Taken 3 (2015) Movie Review – Action, Revenge, and a Familiar Formula

                                              

Introduction: The Return of Bryan Mills

Released in early 2015 in the United States (following a December 2014 premiere in Germany), Taken 3 marked the final installment of the action-packed Taken trilogy. Directed by Olivier Megaton and starring Liam Neeson once again as the brooding, sharp-witted former CIA operative Bryan Mills, the film attempted to build upon the momentum—and box office success—of its predecessors, Taken (2008) and Taken 2 (2012).

While Taken 2 wrapped up the revenge storyline and seemingly brought closure to the characters, the franchise’s popularity and cult following made a third installment almost inevitable. Commercial viability drove the creation of Taken 3, and although it treads familiar territory, fans of the series were eager to see Neeson’s character back in action.

Spoiler Alert.

Plot Overview: Murder, Framing, and Relentless Pursuit

In Taken 3, the narrative takes a slightly different direction. Rather than Bryan Mills rescuing a kidnapped loved one, the plot focuses on Bryan being framed for murder. The stakes remain personal, but the setting shifts from international locations to a cat-and-mouse game within the United States.

Bryan’s ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), is experiencing marital problems with her current husband, Stuart (Dougray Scott). There are subtle hints of a possible reconciliation between Lenore and Bryan, especially after the intense experiences they shared in Taken 2. Bryan, already on good terms with his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), seems ready to reconnect with his family.

But tragedy strikes. On the morning of a planned breakfast meeting with Lenore, Bryan discovers her murdered in his apartment. The police arrive quickly and immediately consider him the prime suspect. Given his history as Lenore’s former husband, the suspicion seems plausible from the authorities' perspective.

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Bryan on the Run: Escapes and Investigation

As expected from a trained covert operative, Bryan escapes police custody with calculated precision. He heads to a secure hideout, setting the stage for the film’s core narrative: uncovering the real killer while evading the law.

From his hideout, Bryan begins to analyze the situation. He reconstructs the crime scene, traces surveillance patterns, and uses his unique skill set to start piecing together the conspiracy. As the police close in again, he makes another daring escape, this time using their own vehicle. It’s vintage Bryan Mills: quiet, efficient, and effective.

The investigation leads Bryan to his daughter, Kim, who is unknowingly being tracked via a planted device. He removes the tracker, warns her about the danger, and begins to suspect that Stuart knows more than he initially claimed.

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High-Stakes Action and a Global Web of Deceit

The middle portion of the film escalates with a series of fast-paced sequences—car chases, close-quarter fights, and intense showdowns. One of the more memorable scenes involves Bryan crashing down a cliff in a car, only to emerge relatively unscathed and more determined than ever.

Eventually, Bryan confronts Stuart and learns that a former Spetsnaz operative, Oleg Malankov (Sam Spruell), was hired to kill Lenore. But the deeper truth is more sinister: Stuart orchestrated the entire setup to claim a $12 million life insurance policy and needed Bryan to take the fall.

In true action-thriller fashion, Bryan stages a final takedown. After a brutal gunfight and a dramatic chase, he captures Stuart and delivers him to the authorities. The police, having uncovered the truth, clear Bryan’s name.

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Performance and Direction: Neeson Delivers, but Familiarity Breeds Fatigue

Liam Neeson once again proves why he remains a compelling action lead. His portrayal of Bryan Mills is consistent—resolute, composed, and unwavering in his loyalty to family. Neeson’s performance grounds the film, lending it emotional weight even as the plot strains believability.

Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace reprise their roles with sincerity, though they have limited screen time. Dougray Scott’s portrayal of Stuart adds a layer of corporate menace, although the twist in his character arc feels predictable.

Director Olivier Megaton maintains a frenetic pace, leaning heavily into shaky cam techniques and rapid editing during action scenes. While this adds urgency, it sometimes hampers clarity, especially during fight sequences.

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Critical Reception vs. Audience Response

Critically, Taken 3 received mixed to negative reviews. Many reviewers pointed to its formulaic plot, lack of innovation, and overreliance on clichés. However, for fans of the series and general action moviegoers, the film hit the mark in terms of adrenaline and familiar storytelling.

