Review: Glass, or 3 Reasons to Go See This

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"Could you guys compress a little to the center? Thanks."

I know I’ve said this a lot of times already, but let me just set the record straight: I’ve never left Team Shyamalan.

I’ve always been a fan of M. Night Shyamalan. I’ve never left his side. Sure, he had misses, but he also had hits. Although The Village will still be my favourite Shyamalan flick, I’ve never fed the hate and vitriol directed at him when he came out with the live action adaptation of The Last Airbender. Yeah, it wasn’t great, but let’s face it, it wasn’t horrible either. It was just… not that good. Compared to his body of work, that is.

But wait, this isn’t an article to defend Mr. Shyamalan. This is supposed to be a review of his latest film Glass. So here are three reasons why Glass is something worth watching.

It’s the conclusion to Shyamalan’s trilogy you never knew existed.
Let’s be honest here: How many of you knew when you watched Unbreakable back in 2000 that it would have a sequel? Nobody did. And when Split hit the theaters in 2016, how many of you figured out it happens in the same universe as Unbreakable before seeing Bruce Willis show up in the end? Again, nobody did – except Shyamalan, of course. The director really intended James McAvoy’s character to appear in Unbreakable, but had to cut him out. So Split can be considered a kind of spin-off in that sense. And thank God Shyamalan decided to give us Glass. We all love superhero flicks, and anything that doesn’t resemble a Marvel or a DC flick is a welcome treat indeed.

It’s a superhero flick that doesn’t seem like a superhero flick.
Honestly, this isn’t the best example of “a superhero flick that doesn’t seem like a superhero flick” – that distinction still belongs to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. But in Nolan’s context, that means being grounded in reality, which works for the Batman universe because the characters there mostly don’t have super powers. In this universe, the characters do have superpowers: David Dunn (Bruce Willis) was unbreakable, meaning he had super strength; Elijah Price a.k.a. Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) had supervillain intelligence; and The Beast (James McAvoy) had, well, beast-like powers (I wouldn’t consider his multiple personalities as a superpower, because that’s more of a disorder). Yet despite the superpowers present, the director still tried to present this as grounded as possible, because the entire premise of the films is that superheroes walk among us, and the comic book characters are based on real-life people.

It’s got three great actors.
Okay, Bruce Willis isn’t really a great actor. He’s good, but I wouldn’t call him great. I wouldn’t say he’s mediocre. He’s good. Let’s leave it at that. Samuel L. Jackson I would say was great. He even had those little facial twitches going on, which kind of made his condition more authentic in a way. But the show-stealer here was James McAvoy. From the weight gain and body building he went through, to the meticulous character changes that had even Samuel L. Jackson stunned, to the veins popping out his neck, McAvoy deserved an acting award nomination at least for his performance here.

So, is this the end of this superhero series? It pretty much looks like it. Is M. Night Shyamalan going to venture into long form storytelling on the streaming platform? Maybe. But one thing’s sure: I am eagerly awaiting the day his next film hits theatres. And I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.

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"I'm still waiting for that Mace Windu origin story, Mr. Lucas Disney."

Glass. USA. 2019.



Original rating: 7.9/10
Sarah Paulson's annoying acting: -0.1
Using the same kid in Unbreakable: +0.1
Final rating: 7.9/10

Review: RED 2

This sequel couldn't get any better! Magnificent plot! Though the action looks kinda' cliche. But still, better than action porn or any type of porn!

I tend to disagree.

Looper

If you want to talk action, then Bruce Willis is always in the mix. After all, he's the only person who can play John McClane of the Die Hard series. And he isn't in The Expendables just because he's being pretty.

Not the very best hairstyle, admittedly.

Joseph Gordon Levitt isn't a newbie too, since 10 Things I Hate About You and just recently with 500 Days of Summer. And then Inception; now he's Robin. And he sings and plays the guitar. Swoon.

Don't mind his prosthetic nose.

Alternate Title "Eyes"

For all the right reasons, Perfect Stranger (2007) can have the alternate billing "Eyes"─a lofty understatement, but nonetheless exacting.

Why?

