Folks, sometimes I think people underestimate how hard writing these movie reviews is. You see, I watch more movies than I talk about each month but I can only fit two in here and I need them to fit into a fairly narrow spectrum. Sometimes, I am just dying to talk about a movie I saw but I know that I can’t. For example, I would love to tell you how much I enjoyed finally watching the 2002 Vin Diesel vehicle xXx which was frankly, horrible and yet wonderful at the same time. But you don’t want to watch that and I don’t want to ruin your weekend by suggesting that you do. So I try to give you honest reviews that won’t result in you watching something disappointingly bad.
Now, you are probably thinking “Collin, we already know that you enjoy bad movies almost as much as good ones. Stop moralizing and give us what we came here for.” Point taken. This month, we’ve got two films that tell of the triumph of a team. One you may not have heard of and the other you may have thought “For real, ANOTHER one?” Both I found surprisingly entertaining. And both I have no qualms about suggesting you give either a shot.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) [PG-13]
I know, I didn’t hold much hope that this was going to be any good either. It is the 6th movie in the series. That’s cash-grab territory. But Fallout isn’t just a cash-grab. It is genuinely great.
Following shortly after the events of the previous movie Mission: Impossible – Rouge Nation, Ethan Hunt and his team are on the trail of a group of terrorists-for-hire known as “The Apostles” who have been tasked with building and detonating three portable nuclear bombs. Early on in the pursuit, Ethan is forced to choose between saving the lives of his team members or completing his mission. He chooses his team and the rest of the movie is about dealing with the consequences of his choice.
You don’t need to see the previous movie Mission: Impossible – Rouge Nation to understand who is who and what is going on but it probably won’t hurt either. The plot is well steered by writer/director Christopher McQuarrie. Somehow, he is able to keep the story and the stunts fresh. He’s been writing movies for Cruise for a decade and it seems like he is just getting settled into a groove.
This is easily the best action film of 2018 and is truly worthy of the term “summer blockbuster”. I managed to see this both in the theater and at home. It is still just as enjoyable on the small screen as the big. It is exciting, well-paced and has enough crazy Cruise stunts in it that you’ll walk away thinking “Maybe I should look into helicopter pilot classes.”
Cruise was in his mid-50s when this was filmed so we probably aren’t going to get too many more of these. Which is a real shame if the entries to the Mission: Impossible series are going to continue to be this good.
8 paws out of 10
Chongqing Hot Pot (2016) [well in Australia it is MA15+ so let’s say R?]
If you have never had it, chongqing hotpot is a dish comprising a boiling broth made from dried chilies, peppers, oil and herbs that you plop vegetables and meats into before fishing them out and then dipping them into a bowl of sesame oil and garlic right before you eat them. Sort of like a much spicier, oil-based fondue or Japanese shabu-shabu.
Part of the beauty comes from bringing together all of these different ingredients, mixing them all up and enjoying the outcome. And that is an apt description of our next movie, Chongqing Hot Pot.
Liu Bo is a gambler who is in deep to the local crime boss, Mister Seven. He also owns a failing hotpot restaurant located in an old bunker with his two friends Xu Dong and Four Eyes. They try to sell the restaurant but are told they need more floor space for it to be a worthwhile investment. With no money for permits, they start jack hammering and accidentally end up creating a hole in the floor of a near-by bank vault.
The friends decide to quietly close up the hole so they don’t get in trouble for illegally digging but to do so, one of the team members has to be in the vault itself. As luck would have it, the trio have a childhood friend who happens to work in the bank, Yu Xiaohui. Yu has a different idea and suggests that they go ahead and rob the bank while they are in the vault.
The performances here are good, even if the characters aren’t really fleshed out. The action sequences are energetic and wonderfully choreographed. The mood is a little uneven as the film can go from comedy to romance to brutal violence from one scene to the next in the later half of the movie. But isn’t that sort of what you would expect from a hotpot? You are going to get a few mouthfuls that are a little too spicy and then the next is too bland. The enjoyment comes from the teaming of all of the ingredients and the same is true with Chongqing Hot Pot.
As of now, this is streaming on Amazon Prime for free so really, what do you have to lose? Give Chongqing Hot Pot a try. At least you aren’t going to set your mouth on fire with this version of the dish.
7 paws out of 10
As always, if you have a movie you think I should check out or you want to talk further about one of these reviews, drop me a line on Facebook.