End of Watch

“End of Watch,” released in 2012, is one of the best police movies in recent years, a brilliant combination of performances and often surprising action. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña are Taylor and Zavala, two Los Angeles Street cops who bend a few rules but must be acknowledged as heroes. After too many police movies about officers who essentially use their badges as licenses to go crazy, it’s inspiring to realize that these men take their mission – to serve and protect – with such seriousness they’re willing to risk their lives.

Taylor and Zavala hit every mark of the “buddy cop movie,” but “End of Watch” goes so much deeper than that. They’ve been partners for years and are so close that Zavala’s wife, Gabby (Natalie Martinez), and Taylor’s girlfriend, Janet (Anna Kendrick), have become like sisters. The two cops are transferred to a hard, largely Mexican-American district, where their determination leads them across the scent of a Mexican cartel operating in Los Angeles. This is really a job for a detective, but they don’t avoid risk, and eventually become so dangerous to the cartel that a hit is ordered against them.

That builds up to the film’s third act. Earlier parts have amazing shootouts, chases, and rescuing children from a burning building when the fire department is slow to arrive. You have to see the two men find themselves in an incredibly high percentage of dangerous and violent situations. If every day were as disturbing and risky as their lives here, it’s incredible they can keep going in to work.

As the movie starts, Taylor is filming a video documentary about his job, for a film class he’s taking. “End of Watch” begins with his narration about the nature of his job. Roger Ebert said in his review, “All through the movie, Jake Gyllenhaal reveals a presence and stability that's in contrast to the lighter-weight, ingratiating characters he often plays.” Michael Peña gives one of the performances of his career as the partner, and the reality of their relationship underscores the whole film. We wouldn’t believe some of the things they do if we didn’t believe who they are.

The movie is helped by strong supporting performances, not only by Natalie Martinez and Anna Kendrick but by fellow officers Van Hauser (David Harbour), Sarge (Frank Grillo), and Orozco (America Ferrera).

Ebert noted, “The consistent plausibility of "End of Watch" must owe a great deal to writer-director David Ayer. This is his second credit as a writer-director, after "Harsh Times" (2005), and he deserves many more. He knows this territory. He wrote Denzel Washington's Oscar-winning "Training Day" (2001) and two other superior cop movies, "Dark Blue" (2002), "S.W.A.T." (2003) and "The Fast and the Furious" (2001).”

At this point, it seems fair to guess he may want to stay right there in Los Angeles and explore the police experience in one way after another. From a dramatic viewpoint, there are few professions that give their members entry into other lives, those include cops, doctors, clergymen, journalists, and prostitutes. Maybe that explains why they figure in so much television and movies. Their lives are lived amongst human drama.

This is one of the best buddy cop movies ever. Bear in mind, this has a lot of swearing, including a lot of F bombs dropped. If you don’t mind the language and violence, then you should check this one out because it is worth checking out. You’ll be missing out if you haven’t seen this great film.

Thank you for joining in on this long-running “Buddy Cop Month.” I hope you enjoyed every film that I reviewed and you checked out the ones I recommended. Look out next month for what I will end the year out with.

Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow

For this year’s Thanksgiving Movie Review, I will be looking at a Lifetime movie that premiered in 2015, “Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow.”

There is a reference to a famous cartoon series toward the end of the film. Robert Lloyd said in his review, “Whether it’s there as an act of homage or an admission of guilt, I don’t know, but the movie is very much a variation on a theme by “Scooby-Doo” — if the gang had some light family business to resolve.”

Written by Tim Burns and Christopher Baldi, the film is based on a story and characters created in 1968 by the late Jim Henson and his former writing partner, Jerry Juhl. As we all know, Henson created the Muppets and they now work Disney, which has made them stuck under contract to an ABC sitcom, while the Jim Henson Co. does other work (including Fusion’s puppet panel show, “No, You Shut Up!”).

Even though there are some small suggestive humor, this is an old-school film at you would see from watching it. Director Kirk Thatcher, who also made “A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie” and “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz,” knows what to do.

Lloyd said, “The setup recalls a thousand such seasonal movies, another 600 of which will be made this year by the Hallmark Channel.” Jay Harrington plays a recently divorced father who goes to spend Thanksgiving with his eccentric aunt, played by Mary Steenburgen, in a famous town off the grid, in the woods.

He brings his two children: his son (Graham Verchere) is excitable and intrusive, and his daughter (Genevieve Buechner) is suspicious and bored. Lloyd mentioned, “Like Hansel and Gretel and their many fairy tale siblings, they will go into that forest, where a Bigfoot-type creature is said to lurk.”

