Quick Flick Review: Spectre

Sam Mendes' Spectre wants to be as good as 2012's Skyfall, and for a while it achieves its lofty goal, but unfortunately when it comes time for the big reveal, the much-anticipated confrontation between British super spy James Bond and the master villain pulling all the strings, the one we've patiently been waiting for over the course of nine years and four films, things fall a bit flat.

Set shortly after the events of its predecessor, Spectre opens during a Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City and finds Bond (Daniel Craig) hunting a terrorist who's keen on blowing up a stadium full of people. After an attempt to neutralize his target goes spectacularly awry, Bond is soon chasing his prey through reveler-packed streets, climaxing in a breathtaking helicopter battle that ultimately gives our favorite secret agent a new clue on a much bigger organization operating behind the scenes.

Placed on inactive field duty by the new M (Ralph Fiennes) for his unsanctioned stunt in Mexico, Bond secretly travels to Rome to attend the funeral of the operative he threw out of the copter. There he encounters the man's widow (Monica Bellucci) and through some "friendly persuasion" gleans that the mysterious cabal in question is actually meeting in the city the next night.

Bond of course gains entrance to this shin-dig (a dimly lit gathering of nefarious types in evening gowns and tuxedos huddled around a boardroom) and is soon called out by name by the head man, a soft-spoken, shadow-shrouded figure whose face we never see. Bond flees and narrowly escapes after being pursued in another breakneck sequence by a relentless, hulking thug reminiscent of Robert Shaw in From Russia With Love.

From there we travel to Austria and then Morocco as Bond follows more clues and enlists the help of one Doctor Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr. White from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

Eventually, Bond comes face to face with the mystery man again and we learn he is one Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), an individual who shares a hidden past with our hero. As Oberhauser succinctly labels himself: "The author of all your pain."

There's no denying Spectre is wildly entertaining, full of the prerequisite kinetic action, exotic locales and beautiful women the franchise is famous for. It features several nods to previous Bond adventures and actually feels like a more natural follow-up to 2008's Quantum of Solace than Skyfall did.

Where the film ultimately stumbles a bit is in that eventual face-to-face between Bond and Oberhaueser. All the implied backstory, the hidden history the two share and they barely scratch the surface during their climatic encounter. We want Bond to ask questions, dig deeper. Instead he just sits there as Oberhauser peels back the layers of the last nine years. Bond treats it all like old news, a matter of public record, unworthy of response. You've got two great actors in Craig and Waltz just ready to verbally spar, and all we get is polite, benign chit-chat.

The end of Spectre pretty much guarantees hero and villain will meet again. Let's hope Craig does indeed return for another go-around and that we finally get that epic exchange we've all been waiting for. Grade: B

Quick Flick Review: Bridge of Spies

While Steven Spielberg's unparalleled cinematic artistry alone makes Bridge of Spies required viewing, it's really the star power of Tom Hanks that commands the screen, sometimes a little too well for its own good.

Based on true events during the height of the Cold War in the late '50s and early '60s, Hanks plays James Donovan, an extremely affable-yet-shrewd Manhattan insurance attorney who is asked by the U.S. government to first defend and then negotiate the swap of captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel for shot-down American pilot Francis Gary Powers.

The first half of the film toggles back and forth between Donovan's attempt to secure Abel a fair, impartial trial (not an easy task) and Powers getting up to speed on his super-secret U2 mission. The second half mostly unfolds in East Berlin as Donovan must not just negotiate the release of Powers, but a recently detained American college student as well. There are a lot of characters and moving parts to wade through at times, but Spielberg keeps things rolling along at an efficient pace. Every shot is meticulously framed and serves the story perfectly.

The one constant in all the action is Hanks' Donovan, the epitome of unflappable, seamlessly moving through the worlds of Madison Avenue and the federal court system with the utmost of ease. His suits are crisp, his confidence high and his snappy banter neverending.

You'd think by the time the CIA dumps him in East Berlin to more or less fend for himself, he'd start to show a little vulnerability, but it never materializes, and that, unfortunately, is where the character's believability begins to suffer a little. We realize we're being drawn in by the magnetism of Tom Hanks, not a fish-out-of-water insurance attorney.

