The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Right off the bat, for context, my two favorite film franchises are Mission:Impossible and the Bond films. So, an action-packed espionage thriller is usually something that I'll have a good time watching. 2015's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. wasn't a hit at the box-office and recieved mixed reviews from critics, but I think it's actually pretty good.

 The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, and Alicia Vikander. While I'm not a Hugh Guy Ritchie fan, I think this is actually one of his better movies. Like many of his other films, this one is bit more style over substance. However, I think the slick production and editing, along with the likeable characters, makes this an overall entertaining experience. 

The plot is a bit formulaic in that two rivals are forced to work as partners in order to stop the the villain's plan. In this particular scenario, it's the 1960's at the height of the coldwar, the villain wants a nuclear warhead, and our unlikely team is the CIA's top agent (played by Cavill) and Russia's top KGB agent (played by Hammer). Also thrown into the mix is German woman named Gaby (played by Vikander) who's father is a former Nazi scientist, and the man who's nuclear weapons research is so valuable.

Overall, I like the three lead actors, I think the film is pretty well paced with a few little twists along the way, the musical score is solid... it's a fun movie in my opinion. Not great, but fun.
3.5 out of 5

Spies in Disguise

Spies in Disguise is the latest animated film from Blue Sky Studios, having just been released into theaters a few weeks ago. It features the voice talents Will Smith, Tom Holland, Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Reba McEntire, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled and others. I honestly knew nothing about this movie going in, so I had no expectations. It was surprisingly good. Not great by any means, but compared to some of Blue Sky's other output like Ferdinand, Epic, Robots, and about 47 Ice Age movies, it was good. 

The basic premise is that a super spy named Lance Sterling (voiced by Will Smith) is framed for the theft of an assassin drone by the film's main villain (voiced by Ben Mendelsohn). Now on the run from the very same agency he works for, Lance seeks out a quirky inventor named Walter (voiced by Tom Holland) who accidentally turns the secret agent into a pigeon. Together this unlikely duo needs to avoid being caught, find a way to turn Lance back into a human, and stop the bad guy. 

The plot, while overall a bit formulaic, makes for a pretty fun movie. At only about an hour and forty minutes I thought the film felt a little too fast-paced but, it is targeted to children so it's not a huge surprise. Animation wise, no one is going to mistake this for a Pixar film but, I thought the movie looked pretty good overall and I liked some of the character designs.

 I don't recommend that everyone go out and see this movie. However, as a dad that loves James Bond and Mission:Impossible movies, I took my 7 year old son to see this and we both were able to get enjoyment out of it. 

I give this one a 3 out of 5

A Look Back At The Avengers

It's been a number of years now since The Avengers hit theaters and I think it's about time that I take a look back at the film. 

Of course, I am referring to the 1998 film The Avengers which is based on a British television series from the 60's, and not the film based on characters from Marvel Comics. Despite starring a strong core cast of Uma Thurman, Ralph Fiennes, and Sean Connery the film was a critical and commercial flop and often appears on 'Worst Films Ever Made" lists. However, over time it has become one of my favorite bad movies.

The film is about British secret agent John Steed (played by Fiennes) who needs to team up with a doctor named Emma Peel (Uma Thurman). Dr. Peel had previously worked on a weather controlling system called the Prospero project, which has been recently sabotaged by someone who looks exactly like her. This doppelganger happens to be a clone who is working for the evil August de Wynter (Sean Connery). August de Wynter's plan is to use his weather controlling machine to force the world's leaders to buy good weather from him for a hefty price. So, it's up to Steed and Peel to foil August de Wynter's diabolical plan.

Overall, yes it is a bad movie. It's campy, a good chuck of the effects haven't  held up, the ending feels rushed, and it's not particularly well written or acted. I rewatch this one every so often and, while I have fun with it, I still can't really recommend it.
1.5 out of 5

80's Month Day 9: Octopussy

With over 20 James Bond films dating back to the the early 60's, there is always debate among Bond fans as to which movie is the best. One movie that no one ever seems to argue in favor of is 1983's Octopussy. Already in his mid-50's by this point Sir. Roger Moore was getting a bit old for the part of Britain's top secret agent. For reference; Sir Sean Connery was 41 when his last official Bond movie Diamonds are Forever was released in 1971.

The plot, in short, involves James Bond being assigned the task of following a Russian general who is stealing jewels and relics, most notably a Faberge egg. This ends up leading Bond to a wealthy Afghan prince named Kamal Khan, and his associate, a woman named Octopussy (played by Maud Adams) who owns a n island exclusively populated by beautiful women. Eventually James uncovers a plot to force disarmament in Europe with the use of a nuclear weapon and, as in all Bond films, 007 foils the evil plan and saves the day.

 The action scenes, for the most part, are average at best and unfortunately in this one James Bond doesn't even have a gun for the majority of the film. Even those signature 007 one-liners, which when done right can result is some of the most memorable Bond moments, make up virtually all of Roger Moore's dialogue in the film. The lines aren't clever and overall it's the whole thing isn't that well written. 
Two of James Bond's gadgets in the movie include a fountain pen filled with acid (the pen cap is also a hearing device) and a small airplane that fits inside of a horse trailer and apparently runs on regular gasoline. Neither one is one are the silliest gadget in a Bond film, but they're not particularly awesome either. That being said, this film also contains the crocodile shaped personal submarine, which is simply ridiculous.

Just look at it... Someone thought this was a good idea.

Overall, I don't think Octopussy is the worst Bond movie but, it's pretty close and definitely not one I  recommend. I give this one a 2 out of 5. 


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Today's Movie: Dr. No

Before all the fancy gadgets and huge action set-pieces would become common-place in Bond films, there was a simple but entertaining spy movie that would kickoff the James Bond franchise. That movie is 1962's Dr. No.

The film is based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name and it's one of the few James Bond stories that I actually have not read so I won't compare the two, but as far as the film goes plot is pretty simple: James Bond (played by Sean Connery) is sent to Jamaica after a British Intelligence radio transmission regarding the disruption of rocket launches from Cape Canaveral is unexpectedly interrupted. Once in Jamaica he learns of this mysterious guy named Dr. No (played by Joseph Wiseman) who owns an island called Crab Key. No one who ever goes to Crab Key comes back alive, but since it seems that Dr. No may be behind the rocket launch tampering Bond goes to the island. Of course Dr. No is the bad guy and he works for the evil organization SPECTRE. In the end, Bond foils Dr. No's plan, kills him, and gets the girl in the end.

So, with 24 Bond films to choose from why does this one stand out? First off, Sean Connery (the best Bond in my opinion) is really good in the film. Also,Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) is one of the most iconic of all the 'Bond Girls'. Now, like I stated before, the film doesn't get caught up in all the fancy (and sometimes stupid) gadgets: there's no invisible car, rocket cigarette, or alligator submarine. Sure, one could argue that Dr. No's plan is kind of dumb, but there are far more convoluted and idiotic evil schemes in other Bond films.

Overall, I think this one is a fun, entertaining, and it's one of my top James Bond flicks.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

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