They Are About to Experience the WRATH OF MAN

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Guy Ritchie and United Artist is a story of revenge and diversions when it comes to the WRATH OF MAN.

H (Jason Statham) has recently been hired for a security company that is dealing with constant robbery. Passing the test, he is paired up with Bullet (Holt McCallany) and Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett) to see how everything works. It is not long before H has to come to the rescue of his co-workers, and it makes everyone wonder who he really is, especially boss Terry (Eddie Marsan).

What they do not know is that H is looking for somebody, somebody in particular that he wants to make pay. Revenge is his motive and there is a good reason. Taking one step at a time, he calls in his own crew to start looking at every person possible.

Jackson (Jeffrey Donovan) has a crew of men with Jan (Scott Eastwood), Brad (Deobia Oparei), Carlos (Laz Alonso), Sam (Raul Castillo) and Tom (Chris Reilly) who served together. Unhappy with how they have been treated, they decide to make a point and that is when things start to come together in the worst way.

Follow the money!

Statham as H is as quiet and stealthy as ever. He does not talk much and keeps his focus on finding who is responsible for causing his family pain. Slowly and surely the character of H is not about to let any bad guys get away with anything. That’s typical Statham! This actor has also shown he can cover most genres with action, humor and even a megalodon (I can not wait for THE MEG 2 personally).

Hartnett as Dave does not like H one bit and has no problem making it clear he finds him annoying. It is not until his armored car is hit that H is not as quick to get on H’s nerves. This is an interesting role as Hartnett is not exactly the hero type. McCallany as Bullet takes H under his wing and actually enjoys his standoffishness. Watching how he handles the crew actually amuses him a bit. McCallany gives us a laid-back armored car driver who is just trying to stay clear of robberies. 

Donovan as Jackson is equally as focused as H in the job he wants to get done. Calm and cook, the problem is that the same cannot be said for the rest of his crew. Eastwood as Jan has a hair trigger both on the gun and with his attitude.

Other cast include Niamh Algar as Dana, Tadhg Murphy as Shirley, Alessandro Babalola as Stuart, Mark Arnold as Super, Gerald Tyler as Armourer, Alex Ferns as John, Eli Brown as Dougie and Andy Garcia as Agent King.

United Artists is an American production company founded in 1919 by DW Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (now THAT is a line up!). The premise was to allow actors to control their own on-screen destinies but was later acquired by MGM.

WRATH OF MAN is just about everything you would expect from both director Ritchie and star Statham. There is action, chasing, weaponry, twists in the story, egos and not knowing who to trust. The film takes on every angle of revenge you can possibly imagine. Advanced warning, it can get pretty bloody at times.

Do not blink or you can easily become disoriented but then again, I think that is what was intended all along. To make sure we focus (in my case on Jason Statham) on what H is up to leading to the film examining and re-examining why all of it is happening.

Coming in a smidgen under two hours, it is an assault on the senses and does not stop to give anyone a breather. Every time you think the story is wrapping up, think again! There is always more to the story and this film is going to make sure every bit of it is told.

In the end – he will never stop, ever!

Based on a True Story Comes THE OUTPOST

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to limited release in theatres and On Demand from Screen Media is the story by author Jake Tapper and director Rod Lurie and the brave men guarding THE OUTPOST.

Staff Sgt. Clint Romesha (Scott Eastwood) and his men Specialist Ty Carter (Caleb Landry Jones), Staff Sgt. Justin Gallegos (Jacob Scipio), Sgt. Josh Kirk (Jack Kesy) helicopter ride into a deep valley in Afghanistan. Surrounded by mountains, they are attacked daily by the Taliban. First Lt. Benjamin Keating (Orlando Bloom) gives the men a tour of the camp letting them know that they must always be at the ready.

It does not take long before the new crew takes a few hits and sees what they are up against. When they get the call to take a very large vehicle to another camp, Keating takes Romesha on roads that aren’t meant to be traversed. When an accident happens, Sylvanius Broward (Kwame Patterson) is sent in telling the men that the camp is going to be shut down. What should be good news really is not.

Their own Afghan interpreter tells the men that the Taliban are coming and although they listen, they go about their mission. Each attack gets a little bolder until the capture a young man who comes into the camp taking pictures of everything he sees. When caught, Romesha along with Broward go to the town elders to explain why the promise made by Lt. Keating of funds is being held up.