While Bridge of Spies may come off as a bit of a star vehicle at times, it's still an extremely entertaining, well-made and well-acted film that reminds us how old-fashioned Hollywood craftsmanship can still deliver something truly special. Grade: B+

Quick Flick Review: The Martian

Ridley Scott's The Martian is grand Hollywood entertainment, full of thrills, humor and heart, all anchored by a masterful, Oscar-worthy performance by Matt Damon.

Scott's adaptation of Andy Weir's 2014 bestselling tale of an astronaut left for dead on Mars carries the director's usual visual flair and moves quickly to fit in all the science and problem-solving scenarios Damon and NASA must face to survive and effectively mount a rescue mission. It's a lot of data to digest at times, but it never slows the story, mainly because the film has strong supporting players like Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain and Chiwetel Ejiofor to effectively get its points across.

The film, though, truly belongs to Damon. His Mark Watney is an experienced scientist, smart and resourceful, but he's also a human being, alone on an alien planet and facing an increasingly grim chance of survival. Damon deftly toggles between both "realities" with the utmost of ease. We celebrate his triumphs and agonize in his defeats not because the story dictates it, but because we feel it from an affable, engaging soul that could just as easily be one of us.

The Martian is not just one of the most entertaining films of the year, it's one of the smartest, for its science and technology, but more importantly, for its humanity. Grade: A -

Quick Flick Review: The Walk

Robert Zemeckis' The Walk is truly a sight to behold on the big screen, a completely immersive, awe-inspiring experience that just may rank as the best 3D film Hollywood has ever produced.

Based on French high-wire artist Phillipe Petit's covert 1974 1,300-foot-high stroll between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the film admittedly starts off a little slow as we spend most of the first half in France getting acquainted with our key conspirators, but once the action moves to New York for first the Mission: Impossible-like planning and then the eventual feat itself, we're buckled in for a ride of truly epic proportions.

The towers are living, breathing characters, looming larger than life amidst the hovering fog and platinum skyline. We watch breathlessly as the steel walking cable is extended between the seemingly mountainous cavern separating the two chrome-laded behemoths. Then, just as our hearts have quieted, Petit steps off and begins a nearly thirty-minute-long traversal, spinning, lying down, basically floating on air, and we're right there with him amongst the clouds, searching for breath again.

The film really is all about that thirty-minute walk. The always-good Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives an endearing, whimsical performance as Petit and both Ben Kingsley and James Badge Dale provide nice supporting work, but the characters are really never fleshed out and that unfortunately gives the film at times a bit of a hollow, empty quality.

But make no mistake, we're there for the spectacle and The Walk surely provides it a way unlike anything we've ever seen, especially on the big screen and even more so in 3D. Run, don't walk to see it. Grade: B+

Quick Flick Review: Black Mass

It's hard not to think of Martin Scorsese's The Departed when watching Scott Cooper's Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass.

You've got the same South Boston setting, the same unscrupulous lowlifes, the same duplicitous cops, the same '70s-era rock hits and even the same bad guy more or less, as the Jack Nicholson gangster in Scorsese's film was loosely based on Bulger and his stint as one of the nation's most notorious crimelords.

Unfortunately, it's those similarities that give Black Mass that "been there, done that" vibe and ultimately cloud an otherwise exceptional performance from star Johhny Depp.

Depp, who has seemed content living in the shadow of Jack Sparrow the last 10 years, slips into the skin of Bulger with the ease of trying on a well-worn glove. With his Southie drawl, thinning blond hair and ice-blue eyes, Depp masterfully balances his performance between soft-spoken nurturer and unholy menance. One second he's talking up the merits of orange juice to his small son, the next he's strangling a woman inside his mother's house. It's a glaring reminder of the type of talent Depp still possesses, one that should warrant serious consideration come Oscar time.

Black Mass really doesn't offer audiences anything new to chew on. But if it gets Johnny Depp to seek out more challenging rolls, it'll have served its purpose. Grade: B -

Five Autumn Films Worth Falling For

You probably could tell from my lack of a preview post in May that I didn't think much of the then-pending summer movie season. Nothing but sequels and uninspiring CG-heavy fare. A far cry from last summer's bumper crop of original, character-driven offerings.

