Angel Has Fallen – Review

Angel Has Fallen – Budget of $40 – 80 million – 2 hours and 1 minute

Click on a vendor to purchase (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)

Blu-rayTM
	Not Available Yet
Digital

Mike is on the shortlist for the new director of the secret service.  While his mind doesn’t want to take the job, his body says differently.  Mike gets migraines and tinnitus along with insomnia.  He takes pills to help but his doctor doesn’t know how much more his body can take.  Mike has had multiple concussions and trauma to his body over his years in the service.  His wife Leah believes the new job is a needed change.  But his buddy Wade knows that Mike is a lion.  Like Wade, he and Mike must roar.  While on a planned fishing trip with President Trumbull, the president tells Mike the job is his.  While Mike accepts, the president can see that Mike views the job as a death sentence.  Before they can talk things through, Mike starts to get dizzy.  The president tells Mike to switch with another agent.  After the switch, dark objects fly above.  At first, the agents think they are bats.  After the first shot, the agents know its a drone strike.  Hours later, Mike wakes up.  He is handcuffed to a hospital bed, told the president is in a coma, his entire team is dead, and he is the number one suspect.  Mike’s DNA and hair were found in the truck that coordinated the strike.  The drones had the entire team’s picture for face recognition strikes, except for Mike’s.  And he has a foreign account with $10 million.  Mike has to figure out who set him up and why.  Without that information, he will live a very short life behind bars.

This movie starts very slow, gets funny in the middle, and blows up everything in the end. While the overall mystery of who set up Mike can be solved in 30 minutes, the middle with Mike’s father Clay and the high body count makes up for the moments of boredom and predictability.  While this movie is much better than the second, it’s still not as good as the first (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  It’s unsure whether more Fallen movies will be or should be made in the future but time will tell.  If so, they must have Clay as the comedic relief and damaged heart opposite Mike’s calm and collected composure for them to succeed.  If you are a fan of the series, see the matinee.  Otherwise, wait for Vudu (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).

I give it 3 out of 5 stars

I can be pretty persuasive – Leah

That’s my Mike. That’s my Mike – Wade

I told you you should’ve treated it like it was f**king real – Mike

Old bull. Young bull – Clay

I swear these walls have more leaks than a submarine with a screen door – President Trumbull

Click on a vendor to purchase (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)

Blu-rayTM
	Not Available Yet
Digital

Top of this Post

LUCE – Review

LUCE – Budget Unknown – 1 hour and 49 minutes

Click on a vendor to purchase (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)

Blu-rayTM
Digital

Luce (pronounced loose, meaning light) was adopted by Amy and Peter Edgar when he was 7 years old from Eritrea.  He saw, was taught, and committed violent acts in his wartorn country.  When Amy and Peter adopted him, they got him the best counselors and education.  At 17, Luce is an exemplary student, debater, and track star.  Often, Luce is chosen to make speeches during school events.  Amy and Peter’s pride in their son’s accomplishments knows no bounds.  So Amy is confused when Ms. Wilson asks her to come in and talk about Luce.  Ms. Wilson gave the students an assignment to write a paper in the voice of a historical figure, in that figure’s time period.  Luce chose a war criminal from Eritrea who saw violence as a way to end any political conflict.  Luce’s paper frightens Ms. Wilson so much, she searched his locker and found illegal fireworks.  Ms. Wilson gives the fireworks and the paper to Amy with the hope she will read it.  Ms. Wilson worries his upbringing in darkness may still be affecting him today.  When Amy and Peter build up the nerve to talk to Luce, he explains that he hates Ms. Wilson.  Often she singles out minority students as tokens of praise or belittling.  While he is always praised, he still doesn’t like being a token.  As accusations fly, flames will be fanned, and social norms will come into question.  So, who’s side are you on?

Be ready to be confused and frightened.  You are not sure who is running the game in this movie until the end.  Afterward, you will want to discuss everything that happened. Is Luce acting out because of his environment in the past or now? Are his parents to blame for his behavior? Is Luce doing this or is someone setting him up? Does Ms. Wilson have it out for him?  What part does Luce ex-girlfriend Stephanie play in this? Or has Luce been acting all along? The perfect student can hide the deepest secrets because adults put them on a pedestal so high, adults refuse to knock off “the example”.  Watch this movie and get ready for an in-depth discussion.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

Unfair doesn’t mean untrue – Luce

Can you cover her up – Ms. Wilson

Click on a vendor to purchase (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)

Blu-rayTM
Digital

Top of this Post

Ready or Not – Review

Ready or Not – Budget of $6 million – 1 hour and 35 minutes

Click on a vendor to purchase (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)

Blu-rayTM
Digital
	Not Available Yet

Grace, a former foster kid, hoped to have a permanent home one day. Now, she is marrying Alex Le Domas. Alex is the heir to the Le Domas gaming empire. Grace loves Alex but she feels out of place with all this wealth. Some family members like her but most don’t. After the wedding, her honeymoon consummation is interrupted by Alex’s Aunt Helene.  She is ready to start the tradition.  At midnight, the new family member picks a card from an antique box.  You have to play whatever game is on the card.  Grace thinks this is juvenile but she plays along to be a member of the family.   Other in-laws tell her they got mundane cards like checkers or Old Maid.  Grace selects and gets Hide and Seek.  She has to hide and not be found until sunrise.  They will give her to the count of 100 to find a spot.  Grace hides in the dumb waiter.  She doesn’t know down the hall her new family members are grabbing weapons.  They need to kill her before sunrise.  Generations ago, their ancestor made a deal with evil.  They play a game when a new family member joins but only one game has deadly consequences.  And its Hide and Seek.  The family must find and kill Grace before sunrise.  Or the entire family will die.  They explain to Alex that tradition is important and he has to let Grace go.  But he loves her.   Now Alex has to find Grace and get her to safety.

Don’t let the blood and guts fool you.  This movie has more humor than most comedies.  Imagine having your craziest, most out-spoken, and dysfunctional relatives over for dinner and then given them weapons.  That’s this movie.  The violence becomes a part of the humor as Grace fights back her insane in-laws.  She isn’t a damsel in distress.  Quickly, she changes shoes and rips her wedding dress to get prepared for battle.  She refuses to go down without a fight.  Before the movie reaches its finale, you will be given one more good jump scare that will leave you 100% shocked and satisfied.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

Who cares what they think?  They’re horrible people – Alex

Don’t take it personal.  They’re just trying to figure out if you’re a gold-digging whore like my wife – Daniel

No thank you.  I’m all the way in – Grace

Brown-haired niece, you continue to exist. – Helena

Sweetie, I’m so proud of you – Emilie

Click on a vendor to purchase (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)

Blu-rayTM
Digital
	Not Available Yet

Top of this Post