Movies On The Fly

The following is a review of movies I watched while travelling back to Taiwan from Canada, hence the movies on the fly title (sleep deprivation makes you think you’re more clever than you actually are). These movies I presume are all out on DVD, so this one will be a DVD review rather than a cinema review.

Underworld: Awakening

Genre: Action/Fantasy/Horror // Running Time: 88 minutes
Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1496025/

6/10

Synopsis: The humans discover the existence of Vampires and Lycans and set out to exterminate them. Selene, the Vampire community’s most hated death dealer, is caught by the humans while trying to escape the ongoing purge and the story picks up after Selene awaken from cryostasis 12 years later.

If you’re a fan of the Underworld series, you’ll enjoy this one as well. If you’re not, well it’s definitely not the best one of the four, so you’ll probably want to skip it. If you like fantasy action flicks, this one’s not too bad, and if you’re looking for something to order on Shaw On Demand, or rent a DVD for a mindless night in, you could do worse than this one (you could also do better).

Man On A Ledge

Genre: Crime/Thriller // Running Time: 102 minutes

Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568338/

7/10

Synopsis: An ex-cop convicted of a crime he insists he didn’t commit, escapes police custody and sets into play an elaborate plan to prove his innocence masked as a simple potential suicide.

The plot twists in this flick are pretty decent, there are a few things you might not see coming and the suspense level is maintained fairly well throughout most of the movie. If you’re a fan of police dramas or crime capers, you will enjoy this movie. This movie has slightly less action than Underworld, but there’s still a high speed car chase, a shootout, and some random explosions for the action junkie. This is another good choice for a quiet night in, but you’ll have to do a bit more thinking for this one.

21 Jump Street

Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime // Running Time: 109 minutes

Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232829/

8/10

Synopsis: Two ex-classmates from high school meet in police academy and discover that a friendship/partnership could prove beneficial and they become a team of brain and brawn. They are later transferred to an undercover division where they must pose as high school students to attempt to infiltrate a drug dealing ring.

The reason I gave this movie a 4/5 is because it was one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time. I’m glad I watched this one early into the flight when most people were still awake, because I spent the first 45 minutes laughing rather loudly  (and obnoxiously) on the plane. There is a lot of humor in this movie of various kinds and it will definitely keep you entertained. The story itself isn’t the greatest, and the acting is also less than Oscar caliper, however, the random action and non-stop hilarity make this movie a great flick to watch if you’re looking for a good laugh and a good time. I was extremely surprised by how much I liked this movie and chances are, you will be too.

Contraband

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama // Running Time: 109 minutes

Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1524137/

6/10

Synopsis: An ex-smuggler who turned legit is forced back into the smuggling game when his wife’s brother botches a deal and the debt becomes a potential threat to the whole family.

I honestly thought this movie was going to be a little more action and a little less story, however, the focus is more on the details of the story and the plot twists than the action. There’s definitely a bit of action involved, but mainly this is a high intensity drama film. This is the second movie I watched with Kate Beckinsale in it, and I can tell you, she’s not getting any uglier! If you’ve got nothing else to do (like say being stuck on a plane for 12 hours), give this one a look and who knows, you might enjoy it.

The Debt

Genre: Drama/Thriller // Running Time: 113 minutes

Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226753/

7/10

Synopsis: The story centers around a team of spies who are attempting to capture a Nazi doctor responsible for the massacre of thousands of Jews and bring him back to Israel where he can stand trial.

The plot of this movie isn’t overly complicated, but the makers of the film work hard to make it seem more complicated than it actually is. They seemed to draw out and focus on parts that I felt weren’t overly important and I felt the story moved a bit too slowly for my liking. That being said, there are a few good twists at the end that make the movie worth the watch. It’s an interesting story, and if you enjoy espionage and drama, you’ll probably enjoy watching this film.