Bad Boys for Life – Review

Bad Boys for Life – Budget of $90 million – 2 hours and 4 minutes

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Mike is weaving through the streets of Miami with Marcus screaming in the passenger seat.  They are in a race against the clock.  But they are not chasing bad guys.  They are headed to the hospital.  Marcus is a grandfather.  Megan and Reggie just had a baby boy, they named Marcus.  Later, the precinct celebrates the new future cop to the fold.  Marcus takes Mike aside and tells him its time for him to retire.  He wants to see Little Marcus grow up.  Marcus states age is getting the best of them.  Mike believes he is in his prime and will continue to stay on the force.  In order to prove Marcus wrong, the two decided to have a foot race.  If Mike wins, Marcus stays on the force.  If Marcus wins, he can leave.  Mike gains the lead and celebrates the win.  But the celebration is short-lived.  Mike is the target of a hit.  He is rushed to the emergency room with 4 bullet wounds to the torso.  Marcus sits by his side every day and makes a deal with God to heal Mike.  Six months later, Mike is feeling better but stunned.  While he was recuperating, Marcus officially retired.  Since Mike coded on the operating table, Marcus feels he kept his promise of Bad Boys for Life.  On the other hand, Mike won’t rest until he finds the person who tried to kill him.  Since he can’t investigate his own case, Captain Howard teams Mike up with AMMO, an elite team of officers trained in combat, tech, and marksmanship.  AMMO is made up of Lieutenant Rita, Officer Kelly, Officer Rafe, and Officer Dorn.  Mike doesn’t believe in their methods but he has no other options.  In order for Mike to discover who is trying to kill him and why; the Bad Boys of the Bible will go head to head against a Witch, the Aretas cartel, and a doting son.

The third installment of the Bad Boys franchise has all the bullets, explosions, and crazy car chases you’d expect (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  While Marcus has matured into his role as grandfather and husband, Mike still wants to chase bad guys.  Marcus truly makes an attempt to retire.  Even when a CI tries to pull Marcus back in, he calls Mike to take over.  It takes one bullet to make him ride one last time with Mike.  The comic relief of their arguments gets funnier as they joke about hair dye, dress, women, and – of course – driving.  This movie laughs at itself by describing it as a real-life telenovela.   The action sequences make IMAX a great choice for this film.  Stay after the first set of end credits but not until the end.  Don’t worry loyal fans, they give you the slow double stand, blue pill joke, a Reggie flashback, and a set up for the next class of Bad Boys.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

So, you want me to speed up and slow down at the same time – Mike

Turn up? What are you, 20? You need to turn off – Marcus

I got 50 on a torn ACL – Captain Howard

I don’t do renegotiations – Armando Aretas

Hasta el Fuego – Isabel Aretas

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The Last Full Measure – Review

The Last Full Measure – Budget Unknown – 1 hour and 50 minutes

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On September 9, 1999, Scott is stuck in DC traffic.  He gets a call that his boss is retiring “to spend more time with his family”, leaving his job as a Pentagon staffer up in the air.  He leaves his wife, Tara, in traffic and jumps on the metro.  His assistant tells him the retirement is new information and is 11 o’clock is early.  Scott sits and reads is daily packet and meets with is 11 o’clock appointment.  It’s Vietnam Air Force Vet Thomas Tully.  Decades ago, Tully applied for William Hope Pitsenbarger to receive the Medal of Honor.  After an investigation, it was downgraded to an Air Force Cross.  Tully believes this is wrong.  Staff Sargent Pitsenbarger was an Air Force Pararescuemen who was on a mission to airlift injured army men out of the battlefield in Vietnam in mission Abilene.  When the first man is pulled up, Pitsenbarger realizes its the Army medic.  Pitsenbarger knows the men on the ground will need help to get the others to safety.  He lowers himself to the battlefield and saved scores of men.  When the last helicopter was about to fly off, they told Pitsenbarger to get back on the plane.  He sent up one more man, told them to leave him, got a gun, and prepared for battle.  He lost his life for men he never met and saved.  In order to get the Medal of Honor, Scott knows you need 3 things.  Pitsenbarger is only missing the approval from the chain of command.  Scott starts his investigation and sees the toll the war has taken on these men but he sees their courage in trying to honor their fallen comrade.  When Scott’s job is at risk because of political football, can he overcome his fear to get Pitsenbarger his medal before his father, Frank Pitsenbarger, dies of cancer?

