AMERICAN ASSASSIN REVIEW

"American Assassin," stars Dylan O'Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, and Taylor Kitch. Its based on a 13 book series that centers on assassin Mitch Rapp. When the trailers came out of this, I was of a mixed mind.  I like the cast, but we have seen this plot so many times. So how cliched was it? Did it live up to the hype? 

When Mitch Rapps girlfriend is killed by terrorists on a beach, (And right after he proposes no less,) he takes on heavy duty training to become an assassin. He learned Arabic, trains in hand to hand combat, and firearms. A CIA recruiter(Lathan) thinks Mitch's courage under fire makes him a perfect candidate for a special ops program run by Michael Keaton. Playing Stan Hurley, the ops head, Keaton brings a certain strength, teaching Mitch to leave his emotions in check, and taking Himont an op to Rome, sees in him an unwillingness to let things go and do as he is told.  It is there that Mitch learns of Stan's ex student. An operative they call Ghost (Kitch)who after acquiring some uranium, sets off to sell it to the highest bidder and take part in destroying the government who disavowed him. 

Yes.... It is as cliched as you think.

 Taylor Kitch might as well be a Bond villain. He is skilled but says outrageous things that make no sense. They don't ever give a real reason WHY he's so angry. And I am suppose to by that Mitch in 18 months becomes the most skilled fighter the CIA has ever seen? No.  Who's paying for all of his stuff? and Lathan is literally the most inept CIA operative head in movie history. She just makes one bad choice after another. 

 The only good things I can say about the film is the action is pretty decent, and  Dylan O'Brien as Mitch, and Michael Keaton as Stan have good chemistry and play off each other nicely. When they focus on their relationship, its interesting. The minute they deal with Kitch, it becomes a "Very Special Bourne." And that just isn't good. 

THE VERDICT

American Assassin may have great action and good performances from its two leads, but unfortunately its not enough to keep us entertained throughout the movie. I give it a C. 

KINGSMAN 2: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE MOVIE REVIEW

In May of 2014 I saw the teaser trailer to the movie "Kingsman: The Secret Service," And I was very curious about it. It had a great cast and it was written and directed by one of my favorite directors Matthew Vaughn.  It set off some alarm bells though when its release time was pushed to February. A notorious month for bad films. When I finally saw Kingsman, I was no longer worried. The film kicked a lot of ass. I loved everything about it.
So when it was announced that a sequel was in the works, and that Vaughn would direct with the original cast back, I was excited. The trailer made it look epic. But the question was, would it be as good as the original? Or better than the original? "Kingsman: The Golden Circle," had quite a story to tell.

When last we saw the Kingsman, Eggsy was mourning his friend Harry, and along with Merlin, continues to be a Kingsman fighting crime and bad guys. He also continues to have a relationship with Swedish Princess Tilde.  When the world is held hostage by Julianne Moore's villain, Eggsy must ask for help from the American version of the Kingsman, a group known as "The Statesmen."
Theres crazy stunts, and comic performances that kept me laughing. And while there was a little too much CGI, and Moore doesn't really get a third act worthy of a good villain, the way the film flowed far outweighed what didn't work.

Along with the original cast of Taron Edgerton, Mark Strong and Colin Firth, "Golden Circle," includes newcomers Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, Halle Barry, and Pedro Pascal. And of course, Julianne Moore.
This film made me smile. Its crazy "Bond," world, and the relationship the characters have with each other makes it all worth it.

                                                                     THE VERDICT
                                                 Kingsman: The Golden Circle may have some pacing problems and too much CGI but it overall is a super fun ride with some great action, fantastic performances, and a overall fun story. I give it a B+.