Romesha is frustrated because he does not see that Broward is listening to anything the people who live at the outpost are telling him. That is until the camp is hit again. One more time the men must gather together to protect the outpost even though there are more and more Taliban in the mountains above.

When one massive explosion follows another, every takes their places to battle the men coming towards them with more weapons than the outpost has seen. Now, Romesha and his men will do what they must to protect one another and stay alive until the call for help can bring what they need to stop the invasion.

Now they wait.

Eastwood comes on the scene strong with the attitude of a military man with concerns for his men, especially when he sees the camp by the light of day. He turns in a solid performance that isn’t over the top but instead storytelling with the entire cast. Jones as Carter is a young man who is dealing with the stress and anxiety about everything happening around them. When the men need him the most, he puts himself on the line time and time again. Carter gives us the human side of those feelings.

Bloom as Keating knows they are in a raw deal with where the camp is located but tries to make the best of it for everyone. Never sending a man to do something he wouldn’t do himself, he is respected by the men. Scipio as Gallegos and Kesy as Kirk aren’t thrilled with their situation and even less thrilled with those who claim to be in charge but they follow their leader. Both men are a definite benefit to the film. Shout out to Gibson for his second time in a film dealing with war and soldiers as he was in the 2016 film HACKSAW RIDGE directed by his father Mel Gibson.

Other cast include Petar Petrov as Malak, Ahmad Sakhi as Commander Zahid, George Arvidson as Captain Cordova, Brandon Wengrzynek as Sgt. Breed, Jeremy Jones as PFC Jordan Wong, Scott Coffey as Michael Scusa, Jack DeVos as Sgt. Hardt, Ernest Cavazos as Sgt. Avalos, Jonathan Yunger as SFC Jonathan Hill, Alexandar Aleksiev as Sgt. Janis Lakis, Alfie Stewart as Sgt. Yunger, Marin Rangelov as Nasir, Cory Hardrict as Sgt. Vernon Martin, Taylor Smith as First Lt. Andrew Bundermann, Celina Sinden as Cpt. Katie Kopp, Will Attenborough as Ed Faulkner and Milo Gibson as Capt. Yllescas. 

Screen Media is an international distributor of television series and films, licensing content through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, and subscription and advertising video-on-demand platforms. With one of the largest independently-owned libraries of filmed entertainment in the world and license agreements across all forms of media. The company is continually looking to add films and television series to its content library. For more information please visit www.screenmedia.com.

THE OUTPOST is bases on The New York Times best seller The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. Written by CNN journalist Jake Tapper, he tells the story of soldiers living in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Combat Outpost Keating. It is a story about the battle to defend against a coordinated Taliban attack that later came to be known as The Battle of Kamdesh.

Bravo Troop 3-62 would become the most decorated unit of the 2009 Afghan War. Staff Sgt. Cliff Romesha and Specialist Ty Carter were awarded the Medal of Honor. Rod Lurie, the director, is a graduate of West Point and former soldier. Adding to the realism of the film, he added veterans to play various military roles including Henry Hughes and Daniel Rodriguez.

“The gates of Heaven and the gates of hell are claimed to be in the same spot. During the firefight, COP Keating was like the gates of hell: violent, bloody and full of sorrow. However, watching men sacrificing themselves to protect each other, I could see the true form of brotherhood and love, making the firefight at COP Keating like the gates of heaven as well.” Ty M. Carter, Medal of Honor Recipient.

The cast brings the story to us all in a way that allows us to care about them because they each have a story. Adding to that the fact that most of us have family members who are active military, the scenes where the soldiers are calling home are moving and intense at the same time. There is also clearly camaraderie between the cast that transitions into the people they are portraying.

In the end – the mission was survival!

PACIFIC RIM: Uprising Fights Once Again

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray/DVD and Digital from writer/director Steven S. DeKnight and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the return of the warriors of PACIFIC RIM: Uprising.

Jake Pentecost (John Boyega) is the son of hero Stacker Pentecost but not exactly following in his fathers footsteps. Making his own mark in what is left of the post-Kaiju world, he is constantly at odds with everyone. While trying to make another score in the abandon Jaeger warehouse, he meets fifteen-year-old Amara Namani (Cailee Spaeny) who has amazing hacking skills for a young girl.