Audiences came for the action—and they got it. Whether it’s Bryan escaping the police, hacking into systems, or engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat, the film delivers its promises. Viewers who appreciated the first two installments found Taken 3 a satisfying, if not groundbreaking, conclusion to the trilogy.

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Box Office Performance: A Commercial Success

Despite its lukewarm critical reception, Taken 3 was a box office success. Produced on a budget of approximately $48 million, the film went on to gross over $325 million worldwide. This financial performance confirmed the franchise’s profitability and Neeson’s continued bankability as an action star.

The trilogy as a whole became a staple of early 2010s action cinema, inspiring a wave of similar “retired agent” revenge thrillers. Neeson’s success in these roles even prompted discussions about the evolution of the middle-aged action hero archetype in modern Hollywood.

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Themes and Legacy: Family, Revenge, and Survival

The core themes of Taken 3 remain consistent with the rest of the series: family, justice, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Bryan Mills is a character forged by personal loss, professional trauma, and an unyielding code of honor. In this final chapter, the emphasis shifts from saving his loved ones to defending himself, while still protecting his daughter.

Unlike the international abduction plots of the first two films, Taken 3 brings the danger home. The shift to domestic soil adds a fresh dynamic but also makes the story feel less epic. Nevertheless, the emotional beats—Bryan’s love for Lenore, his devotion to Kim, and his moral compass—continue to resonate.

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Conclusion: A Familiar but Entertaining Farewell

Taken 3 doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It follows a proven formula—tight pacing, gritty action, and a lone hero with unmatched skills. But for fans of Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills, that’s more than enough.

While critics may have found fault in its structure and execution, the movie’s success lies in its straightforward delivery of action and emotional stakes. It concludes the Taken trilogy with a sense of closure, if not innovation.

If you’re a fan of the franchise, Taken 3 is worth watching. The emotional motivations are there, the action is solid, and Neeson remains a commanding presence. And in a cinematic world saturated with spectacle, sometimes familiarity can be its own reward.

Taken 2 (Released in 2012) - Sequel to fast paced action (starring Liam Neeson, Rade Šerbedžija, Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen)

Taken was an interesting movie and a big hit. The concept of having an unlikely superhuman type of character (wrapped in the body of a normal person, although with a highly skilled background) who is possessed with getting his daughter back from whoever had kidnapped her, proved to be a package that was very interesting for viewers, and the movie was a hit, both commercially and with critics. Liam Neeson was an unlikely looking extra-ordinary man, who when faced with a kidnapping happening in another country, is able to figure out what to do and start executing on such a plan, was fun to watch. And when he started on his killing spree, using guns just like that, or when he wired up the main kidnapper to electric cables for interrogation, all of that was attractive to viewers (he was trying to get information about his kidnapped daughter, wasn't he?). However, all such movies have a loose end - he killed a number of people, won't their folks want revenge ?
Well, Taken 2 is based on the concept of the family members of the killed villains wanting their revenge, and they are also ruthless in terms of this revenge. So, when Marko was killed, strapped to an electric cable and died of electrocution, his father wants revenge and promises that he will get the killer back to Albania, to suffer as the family of Marko has suffered. However, it is not clear as to who the killer is (after all, Neeson had killed almost everybody in the first movie), so Marko's father, Murad, goes to Paris, looking for the former intelligence friend of Neeson whose card was found near where most of the people were killed. He gets some information from this guy and then kills him and his family, and is now on the hunt for Neeson and his family.




Neeson is in Istanbul for a piece of work, and finds Lenore (ex-wife) and Kim (daughter) ready to surprise him over there. And then the action hots up. Kim wants Lenore and Neeson to go out for lunch while she would remain the hotel. However, Neeson spots them being tailed, and this starts the explosive action. He has to give up when Lenore is captured, but is able to warn Kim off, who just manages to escape the people hunting for her at the hotel. Later, when he has been captured, he is able to use a hidden phone (they did not search him for a hidden phone) to tell Kim to go to the American Embassy, but she refuses and persuades him to let her help, and he agrees (another weird thing, agreeing to put his daughter in danger). In the meantime, to make him suffer, Murad cuts Lenore's neck slightly, enough for her to bleed and hangs her upside down so that she can bleed in front of him.
The next part is fun - he tells his daughter that she has to explode grenades at regular intervals through which he will be able to use the sound to determine the location where she has to go to (seems a bit out of the world for me, but am not an ex-CIA operative, so maybe I do not know enough). She finally arrives at the house where he is, and he is able to get out and take Kim with him, but Lenore is recaptured.
Finally putting Kim in the safety of the US embassy, he is able to retrace the path and find where Lenore is, and after dispatching every other bad guy, he is finally left with Murad in front of his gun. He offers to let Murad go to end this killing urge, but when Murad agrees and then tries to kill him, he kills Murad (but thankfully, this does not form the basis for Taken 3).
The movie made a lot of money and the performances were also appreciated, but the surprised of the first film always makes it more difficult for the second film. Even though stuff such as using grenades to get location was a twist, the movie still seems to follow a regular script. You will like it if you like action, but it is not the same as the first version.

