It's The (Dead) Rozzers Part 2! R.I.P.D. and Non-Stop

Two from my Amazon film subscription. First the latest Liam Neeson film. Struggling alcoholic U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks (Neeson) sets off on a trans-Atlantic flight, but is being sent mysterious messages threatening the safety of the passengers and crew:

With a ridiculous plot, bad pacing (there's are some very tedious moments) and small details that let the whole thing down (why would RAF Typhoons be anywhere near Iceland?), the only saving grace is the action scenes, special effects and the cast, although wasted. Better than nothing, but not much.

Marks might have been better off dead, which brings us to my next film, R.I.P.D. Having being shot and killed by his partner (Kevin Bacon), Boston Detective Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) is teamed with a former western lawman (Jeff Bridges) and tasked with returning "deadoes" back to the afterlife:

From a comic book of the same name, this is an enjoyable hybrid of Ghostbusters and Men in Black, let down only by Bridges trying to lampoon his own version of Rooster Cogburn. The effects are good and the supporting cast, especially Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker as their boss and Robert Knepper as their first suspect (much underused). Good fun and a decent pizza movie.

RED 2 - Getting the Band Back Together

The first film of the new year is the sequel to the comedy\thriller adaption of local hero Warren Ellis' comic book. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is trying to settle down with his new girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), but his former life intrudes in the form of a mad scientist (Anthony Hopkins) and a foxy counter-intelligence agent (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

While not quite as good as the original film, this is an entertaining two hours with lots of bangs and crashes. Willis plays to his strengths; Parker is her usual sparky self, especially when confronted with Zeta-Jones as Frank's former flame; the supporting cast is good, with Mirren and Cox enjoying themselves again, John Malkovich typecasting and Hopkins trying not to be Hanibal Lecter. Byung-hun Lee is also good as Frank's supposed nemesis, and Neal McDonough takes a break from Mob City to be a ruthless government agent. The plot lacks a little substance and the dialog could have done with sharpening, but, as sequels go, it isn't nearly as bad as the Expandables 2.

McDonough is also in The Prototype, a thriller based on the notion of the singularity, a concept talked about by the London Futurists quite a bit.

Looks like fun!