The parts are classically assigned. Lloyd noted, “In addition to the family, there are a greedy villain (Linden Banks), henchmen in assorted sizes, an almost amorous sheriff (Reese Alexander) and — what I suppose might strictly speaking be considered a spoiler, but given the provenance, no less than you should expect — some friendly monsters, played by puppets.” They’re not Muppets and they’re in the ads.

Lloyd credited, “And, as in “Our Town” and, oh, lots of things, there is an onstage narrator, played by a very amusing Chris “Ludacris” Bridges in a Mr. Rogers cardigan. He brings the meta (“Am I on? I thought somebody called lunch,” “Does that say ‘tragically slayed’ or ‘magically saved’? I can barely see the cue cards”), and he brings it well.”

Everyone plays their part well, but Steenburgen is the highlight. Even in the one of the lesser moments, she’s always worth watching. Without changing much about her person, she can go from innocent to cruel with no problem at all.

Here, she has some grey hair to play a little bully, more than slightly grumpy old woman, someone who loves the world but is less sure about people. She is not a hugger. Strangely, the film respects this: Aunt Cly is not, in the usual way of things, someone who can be cracked open. She’s doing just fine.

The flaws include the predictability that you have seen in other holiday specials and “Scooby-Doo.” Lloyd pointed out, “And there is perhaps a little too much whimsicality in the score, which needlessly doubles down on the whimsy already on screen.” The film is best at its least sentimental, and it is mainly not sentimental.

Overall, this is nice, solid entertainment for everyone, modest in its ambitions yet far above the amount of made-for-TV holiday specials that were seen after that. This one has puppets.

This is currently streaming on Disney+ and Amazon Prime. If you check it out, I don’t think it will hurt as I think it does its job fine, but I don’t know if this is something I will remember. Check it out and enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I know probably like everyone else I am looking forward to the dinner tonight. Just make sure you don’t overindulge, even though I know we’re all guilty of doing that. Stay tuned tomorrow for the finale of “Buddy Cop Month.” 

Gladiator II

Tonight, my siblings and I came back from watching “Gladiator 2,” which came out three days ago. I was surprised to hear that they made a sequel to “Gladiator,” as I felt that one just stood on its own. Why make a sequel all these years later?

Ridley Scott is about to turn 87 and he can still make old-school action flicks. His legacy sequel to his Best Picture Oscar winner remains influential and loved by many to this day. Daniel Rester said in his review, “The sequel doesn’t have the same grit and soul as the Russell Crowe-starring original, but it still has enough craftsmanship and excitement to make it a solid follow-up.”

Paul Mescal is the protagonist of the film playing Hanno and the story takes place about sixteen years after the first film. Hanno farms with his wife, Arishat, played by Yuval Gonen, in Numidia. After they are attacked by Roman armies led by General Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal, Hanno is taken prisoner and brought to Rome.

Rome is now under the rule of emperor brothers Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), who want to control even more territory. They schedule gladiatorial games in the Colosseum to celebrate Acacius’ victories, but the general secretly ponders against the rulers. Meanwhile, Hanno is controlled by Macrinus, played by Denzel Washington, and trained to fight as a gladiator.

Rester noted, “Screenwriter David Scarpa, who also penned the scripts for Scott’s films All the Money in the World (2017) and Napoleon (2023), mostly sticks to a formulaic monomyth as Hanno transforms into a Maximus-like hero in the arena.” Scarpa finds easy and artificial ways to connect Hanno to the original film, especially when returning character Lucilla, reprised by Connie Nielsen, recognizes him. The narrative gets more entertaining when it focuses on the two new emperors and Macrinus, a trio of plotting villains. Rester pointed out, “The screenplay’s dialogue has a few rah-rah sections, but little of it has the quotable rhetoric that Gladiator has.”

Rester continued, “Though the script only offers a few real surprises, Scott elevates the film from feeling too cookie-cutter and makes everything look and sound awesome.” His world-building skills remain amazing, with Rome feeling very believable. From the main cast members down to extras playing homeless people, Scott knows how to capture his actors in visually striking ways. He is heavily helped by production designer Arthur Max and costume designer Janty Yates in making scenes and characters stand out. Washington especially stands out in different colorful robes.

Reston said, “The action scenes are mostly mammoth and vigorous, shot with myriad angles by cinematographer John Mathieson and cut with energy by editors Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo. The blood and sweat of the fighters almost feel like they could drip out of the screen. Scott also allows time to show many nuanced facial expressions from people witnessing the violence on display.” Only the CGI for some of the animals during the fights is unbelievable, with baboons, sharks, and a rhino looking obviously CG’ed.

Mescal’s choices change between interesting and flat. “Gladiator II” is his first large picture role as he has been in indie films and television so far. He does fine enough as he tries to make Hanno more complex than what Scarpa has given him in the script. Obviously, he’s not Crowe.