Cliffhanger (Released in 1993) - Action adventure on the mountains - Starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker

Gabriel Walker (Sylvester Stallone) is a mountain climber and rescue ranger, who is on a rescue mission to help an injured climber Hal with his girlfriend and partner Sarah (Michelle Joyner). Fastened with cables, Gabe is hanging out the side of a cliff, silhouetted against an amazing backdrop of jagged edged cliffs of the Rocky Mountains. The trio must now make an arduous slither across the valley to the waiting chopper, at four thousand feet! Hal makes it, and a visibly nervous Sarah takes to the cables to make her way across. The wind is picking up, and this could risk the rescue mission, Gabe tells Sarah not to look down, and she moves across the line. Suddenly, one of the clips gives way and she is hurtled downward, as she cries and tries to hold onto the flimsy support, Gabe hurries across, just as the cable give way - she grabs his forearm, unfortunately her glove slips and she falls to her death, as an angry Hal looks at Gabe with blame in his eyes.
Gabe looks up Jessie Deighan, the chopper pilot that day and his girlfriend, who is upset that Gabe took off after Sarah’s funeral instead of facing the consequences. Now he wants to leave the town and wishes that Jess would go along with him. She wants him to stop feeling guilty about what happened out on the ledge, logically questioning why Hal took an inexperienced Sarah with him in the first place, Gabe won’t have any of it, and continues to hold himself responsible for the mishap. Jess and Hal are called to another rescue mission - the boys who met Gabe are stranded on the ledge. Jess asks him to help - and he does, but a still angry Hal tries to throw Gabe off the cliff.




Elsewhere, bank money is being transported in flight, as the threat of burglary is high in armored vehicles and trains, treasury agents are getting ready for the flight. As he returns to town eight months after the incident, his truck is followed by admirers, who want him to climb The Tower (where the incident took place) with him - he politely refuses and sends them with a warning. It turns out that the distress call for rescue was a hoax and there is a band of robbers waiting to accost the treasury agents on their flight with the money. Ex military men are involved in daring air-to-air transfer mission to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars - unfortunately, their plan goes kaput as the suitcases with the currency fall into the mountain pass - they instead, rope in Hal and Gabe to help trace the treasure by faking an emergency.
Siding up with the thieves is Hal, who is hot on Gabe’s trail after the tragic death of his girlfriend Sarah, for which he holds Gabe responsible. A thriller all the way.
Directed by Renny Harlin, based on a premise by John Long (!) and with a screen play co written by Stallone, the film was praised by critics and audiences, although many were critical of the technical aspect of climbing shown in the film. The movie set a record for the highest aerial stunt which was performed at 15000 feet! A remake of the film was to be made in 2010, but yet remains under wraps. An average success, it was a change from most of Stallone’s army guy/tough cop roles.

Rambo (2008) - The return of the reluctant hero - starring Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz and Paul Schulze

Sylvester Stallone reprises his role as the Vietnam War veteran John Rambo (previous ones include Rambo/Rambo IV/John Rambo) in 2008, twenty three years after he appeared in the first series in 1982; there have since been sequels, Rambo being the latest, directed and written by Sylvester. The film and audiences will miss the familiar face of Col. Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna), who unfortunately  passed away in 2003 (and to whom the movie was dedicated). It’s been two decades since his narrow escape from the Russians in Afghanistan where he went to rescue American soldiers. Now, his presence is commandeered not by the government, but by a priest, who seeks his help in rescuing missionaries held hostage by the Burmese military regime.
Major Pa Tee Tint  (Maung Maung Khin) is a cold hearted killer, and he heads a band of soldiers of the Tatmadaw or Mynmarese Armed Forces through the dense tropical jungles of Burma, looting and instilling fear in the hearts of simple village folk who are at the receiving end of the soldiers’ brutality. The Major sends in the villagers to clear land mines, watching them die without any remorse, his men forcibly conscripts young men, even children into the Tatmadaw.




