Killer Elite (2011) Dir: Gary McKendry

Based on a true story - five words that can provoke tremors of dread - this is a strange beast, not quite sure if it wants to be a taut actioner or a politically charged thriller.
In the end, it delivers neither.

The plot.
Jason Statham is Danny, an elite military operative trained in the black art of assassination. He works alongside Hunter (De Niro), a grizzled old sort who has seen more than his fair share of action. When an assassination attempt turns sour, Danny swears to put the life behind him, to get out of the game, and manages to do so for one whole year.
The lure to pull him back in?
Hunter is taken hostage by an Omani Sheikh, who will only release him if Danny assassinates those responsible for the Sheik's son’s deaths.
The catch?
The killers were British military, specifically the SAS.....

A reasonably neat set-up, this starts off promisingly, with plenty of pacey action scenes and gritty fight sequences but, before too long, the interest starts to wane. See, curiously, even though this is based on a true story, at no point was I convinced by anything that was happening on screen. The plot seemed contrived, artificial, plain ridiculous on occasion, so quite how many liberties were taken is anybody's guess.
The cast perform adequately enough, particularly Jason 'The Stath' Statham who is always watchable. I must confess to something of a man-crush, if truth be told. My God, he looks delightful bare-chested save for a pistol holster.
Enjoyment wise, a telling fact is that, though the run time is only 100 minutes total, this felt more like a two hour plus movie.
Never a good sign.
Stylistic confusion, humdrum plotting, and a scattershot approach to pacing means this is probably one best skipped on the big screen, kids.

2 out of 5

Sanctum (2011) Dir: Alister Grierson

You know when you get the urge to do something really adventurous? It strikes from time to time, when the grim reality of my own pointless existence hits home and I think I need to do something, anything just to spice things up a little.
Well, here's my advice: Don't go fucking caving.
The plot: With a cyclone closing in fast, a group of cave explorers find themselves trapped in the bowels of the Papua New Guinean Earth, their only hope for survival being to find a way through the unexplored section of the cave system in the hope of locating an exit.
With a father and son in the team who really don't like each other too much, and the same father and his boss who seem to like each other even less, expect plenty of emotional over-wroughtness and testosterone fulled rantings.
And the only question is not whether they will survive, but how many of them will die along the way.
Essentially, this is after all a movie about a bunch of people wandering around in a cave, so you may feel that it will struggle for legs but the energy of the on screen action keeps the momentum flowing just nicely. Whilst the characterisations are a tad on the thin side, the writers at least have a go and are partially successful, as the leader of the expedition is massively engaging; brash, abrasive, utterly focused on what needs to be done, an automaton in a wetsuit, whilst his boss is perhaps one of the most dislikable characters in movie history; handsome, successful, confident, physically fit.
Seriously, he made me want to puke.
Jamews Cameron's name tag remains something of a mystery, save for the obvious financial gain such a label will bring, and the 3D is utterly redundant but, those issues aside, this is an efficient enough 'will they escape the calamity' movie in the mould of The Poseidon Adventure.
Not as bad as many would have you believe.

3 out of 5

127 Hours (2010) Dir: Danny Boyle

Following up the Oscar grabbing success of Slumdog Millionaire was always going to be a big ask so, sensibly, Danny Boyle here opted to make a movie that couldn't possibly be more different.
Based on the true story of one man's remarkable stupidity and bravery, this is almost a single actor performance, and a striking one it is too from James 'Son of Green Goblin' Franco.
The plot: Franco plays Aron Ralston, an adrenaline junkie with a real passion for canyoning. Telling no-one, he ventures to a remote part of Utah to attempt to conquer one of its most challenging canyons, but has what can only be described as a serious mishap along the way. Plunging into the canyon, his arm becomes trapped in place by a shifted boulder, impossible to free.
With limited food, a water supply rapidly running out and only one arm in use, we follow his struggled over the next five and a bit days.
Dramatically similar to the fictional Buried, this is remarkable in that it is based entirely on a true story.
Boyle manages to keep the interest surprisingly well, given the close confines and lack of real development, Franco's facial acting alone engaging and diverting.
Whilst one scene in particular is grabbing all of the headlines - the arm hack - there is much more to this than mere build up to a moment of gruel.
With a sumptuous score and phenomenally beautiful cinematography from Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle, this is a very good film indeed.

4 out of 5

Unstoppable (2010) Dir: Tony Scott

I approached this movie with mixed emotions.
I love Denzel Washington. His aura, his mannerisms, the way he speaks. He is a real presence in every movie.
I don’t really like Tony Scott's direction. Too stylised, too frenetic, too MT freakin' V.
So would the presence of both on the same movie cancel each other out? Well, it didn't work for me with Man on Fire.
Who would win out?
The actor or the director?
In truth, both do just fine.
The plot: When a railroad operative foolishly steps off the train which he is driving to flip a switch to change the points on the track, he inadvertently sets off a chain of events with potentially epic consequences. The controls are not set properly as he alights the train, moving well below walking speed, so that, between him stepping off and reaching the points switch, the engine is engaged and the train rumbles off, gaining speed all the time. The driver has no chance of getting back on board, so now the game is on: How to stop a half mile long train, pack with a multitude of cargo, including molten phelon, a lethal and highly toxic substance.
Denzel and his new charge Will (Chris 'Kirk' Pine) are the only men in a position to do anything about the projectile but, inevitably, must put their lives at risk to do so.
And it's a great watch.
Super-charged, massively entertaining, this rattles along at a fair old clip, Scott holding his overtly annoying fast-edit predilections in check for the most part.
Denzel is great as always, and Chris Pine does a decent job of matching him blow for blow.
As high concept as it gets, I guess, the fact that it is also based on a true story adds an element of class to proceedings along with the performances of the leads.
Gripping and tense, this is something of a thrill ride.
Very good.