Washington is better, who is the highlight of the movie. Rester said, “The veteran makes eccentric and almost flamboyant choices throughout. It’s a delicious villain performance, and a riskier film might have pushed him as the main character.” A part with him and a decapitated head makes you think that he is trying to reenact Macbeth.

This film won’t have the same impact as the first him. Rester said, “It’s a well-made and very entertaining sequel, but it’s chained to a hackneyed script.” Scott proves that he still has the ability to turn average scripts into above-average movies.

My siblings say that this film was too long and boring. I can understand where they are coming from, but I found myself enjoying this. The over-the-top acting scenes were hilarious, I liked the action scenes, and it did get emotional. I would say check this movie out in the theaters as you should be able to find theaters with plenty of availability seats. Everyone is going to see “Wicked,” but this film is not to be skipped.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned this Friday for the finale of “Buddy Cop Month.”

Sherlock Holmes

There are a lot of great reasons to go to the theater. You might want to see your favorite actor give an award-winning performance. There might be a mystery out there that impresses you. A fiery romance is always in the middle. Then there’s the simple roller coaster ride. The good news is “Sherlock Holmes,” released in 2009, is all of those. Debbie Baldwin said in her review, “It is a brilliantly acted, smart adventure film, and my favorite movie of the year (so far). Be warned, however: this is not your father’s Sherlock Holmes.”

The film starts in 19^th century London as Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) capture Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) just as he is about to murder another young victim. Blackwood, who is known for the dark arts, tells Holmes that even his execution will not stop him. Baldwin stated, “Blackwood, an enthusiast of the dark arts, informs Holmes that even his execution will not stop him. Holmes laughs off the threat with characteristic bravado until Lord Blackwood is spotted post-execution continuing to pursue his deadly plans.” Meanwhile, Holmes’ enemy and love interest, Irene (Rachel McAdams), has returned working for the mysterious Dr. Moriarty (Andrew Jack).

Downey has really reinvented Holmes. Baldwin noted, “While he continues to be the keen genius with a substance abuse problem, he is not channeling Basil Rathbone. This Holmes is a codependent—there were early rumblings that Holmes and Watson were in a sexual relationship, but Holmes’ neediness is far more immature—and mercurial. When he’s not working on a case he is pouting in his room or engaging in bare-knuckle boxing matches. No doubt Downey’s own struggles have informed his character choices. The plot is intelligent and the acting is brilliant. I didn’t want it to end.”

I really liked this movie, as this came out right after Downey did “Iron Man.” He seemed to have been on the rise of being popular amongst people and this film really helped him out with playing a famous book character. This is currently streaming on Max so make sure to check this out as you will enjoy this one a lot.

In 2011 came the sequel, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”

With the first film, Guy Ritchie, Robert Downey Jr., and Jude Law gave an updated, action packed, and entertaining version of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective. It still had enough of the spirit of the original stories to be recognizable, but put a modern fast paced look on them. What was best was the chemistry between Downey Jr. and Law as Holmes and Watson. Now the same cast and crew are back for a sequel that may not be as good as the first, but still manages to entertain.

Scott said in his review, “The spirit of the original Holmes seems dimmer this time around as the plot resembles more of a Victorian era James Bond than it does a Sherlock Holmes tale.” Holmes’ archenemy Professor Moriarty has plans to start a world war to help his newly acquired ammunition factories. While almost all of the original Holmes stories took place in or around London, this story has Holmes and Watson traveling around Europe from London to Paris to Germany and the climax is in the mountains of Switzerland. There’s even a few gadgets inserted for good measure.

The highlight of the movie, just like the first, is the interaction between Holmes and Watson. Scott described, “Law and Downey Jr. share a great comic chemistry, bickering like an old married couple yet always being there for each other when they're needed.” The most enjoyable part of the film is their time together, mainly at the beginning of the story when Holmes takes Watson to his bachelor party and then ends up joining Watson and his wife, played by Kelly Reilly, on their honeymoon train journey. Holmes’ jealousy of Mrs. Watson also adds to the comedy.

The supporting cast is mixed. Stephen Fry gives some nice comedy as Sherlock’s strange brother Mycroft. Rachel McAdams returns briefly as Irene Adler that basically is a cameo appearance. The original girl with the dragon tattoo, Noomi Rapace, is the female lead, but not in a romantic way. Her part feels inserted just to have a female character and she adds little to the story. Scott suggests, “They could have simply expanded Mrs. Watson's part since there isn't a hint of romance between Sherlock and Noomi's character.” Jared Harris is fine as Moriarty, playing it more seriously than the rest of the cast.

Scott said, “While the first movie certainly had its moments of humor, here Holmes seems to reach new levels of campiness. He has become increasingly difficult to take serious at all. To continue the James Bond analogy, this is a Roger Moore Sherlock Holmes rather than a Sean Connery one. It entertains but the actual tension is never that high.”