John Rambo now lives in Thailand, in a border village close to Burma. He earns his living ferrying people down the Salween River or selling snakes. A priest and missionary Michael Burnett (Paul Schulze) seeks his help when a group of missionaries are in trouble, they were captured on a mission to lend aid to the Karen tribe. At first, Rambo refuses, saying he has no hope of being of help unless he has weapons; however, another woman, also a missionary , by the name of Sarah Miller (Julie Benz) persuades him and he agrees to help out.
As they travel the River, they are confronted by pirates, who want to trade a safe passage in exchange for Sarah. John tries to make them see sense, when all else fails, he shoots them down and dumps a body to conceal the event, whilst burning the others. The priest, Michael is mortified at the blatant display of violence, and he tells Rambo that once the missionaries are safe, his services will not be needed. He agrees, and all seems to go well, until the Tatmadaw fall on them, killing two missionaries, and taking the priest and Sarah hostage. When the missionaries go missing for over ten days, Rambo is once again beseeched to help, by a pastor (Ken Howard), who now has with him hired mercenaries who will aid him in the mission.
Rambo sees Sylvester Stallone considerably aged, but still sporting the trademark long hair and bandana. The film never went down well with the critics, however audiences welcomed the older John Rambo, in a role without the support of his shadow, the Colonel. Owing to the negative portrayal of the Tatmadaw, the film was banned in Mynmar. The film crew and Stallone faced a number of dangers as they shot the movie, they were sitting ducks for the Burmese Army, who fired at them many times - add this to the outcome, the thrill is definitely there, even after more than two decades!

Assassins (Released in 1995) - An average movie, starring Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas and Julianne Moore

Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone) is haunted by images of an assassination gone wrong, which cost the life of his mentor Nicolia Tashlinkov (Anatoly Davydov). He spends agonized nights recalling and re-running the incident, yet goes about his ‘assignments’ with cold precision and a mundane proficiency which is almost eerie. He is sent the details of the next assignment, this time his mark is Alan Branch, a white supremacist entrepreneur, who was last seen in a Senate hearing for his involvement in matters such as financing right wing death squads in South and Central America, money laundering and drug trafficking. Branch is attending his brother’s funeral, now wheelchair bound after he was shot.
Rath is present at the funeral as well, his right arm in a plaster cast which conceals the weapon; unbeknownst to Robert, Alan is marked by another assassin, who is also present - Miguel Bain (Antonio Banderas), Alan is shot dead, and Rath is now on the heels of Bain, the police come in and arrest him before Rath can get to him. However, on his way to the police station, Miguel makes a run for it, taking advantage as the police car is in an accident.
Rath reaches the crash site, only to find out that Miguel has left. He hijacks a taxi, and when Bain radios for one, Robert drives up to receive him, deliberately missing a turn and picking up a fight with his violent co-passenger. Suddenly, Miguel recognizes him, as they are parked alongside a football park, Rath tells him he’s upset because he stole his contract and wants to know who his contractor is - when Miguel refuses to tell him, Rath tells him they can sit it out in the taxi. Just then, Bain marks the football the kids are playing with; the psychotic sociopath threatens to kill a kid unless Robert drives. Bain taunts Robert’s resolve to protect the innocent, saying his work ethic is old fashioned.