Trying to run from the law, they both are going to be called for something a little more important. A different kind of Jaeger is running lose and more powerful than they have ever seen. Not understanding how this is happening, Jake is paired up once again with Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood) to discover what is happening.

Dr. Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) is on it trying to discover where the source of the new Jaeger’s power is coming from. Of course Dr. Geiszler (Charlie Day) might have a little something to do with it all.

That’s when they discover that the Kaiju are not gone but instead have found a way to integrate quietly back into our world. Pentecost and Lambert immediately regroup and make it clear that there is no way the Kaiju are going succeed. Now they both call on the very smart Amara and the rest of the cadets to be just as creative as the creature who wants them gone.

It is a fight they are prepared for!

Boyega as Jake is a man who understands the large shadow cast by his father Stacker. Trying to find his own place in a world still recovering from the last Kaiju attack, he uses his smarts in the wrong way. When he realizes he is truly needed, the best comes out.

Eastwood as Lambert is full on Jaeger to the core. He wants what’s best for the planet and Kaiju aren’t it. He has a chip when it comes to Jake but it is something that isn’t as important as what is coming after them all.

Spaeny as Amara is smart, quick and doesn’t respond well to authority, something Jake knows a little something about. She may be young but her hacking skills are spot on and creating a Jaeger that needs one user is epic.

Gorman as Gottlieb is running like a chicken with his head cut off trying to figure out how this new Jaeger has such tremendous power. Day as Geiszler is a little bit off his game and seems to have a plan of his own. A little bit nutty and a little bit evil, this is Day’s chance to show us what he’s got.

Other cast include Tian Jing as Liwen Shao, Jin Zhang as Marshal Quan, Adria Ajona as Jules Reyes, Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori, Karan Brar as Cadet Suresh, Wesley Wong as Cadet Jinhai, Ivanna Sakhno as Cadet Viktoria, Mackenyu as Cade Ryoichi, Lily Ji as Cadet Meilin and Shyrley Rodriguez as Cadet Renata.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The Bluray and DVD contain the Bonus Features of Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Steven DeKnight, Hall of Heroes, Bridge to Uprising, Becoming Cadets, Unexpected Villain, Never Level Jaegers and much more!

PACIFIC RIM: Uprising gets the gang back together after years of believing that the war was over. What a surprise when a very large, very powerful Jaeger doesn’t have good will towards humans. The story brings out story twists and clashing metal battles that have one goal – to make sure the Kaiju never come back again.

The action is fast paced and doesn’t leave much time for dallying around but then again I don’t think the Kaiju are interested in talking. They are more along the lines of destruction and take over so go along for the battle of PACIFIC RIM: Uprising!

In the end – nothing will stop their victory!

THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS Burns Rubber on Bluray!

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray & DVD from director F. Gary Gray and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the next installment when it comes to understanding THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS.

Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are in Puerto Rico with family and cars. Not there long before Dom has to put his foot to the pedal for the respect of family. Returning to the hotel, he is stopped by a woman named Cipher (Charlize Theron) who isn’t pulling any punches by letting Dom know that he will soon be working for her.

Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) goes from coaching his daughter’s soccer team to a job that gets him a nice stint in the slammer but Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) offers him a deal to stay out of jail. Backed up by Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood) on the deal, Hobbs refuses. Waiting in a cell across from Hobbs is his least favorite person Deckard (Jason Statham) as the two immediately begin to verbally spar.

It takes no time at all before Mr. Nobody gets Hobbs, Deckard, Letty, Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) in a room to tell them that Dom has gone rogue! They get the intel on Cipher but have no idea what they are up against as the game of cat and mouse begins. Letty doesn’t believe it but the mission is to stop him.

Dom knows he is hurting his woman and friends by working with Cipher but there is something they do not know and he can’t tell them. Every time the gang gets close, Dom has back up from Cipher and her muscle Rhodes (Kristofer Hivju) to elude them once again. That is until they all end up on the Barents Sea in the arctic for a showdown like nothing the gang has experienced before.

All of it to stop an anarchist and discover what made their leader go rogue!

Diesel as Dom returns to the hard and tough role that fans have loved about this franchise. Knowing that taking care of family, whether blood or otherwise, means taking each step carefully. His performance is totally spot on and the scenes with Theron are filled with tension that is amazing to watch from them both.