Ritchie films the story with great style. The journey through the woods while Holmes and Watson are being shot at and shelled is a very well shot scene with great use slow motion. There are also a repeat or two of Holmes analyzing a situation to “see” into the future that are cleverly shot.

Scott ended his review by saying, “I still enjoyed this movie quite a bit, but not as much as much as the original. It's a fun romp, but a slight reining in of the campiness, particularly in Downey Jr.'s performance wouldn't have gone amiss. A return to a more traditional Holmes mystery rather than a bigger is better philosophy might also help the inevitable third film in the series. When it does come, I'll still go to see it, but without quite the level of excitement that I had for the original.”

Interestingly enough, I saw the sequel before I saw the first film. I went to the theaters one night to see this film and I found myself enjoying this a whole lot. It is a fun film and I think that if anyone loved the first film, they will love this one too. There has been talks of a third film for years, and Downey and Law are signed on to reprise their roles, but it has fallen into development. We’ll see when it will be made.

Look out next week for my yearly Thanksgiving Day movie review and the finale of “Buddy Cop Month.” Sorry for the late posting. I was exhausted after work today that I took a nap.

Transformers One

Tonight, on Paramount+, I saw “Transformers One,” which came out theatrically in September and on Paramount+ two days ago. How is this latest Transformers movie, which happens to be the first animated film since the one from the 80s?

In the 40 years since the first “Transformers” series premiered on TV, there have been so many animated TV shows, videos, and movies – plus six overhyped live-action films (plus a really good one, “Bumblebee”) – and now the fully computer-animated “Transformers One.”

This latest film of the “more than meets the eye” shape-shifting robots that sell a lot of merchandise for Hasbro is energetic and entertaining – and could have been even more, if the Paramount and Hasbro marketing departments hadn’t interfered.

On the planet Cybertron, all the locals are robots but aren’t all created equal. The elite of Iacon City, led by the charismatic Sentinel Prime, voiced by Jon Hamm, have the ability to change their appearance – while the rest, robots without the “cogs” that allow transformations, are mine workers digging up the “energon” that powers the planet and helps Sentinel Prime fight the ongoing war against invading aliens on the surface of Cybertron.

One of the “no-cogs” in the mines, Orion Pax, voiced by Chris Hemsworth, thinks there’s something out there better for him. He convinces his friend, D-16, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry, to enter Iacon City’s big race, something no cog-less robot has ever done successfully. Their audacity impresses Sentinel Prime, but not their mine supervisor, who punishes them to the lowest levels – where they meet a loquacious robot named B-127, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, or Bee for short.

Eventually, Orion, D-16, and Bee end up on the surface, along with a tough robot, Elita-1, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Up there, they learn some facts about the war, Sentinel Prime, and the ancient “Prime” robots who once ruled Cybertron. The truth, told to them by Alpha Trion, voiced by Laurence Fishburne, makes Orion determined to change things for every robot, while it makes D-16 feel cheated and wanting revenge.

The conflict between Orion and D-16 takes up the second half of this nicely animated movie. If you don’t want to know the “spoiler” – the one that is the focus of the movie’s marketing campaign – keep scrolling.

The movie, the advertising showed, is the origin story of the most important characters in the “Transformers” universe. Orion becomes Optimus Prime – the red is an early clue, and eventually the truck look is a giveaway. That makes D-16 the future Megatron, who becomes Optimus Prime’s arch nemesis for the franchise.

The bottom line, not knowing what I just mentioned makes “Transformers One” a more interesting movie – because without knowing, the audience is allowed to know these characters as they evolve. Sean P. Means said in his review, “With that knowledge, the audience is just tapping its collective feet, waiting for the inevitable reveal.”

Means continued, “The animated action set pieces are engaging, as director Josh Cooley (“Toy Story 4”) and his band of visual stylists make Cybertron a fully realized world with some interesting robot creatures living there.” The pacing is solid, and even if you don’t know what’s going on, you never lose focus.

“Transformers One” is a solid movie, and one that has set up a couple of sequels to explore the universe that the franchise’s diehard fans from childhood will want to see.

If you have been a fan of Transformers, this one is definitely for you. This animated film really brings people back to the Generation 1 robots that those who grew up in the 80s and they will get engaged. Check this out on Paramount+ because you will love it. Especially with a voice cast that includes Steve Buscemi, James Remar, and Jon Bailey.

Thank you for reading this review tonight. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Buddy Cop Month.”

Despicable Me 4

Tonight, on Peacock, I saw “Despicable Me 4,” which came out theatrically in July but on Peacock on Halloween. How is this latest installment in this franchise?

