DVD Movie Review - A Walk Among the Tombstones

A Walk Among the Tombstones releases Neeson from his shoehorned character of Taken and allows the story to become first priority, instead of whose face is getting punched next.

STORY:

Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson) is an unlicensed private eye that is currently having a tough time eating as no one will ever leave him alone while he's ingesting food.  During a nice quiet meal, Peter (Boyd Holbrook), a fellow Alcoholics Anonymous member, talks Scudder into meeting his brother, Kenny.  Kenny (Dan Stevens) needs Scudder to find out who kidnapped his wife.  After some debating, Scudder finally agrees and what seemed like a small case turns into a massive search for mystery killers.  Muted rape scenes, crime procedures, pigeons, phone threats (yes, just like Taken), numerous questions, and a Dexter-lookalike ensue.

"So I was wondering if--"

"Shhh...do you not see the plate of food sitting in front of me?"

"Yeah, I--"

"Shhh...one more word and I'll beat you to death with this salt shaker." 

THOUGHTS:

If you see A Walk Among the Tombstones and are renting it because you're looking forward to watching Neeson break arms, stab baddies in the face, deliver death threats over a phone, and rescue his wife or daughter, you're going to have a bad time.  Only one of those things actually happens in the film.  See Matt Scudder is just a regular Joe who knows a little bit about tracking down killers because he used to be a cop.  He knows a tiny bit about punching guys in the face and he knows a smidgen about shooting a gun.  Matt is definitely not a one man wrecking ball with revenge on his mind.  He's a broken man (ex-alcoholic) looking for a slice of redemption.  On the flip side, if you're tired of watching Neeson play the same role from Taken 1 through 15, plus Non-Stop, then you'll be pleasantly surprised by this film.

"Are you saying there's no action?"  Not at all.  It's there…but only as bookends to the two hour movie.  You'll get a little in the beginning and a little more at the climax.  So A Walk Among the Tombstones is exactly that: a walk among dead bodies.  There's no running away from angry bullets or speeding car chases to catch the bad guys.  Matt Scudder walks.  He walks to get food.  He walks to witnesses to ask questions.  He walks to AA meetings.  It's what he does.  And along the way is a fantastic story involving drugs, money, and psychotic killers.

"Shhh...you've seen Taken, right?"

"Yeah, everyone's seen--"

"Good, then you know I'm capable of picking up that tombstone, right there, and beating you to death with it?"

"I thought you just wanted the time?"

"So what's the film's true genre?"  The genre of the film lies more in suspense and mystery than in action.  If you've seen any of the numerous cop dramas on TV, where the protagonist walks into a crime scene and then attempts to solve the murder by outwitting the antagonist, then you almost know the plot layout of the film.  But don't let that dissuade you from watching the movie.  The storyline has some twists and turns along the way and some truly great acting by Liam.  You'll slowly walk through the film with Matt Scudder as he systematically finds more and more clues to a case that ultimately ends up becoming too much for him to handle.  If you're a fan of any old hard-boiled novels by Dashiell Hammet or Raymond Chandler (which are referenced in the movie), then you'll be right at home with A Walk Among the Tombstones.  Matt Scudder is a smug private eye that uses his wits more than his brawn to get what he needs.  But if circumstances call for it, he will punch out someone's lights.

"...and there will be a reward for--"

"Shhh...sometimes I enjoy a little air-piano before I break someone's nose."

"Have you been listening to a word--"

"Shhh...watch this solo."

THE ACTING:

Liam Neeson has had plenty of practice as the rough rogue type, looking to do things his way, instead of abiding by the laws.  So the role of Matt Scudder comes effortlessly for him.  Neeson comfortably switches between the intelligent, tough, or arrogant private eye throughout the entire movie.  In fact, Neeson is absolutely perfect for the role.  It's just too bad that can't be said about everyone.  Dan Stevens plays Kenny Kristo, the man that hires Scudder to find his wife's kidnappers.  Throughout the movie, his emotions should be all over the map: anger, sad, scared, nervous, and upset.  Instead, there must have been something exquisite on the floor, because Stevens spends most of his time holding the same confused squint, while avoiding eye contact with anyone.  Boyd Holbrook plays the drugged-out Peter Kristo accurately, and Brian Bradley fills the humorous support role of TJ when the story calls for it.  Now, all the women in the film, including Laura Birn and Razane Jammal (girlfriend and wife respectively) spend their time as victims, either getting tied up or thrown into vans.  And that leaves our kidnappers.  David Harbour creeps in every scene as the quiet but deadly, Ray, while Adam David Thompson plays Albert, the talkative Dexter lookalike…except he has no redeeming qualities like the famous Michael C. Hall character.  Unfortunately though, the kidnappers end up a little one dimensional and become nothing but a roadblock for Scudder, but that's alright because the film is more about one man's redemption, than about kidnappers.

"Please!  You need to help me!  I've run out of facial expressions and I 

need--hello...hello...Liam are you still there?"

CONCLUSION:

A Walk Among the Tombstones maintains an old hard-boiled feel while building suspense and mystery up until the end.  Liam Neeson delivers a fresh character, purposely brushing the Taken stereotype aside.  The antagonists are paper thin and seem more of a side note in the film's overall plot, but with fantastic acting from the leading man, an excellent mystery, and a story that touches on redemption and friendship, A Walk Among the Tombstones will still make any crime noir movie-lover happy.  If you're looking for more brutal killing and action-packed scenes with broken noses and twisted necks, this is not your movie.  But if you like Liam Neeson and need something fresh and removed from the action stereotype, then A Walk Among the Tombstones should definitely be on your watch list.