Diesel recently announced at CinemaCon that there will be a 9^th and 10^th installment of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise. He told the audience, “We are proud of how we defied expectations with this series of films.” Of course the topic of Paul Walker came up and he said, “It was a hard decision to make the film without Paul but his legacy is in every frame we shoot. He was the concept of brotherhood! When I thought of going into the 8^th chapter, it was Paul that said ‘8 is guaranteed!’

Theron as Cipher is frakken brilliant as this character. She is smart, doesn’t take any guff and isn’t afraid of anyone – including Dom’s gang. In fact, this character seems to find great joy in staying many steps ahead of anyone trying to stop her from getting what she wants. Using Dom is her insurance policy and he is definitely a policy worth having. I love Theron every moment she is on the screen!

Johnson as Hobbs is bigger and bulkier than ever bringing a softer side to his character as a soccer coach. That also brings a big of comedy to his character and it really is quite funny. That being said, when the comedy stops – Hobbs gets to business and as much as he doesn’t want to go after Dom, he will and he will without hesitation.

Statham as Deckard is a mixture of hilarious, bad ass, softy and perfection in his interaction with Johnson’s character. This actor keeps getting better and better in the sense that he can be a tough in some roles that are scary and then amazing comedy as in the film SPY (which still cracks me up every time I see it) and now a mixture of both for THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS.

Rodriguez as Letty is dedicated to her man and there isn’t anyone that’s going to convince her otherwise. Although she helps Hobbs and the gang, she sees it more as saving Dom from something she doesn’t understand and not take him down. Emmanuel as Ramsey is the high tech gal who is working overtime to stay ahead of Cipher.

Gibson as Roman is back looking for the fastest and baddest looking car in the bunch. Ludacris as Tej works well with Emmanuel trying to discover how Cipher manages to do the unthinkable with the technology she has.

Russell as Mr. Nobody is smart and witty and I’d expect nothing less form him. I’m still amazed with the diversity of his characters and the fantastic way he portrays them. Eastwood as Little Nobody doesn’t yet understand how the gang works and soon learns that they have a way of doing things and it’s not always by the book.

I’m giving a shout out to Hivju as Rhodes. He is such a cool bad guy with the ability to give anyone crazy-eye. Then again this shouldn’t be a shock for anyone who is a Game of Thrones fan of his character Tormund Giantsbane.

Other cast include: Luke Evans as Owen, Elsa Pataky as Elena, Patrick St. Esprit as DS Allan and Janmarco Santiago as Fernando.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The Bonus Features exclusive to Bluray has The Cuban Spirit as the first major studio motion picture to shoot in Cuba in decades, the country’s effusive spirit permeates the making of the film, In the Family – In THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS family ties are put to the ultimate test and get an inside look at the family divide, Car Culture – It’s time to put yourself in the driver’s seat of the supercharged vehicles showcased in THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS.

Bonus Features on both Bluray and DVD include All About the Stunts – Go behind the scenes to witness how THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS accomplished the most epic stunts in franchise history, Extended Fight Scenes and Feature Commentary with Director F. Gary Gray. Also included is THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS Extended Director’s Cut with never-before-seen extended cut along with the theatrical release.

Want more? Well, I can help out with that as well. THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS will be available on 4K Ultra HD in a combo pack that includes the 4K Ultra HD Bluray, Bluray and Digital HD.

THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS is definitely a high octane ride from start to finish. Fans of the franchise aren’t going to be disappointed with the action, car chases and even an ice breaking submarine. It is fun, humorous, and even cute in a few places provided by the one and only Jason Statham, which just adds more fun to the film.

This is a large cast which keeps the intensity flowing and there isn’t much time to sit back and relax. Trust me when I say I’m leaving tons of details out because this is a film that doesn’t need everything put out there. Instead, it’s a film where everyone gets together and goes to have a good time so let’s not over think it.

This week order a pizza, calls friends and sit in your air conditioned living room and still get hot watching THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS on Bluray and see how much action the Furious can provide!

In the end – the ride isn’t over!

THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS Revs Up Their Engines Once Again!

Jeri Jacquin

In theatres this Friday from director F. Gary Gray and Universal Pictures come the next installment when it comes to knowing THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS.

Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are on their honeymoon in Puerto Rico. Not there long before Dom has to put his foot to the pedal for the respect of family. Returning to the hotel, he is stopped by a woman named Cipher (Charlize Theron) who isn’t pulling any punches by letting Dom know that he will soon be working for her.