The sixth entry in the “Despicable Me” franchise and a sequel to “Despicable Me 3,” the film starts with Gru, reprised by Steve Carell, driving to his school, Lycée Pas Bon, for a reunion. However, he is also undercover for the Anti-Villain League (AVL) to arrest Maxine Le Mal, voiced by Will Ferrell.

Maxine and Gru have been enemies since their school days, especially after Gru sang Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon dressed as Boy George at the talent show. Maxine, who was planning to sing the same song, also dressed as Boy George, could not do so as everyone would think he was copying Gru.

Maxine has made many villainous inventions including a machine to turn people into cockroaches. Gru arrests Maxine who escapes the AVL’s maximum security prison with help from his girlfriend Valentina, voiced by Sofia Vergara, and wants revenge on Gru and his family.

The former director of AVL Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) comes out of retirement to get Gru and his family, which includes his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig), adopted daughters Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Polan), and son Gru Jr (Tara Strong), to a safe house in the upscale Mayflower neighborhood.

Despite the family, incognito under the name Cunningham, try to blend in, they do stand out. Gru trying to make friends with his neighbor the affluent Perry Prescott (Stephen Colbert) fails while Lucy trying hair salon has an epic fail with burning a customer, Melora’s (Laraine Newman) hair. Perry’s wife Patsy, voiced by Chloe Fineman, invites the Cunninghams to a game of tennis, which Lucy knows is not a sign of being accepted.

The Prescott daughter, Poppy, voiced by Joey King, however recognizes Gru and blackmails him to joining her on a theft to steal his school’s mascot. Besides the three minions (Pierre Coffin) who join the Gru family, the rest are at AVL headquarters and Silas puts five into a program for the creation of Mega Minions. The program quickly ends as the Mega Minions create all kinds of chaos while trying to help.

The voice work is fun with most of the cast reprising their roles. Mini Anthikad Chhibber said in her review, “Romesh Ranganathan as Gru’s quarter master Dr. Nefario and Chris Renaud as the tough-as-nails principal Übelschlecht have a blast as do Ferrell and Vergara. Some of the sequences are inventive, especially the one with the mega minion and the Swiss cheese.”

Chhibber ended her review by saying, “Stuff keeps happening through Despicable Me 4’s 94 minutes and before you know it, the credits are rolling, which might be a good thing if you want to pounded into submission with a relentless procession of gags. Despicable Me 4 is fun while it lasts, but might not stand as a synonym for enduring.”

I think this film is just as fun as the previous installments, but might not be as good as the last one. I don’t know where I might rank this as I would have to think a lot about it. However, if you have Peacock, and you missed the chance to see this in theaters, then I would highly recommend everyone to see this film because you will have a lot of fun seeing this. If you liked the previous films in the franchise, this is not one to miss.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned this Friday for the continuation of “Buddy Cop Month.”

The Garfield Movie

Tonight, I saw “The Garfield Movie,” which was released theatrically back in May, but on Netflix in September. How is this new installment that is based on a comic strip character that had his own cartoon series in the 90s?

This is the third feature length movie based on the popular comic strip character created by Jim Davis. Just like the first two, this one was panned by critics, but is commercially successful. Robert Roten said in his review, “The only reason I went to see this is because it is being shown in 3D. I did not expect much from this movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. I laughed, and the story was compelling enough to hold my attention.”

In this new Garfield movie, Garfield is reunited with Vic, his estranged father. A vengeful Persian cat named Jinx forces Garfield, Vic, and Garfield’s dog friend, Odie, to perform a theft. Garfield, Vic, and Odie are helped in the theft by a depressed bull, Otto, who agrees to help them steal a truck full of milk (the required theft) if they will also rescue his love, a cow named Ethel, who is trapped at the dairy farm.

There are so many problems during the theft, and the getaway that follows. There is a very determined security guard, Marge Malone, to deal with, and two dogs named Roland and Nolan who both work for Jinx, who has no means of getting Vic off easy for his supposed betrayal of her.

One of the jokes in the movie is Odie. Shown as very vacuous and clumsy in the comic strip, in the movie, he is far smarter than Garfield or Vic. The depressed bull, Otto, is a true genius, who ends up running the theft mission.

Garfield is angry with Vic, who abandoned him when he was a kitten, but during the course of the movie, he learns what happened when he was a kitten is different than he thought. Vic had good reasons to keep his distance when he saw that Garfield had been adopted by a loving owner, Jon Arbuckle.

Roten noted, “This is mostly a movie for kids, but there are a few trappings for adults, such as calculated cultural and movie references. There is a good supply of slapstick comedy in the movie that is effective at times.” This film is written by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove, and David Reynolds, and is directed by Mark Dindal.