On the way, Bain tries to kill Rath, but his weapon gets lost; just as Robert is about to kill him - Miguel and he encounter a police patro l- the police chase the taxi. The enemies turned unlikely allies are suddenly in cahoots with each other - avoiding the cops. Bain confesses that he actually admires Rath and has followed his career carefully over the years. Twisted and corrupt, Bain is aware that Nicolai was betrayed by Rath, and taunts him with the painful memory. As he tries to avoid a collision, Bain abandons the taxi even as Robert hurriedly dodges the police.
Before Bain bailed out, he mentioned a chess game played by Nicolai and Rath, and utters the words ‘bishop takes rook pawn’; back home, Rath replays the game, following Bain’s lead, and is check mated - he realizes he’s the mark now. An unknown stranger chats with Rath, he or she is the contact who gives him orders. Robert wants to abandon the whole cat and mouse game, but is given one last assignment - to take down a female hacker who has compromised vital information and is selling it to Dutch buyers. He is told to retrieve the stolen discs, eliminate the buyers as well as ‘retire’ the mark.
Rath’s contact is unable to tell him the mark’s name or describe her identity, she only has an Internet logo - a black, green eyed cat. On the other side of town, Electra (Julianne Moore) is about to contact Remy, a Dutch buyer to hand over the discs to him. Robert follows the men into The Marriott, where Electra directs them to her room, they take the lift and on it , beating Rath, is Miguel. Robert makes a hoax call asking maintenance to check the electricity on the 12th floor where Electra is staying - he breaks into her room and goes through the computer, realizing that multiple reservations have been made - where is she?
Directed by Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon), the film wasn’t well received by critics (like most of Stallone’s movies), yet the performance by all three actors was well received by audiences worldwide.

Dead Man (Released in 1995) - Starring Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop and Crispin Glover

“It is preferable not to travel with a dead man.” Henri Michaux. These foreboding words greet the viewer to the monochrome Dead Man, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, the poster boy of independent cinema. The film is similar to other different western literature such as from Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.
The clanging of the wheels on tracks and the intermittent, unmistakably Western background music set the cadence of the film, as a dapper William Blake (played by Johnny Depp), an accountant from Ohio tries hard to find inspiration in the ‘Bee Journal’, out of place in his fine suit and clean looks. That done, he pulls out a pack of cards and decides to have a go at a game, casting a cursory eye on the scenery outside -on his way to a little township  of ‘Machine’ in the West, where his services as a bookkeeper are needed.
On the train, he meets a fireman (played by Crispin Glover), who wants to know the reason why he’s traveling so far - he tells him his parents are dead, he has no wife and the woman he loved, his fiancée - changed her mind. The fireman tells him she found someone else, Blake looks horrified at the thought and denies the possibility; but the persistent stranger only says – “Yes, she did. Well, that doesn’t explain why you’ve come all the way out here. All the way out here to hell.”  William goes onto show him a letter of employment he’s received from Dickinson Metalworks, at the town of Machine.
On arriving in the Town, Blake is informed that he is a month late and that the letter was written two months ago - they already have a new accountant. When he demands to have a word with Mr. Dickinson - the men in the office laugh their heads off! On entering the supposed office - he is greeted by a macabre sight. On the table rests a human skull with a smoking cigarette placed in an ash tray. Behind the desk hang a portrait (Dickinson?) and an open vault, with bundles of cash strewn around. Lost in his thoughts as he surveys the room, a booming voice breaks into his reverie. Seated in the chair is Mr. John Dickinson (Robert Mitchum in his final role, before his death), who looks down the barrel of a sinister gun, and asks William to get out. Needless to say, he is the laughing stock of the blokes outside in the office.



Dejected and unemployed, Blake walks into a bar, hoping to buy a drink, which he swigs sitting on the stairs - just when Mili Avital (played by Thel Russell), a former harlot who now sells paper flowers; she is thrown out of the pub by a former patron, who said he liked her better when she was in her earlier profession. Blake helps her up, and offers her a drink, she in turn asks him to walk her home - she invites him inside, and he spends the night with her - almost getting shot for it by her ex Charlie (Gabriel Byrne), who ends up accidentally killing Thel, when she tries to shield Blake. In the retaliatory firing, Charlie is shot dead by William, but not before he realizes that a bullet is lodged in his chest, as well.
Fleeing on a stolen horse, he is pursued by three of John Dickinson’s (the old man is actually Charlie’s father) henchmen - who are ordered to bring him back dead or alive. Sometime during his flight, Blake must’ve lost consciousness, for when he comes to, a big American Indian called Nobody (Gary Farmer), in full regalia, is trying to tear open his chest to rid him off the bullet - he tells him he is officially “walking dead”, since the bullet is lodged very close to his heart. Mistaking the injured man for the spirit of the poet William Blake, Nobody swears to return him safely to the spirit world. Many adventures happen on their quest for this after life peace - finally, he is shot at again and as he dies, he sees Nobody is also killed before his eyes - he is taken for burial in a canoe, as he sets his last gaze on the sky, he dies.
Symbolic, since the train fireman we met at the beginning, started his monologue thus - “…remind you when you’re in the boat, and later that night you were lying, looking up at the ceiling … why is it that the landscape is moving but the boat is still?” Was William Blake just walking dead on the train? 

