Very much in the tradition of the Alien movies…except for there not being an alien. Or not really. More about how you don’t NEED for there to be an alien for everything to fall apart; that long journeys and close quarters and just being human can be enough to make things go bad. That’s mostly what the movie is about. Although there was a bit at the end that I really had to wonder why it was even there. Didn’t seem like it helped the storyline / may even have hurt it.

Cillian Murphy always freaks me out, no less here; he’s got a weird Albino-esque-ness to him for a darkhaired dude, doesn’t he? The main girl from 28 Weeks Later is here also, as well as “Flame on!” from the Fantastic 4, Michelle Yeoh, and a couple other sort-of recognizable but I can’t really place them dudes.

Good acting, pretty enjoyable stuff. Except for the bit I mentioned before.

I forgot all about this flick!!! It must be years since I’d last seen it…

Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones are two Irish dudes who spent their early days doing bombings for the IRA. It’s many years later and while Jeff Bridges has moved on to defusing bombs instead of building them and having a new happy family and posing as an American, Tommy Lee Jones has done a) none of those things and is b) seeking vengeance. Papa Lloyd Bridges is also in this and fun as a sort of wacky tough-old Irishman, and Forest Whittaker, back in the day, before all his (justly earned) fame, is great as a cocky young’un on the bomb squad.

There are lots of cheesball things about this movie, and I honestly start totally laughing when Tommy Lee Jones starts scampering around karaoke-ing to U2 while planting bombs everywhere, but I still really like this movie. All kinds of tension. Very entertaining!

As I’m sure any of you other multiple view movie watchers can appreciate, after watching one OK but not great Antoine Fuqua movie, you must IMMEDIATELY watch a great Antoine Fuqua movie.

Denzel Washington gets his swagger on in such a truly GREAT and unbelievable way in this movie and not only that but he’s BAAAAD. I mean normally he’s all getting his swagger on in a hot AND good guy hero type way. To see him go the evil route…it’s just breathtaking and breathtakingly good.

Ethan Hawke is really just a sidekick here, but he does a good job of being almost painfully morally upright.

I don’t think I’ll ever stop watching this movie. Soooooo good.

Not bad at all. What is wrong with people? I knew the critics had to have been at least partially wrong considering that despite it going to DVD supersuper fast, the DVD keeps selling out at Best Buy!

Good reasons to watch:
a) Antoine Fuqua (Training Day!) is a good director, so you figure it’s got to be at least a SOLIDLY directed movie. It is.
b) Marky Mark. Hello. And shirtless. Doh!
c) A dog. And the reason to NOT let something go? SPOILER IN THE NEXT LINE! HIDE YOUR EYES! (But it is only a tiny sort of “doh! of course!” spoiler…) “I don’t think you understand. They killed my dog.” I am a child of my mother, that is vengeance reasoning I can totally get behind.
d) Great performance by Michael Pena, in a very Mark Ruffalo type way.

Reasons why it’s not THAT good?
a) predictable.
b) predictable.
c) predictable and kinda cheesy.

Not a GREAT movie. But worth watching in my book.

The acting (by almost everyone) in this movie is so stiff it makes Matt Damon’s performance in The Good Shepherd look overly emotional.

The most boring espionage movie I’ve ever seen. And think about it: you’ve actually got to WORK to make a spy movie boring. Because hello: spies? NOT BORING.

Baaad.

If you liked Zodiac, you’ll probably like this as well. Unsolved crime from years ago, completely obsessed in-this-case private eye (in-that-case reporter) who winds up endangering the rest of his life with his need to figure out what happened.

Slow moving, with a constant intercut between the PI (Adrien Brody, usually creepy but very effective here!!) in the present and Reeves and Mannix (Affleck and Lane, both giving great performances!) in the past. Moody with strong subcurrents of regret on growing old, lost opportunities, mishandled relationships. Very noir-ish. (I wish they would have shot this in black & white!)

I particularly enjoyed Bob Hoskins and hello flashback Kathleen Robertson (Steve’s girlfriend “Claire” in the later seasons of 90210!!!).