In a time veterans are fighting for decent healthcare, this movie will make you want to stand up for them.  The physical and emotional scars are presented to the viewer for shock and compassion.  Each man has worked tirelessly for decades to obtain the Medal of Honor while coping with loss, regret, pain, and PTSD.  With all they are going through, they don’t forget the soldier who lost his life saving theirs.  As Scott investigates, he can’t believe the lives these men cope with because they were promised better by their country.  Their constant disappointment in this country is reflected the moment they see Scott.  They believe he is another puppet sent to sweep Pitsenbarger valor under the rug.  When he shows his true dedication to the project, it allows him to open his heart and fight it through to the end.  No matter what it cost.  See this movie to gain respect and a mere glimpse of what it means to give everything for your country.  If you or someone you know is suffering from PTSD, this is not the movie for them.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

I talk, you listen. – Takoda

I feel ashamed – Tully

I’m afraid – Scott

Fear is good. Fear is a survival instinct – Tara

He never asked for permission – Frank Pitsenbarger

I’ll go down – William Pitsenbarger

From Abilene to Avalon – Kepper

I was the NFG – Jimmy

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The Gentlemen – Review

The Gentlemen – Budget Unknown – 1 hour and 53 minutes

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Raymond comes home and gets a bottle of liquor when he hears ice rattling behind him.  It’s private investigator Fletcher.  Fletcher was hired to find dirt on Raymond’s boss, Mickey, for 150,000 pounds.  Fletcher has found a score of information and turned it into a script.  If Raymond pays in 20 million pounds, he can have the script.  Raymond is annoyed by Fletcher but offers to hear him out.  Fletcher starts with his boss Big Dave.  Big Dave hired Fletcher to get dirt on Mickey because Mickey snubbed him at a party in front of some very influential people.  When Fletcher starts following Mickey, he discovers that Mickey, an American Oxford drop out, is ready to give up the marijuana business and retire from the mobster lifestyle.  He has decided to sell his operation to Matthew for 400 million.  He shows Matthew in and outs of his operation to show its staying power, even if the market becomes legalized in England.  When word gets out that Mickey is going to retire, Dry Eye comes to Mickey to strike a deal.  Mickey thinks Dry Eyes’ offer is disrespectful and unapproved by his boss Lord George.  Then, Mickey gets bad news.  One of his stash houses has been robbed and the video is streaming online as a rap video.  When the robbers’ boss, Coach finds out who they robbed, he is pissed.  He goes to Mickey for penance and Mickey accepts.  But Mickey knows the underworld sees his retirement as a weakness and everyone is gunning for him, his wife, and his business.  And that’s just half of Fletcher’s story.  Will Mickey survive until the end.

In true Guy Ritchie storytelling, it’s not over until it’s over.  You have to be at this movie on time or you will miss crucial parts of the setup.  Of course, you can’t trust what you see because Fletcher is telling a story for the 1st half of the movie.  The second half is told in real-time and has everyone one-upping each other.  This movie will become an instant cult classic while leaving an ending for part two.  This movie is not for kids but the mystery and crime movie lovers will adore this movie.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

Doubt causes chaos and ones own demise – Mickey

I like it when you talk dirty to me. I can feel myself engorging – Fletcher

From 150 thousand to 20 million. That a step rise – Raymond

If you let him in the hen house, you can expect blood and feathers everywhere – Ross

These are some nails – Matthew

I was there and I’m still shocked – Coach

A gentlemen’s quote is a gentlemen’s word – Dry Eye

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