Anzio (released in 1968) - War film starring Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan and Peter Falk

The film is based on Operation Shingle, carried out in 1944 by the Allied Troops on the port of Anzio on Italy’s west coast, in WWII. Details have been sourced from the book of the same name by former BBC War Correspondent and author Wynford Vaughn-Thomas. Directed by Edward Dmytryk and Duilio Coletti, it is an Italian-American co-production. Dick Ennis (played by Robert Mitchum) is a war weary, yet battle hardened reporter, through whose experienced eyes we see the plot unfold. The film opens with Ennis being dropped off in a jeep, uniformed with purpose-ridden strides; he climbs a flight of stairs and crosses opulent halls, the décor and ambiance reek Italian Renaissance sophistication. But out of the blue, GIs and their girls dot the scene in sizable numbers, one in a bid to defy gravity, hanging from majestic chandeliers, while others egg him on. Just then the Canadian Rangers along with Corporal Jack Rabinoff (played by Peter Falk) enter the chaotic hall, only to be welcomed by some GI-style muscle flexing.
Elsewhere, the sullen and cynical journalist Dick Ennis, enjoys a long swig out of a long necked bottle of wine, and he has for company Technical Sergeant Abe Stimmler (played by Earl Holliman) with the two of them seem wrapped in heavy discussion, as if the revelers never existed! The movie is about American's invasion of Anzio as seen through the eyes of a pacifist journalist (this was like real battle, not the movie style where things move only as the heroes want - read more about the Operation Shingle, the invasion of Anzio). The landing is unopposed, and Mitchum requisitions a jeep and, along with Falk, discover that the road to Rome, the ultimate destination, is open. Rome can be in Allied hands in a few days, if they move fast enough.




It is Ennis’s assignment to do a story about the US Rangers and their strategy to break down defenses of the enemy. Lieutenant General Carson (played by Robert Ryan) is commanding the Fifth Army, and strategizing their move behind enemy lines; news is that the Allied Troops are being hammered by the Germans at the Gustav Line, lead by the almost invincible Monte Cassino. Maj. General Jack Lesley (played by Arthur Kennedy) orders a drive inland to the Alban Hills that provide a vantage point, from where the beachhead (discovered by Ennis to be virtually trouble-free) provides direct access to Rome. However, Lesley is way off the mark since he realizes he lacks the resources needed to march and capture Rome.
The German commander Kesselring (played by Wolfgang Preiss) re-musters forces and ambushes the Allies, at the Battle of Cisterna, the Germans won hands down. Almost 400 American POWs were captured by the Germans, in real life. The movie is about Ennis’s battle to escape alive from behind enemy lines; however, most of the men are killed or captured, whilst a few escape, after a near brush with death in the guise of a minefield.
Dick Ennis questions, then, publicly the decisions taken by the higher command, to gamble away the lives of the American and Allied Troops - he questions why humans fight one another? The New York Times review remarked that Anzio was “Standard War Fare” - a fair view considering that the battle at Anzio was bloodied beyond belief, and was avoidable, the film seems to allude to the genre of usual ‘good guys beat the hell outta the bad guys’ ploy - but it fails miserably, as in reality, the good guys were outnumbered and out maneuvered.

The Ambassador (movie released in 1984) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Ellen Burstyn and Rock Hudson

