After John Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone) saved a group of missionaries and murdered most of the bad guys in Burma, he settled down, found a home with a mailbox bearing his last name, and embraced normal life. At least, that was the conclusion of Rambo, the 2008 installment which belatedly caught us up with the creaky, ultra-violent franchise. Now, after years of laying … [Read more...] about Lean, No-Nonsense, and Brutal – “Rambo: Last Blood” delivers
Sylvester Stallone
2019 Fall Movie Preview: After the summer, we deserve this
The fall movie season isn't unlike the summer run before it. Yet, everything is looking better (and after Godzilla: King of the Monsters, we all deserve better). Although there are more sequels, at least they’re for movies we really want sequels to, like Zombieland, and not the likes of The Angry Birds Movie 2. Some of the offerings are tedious. (Oh, we finally get Frozen 2? … [Read more...] about 2019 Fall Movie Preview: After the summer, we deserve this
‘CREED II’ New Movie Review: The ‘Rocky’ series still has fight left
The first line spoke in Creed II is "You got this." It’s uttered to Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) by his girlfriend, Bianca (played by Tessa Thompson), before a boxing match and the statement pretty much sums up the movie: overly familiar but confident. While Creed is enjoying his sudden fame and a newly formed family, an old, personal foe begins to hound him: … [Read more...] about ‘CREED II’ New Movie Review: The ‘Rocky’ series still has fight left
CREED New Movie Review
You can't make a film like Creed unless you love the Rocky saga, and writer/director Ryan Coogler is clearly a fan. Coogler's powerful, acclaimed 2013 debut, Fruitvale Station, starred Michael B. Jordan and handled the topic of police brutality with sensitivity and alarming timeliness. His follow-up is not a sell-out Hollywood project or, what I feared, a boxing movie that shoe … [Read more...] about CREED New Movie Review
On the eve of ‘Creed,’ we give you the Rocky Balboa Scorecard
The biggest reason audiences are welcoming the return of Rocky Balboa to the big screen this Thanksgiving? Easy: audiences love The Italian Stallion, who's easily the most endearing, layered and legendary character in creator/star Sylvester Stallone's cinematic arsenal. While the emphasis of the latest installment, Creed, is on the son of Apollo Creed (played by talented … [Read more...] about On the eve of ‘Creed,’ we give you the Rocky Balboa Scorecard