4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for slightly weak antagonists)

DVD Movie Review - The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie bursts onto the screen with more action, more color, more laughs, and more life than most animated features put together.

"Dammit, Diana!  Don't you dare snap a photo."

*click*

"If you're even thinking of putting that up on Facebook, I--"

"You'll what?  Uploading..."

"I will NOT be your friend anymore."

STORY:

Emmet Brickowoski (Chris Pratt) is your ordinary Lego-man construction worker that follows all the rules and has absolutely nothing special about him.  That's until his dull life leads him down a hole and forces him to become the key to saving the Lego universe from Lord Business (Will Ferrell).  Bat puns, movie parodies, political jokes, the Kragle, and the most ear-worming song ever created in the history of melodic sound, ensues.

"One more outburst from either of you, and I'm turning this thing around."

THOUGHTS:

Lego, a child's construction toy, gathered all the company’s executives and decided the time was nigh to create an hour and half commercial—otherwise known as a movie—to sell their product.  And somehow the stars aligned, a butterfly flapped its wings, a volcano erupted, and a gang of writers pulled an entire script out of their asses…essentially by staring at a plastic brick.  Holy crap.  But not only did they create a script worthy of laugh-out-loud hysterics, they also infused it with hilarious parodies, Lego's biggest licenses, a plot that's action-packed, and clever hints to a bigger picture (which you'll understand once you see the ending).  And it's all wrapped up in a heart-warming family tale.  Brilliant.

After a brief, slightly confusing prologue (as the movie progresses it becomes clear), you're thrust head first into Emmet's world and taken on a roller coaster ride of excitement that doesn't stop until the credits roll.  And before you hit play for your child and walk out of the room to do adult stuff like play video games or sleep, stop and spend a few moments with the Lego Movie, you'll be thankful you did.  See, the writers not only knew how outrageous a movie based on a plastic brick would be, but they also knew that an animated film doesn't only have to cater to eight year olds and under.  This movie is saturated with underlining jokes that only adults will get, and most of the time you'll find yourself laughing more than the kids.  From Star Wars, to the old west, to political jabs, the writing never holds back.  And that really is what makes the Lego movie so efficient.  It knows how ridiculous a movie-commercial for a toy line is and the film uses that to its advantage. 

Why not show some of the more embarrassing toy ideas in Lego's past and make a joke about it?  Why not introduce Superman alongside Gandalf?  Why not show how goofy a mix-matched set of blocks really looks?  And most importantly…Why not have Batman parody himself throughout the entire movie?  The ammo for all these laughs is available.  The writers just had to know how to use it.  And they knocked it out of the park.

"Hahahaha...and right after I give them what they want, I'll slaughter every last one of them."

"That's a great plan, Sir, but why?"

"Why?  Because that's what bad guys do!  Now, go get me a coffee and don't forget about 

the non-fat soy milk.  It helps with my bowel movements."

THE VOICE ACTING:

The only way to create a Lego movie is to go all out by gathering top list actors.  Bolstering down Neeson, Freeman, Ferrell, Arnett, and the like is no easy task.  And each and every actor/actress doesn't hold back.  They throw everything they have into their respected roles, making the movie that much more enjoyable. 

The whole story rests on Chris Pratt's shoulders as he's the unlucky but likable protagonist.  Pratt delivers over-the-top dialogue with humorous flair in almost every line.  Will Ferrell was made for the roll of Lord Business.  He breathes comedic life into a tyrant without making you hate his guts.  Elizabeth Banks plays her best role to date.  You won't even recognize her as the leading lady, Wyldstyle, because of how much energy she injects into the character.  Morgan Freeman is solid as the all-knowing Vitruvius, and Liam Neeson shows his silly side by portraying Good cop/Bad cop.  But the star of the film rests with Will Arnett as Bats.  Whether Batman is attempting to throw his batarangs without any skill or is singing a song about being an orphan, he steals every scene.

"Emmet's right...I mean, he's an idiot, but sometimes even idiots have good ideas."

"Thanks, Batman."

"No problem, kid.  Now, go make me a sandwich."

WHO'LL HATE IT?

Adults that think animated features are those brief intermissions where a soft drink, popcorn, and assorted candies are singing, will probably be the same adults that do not put the Lego movie in their queue.  If you're a parent that has been wounded many times by the Lego brick to the foot, then you might have better things to do than watch this film.  Any parent that has had to listen to "Everything is awesome" sung by their child a thousand times in the six minutes following the film, will have nothing but loathing for this movie.  And finally, parents that were forcefully dragged to the toy store by their children after a dozen straight viewings to buy every piece of Lego adorning the shelves, might have a tough time digesting this film.

"Hey, I thought Batman didn't have time for a--"

"Mind your business, Kid.  It's not my fault I'm blessed with money, cool toys, and devastating good looks."

CONCLUSION:

With an amazing story, top-notch actors and actresses, parodies from across the board, Batman, and a child's favorite building toy, The Lego Movie crosses the commercial boundary and becomes an actual fun lighthearted film.  If animated features or toys in general don't appeal to the child within you, then you might want to handle The Lego Movie as if it's toxic waste.  For everyone else, The Lego Movie will spark creativity, laughter, and long forgotten childhood memories.  Just be prepared to run out to the store as soon as the movie ends to buy the kids a Lego kit or ten, because you'll never hear the end of it.  (A prepared parent will already have a Lego set ready and waiting before the film even starts.)  But no matter your age or plastic universe from which you hail, The Lego Movie will easily fit into any movie-goer's permanent collection.

4.5 out of 5 Stars (minus a ½ star for having to buy Lego sets after viewing)