For one

Two

Three

And ah, finally, my personal, all-time favorite

Now, before this turns into another "Illuminati" movie─which it probably is, for good or bad─PS is on the surface an immersive investigation on the possible murder of extramarital partner, Grace, by suspect advertising CEO Hill (Bruce Willis), led by partner journalists Halle Berry and a favorite wild card actor, Giovanni Ribisi.

The investigation takes on a persistent quality as Grace is longtime bestfriend to, and implied supplier of, insider information to headliner stories for Berry. Filmic flashbacks are also employed to peak into the psychology of Berry, and hints to possible childhood trauma and vengeful motivations.

On the subliminal level, through which the Enemy likes to play on (Who is the the "Enemy"?), PS is either an Illuminati propaganda, an exposé, or an illumined illumination, haha. All of which are recommended for consideration, against careless statements of "just coincidence".

"Disclosure" may be the more proper term to umbrella these forms of information dissemination. Disclosures are either good or bad. So...

What, where are you being led to?

Is IT telling you to just accept "what is", more than

"what could be"?

Are you empowered? (Or) Are you helpless?

Who is in charge of your life??

PS may just help you with THAT.

Rating: 8.5 of 10.

Watch it online.

http://www.videoweed.com/file/4bcb6fe850b28

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=KETIXY71

RED

The secret agent/CIA stuff never really gets old. It could look old though if you put in guys like Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren in it. Plus put in there too that dude who played Agamemnon (did I spell that right?) in Troy, and it really looks old! And also, that dude who was in line buying the RED movie tickets looked old too. I feel like I'm entering a Jackie Chan movie (where almost all the members in the audience are like 35 or way older). These are the same guys who watched Die Hard I in theaters back in the day (and they were in their prime back then).

The leads were so in their post-post-prime state that Karl Urban looked young and preppy amongst 'em. Bruce Willis even called Urban (who played Cooper, one of CIA's heads), "6'1 with the cute hair..." I guess you could call his hair cute if you yourself are balding and your hair follicles aren't motivated (or stimulated, whatever) to grow (just like Willis'). Demi Moore might've left Bruce because of his lack of head hair. I think she wants her man's hair just like the head of a Viking's (perhaps like Ashton's?).

Bruce Willis really revels in roles wherein he doesn't have to do any shouting. He always wants to take it easy on his larynx. I mean, come on. Give me a scene from any of the last ten Bruce Willis flicks where he was required to shout a lot. Man, he doesn't even talk loud enough to be John McClane. His voice always seems smooth and suave. Hence, the bald guy roles.

Morgan Freeman just isn't cut out for action flicks like these. Even if he's RED (Retired and Extremely Dangerous) in this movie, he just ain't athletic enough. Helen Mirren can beat this geezer in a foot race. Plus he (Freeman) doesn't look like an 80-year old with stage 4 liver cancer (his role in the movie).

Helen Mirren really looks old in this one. I mean, she looks old when she played Queen Elizabeth. but man, time flies by so fast. For me, she kinda' looked different in a short span of time. But her accent really kicked ass!

My favorite here is of course, Mr. John Malkovich. Not only does he bring the much needed comic relief, he also embraces the old man role to the extent that he made "old man" synonymous with "veteran killer". Add to that the fact that he did LSD for eleven years under a controlled, secret CIA program, then you really have a funny old junkie runnin' loose with the old dogs.

I wasn't really overwhelmed with this movie or anything like that. It was just what I expected. A bunch of retired CIA agents runnin' around and killin' people. Good job to John Malkovich for bein' the "glue guy" in this team. If you don't know what a glue guy is, think Scottie Pippen of the Bulls. Think Lamar Odom for the Lakers. Think Udonis Haslem for the Heat.

Offensively and defensively, they bring it to the table. Same thing with John.

My rating for this flick is 7 out of 10. If it wasn't for the glue guy, this would be a measly 6.






*image from www.scene-stealers.com

The Expendables

Just when you thought you couldn't inject any more testosterone into a flick, then along comes this Stallone creation. Sly's a fuckin' genius! Who would've ever thought of assembling a gang of (over the hill) Hollywood action studs?!? No one this side of the Milky Way, that's who! Too bad my other faves like JCVD (Jean Claude Van-Damme for all you giblets not in the know), Chuck Norris, and Steven Seagal didn't find their way into The Expendables roster.

