Every new Fast & Furious premiere is an event in its own right now. It’s a wonder, really, to see how a pretty straightforward flick about street racing and VCR theft has become a legit phenomenon. That’s right, folks, it’s time once again for our semi-annual reminder from the wonderfully insane Fast & Furious franchise that the concept of physics doesn’t mean a goddamn thing. All of this seems to promise a banger of an action picture, a stunning sendoff to one of our most interesting Bonds, and the potential for an exciting future for the franchise - one that’s shaken and stirred. Behind the camera, director Cary Joji Fukunaga and co-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge are such sterling, interesting, engaging talents. And while the film’s narrative seems to showcase the two teaming up to take down Rami Malek’s evil villain, I need a spinoff series of Lynch as a dope secret agent, and I need it yesterday. That distinction now belongs to Lashana Lynch, whose Nomi took the 007 mantle after Bond retired after the events of Spectre. And, most importantly - Bond ain’t 007 anymore. We’ve got characters who have no idea who Bond is, forcing him to say his full name out of frustration, rather than as the culmination of a dope catchphrase. ![]() We’ve got return visits from Christoph Waltz and Léa Seydoux. Forget last film’s villains, loves, and losses - we’ve got new shit to deal with, baby! But 2020’s No Time to Die, Craig’s final rodeo as the English secret agent, promises to be the apex of “messing with the status quo” and “honoring continuity.” ![]() The “golden age” of Bond (either Sean Connery or Roger Moore, depending on your taste for camp) was partially defined by the hard resets occurring at the beginning of each new adventure. The Daniel Craig series of contemporary Bond films, starting with 2006’s Casino Royale and arguably reaching its peak with 2012’s Skyfall, is marked by its willingness to mess with the status quo. Image via Nicola Dove © 2019 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM STXfilms seems to be very content with “letting great filmmakers take great casts and deliver great original mid-budget pictures,” and honey, I’m very content as well. The actors involved, all clearly relishing the chance to muck around in Ritchie’s underworld, include Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant, and my personal MVP, Henry Golding doing a downright daft Cockney accent and sneering and preening all over the damn place like some kind of dumb crime rock star. When word of his pseudo-retirement gets around the British crime community (goodness, what a fun phrase to write! Guy Ritchie’s back, baby!), all kinds of shady characters and, ahem, “gentlemen” do whatever it takes to get their slice of the green pie. Matthew McConaughey leads a delightful ensemble as an American marijuana kingpin living in England, looking to step away from his business. But based on early footage and critical response, The Gentlemen looks to rocket “Guy Ritchie” back into the cultural consciousness with delightfully brash energy. ![]() But the OG brand of “Guy Ritchie,” the kind of tough-talking, quick-witted crime comedy-thriller promised by instantly iconic flicks like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, hasn’t been seen in a theatre since 2008’s RocknRolla. Guy Ritchie’s back, baby! Granted, Guy Ritchie has not technically gone anywhere - he’s consistently been making big-budget movies like the Sherlock Holmes franchise and 2019’s bonkers Aladdin remake. Also, DJ Khaled plays a character named Manny the Butcher, and I will not rest until I’ve seen this creation. But watching the two charming leads trade quips for two hours is well worth the price of a ticket, so throw in a few competently staged gunfights and car chases and I’m good. The action sequences admittedly look a little bland in the trailers, and the film’s January release date historically doesn’t bode well. And Smith and Lawrence are back in Bad Boys for Life after a 17-year hiatus, and that’s reason enough for me to be excited. After all, the best thing about the previous two Bad Boys movies was the chemistry between its stars, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence (in fact, the first Bad Boys is a borderline farce, with action sequences sprinkled in between all the comedic scenes). But after watching 6 Underground, I have determined that this is perhaps a blessing in disguise. The Bad Boys films are two of renowned explosion wizard Michael Bay’s best films, so at first, it was disappointing to hear that Bay wouldn’t be returning to direct the latest installment in the series.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |