tkdlifemagazine Reviews

Monkey Man (2024)

Terrific Independent Action Film

[7/10 · 4 May 2024]

This is clearly the passion project of Dev Patel. He wrote, Directed, and stars in Monkey Man. This is the story of an Indian man seeking revenge, after years of planning, against the organized crime family that killed his mother. The film is truly impressive at, only $10 million; which alleged to be the cost to make it. It has the look and feel of a much larger movie. The story is basic Martial Arts Films 101- revenge for the death of a loved one. The fight choreography, the cinematography, the action, and, even, the acting is good in this one. There are moments when the shaky camera is distracting. The violence and bloody are visceral. Patel is very believable in this.

The Judge (2014)

Heavily Driven By Stong Perfromances

[9/10 · 3 May 2024]

This is a very powerful movie that uses the circumstances of a young successful lawyer's alienation from his father as the foundation to tell a powerful story about family life and struggles, parental alienation, small town life and more. Robert Downey Jr. Plays the big city lawyer that comes to his home town, after the death of his mother, to then be dragged into representing his father in defense of a manslaughter case. The performance by Robert Duvall is among his best. Downey r., Vincent Dinofrio, Billy Bob Thornton, and Verma Famiga are incredible good. There are parts of the script and dialogue that are unnecessarily campy; however, it is a worthwhile way to spend time.

One More Shot (2024)

Another Risk Well Taken

[6/10 · 2 May 2024]

The predecessor to this film, One Shot, was a unique experiment in action filmmaking. It seemed to be shot in one continuous sequence. It does not jump around in edited from location to location- it follows one linear path at a time. The stateside story of a terrorist transported by Scott Adkins, who is the linchpin to a terrorist plot around the State of the Union address is very engaging and cool. The story and acting are good. The action is unrelenting. The look and feel matches the first one. James Numm;s filmmaking works. Michael Jai White is a great addition to the film. He, like Adkins, is a always fun to watch on screen no matter the budget of the film.

The Holdovers (2023)

Truly Perfect Film

[10/10 · 1 May 2024]

This is a wonderfully made movie. Many movies have many elements that are good. This movie has all of them. It is about as close to perfect as you will ever see. The story, set in the 1970's, is about a group (to start) of students that have nowhere to go over Christmas break, so they are forced to remain on campus. Paul Giamatti is brilliant as the bright, but odd ball, lonely, teacher with a drinking problem. Da'Vine Joy Randolph is so incredibly moving as the mother of a son killed in Vietnam. Her Oscar was so deserved. Every scene with her in this film is so moving. Dominic Sessa brings a comfortable joy to the role of the troubled student left alone at the holidays despite his, otherwise, privilege. This is well written, well acted, well directed. The music. The scenery, the look of the film are just so engaging. See this film.

City Hunter (2024)

This is Not Good

[4/10 · 30 April 2024]

This is a frenetic, Japanese, cartoonish martial arts action adventure. It has many good elements, like the violent and exciting martial arts action scenes and gun play. Much of this is clearly influenced by the first Matrix film. It has a lot of Japanese tropes and much of the comedic Japanese style. The problem with the film is that it is just too confusing. There is realism and then superhero, cartoon sequences and violence. The story is very hard to follow about an outbreak of Japanese violence, possibly, caused by the impact of an injected, illegal drug. The fight choreography is pretty good.

The Bricklayer (2023)

Some Redeeming Qualities- Aaron Eckhart is Good

[5/10 · 29 April 2024]

This decent, but not great movie, is a good warm up to Eckhart in a follow up Jesse V. John son Film, Chief of Station. Eckhart is surprisingly good as a bitter, undercover operative, trying to capture and kill a rogue CIA agent blackmailing the Agency and killing reporters. Nina Dobrev is beautiful, but not great in this. Part of it is not her fault-she has some very silly lines throughout as the desk officer who is sent out to the field. Rent Harlan's Direction is the heart of the problem, particularly in the fight choreography. He uses a lot of techniques to cover up lack of fighting skills of the players. The budget is low but the film is medium.

Anyone But You (2023)

Likeable But Not Good

[5/10 · 28 April 2024]

So it is very hard for any red blooded male not to like Sydney Sweeney. She is beautiful and sexy and charming. This Rom-com vehicle is predictable, silly, and unrealistic; however, it still works. The story of two sexy young singles pretending to fight the fact that they are sexually and romantically attracted to each other. The cast and characters are really very amusing, especially Bryan Brown, the Australian boyfriend, and Gata. The background of Australia is helpful to perpetuating the story and many of the themes are geared towards the teenage/twenty something generation. Over 50's may feel a little lost.