Seemed like this movie was just about a bunch of guys who just want to hurt each other, as well as other guys. There was really no trace of a plot except for one that involves killing a former CIA agent who went rogue and now holds a small island in the Mexican Gulf named Vilena and controls the dictator there, as well as the drugs that flow out of that place.

But I really don't give a dang about any plots in this movie. I'm just a sucker for cheesy one-liners and massive explosions, plus a lot of blood!

Now let me throw in my two cents to the stars of this movie. Here goes...

Sylvester Stallone─could still run through the jungle like John Rambo (though not as fast). Him clashing with Dolph Lundgren brings back memories of Rocky 4.

Jason Statham─still has the 'ole The Transporter moves, and the 'ole Turkish (Snatch) accent. Watching a lot of live UFC events proved to be beneficial too because he was able to infuse his MMA moves into the movie fight sequences (that goes for Stallone, too, who was doin' an arm bar on Stone Cold).

Jet Li─showed traces of Once Upon A Time In China meets Romeo Must Die fight techniques. Less talk and more martial arts!

Dolph Lundgren─sounds exactly like Ivan Drago who just learned English or somethin'. Why can't he sound like He-Man?!?

Mickey Rourke─minimum lines equals maximum effect. Less is more indeed.

Randy Couture─has probably done more Superman Punches than any other Hollywood actor in history. Also looks more "Natural" (no pun intended) than Rampage Jackson in front of a camera. Too bad The A-Team didn't do as well as this flick when it was released back in June.

Terry Crews─added more muscle to the testosterone. Also busted a move (like he always does in his movies). Dancers really can't help it.

Stone Cold Steve Austin─stuck with his own Texan accent and tried to sound tough (like he always does in WWE). A Stone Cold Stunner was actually executed in this flick. But it wasn't Austin who did it (could've been either Randy "The Natural" Couture or Jason "The Transporter" Statham).

Arnold Schwarzenegger─try and take a closer look and you will see that Arnold kinda' walks like The Terminator itself.

Bruce Willis─Mr. "Calm Demeanor" himself.


And oh! They could've picked a prettier Latina actress to play the part of the General's daughter (though I wouldn't think twice if this girl stripped right in front of me). The thing was that where were all the women in this film where all the alpha males were at?!?

And no kissing scene too? WTF?!? Stallone kinda' feinted a kiss, but that's the nearest thing to a kiss that we're ever gonna see in that movie. Too bad!

Well, that's basically my  two cents. If you have a sharp eye, you would actually see the Nogueira twins (Minotauro and Minotouro, or probably just one of them) playin' Vilena soldiers. My guess is that Randy Couture invited 'em or something.

For all its worth, I give this a 6.5 out of a 10. A 9.9 out of 10 though for the superb casting and excessive explosions. The missin' .1 was for the MIA (missin' in action) guys (JCVD, Chucky boy, and Steven "Emotionless" Seagal).





*image source: http://www.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Expendables-movie-poster1-404x600.jpg

Surrogates

I agreed to watch this flick because one, it's sci-fi; two, I'm not paying for my ticket; three, haven't heard of a bad review on in it... or what would be more accurate is I haven't heard anything on it.

The movie was about humanity using robots/surrogates to live their lives for them. Crime rate turns to zero and everybody's happy. Or are they? Dun dun dun dun...

Well, no. They're not. That's basically what's the movie's saying. This is fake happy. So a movement sprouts up against this new world era of surrogates, a murder happens at the side, and wouldn't you know it? They were actually connected. Who'd have thought?

Aside from a few typical ending twists here and some hair on Bruce Willis-surrogate's head, the movie did a sucky job on preaching about machine dependency. Surrogates' premise isn't far from the future, I know, but the way they presented it was pretty much black and white for me. The surrogates were hot robots versus the humans controlling them who were haggardly ugly, therefore, ugliness is more real. The only person who looks hot as an actual human was Bruce Willis. Actually, he looks a whole lot better without the hair. Oh, you older man bad boy types.

Preaching about doomsday has been told far more prettier in The Matrix. Or even Wall-E. These flicks did pretty good preaching because I could actually believe that type of future could happen. I know that comparing Surrogates to Wall-E is a whole different game. Wall-E is an animated family/romance while Surrogates is... boring.

3/10