Four months and a handful of screenings later, my initial opinion hasn't changed much. Granted, Mad Max: Fury Road was amazing and both Jurassic World and Mission: Impossible - Rouge Nation were far better than I thought they'd be, but films like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man seemed overly repetitive and unoriginal. And then there was Tomorrowland. What the heck happened there?

All told, I caught eight films this summer, the fewest in recent memory, perhaps ever, and with the exception of Mad Max, I'd give none of them a grade higher than a B. Too harsh? Maybe. All I know is that I love cinema and when I drop my $15 to see a movie on the big screen, I want to see something special, something with a little thought behind it. I bet most of you feel the same way.

Luckily for us, things look pretty optimistic from now through Christmas. Below are my five films worth falling for this autumn, especially on the big screen (in order of release).

The Walk: Oscar-winning visual maestro Robert Zemeckis takes us back to 1974 when French high-wire artist Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) took a covert, commando-like 1,300-foot-high stroll between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. This one definitely needs to be seen on the largest screen possible. Just don't look down. (Sept. 30)

The Martian: Ridley Scott adapts Andy Weir's 2014 bestseller in which an astronaut (Matt Damon) is left for dead on Mars and must find a way to survive until NASA and his Earth-bound crewmates can figure out a way to retrieve him. The book was a little too technical for my liking, but the story is undeniably cinematic and with sci-fi master Scott calling the shots, this one should prove to be a very worthwhile ride. (Oct. 2)

Bridge of Spies: Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks reteam for the first time in 11 years. I'm in! (Oct. 16)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: As a first-generation Star Wars fan, I have my reservations on a J.J. Abrams-helmed SW tale filled with Rebels-like misfits only a seven-year-old could love. But here's what I keep telling myself: it's a sequel to Return of the Jedi and features Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie. How can you not go? (I'm actually writing this while waiting in line.) (Dec. 18)

The Hateful Eight : Quentin Tarantino's follow-up to Django Unchained is another "wild" Western in which a group of unsavory strangers get stranded together in close quarters and must "work out" their differences as only Tarantino characters can do. Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh headline the eclectic cast, and as an added bonus, select theaters will screen the film in glorious 70mm. I guess I know what I'm doing the day after Christmas. (Dec. 25, limited)


Five More That Should Be On Your Radar: Black Mass (Today); Everest (Today); Steve Jobs (Oct. 9); Spectre (Nov 6); In The Heart of the Sea (Dec. 11)

Quick Blu Review: Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road was easily the best and most original film of the summer: simply two hours of non-stop, jaw-dropping, in-your-face action that completely immerses you in a world of sight and sound like few films ever have.

Fury Road is Miller's reimagining of his popular post-apocalyptic Mad Max films of the 1980s. Tom Hardy takes over for Mel Gibson as road warrior Max Rockatansky, a former highway cop who now battles gangs of vicious marauders across a dystopian wasteland. This time around Max finds himself in the middle of deadly conflict between warlord Immortan Joe and Imperator Furisoa (Charlize Theron). Nothing major, Furiosa's just absconded with five of Joe's enslaved wives in an attempt to secure their freedom.

The story and characters in Fury Road are pretty one-dimensional, and that's fine. We're here for the action and frankly there just isn't enough room for anything else. Miller and his team have taken the kinetic energy of the first three films and thrown them on their ear, delivering amped-up visuals unlike anything we've ever seen. Everything is a feast for the eyes. I've long dreamed of finding cinematic Xanadu. Damned if George Miller hasn't delivered it.

As expected, Fury Road looks spectacular on Blu-ray. Presented in its native 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the razor-sharp images leap off the screen. The rust-colored desert, the blood-red sandstorms, that fire-spewing guitar player from hell, everything, just gushes with vibrant color and gritty menace.

The Dolby Atmos-enhanced TrueHD 7.1 audio track is fully immersive and both dialog and music are crystal clear at minimal levels.

Extras include a handful of insightful make-of documentaries that should keeps fanboys busy for hours.

Mad Max: Fury Road is a landmark achievement in action filmmaking and will most likely end up on many reviewers' best-of lists for 2015, my own included. Grade: A