well and with good pacing, so the ride is fun.

If you're up for watching these two old action stars have fun with a prison breakout story, you'll enjoy Escape Plan. I did.

Another must-see flick for any bad-movie fan

I knew it was coming.

Kyle pointed out the trailer. 

Stallone.

Schwarzenegger.



Escape Plan

I am so there.

My Bullet to the Head experience

I don't know if I'm a weirdness magnet or if I just pay closer attention to my surroundings than most folks, but I sure do manage to run into my share of odd stuff.

Take tonight, for example.  I wanted to de-stress by taking in a dumb action film.  Stallone's new (and tanking) Bullet to the Head fit the bill perfectly.  I didn't decide to go until late in the day, and none of the few people I contacted were interested in accompanying me.  No problem.  I am completely happy to watch movies (in the theater or at home) alone.

Off I went. 

I settled into my seat, my usual small (movie theater small, meaning 32 ounces) Coke Zero in hand.  I was the third person in the theater.  The other two were a guy two-thirds of the way up and a guy in the top row.  I sat in my usual spot: the first raised row, where I could put my feet on the bars in front of me.  As the first trailer was winding down, a man and a woman entered together and sat to my right and in the row immediately behind me.  The man looked happy; the woman looked put-upon.

About two-thirds of the way through the film, too much Coke Zero got the better of me, and I headed to the bathroom.  As I stood, out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of the couple behind me.  The woman's hand was moving in the man's lap.  She saw me see her, made an odd face, and quickly pulled back her hand.  The man immediately covered his lap.  I averted my gaze and headed for the restroom.

When I returned, her hands were folded primly in her lap.

I resisted the urge to give them a thumbs-up.

As far as I'm concerned, given that she was willing not only to accompany him to this movie (which the look on her face as she entered made clear was a sacrifice), but also give him a hand-job in the second row, she was aces in my book.

I do think, though, that a more isolated row might have been a better choice, as would a jacket on his lap.  Maybe a few tissues. 

Oh, if you're wondering about the movie, it was exactly what you'd expect, including a final fight between 5'8" (he claims 5'10", but I don't buy it), 66-year-old Sylvester Stallone and 6'4", 33-year-old Jason "remake Conan" Momoa, in which both wielded fireman axes.  What's not to like?  Face it, if you're even considering this movie, you already know if you'll have fun attending it.

Though entertainment from the audience can certainly liven up the evening.