Blitz - 2011

Lionsgate, Davis-Films, Current Entertainment

Directed by Elliot Lester

Cast:

• Brant – Jason Statham
• Nash – Paddy Considine
• Weiss – Aiden Gillen
• Falls – Zawe Ashton
• Dunlop – David Morrisey
• Radnor – Ned Dennehy
• Roberts – Mark Rylance

Story: Someone nicknamed the Blitz, is killing police officers in London. Only problem is, he is doing a bang up job of it. A detective, Brant, is assigned to the case, but is told to be inconspicuous if he can, since the police are getting a lot of heat in the papers about their brutality. Brant has just returned from suspension and taking some time off to help his inspector, Roberts, bury his wife. Blitz wants the publicity and contacts a local reporter, Dunlop, who sits on his contact information. Then a street informant, Radnor, discovers information about Blitz's identity and tries to shake down the newspaper for a reward. Again, Dunlop tries to use the information before notifying the police. Meanwhile, other police officers are killed. When Dunlop finally does reveal his knowledge to the police, Blitz has had time to hide all the evidence. But the police are not done yet.

Review: I guess London needed a Dirty Harry, so they came up with this one. Jason Statham is an English Clint Eastwood/Bruce Willis combo in this action packed thriller about a cop killer on the loose. Paddy Considine does an excellent job portraying the temporary station commander who is assigned after the current commander, played by Mark Rylance, is placed on bereavement leave after the death of his wife. Aiden Gillen is Blitz, the cop killer with a mission of vengeance for the officers who incarcerated him before. Overall, the plot is nothing new, the good guys are chasing the bad guy, life goes on, and good triumphs over evil. But the action scenes are crisp and well done, as is the photography. This is not the glitzy, shiny world of 007, where everyone dresses to the nines and the royals are out on display. These are the mean streets of London, and Jason Statham is the cop who breaks the rules to keep the citizens safe. Rated R for violence, some nudity, language, and some drug use, this one is definitely not a collectible, but worth an evenings entertainment.

Killer Elite - 2011

Omnilab Media, Ambience Entertainment, Current Entertainment

Directed by Gary McKendry

Cast:

• Danny – Jason Statham
• Spike – Clive Owen
• Hunter – Robert De Niro
• Davies – Dominic Purcell
• Meier – Aden Young
• Anne – Yvonne Strahovski
• Martin – Ben Mendelsohn
• Agent - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Story: Based on a true story by Ranulph Fiennes, a British officer in the service of the Sultanate of Oman, orginally published under the title “The Feather Men.” A special ops team of assassins is sent in to eliminate a politician, but after the assassin kills the target, he discovers there is a child in the car. He hesitates, is shot in the arm, and his team manages to extract him before the police and guards can get to him. As he is being driven away, he tells the team leader “I'm out.” approximately a year later, while working on his property in Australia, he receives a package in the mail containing an airline ticket and a photo of his team leader in captivity. When he arrives in Oman, the Sultan explains there are three men responsible for the deaths of his sons, and he wants them killed before he will uphold his bargain with the British for oil rights. If Danny, the assassin, does not do this, they will kill Hunter, his old team leader. There is a slight problem, the men he wants killed are all Special Air Service commandos, known as some of the most skilled killers in the world. As Danny works with his former teammates, Davies and Meier, to complete the task, Spike, a former SAS operative in the service of the “Feather Men”, discovers his former teammates are being killed and alerts the SAS. Danny must battle the British government's most prolific killers to keep his team leader alive.

Review: This is NOT a remake of the 1975 film! This is a remarkable translation of a book that exposes the British government, or at least a scheming, ruthless portion of it, for the money grubbing, greedy opportunists they were. Set in Oman in the 1980's, the film focuses on an elite team of assassins sent in under the guise of maintaining political stability to take out elements of the government who were unfriendly to British interests. There missions are simple assassinations, usually clean kills, until the one we see at the opening of the film. I could digress into the book itself, but had better stick to the movie if I don't want to start an editorial. I do highly recommend the book, if you have the time. As to the film, it is a no-holds barred look at the seedy underside of political deals and the life of a trained mercenary. Jason Statham gives a rare and remarkable performance as the assassin who is tired of the game, yet pulled back in to save the life of his former team leader, Robert De Niro. De Niro's performance is highly reminiscent of his role in Ronin, and he brings that sense of a man who knows so much more than he is willing to tell. Clive Owen is a passionate, cold blooded killer who has trouble coming to grips with his physical impairment (he lost an eye) which led to his discharge from the SAS. Dominic Purcell gives a stellar performance as the assassin who resembles Fiona in Burn Notice in attitude (“Shall we shoot them?”), but is intensely loyal and follows orders as directed. The film moves quickly, and the action is appropriate to the scene, which means that there are no added explosions or visuals beyond what is needed to get the point across. Rated R for language, violence, and some sexuality/nudity, this is a carefully thought out film without a bias. The events unfold, the story is told, and it is up to you, the viewer, to determine right and wrong. I will leave collectible up to you, it will depend on your taste in politics and war films.

The Italian Job - 2003

Paramount Pictures, De Line Productions

Directed by F. Gary Gray

Cast:

• Charlie Croker – Mark Wahlberg
• Stella Bridger – Charlize Theron
• John Bridger – Donald Sutherland
• Handsome Rob – Jason Statham
• Lyle – Seth Green
• Left Ear – Mos Def
• Steve – Edward Norton

Story: A crew of hi-tech thieves executes a very slick robbery of a safe filled with gold from a townhouse in Venice. They travel out of the city and gather in a circle drinking bottles of Dom Perignon, talking about the things they will do from now on. Suddenly a crew of men with guns rushes in and steals the gold, and one of the crew shoots the safe cracker, and is about to shoot the others then they escape by driving the van off a bridge into the deep water of reservoir. A year passes, and the daughter of the murdered man gets a call from the leader of the heist. They've found the man who betrayed them. Since she is a professional locksmith and security expert, a legal version of her father, she tells Charlie no at first, but soon calls him back and says she is in. The crew plot to recover their gold and to teach the betrayer a lesson he won't soon forget.

Review: Sometimes remakes are a good thing, sometimes they're not. This one is very loosely based on the film of the same name in the 1960's starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward with Benny Hill as the comedy relief. That film was a so-so farce, but this one is a runaway hit. The action starts at the beginning and keeps the pace throughout the film. Mos Def and Seth Green are our comics in this film, but their abilities to shift from comic to dramatic are well played. Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron are well suited to their roles and come off with a very reserved but appropriate sexual tension to add interest to the already interesting hi-tech portions of the film. Sutherland's role, while brief, is the perfect set up for the remainder of the film. Statham does what he does best, and his character is a mix between The Transporter and The Mechanic, with a splash of smooth to balance it out. As always, whether good guy or bad guy, Ed Norton's presence is perfect to create the correct tension in the movie. Good plot, great scenery, and exceptional photography make this a film the entire family can enjoy together, despite the PG-13 rating. Collectible if you like action adventure, although you will probably pull it out as an afterthought.