Hobbs goes from coaching his daughter’s soccer team to a job that gets him a nice stint in the slammer but Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) offers him a deal to stay out of jail. Backed up by Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood) on the deal, Hobbs refuses. Waiting in a cell across from Hobbs is his least favorite person Deckard (Jason Statham) as the two immediately begin to verbally spar.

It takes no time at all before Mr. Nobody gets Hobbs, Deckard, Letty, Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) in a room to tell them that Dom has gone rogue! The get the intel of Cipher but they have no idea what they are up against as the game of cat and mouse begins. Letty doesn’t believe it but the mission is to stop him.

Dom knows he is hurting his new bride and friends by working with Cipher but there is something they do not know and he can’t tell them. Every time the gang gets close, Dom has back up from Cipher and her muscle Rhodes (Kristofer Hivju) to elude them once again. That is until they all end up on the Barents Sea in the arctic for a showdown like nothing the gang has experienced before.

All of it to stop an anarchist and discover what made their leader go rogue!

Diesel as Dom returns to the hard and tough role that fans have loved about this franchise. Knowing that taking care of family, whether blood or otherwise, means taking each step carefully. His performance is totally spot on and the scenes with Theron are filled with tension that is amazing to watch from them both.

Diesel recently announced at CinemaCon that there will be a 9^th and 10^th installment of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise. He told the audience, “We are proud of how we defied expectations with this series of films.” Of course the topic of Paul Walker came up and he said, “It was a hard decision to make the film without Paul but his legacy is in every frame we shoot. He was the concept of brotherhood! When I thought of going into the 8^th chapter, it was Paul that said ‘8 is guaranteed!’

Johnson as Hobbs is bigger and bulkier than ever bringing a softer side to his character as a soccer coach. That also brings a big of comedy to his character and it really is quite funny. That being said, when the comedy stops – Hobbs gets to business and as much as he doesn’t want to go after Dom, he will and he will without hesitation.

Statham as Deckard is a mixture of hilarious, bad ass, softy and perfection with his interaction with Johnson’s character. This actor keeps getting better and better in the sense that he can be a tough in some roles that are scary and then amazing comedy as in the film SPY (which still cracks me up every time I see it) and now a mixture of both for THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS.

Rodriguez as Letty is dedicated to her man and there isn’t anyone that’s going to convince her otherwise. Although she helps Hobbs and the gang, she sees it more as saving Dom from something she doesn’t understand and not take him down. Emmanuel as Ramsey is the high tech gal who is working overtime to stay ahead of Cipher.

Gibson as Roman is back looking for the fastest and baddest looking car in the bunch. Ludacris as Tej works well with Emmanuel trying to discover how Cipher manages to do the unthinkable with the technology she has.

Russell as Mr. Nobody is smart and witty and I’d expect nothing less form him. I’m still amazed with the diversity of his characters and the fantastic way he portrays them. Eastwood as Little Nobody doesn’t yet understand how the gang works and soon learns that they have a way of doing things and it’s not always by the book.

I’m giving a shout out to Hivju as Rhodes. He is such a cool bad guy with the ability to give anyone crazy-eye. Then again this shouldn’t be a shock for anyone who is a Game of Thrones fan of his character Tormund Giantsbane.

Theron as Cipher is frakken brilliant as this character. She is smart, doesn’t take any guff and isn’t afraid of anyone – including Dom’s gang. In fact, this character seems to find great joy in staying many steps ahead of anyone trying to stop her from getting what she wants. Using Dom is her insurance policy and he is definitely a policy worth having. I love Theron every moment she is on the screen!

Other cast include: Luke Evans as Owen, Elsa Pataky as Elena, Patrick St. Esprit as DS Allan and Janmarco Santiago as Fernando.

THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS is definitely a high octane ride from start to finish. Fans of the franchise aren’t going to be disappointed with the action, car chases and even an ice breaking submarine. It is fun, humorous, and even cute in a few places which just adds more fun to the film.

This is a large cast which keeps the intensity flowing and there isn’t much time to sit back and relax. Trust me when I say I’m leaving tons of details out because this is a film that doesn’t need everything put out there. Instead, it’s a film where everyone gets together and goes to have a good time so let’s not over think it.

This weekend, do just that! Grab friends, get a huge tub of popcorn and get ready for the ride that one THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS can provide.

In the end – the ride isn’t over!