The voice cast include Chris Pratt as Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson as Vic, Harvey Guillén as Odie, Ving Rhames as Otto, Alicia Grace Turrell as Ethel, Hannah Waddingham as Jinx, Brett Goldstein as Roland, Bowen Yang as Nolan, Nicholas Hoult as Jon Arbuckle, Garfield and Odie’s owner, Cecily Strong as Marge Malone, Snoop Dogg as Maurice, a blue Maine Coon cat, and Jeff Foxworthy as a bird that gets electrocuted.

I was curious about checking this movie out because I have never seen any of the other Garfield movies, and I have seen the cartoon series and read the comic strips growing up. I know critics are thrashing this, but I personally found myself enjoying this movie. I think this is a family film everyone can check out and enjoy. If you have an ad-free plan on Netflix, you can watch this no problem. Otherwise, you will have to find this film somewhere else.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned next week for the continuation of “Buddy Cop Month.”

Blue Streak

“Blue Streak,” released in 1999, is pretty high in the buddy cop genre, in the same territory as “Lethal Weapon.” It has the usual stuff for a cop comedy, including the necessary Dunkin’ Donuts product placement, but it’s put together with style – ant it’s made around a Martin Lawrence performance that deserves comparison with Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, with a little Mel Gibson’s insanity in the middle of the action.

The movie starts with a high-tech caper scene. Jewel thief Miles Logan, played by Lawrence, and his team put together a complicated plan with illegal entry, alarm system work-arounds and steel getaway cables. As predicted, everything goes wrong, and Lawrence is cornered on a construction site with a $17 million diamond. He tapes it inside an air duct, is arrested, and goes to prison.

Two years pass. Once released, he finds his old girlfriend, played by Tamala Jones, isn’t happy to see him. (“I didn’t come to visit you for two years. Isn’t that a sign?”) There is worse news. The building under construction turns out to be a police station, and the diamond is hidden inside. How can he get it? He tries to get to the burglary department on the third floor by impersonating a crazy pizza delivery guy (the highlight of the movie). That’s not a great idea, but he keeps improvising and is somehow mistaken for a real cop. Soon he’s out on the street with a partner, played by Luke Wilson, who is from the traffic division and excited to be working with a pro like Miles.

You can tell that Miles isn’t a usual cop. It doesn’t take long for his partners to find out that his name and badge number isn’t in the system. Roger Ebert said in his review, “But he's so confident, and so ruthless in roughing up suspects, they assume he's a genuine law enforcement officer of some description, who has infiltrated the department.” His superior, played by William Forsythe, loves everything about him and starts debating about his true identity. FBI? Internal Affairs? CIA? Ebert said, “The movie, directed by Les Mayfield ("Encino Man"), doesn't settle for the gag that Miles is a thief impersonating a cop. It takes that as a starting point and wrings laughs out of it--for example, in a funny scene where Miles walks in on a convenience store holdup that's being pulled by an old criminal buddy of his. While the other cop covers them from a distance, Miles engages in a desperate and unorthodox form of plea-bargaining.”

If the old friend, played by Dave Chappelle, doesn’t expose him, Miles will promise him $10,000 and only one night in jail. Ok, $20,000? Ebert admitted, “I've seen enough car chases to last several lifetimes, but I like a good one when it's handled well, and the action in the last act of this movie is not only high-style, but also makes sense in terms of the plot.” Good casting of villains is important in action comedies (remember Joe Pesci in “Lethal Weapon 2?”), and here the evil Peter Greene is a convincing antagonist. Ebert noted, “The villain always has to be the thankless straight man in a plot like this; he's never in on the joke, which is the joke.”

Martin Lawrence is a comic actor with real talent, not always shown in the best way. “Bad Boys,” his buddy cop movie with Will Smith, was not a career high point, and it took a certain thought to make another one. However, “Blue Streak” works. True story: during production, Martin Lawrence went jogging on a hot day with a wool hat on and passed out from heat exhaustion. He woke up three days later and had to learn his motor skills again because he was slurring. A movie like this is evidence that, given the right material, he has a real gift. Hopefully he learned to be careful with the jogging.

As I stated last week, I saw this movie with a couple of cousins when I visited Pakistan in 2005. I found this movie to be really funny, but I didn’t see it from beginning to end. A few years ago, I decided to see the movie and I love this movie a lot. I know this wasn’t well received, but I think this is one of the funniest buddy cop movies ever made. The lines are just some of the most quotable. See this movie for yourself and you will get some good laughs, I promise.

Next week, I will be looking at two movies that are based on characters from books, but I think they are really good in “Buddy Cop Month.”

The Glimmer Man

“The Glimmer Man” is a 1996 formulaic Hollywood action film that’s about what you think.