Grindhouse (2007)

What a Cool Trip

[7/10 · 24 April 2024]

This is everything you would expect from this team of filmmakers. It is a campy, violent, unique homage' to the low budget horror films of the 1960's and 1970's. Everything about it fits the bill, including the way in which it is shot. A purposefully weak plot. A script filled with campy lines. Characters that are more caricatures. It is all so well done. What is also amazing is how this film is so ahead of the Zombie craze that followed with series like "The Walking Dead" and movies like, "Last Train to Busan". This has a terrific cast, all who are in on the joke. The special effects are great. Harder to make in 2007 than it would be today.

The Roundup: No Way Out (2023)

Super Fun

[6/10 · 23 April 2024]

This is a super fun, high action police thriller sequel to the highly successful "Roundup" series. Ma Dong-Seok, or Don Lee, leads a cast of Lorean Police Detectives willing to use unconventional methodologies to solve their cases. The story is about a corrupt Korean police element working with the Japanese Yakuza on an international drug ring to distribute a new drug. There are elements of cross and double cross and it is very watchable. It is funny in a sarcastic way, but at its core, a police action film, like lethal Weapon. I much prefer the Korean with English subtitles to the Dubbed. Looking forward to next installment.

Poor Things (2023)

So Odd and Unusual

[6/10 · 21 April 2024]

This movie has so many brilliant aspects. It is, essentially, a modern Frankenstein tale told through the eyes of the Great filmmaker, Yorgos Lanthamos. The film is beautifully shot, in a unique way- it is unlike any other film I can recall. It is well acted. The characters and story are interwoven with the bizarre and sexual undertones that Lanthamos is known for. I was intrigued by this film from the first moment it started until it ended; however, unlike Dogtooth or The Killing of A Sacred Deer, I can't say I like it. If this were Lanthimos' first film I am not certain I would jump to see another one. That doesn't;t mean it isn't worth watching.

Fallout (2024– )

Fantastic Futuristic Series

[8/10 · 17 April 2024]

I am not a video game person. I have no prior knowledge of the video games this is based on. I watched this because I heard there was a similarity between this and The Last id US, which I loved. There is some similiarity in that there is a grim, post-apocalyptic setting and a "quest", but it has a very different tone. I love the 1950's "frozen in time" infused nature of this one. Walter Goggins is always good and this is no exception. The series is littered with commentary about the attempts to live in a Utopian society, and the failings of mankind. It is part sci-fi, part western, part drama and more. It is interesting, visually terrific. Well scripted. It is well Directed. It is very, very watchable. The acting is great. There are many cameos and famous stars throughout. I liked this a lot. There is a lot of thought provoking social and political commentary throughout.

The Beekeeper (2024)

Completely Incredulous But Fun

[5/10 · 7 April 2024]

I love Jason Statham. He is a dynamic force of sarcasm, action, and excitement on the silver screen. This movie is a silly script, based upon a premise of revenge because the bad guys crossed the wrong guy. In this case the man crossed, Statham, is a Beekeeper. The Beekeeper moniker is not just for the guy who harvest bees but relates to covert government activity-making him a deadly adversary. There are great elements to the movie. The violence and action are highly watchable. Statham and Jeremy Irons are both very good. The action is good. The heart is there. Some of the dialogue is corny. Many of the characters are too "over the top", and much of the film is not believable. I still enjoyed it.

Baby Driver (2017)

Very Unique and Watchable

[7/10 · 7 April 2024]

I like Ansel Elgort in Tokyo Vice, but I don't recall him being in anything else before. He is really different and really good in Baby Driver. This is exciting crime drama with an all star cast. It is unique and fun and visually exciting. The characters are interesting and cast is great. Kevin Spacey is the crime boss. Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, and Jamie Foxx are among the players In this fill which takes place in the 1990's. The heart and should have the movie is the soundtrack. It is very much a character of its own. The driving is amazing. Spacey is a great actor, and I can't believe I never heard of this one before. I liked this a lot.

Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain (2023)

So Stupid It is Good

[7/10 · 3 April 2024]

There have been many very bad movies that have originated out of Saturday Night Live Skits that had good origins. The main issue is that they just don't sustain themselves in long form format. Please Don't Destroy happens to defy that trend. The film is an offshoot of the very funny, pre-recorded SNL bits that appear regularly on the show. The three writer, sketch comics that appear in this movie are the ventral characters in the ongoing skits. Their timing and humor is very good. On the show there are many times I find they are the funniest part of the show. This movie builds on it and sustains, with a good cast of supporting players-including Conan O'Brien. The timing is what works best and the self effacing humor. I liked it.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)

Better Than #2

[6/10 · 3 April 2024]

This movie is much better than My Big Fat Greek Wedding's sequel, but not as good as the original. After the death of the head of the Portakalous clan the family heads to his village for a family reunion. This film has beautiful scenery. The cast is extremely likable. They have a familiar and comfortable feel. The story is endearing. The film is much less formulaic than the prior. The acting is good but wish more Greek actors played the parts of Greek in it. This is, by far, Nia Vardalso's best role. She has capitalized on the character and characters. It is light and watchable. The music is great.

Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War (2024)

Exceptional Documentary

[8/10 · 2 April 2024]

Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War is a granular and detailed look at the world in the Cold War, from the Communist Revolution through today. The framework through which this is constructed is the. Russian invasion of Ukraine. It seems the point is to understand the origins of this invasion, the importance of Ukraine to Russian, and Putin's mission. The show is in nine episodes and filled with facts, details, and footage from the decades from World War II until the present. This documentary is filled with interviews, archival footage, and news reports that provide rarely seen aspects of many well know incidents and other information on, not commonly know ones. It was a massive undertaking to put this together as cogently, and as comprehensively as this was. It is amazingly non-political and free of judgment as a historical work. I was fascinated throughout. This is complex historical stuff, but told sensibly and cogently. I applaud the filmmakers and Netflix for creating and distributing this.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

A Great Film

[7/10 · 27 March 2024]

A very uncharacteristic Woody Allen movie which does not take place in New York, and it not particularly comedic, but is very good. The cast is terrific. A young Scarlett Johannson stars as a follow up to the Steamy Allen thriller, Match Point. Javier Bardem is great as the central figure of this romantic adventure. Rebecca Hall and Penelope Cruz are great. This is a very interesting movie. The scenery and the landscapes are beautiful. The strength is the characters. Javier Bardem is always so very good in every role. The narration is the weakest aspect of the film. This is a fun, and unusual time.

Homicide: New York (2024)

A Good Documentary Anthology from Dick Wolf

[6/10 · 27 March 2024]

This is a very good New York based Law and Order documentary on Netflix. Very much like the hit series from so many years on television it covers the crime, the investigation, the arrest, and the conviction. The docuseries covers a number of infamous New York cases through the eyes of the Detectives, Prosecutors, and witnesses to the crime, There is a lot of archival footage and perspectives on how the crimes fit into the overall social and historical landscapes of New York City. This is not the most exciting crime documentary but it is good. You get a good sense of the personal stake the police investigators and Prosecutors take in these cases. Worth seeing.

Road House (2024)

A Fun and Honorable Remake

[6/10 · 22 March 2024]

This loosely based remake of another "B" movie starring Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, and Ben Gazzara (1989) is fun to watch, despite not being very good. It has a similar theme and despite the modern update the story is founded in the same principles. Jake Gyllenhall is actually too good for this movie, but he plays it for fun and that works. Billy Magnussen, Post Malone, Dana Melchior, and Conor McGregor are all very good in supporting roles. Jessica Williams is also very good here. The MMA angle helps draw in a wider audience. You do not need to have seen the original to watch this, nor will a love of the original take away from enjoyment of this one. The music is not as good as the original. The fight Choreography is the weakest part of the movie, especially the opening scene. Fun to watch.

Baby Assassins 2 Babies (2023)

Baby Assassins 2 Continues the fun

[6/10 · 17 March 2024]

Baby Assassins 2 Doesn't Disappoint. Baby Assassins 2 is the latest release from Well Go USA Entertainment to come out of the Japanese market, and it is both fast and fun. This well paced and well Directed action comedy sequel to 2022's Top 5 film, Baby Assassins, can not help but engage you from the opening scene.

Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa continue to delight as the young assassins who are faced with trying to balance "normal" lives with their careers as professional assassins. Their chemistry on screen with each other, and the rest of the cast, continues to make for some memorable and enjoyable moments as they recognize they may be unfit for anything other than professional "hits".

In this iteration they find themselves suspended from the only job they know how to do, and are trying to supplement their lost income with an ordinary job. Simultaneously, a group of young male assassins are trying to eliminate them permanently, and fill their precious spots as hired assassins.

The film does a terrific job of walking the tight rope between being funny and outrageous without being unwatchable and silly. It also does a fantastic job of integrating martial arts action and gun play into the film. Saori Izawa clearly has some Taekwondo training in her pedigree, and her fight scenes are interesting and well choreographed.

The new, and returning, characters make for a fun time. I can easily see future movies with these characters in subsequent, high level installments. I really hope the filmmakers agree.

The film's Direction, tight editing, and unique cinematography really work in this one. The final fight choreography is as good as you will see in a martial arts and action film.

When it released in 2022, Baby Assassins was the most enjoyable independent movie since The Paper Tigers. Baby Assassins 2 reminds us why we fell in love with the first one. While it is not as good as its predecessor, it is still a really fun and exciting adventure to be a part of.

I highly recommend this film.

The film is subtitled.

