The Contractor

Chris Pine stars in this movie that we have all seen before. He is a special ops soldier whose injury prevents him from active duty. So he reaches out to a friend to get a high paying, private contractor job. But it goes wrong, and it is unclear who the good guys are. So Pine has to rely on only himself and his personal ethical code to make things right... or at least not wrong. What is interesting about this movie is the pacing. Yes, there are action scenes, but it shies away from 90 minutes of non-stop action that is common. We actually get to endure with Pine as he struggles. In this case, the slow pace is effective.

3 stars (out of 5)

Hidden Strike

Set in China, John Cena is a one-time mercenary who has adopted a village and works to ensure they have water and food. Jackie Chan is special forces team leader charged with escorting oil refinery personnel in an evacuation when the refinery is taken over by other U.S. mercenaries looking to cash out. Cena and Chan end up teaming up to protect the workers, protect the village and take down the bad guys. I am not a good enough observer to put a finger on it, but this is definitely Chinese action, vs U.S. action. It really does have the feel of The Wandering Earth. The story quality here is really lacking however. 

2 stars (out of 5)

Sniper: The White Raven

This Ukrainian film is set during the Russian invasion of Crimea. An ultra-eco couple has basically staked a claim and is living on the land when they encounter a Russian incursion, leading to death. Mykola responds by joining the Ukrainian army, training to be a sniper, and becoming the best sniper ever. Definitely less action and more contemplation and slow build up than you would expect from a western film, which really pulls you in to the pain and angst of the characters. 

4 stars (out of 5)

Plus One at an Amish Wedding

Stereotypes and predicability to spare. A New York doctor meets a New York veterinarian and after some dating, she (doctor) gets invited to accompany him (vet) to his brothers wedding. Just so happens he is (was) Amish and has some family issues to deal with. We see the struggle, the mistrust, the requisite doctor saves someone, everyone makes up. But the flat characterization of all the Amish -- oh my.

2 stars (out of 5)

Peace by Chocolate

A Syrian family emigrates to Nova Scotia by way of the Lebanese refugee camps. The father was the premier chocolatier in Syria before his factory was bombed. Now in a small village in Nova Scotia, he encounters Canadian hospitality and family strife as he chances on an opportunity to begin making chocolate again. A good anecdotal bio-pic, with the biggest takeaway probably the difference between how the opposition panned out compared to if this was set in any U.S. town. 

3 stars (out of 5)

Kingdom

Set in China in 250 BCE, a couple of slave boys with big dreams are our heroes. They practice swordsmanship on their own as they dream of changing their lives and getting out of slavery. One gets the chance of a lifetime to leave and takes the offer. The second follows on and becomes a key part of correcting a coup and helping the rightful king return to power. Simple, but with depth as we explore class, race, culture and gender stereotypes.

4 stars (out of 5)

Mr. Car and the Knights Templar

This Polish action adventure is everything I had hoped The Kid Who Would Be King would have been. A treasure hunter working for the national museum finds a relic from the Knights Templar that points to a great and power treasure. Many collectors are interested, and a competition is called to find the treasure. Answering this call are 3 kids who run away from their scouting camp to join the hunt. Obviously, they are all thrown together into a team. Action, cheesy, heartfelt. Really good. 

4 stars (out of 5) 

Jack Ryan (serial)

Season 4

Listed as 'The Final Season', Ryan is deputy director of the CIA for a minute, then resigns to go clean up after the former directors shadowy operations gone awry. Too bad this is the final season since the series has been so good. But I guess it's better to quit while it is good than go a season or two too long. As Ryan does his thing with his off-books and on-books partners, his bosses cover for him officially both at the CIA and with the Senate oversight committee, who is vetting Ryan's boss for formal appointment throughout. A nice combination of politics and action. And while a character would occasionally contribute something out of left field which seemed beyond their character, it was also done skillfully such that I was willing to accept the un-shown backstory that it wasn't out of character. If that makes sense. 
4 stars (out of 5)

The Out-Laws

Owen is an ordinary, if eccentric, bank manager about to be married. When his branch is robbed a couple of days before the wedding, he has reason to suspect the soon-to-be-in-laws. In a classic slapstick/keystone genre, Owen's incompetence gets him into and then out of near-death trouble, winding up with a happily-ever-after story. Emphasis on the Keystone nature of his thievery. 

3 stars (out of 5)

65

65 million years ago and alien species that happens to have evolved exactly like humans is exploring space. Adam Driver is a pilot of a transport ship that hits an asteroid that then crashes into earth. Did I say 65 million years ago... when a catastrophic asteroid collision was an extinction level event? So Driver and his only living passenger (who happens to look like his daughter) travel through 15 km of the end of the Cretaceous period to get to an escape pod before said extinction level event ushers in the Cenozoic. A few jump scares interspersed with attempts at heartfelt connection and meaning. While I am definitely looking for original content (tiring of the franchise), this is mediocre at best.

3 stars (out of 5)

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Indiana comes out of retirement when his god daughter pulls him into a search for the two parts of a device created by Archimedes. This after an extended flashback of Indy stealing the first part from under the nose of his Nazi nemesis. This Nazi returns in the present (i.e. 1969) to get this piece back and find the second piece. Indy tries to get there first, thereby helping the Nazi get all the pieces. This plot summary is both total spoiler, and I could have written it before seeing the movie (maybe I had the dial...). As number five in the franchise, the story and acting feels like a No. 5. It is predictable, and at this point, trope. Maybe it is me tiring of franchise and looking for something new, but the wow and pizzaz is definitely missing. It is a solid, if uninspired, action adventure.

3 stars (out of 5)

Divorce Attorney Shin (serial)

A 12 episode K-Drama centered around Shin and his two friends (Jang and Jo). Shin is a former international piano professor/performer who gave up music to become a lawyer when his sister was divorced and then killed in an accident. He thought the circumstances suspect at best. In the process, he becomes a divorce attorney to gain expertise in the field and understand what happened. The series takes on a case every 2-3 episodes and is quite heady in addressing the seriousness and difficulty of divorce, abuse, custody, etc. So in that realm, this is a heavy load. But the three guys are outstanding as a trio. They are late 30-something and yet, in many ways, still interacting as teenage boys. At the same time, they have a depth of relationship that takes years to develop. I love this relationship and how it is portrayed in the silliness and the emotional depth of their lives. A fabulous series.  

5 stars (out of 5)