Robert Roten said in his review, “This film is so derivative I could go on for paragraphs about all the other films it borrows from. Suffice it to say it is a formula copy buddy film about uneasy partners.” Steven Seagal, who specializes in Kung Fu movies, plays the Glimmer Man, a former government agent who is now a cop. His partner, who is uneasy about Seagal’s Buddhist methods and his unknown past, is played by Keenan Ivory Wayans.

Several times during the film, Seagal calls Wayans “Grasshopper,” a reference to the TV show “Kung Fu.” There are some funny lines in the film and the two protagonists work well together. Roten noted, “Seagal, who only has a glimmer of acting ability, can't quite master this role, but Wayans does well enough.”

Director John Gray moves the story fast enough so that you don’t mind the plot holes a lot. Most of the fights are well-staged and well-shot.

Roten noted, “There are numerous killings, including some gruesome ritual murders. There are also a couple of Hollywood cliché killings in which people fall from high places and are impaled on sharp objects.” This wouldn’t be an action film without one of those kills.

This is a very violent film. Roten mentioned, “One of the killers is a standard Hollywood Christian type (a closed-minded, wacked-out murderer). Catholics get tired of being portrayed this way. It would be nice if Hollywood picked on some other group for a change.”

By the way, the plot has to do with a government conspiracy to use a serial murderer’s methods of operations to eliminate some people who know too much about an illegal government work.

If you like Hollywood action films, I guess this one is average. If you don’t, then don’t see this one, because action is all it has.

One of my former friends lent me his VHS copy of this film and to this day, I don’t know what to make of it. I’m not sure if I hate this movie or think it is ok because of everything that occurred. This is the only Seagal movie I have seen and I don’t know if this was the wrong one to start on. I don’t recommend this movie because I don’t know if anyone will like this or not. I don't think anyone talks about this movie because it's probably one of those that you forget very easily.

Next week, I will be reviewing a funny action film that I saw a part of overseas then watched years later when I was exercising in “Buddy Cop Month.”

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Tonight, I finished watching “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” which came out theatrically back in June but on Netflix last month. How is this new installment in the franchise?

This may be a shocker, but a nearly 30-year-old franchise could have helped this past summer’s box office.

“The Fall Guy” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” didn’t do well in the box office, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” succeeded in delivering the success that hurt the movie studios early in the summer.

Not to say that this fourth movie in the franchise staring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence is persuasive, but more of the fact of how entertaining it is.

It is just action, which is meant for audiences to just enjoy for the runtime and forget about everything that is going on.

George M. Thomas said in his review, “It doesn’t hurt that Smith and Lawrence slip into their on-screen personas of Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett as easily as if they were a pair of well-worn Nikes. The chemistry has always been evident between the two as they play off one another with a comfort level not seen with most co-stars. Ultimately, that represents the strongest aspect of the series as a whole, but after so much time it would be easy to assume that chemistry has dissipated.”

What isn’t true is that “Ride or Die” may be the best film in the franchise since the first film back in 1995. Thomas commented, “Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah put their stamp on the franchise with the third film after taking the mantle from Michael Bay (who makes a cameo), but with this one, their comfort level with their subject matter and stars shows in this tight, breezy effort.”

Thomas continued, “With a script from Chris Bremner (“Bad Boys For Life”) and Will Beall (“Aquaman”), the film plays to that chemistry – the word play and the macho-fused affection between the two characters. It does so against the backdrop of jaw-dropping spectacle that explodes off the screen, but wisely acknowledges that these two dudes are now into their 50s and still playing superhero cops.”

That’s not believable, but it’s fun, and this time around, the original crew mostly returns, with a few exceptions.

One is Joe Pantoliano’s Captain Conrad Howard, who was murdered in the last film. He returns through a video to tell that his death wasn’t really what it looked like, revealing that superiors in the Miami Police Department are responsible and trusting Mike and Marcus to uncover it.

That takes them back to their past, including having to get help from Mike’s imprisoned son, reprised by Jacob Scipio, to lead them through something that is not their expertise.

This isn’t going to be easy and there are so many explosive scenarios as they are on their trail. For those wanting to join them, it’s not one to miss.

For Smith, this is a chance to redeem himself after his thrashing of slapping Chris Rock. For Lawrence, who hasn’t been seen much, it makes him one of the people to talk about again.

For the audience, it’s a chance to go into something for a couple of hours for some enjoyment.

If you have been a fan of the other movies in the franchise, this is one not to skip over. The only problem with this film is that you need to have a Netflix plan that doesn’t support ads because of some licensing issues, but this is a film to check out. If you have a Netflix plan that doesn’t include ads, then you should see this film. Otherwise, see if you can find it somewhere else. This is an enjoyable film and definitely not one to miss.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned this Friday for the continuation of “Buddy Cop Month.”