Steve Trevino: Simple Man (2024 TV Special)

Kept Me Lauging

[5/10 · 17 March 2024]

I have never seen, or heard of Steve Trevino before. He is a stand up comic from Texas, who transplanted to California. He is a family storyteller, and complainer in a non-vicious sense who is funny. I don't know enough to know if his stories are true about this family and his marriage, but they are fun. The core of his act is about his growing up. Meeting his wife in school, and the history of his long marriage. There was nothing in this routine that was hysterically funny, but the entirety of it was very humorous. I could see a sit-com or series of some sort based on his rendering of his life.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

The Best Book Adaptation Ever

[9/10 · 16 March 2024]

Dune 2 is a phenomenal movie. It is a conquest of cinema in its art, Direction, special effects, music, and more. This adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert's first book, despite some changes, is masterful. Dune is the mother of them all. Its story was so far ahead of its time and it inspired Star Wars, The Terminator, and many, many other works of modern film and television. It was also socially ahead of its time and still relevant today as it warns of the cult of personality, and the Myth of Deification of Mortals. The acting is stellar. I heard Timothy Chalet was the weakest part, and that is, simply not true. He is much better than in the first and does a great job, subtly, transforming from boy Prince to Messianic soldier. The entire cast is brilliant. The film does a wonderful job picking up where the first one left off. Amazing Cinema. As someone who loved the book and was so disappointed in the past by the versions released this was so satisfying.

Exhuma (2024)

Exhuma is A good Horror Thriller

[8/10 · 14 March 2024]

Exhuma is a dark and engaging modern horror film from Director Jang Jae-Hyun. It is a bold and worthy undertaking and worth watching.

I had previously read that the South Korean film market had a sweet spot for mid-budget horror films; however, since most of the titles we screen are action and martial arts films, I have not been exposed to too many in the horror genre. Exhuma is just such a film. Quite frankly, I did not know what to expect. Was I pleasantly surprised at how good Exhuma is.

This film is a bold undertaking by Director Jang Jae-Hyun because it has become very typical for modern horror audiences to be subjected to elements of comedy, nudity, and sexual content in order to balance the horror elements. These elements also distract viewers, quite often, from the lack of a solid story and good Direction.

This film takes a dramatically different approach. The film handles its subject matter very seriously. The approach is akin to a modern dramatic film, founded on its belief in its story, its cast, and its Direction. Horror films, taken too seriously, and missing the proper tone, can be disastrous experiences for the audiences. Jae-Hyun, seemingly, believed that these core, stripped down elements of this film would be sufficient to satisfy the viewer. That bold gamble paid off. The film has the makings of a modern horror classic.

The cast is stellar. Choi Min-Sik, the star of one of 2010's best films, I Saw The Devil, stars as a Geomancer called together with a group of paranormal professionals to investigate a strange infant illness that has deep roots in the ancestral roots of a prominent Korean Family. The entire cast is believable, and compelling, and very suited for this film.

The Direction, Cinematography, and locations all add to the truly eerie and interesting nature of this film. The film is broken up into six (6) chapters, which make its story more easily digestible. While most horror movies tend to be closer to to the ninety (90) minute mark, this one is over two (2) hours so the chapter format does a good job of breaking up the story into more manageable blocks for the audience.

While the film has some elements that are deeply rooted in 20th Century Korean history and Sociology, lack of prior knowledge of either does not distract from the impact and enjoyment of the film.

Exhumed is just goof filmmaking, and well worth watching. I would see it in the theater if you can.

Watch it in Korean, with some Japanese language and with English subititles.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

John Highes' Social Examination Through Detention

[8/10 · 9 March 2024]

For most of us High School was a challenging time. Students deal with hormonal and biological changes while trying to find their place and their purpose. John Hughes does a phenomenal job putting a cross section of teens in a Saturday detention with a predictable outcome; however, the outcome is not the point. The point is the journey. The point is for these very well carved out, and, somewhat, hyperbolic caricatures to come outside their comfort zones and discover that people are people. Like life, what we discover is that when we get past the surface that is more to people than what may appear at first. Higher is the quintessential movie makers of the 1980's. This film has comedy, drama, and interpersonal relationships. Great casting. Great timing. Great music. It all works.

Marlowe (2022)

Neeson Always Good.

[5/10 · 8 March 2024]

I actually have a different take on this than most. It is good, in my opinion. Liam Neeson has become known for playing the role of the tough guy. In this he plays the role of a tough guy who happens to be a great Detective in the 1930's, Phillip Marlowe. The movie is based on a non-Raymond Chandler installment of the Philip Marlow Detective series. He plays the role well. The film is Noir. It is a period piece. The costumes, music, and sets all fit. The cast is diverse, and very good. The story is the weakest part, but all-in-all the movie is highly watchable. This one makes me want to go back and watch Bogart and Mitchum in the role.