Every Sunday, Gill delves into his archive of over 800 movie reviews and randomly selects three for your enjoyment! Here are this week’s…
Spy Game
A fun spy thriller that feels familiar but still manages to stand on its own. Robert Redford and Brad Pitt both turn in solid performances, and the way the narrative jumps around in time keeps you on your toes. Tony Scott’s hyperactive direction feels a bit distracting, especially in Spy Game‘s dialogue-heavy scenes, but it’s a minor complaint. If you want something different from all the Bourne and Bond spy movies, you could do far worse than this one.
3.5 out of 5
Flash Gordon (1980)
Think of it as Star Wars‘ acid-head older brother. Flash Gordon is completely ridiculous, but since the film has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek, you can’t help but crack a smile at all the bizarre antics on screen. Existing somewhere between the Buster Crabbe serials and Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs, Flash Gordon is a lot of fun, and Max Von Sydow’s performance as Ming the Merciless alone is worth a viewing. This is one of those rare cases where a movie is deliberately so-bad-it’s-good, and it works.
3.5 out of 5
True Legend
Watching True Legend, it occurred to me that the film is essentially The Forbidden Kingdom with better action. The plot is rife with cliches and tropes of the martial arts epic genre, and on top of all that, the story becomes increasingly disjointed to accomodate all the cliches and tropes that Yuen Woo-Ping wanted to squeeze in. The action is top-notch, and Jay Chou makes a fun appearence as the God of Wushu, but because of the plot problems, you may find yourself bored at certain points. The film really picks up about 40 minutes in, though, and if you have the attention span to get through the less action-oriented moments, True Legend delivers some great chop-socky sequences that are a joy to watch.
3.75 out of 5
See you next Sunday for three more thrilling short reviews!