Eraser

It helps to have a short attention span while watching “Eraser,” the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. For example, the part late in the film where Arnold is shot through the left shoulder. He grabs his shoulder and smirks. From the bullet’s point of entry, we guess his shoulder bone is broken and there is a lot of muscle damage. Immediately afterward, Arnold is in a fight to the death with the villain, played by the late James Caan, on top of a shipping container that has been lifted high in the air by a crane. The heroine, played by Vanessa Williams, is also on the container, and she falls off. However, Arnold is able to grab her out of the air. He holds her with his right, and supports the weight of both of them with his left hand and arm. That’s nice trick after getting shot in the shoulder by a bullet. However, if you think way back to the movie’s second big action scene, near the beginning of the film, Arnold and Vanessa are the targets of a nail bomb, which explodes, driving a spike right through Arnold’s right hand – the one he later holds Williams with. Roger Ebert said in his review, “A guy like that, he could play basketball on bad ankles for weeks. How does he do it? I guess he has plumb forgotten the spike through his hand. There have been a lot of distractions, like being attacked by alligators at the New York City Zoo, and falling out of an airplane without his parachute, and shooting at a Boeing 727 with a handgun.” Arnold is amazingly calm under this threat. After he shoots the alligator through the head, he tells it, “You’re luggage!” The plot of “Eraser” is about Vanessa Williams as Lee Cullen, an employee of a defense contractor who comes across evidence that a secret cabal inside the U.S. government is illegally transporting advanced weapons systems. Particularly, they’re selling the Rail Gun. Charles Russell, the director of the film, explained that the Rail Gun are “hyper-velocity weapons that shoot aluminum or clay rounds at just below the speed of light.” That is 186,282 miles a second. What happens to aluminum and clay rounds shot at that speed? Ebert said, “They don’t pulverize or anything, do they? That muzzle velocity doesn’t cause overheating or anything, I suppose? At least there’s no recoil when the bullets leave the guns at just below the speed of light. I know that because at one point Arnold holds a Rail Gun in each hand (including the injured right one) and fires them simultaneously.” What is amazing is that Charles Russell wants us to believe these guns are believable. In his press notes, he elaborates:

“These guns represent a whole new technology in weaponry that is still in its infancy, though a large-scale version exists in limited numbers on battleships and tanks. They have incredible range. They can pierce three-foot-thick cement walls and then knock a canary off a tin can with absolute accuracy.” Ebert said, “If I read this correctly, he is talking here about the battleship model.”

Ebert continued, “My curiosity is awakened. To heck with the secret government plot–I want to see the U.S. Navy shooting clay bullets at just beneath the speed of light through three-foot cement walls at canaries. And I want to stay for the credits: “No canaries were harmed during the filming of this motion picture.” But I digress. “Eraser” is actually good action fun, with spectacular stunts and special effects (I liked the sequence where Arnold shoots it out with the Boeing 727) and high energy.” Arnold plays his usual heroic character, an ace operative in the federal Witness Protection Program, and Vanessa Williams is a good partner, running, jumping, fighting, shooting, kicking, screaming, being tied to chairs, smuggling computer discs, and looking great. There is also fun when Arnold contacts an old friend named Johnny C, played by Robert Pastorelli, from the Witness Protection Program. Johnny is an ex-Mafia guy, now working in a drag bar. When Arnold finds out the illegal arms are being shipped from docks controlled by the union, Johnny goes to his uncle, Tony Two Toes, who looks cruelly on anybody moving anything through the docks without union approval. Soon Johnny, Tony Two Toes, and other Mafioso are spying on a Russian ship that’s being loaded. They have the following conversation:

Tony Two Toes: Those dirty commies:

Underling: They’re not commies any more. They’re a federation of independent liberated states.

Tony Two Toes: Don’t make me hurt you, Mikey.

Ebert ended his review by saying, ““Eraser” is more or less what you expect, two hours of mindless nonstop high-tech action, with preposterous situations, a body count in the dozens, and Arnold introducing a new trademark line of dialogue (it’s supposed to be “Trust me,” but I think “You’re luggage” will win on points). Thinking back over the film, I can only praise the director’s restraint in leaving out the canary.”

This is another enjoyable Schwarzenegger flick that everyone should watch. Especially with the lines he says. Every single one of them will be on your favorite Schwarzenegger lines list. That’s what’s so fun about watching Schwarzenegger movies are simply for the lines he says and for the action, because every single one of his action films are enjoyable. This is fitting for a buddy cop movie seeing how him and Williams really have good camaraderie that you believe. Check it out and enjoy yourself.

Next week I will be looking at a film that my friend lent his VHS copy of to me to watch, but I don’t know what to make of it in the continuation of “Buddy Cop Month.”