Directed by British film director, J. Lee Thompson (King Solomon’s Mines) The Ambassador is a romantic-political thriller. The story’s is loosely sourced from the novel 52 –Pick Up by Elmore Leonard. Notable for having a cast which was aged, yet well known for its acting prowess, the film tells of the US Ambassador Peter Hacker (Robert Mitchum) and Head of Security Frank Stevenson (Rock Hudson) head out to the Middle East, as it suffers yet another diplomatic set back concerning Israel and Palestine. They have brokered a peace deal with the PLO, and are going to meet a group of young Israelis and Palestinians in the midst of the Judean Desert-only to have the meeting disrupted by the Israeli Armed Forces, both the Ambassador and Head of Security are apprehended.
Unbeknownst to the Ambassador, his wife Alex (Ellen Burstyn) is having an affair with Mustapha Hashimi (Fabio Testi). On one of their trysts in Jerusalem, they are followed and the rendezvous is videographed, anonymously. Frank’s role in the apprehension in the Desert is suspect, as he reports to a superior that Hacker is unfit to be envoy, after the two meet with the Israeli Defense Minister Eretz (Donald Pleasence), who reaffirms his commitment to the peace process.
Alex, very much besotted with her lover, chooses to create a drunken scene at a diplomatic-do, going off in a frustrated huff to meet Mustapha. She calls him from a booth in front of his apartment, when an explosion injures her, killing several others. Hacker and Stevenson are clueless with regard to her whereabouts, a phone call alerts the Ambassador to come to a movie theater all by himself. When he enters the building, the recorded images of Alex and her lover are played out on the screen- Frank, who was close at Hacker’s heels- witnesses this as well.
The Ambassador is informed that his wife is alive, and being cared for in a hospital. When the two men visit her, Alex tells her husband she would like to leave Israel and return to the US.

Back in his office, Peter is privy to a phone call which warns him that if he doesn’t pay ‘hush money’, the videographed events will be mailed to the President of the US. Hacker refuses, saying he would do no such thing, and tells Frank that he suspects foul play. That night, Peter tells Alex he is aware of her affair and that she is pawn in a dangerous game.

Heartbroken and shocked, Alex wants to find out Mustapha’s real identity. She learns he is a prominent member of the PLO and a wealthy businessman. The film, it appears, was made by the Mossad, to be used in case of ‘protection of its interests’. But as luck would have it, the Palestinians steal it from them. Stevenson is able to crack the case, unearthing the identity of the blackmailers as well- who had managed to get $500,000 from Hashimi. The two men also reveal that the KGB has sent a man called Stone to assassinate the Ambassador.

Peter sets up a meeting with Mustapha, confident that he can once more embark on the path of peace. He meets Israeli and Palestinian students in the outskirts of Tel Aviv, the talks are successful, but tragedy strikes when the students are ambushed by Palestinian terrorists, it ends in a massacre, and the tragic killing of Mustapha Hashimi.

On their return to the Embassy, Frank foils an assassination attempt to kill Hacker by KGB hireling-Stone, shooting him in the back of the head. Peter, overwhelmed and saddened by the chain of events that has been wrought, despite his best intentions, wants to retire, but Alex bids him not to, and the film ends with Hacker, looking misty eyed as group of Israeli students hold a peace rally, still optimistic that someday the Conflict would be resolved.

Corvette K-225 (released in 1943) - Starring Randolph Scott, Ella Raines and Barry Fitzgerald

Corvette K 225, a war-drama film, is directed by Richard Rosson. Tt features a story bound ship HMCS Donnacona, of the Royal Canadian Navy. It stars Randolph Scott (other movies: 7th Cavalry, Comanche Station) as Lt. Cdr McLain and Ella Raines (it was her debut film in 1943). During the War, MacLain has to return to his native Canada, after having suffered a terrible setback - his ship, a Corvette, is blown apart by a German torpedo whilst escorting a convoy.
Seething, the Lt. Cdr is determined to take vengeance for deaths of those men who were mercilessly gunned down by a German U-boat. He refuses the Admiral’s offer for leave, and decides instead to wait until a new ship is commissioned. Whilst he’s on standby, he befriends Joyce Cartwright, played by Ella Raines, the sibling of Dick Cartwright, an officer who lost his life on the ship under McLain’s command.
Quite naturally disturbed by the loss of her brother, Joyce pins the blame for his tragic and untimely death on Mac; she is heartbroken and believes that if it weren’t for him - Dick would still be alive. However, time heals the ugliest wounds, and gradually, her animosity towards Mac fades, and is replaced with love.
In the meantime, the HMCS Donnacona, a Corvette K 225 is commissioned with a crew of sixty five men, which includes Joyce’s  young sibling - Lt. Paul Cartwright, a typical youngster who complains about what a hard act to follow and please MacLain is. The ship is bound for Europe, under the command of Commodore Ramsay, tasked with the duty of carrying cargo such as airplanes, gasoline and tanks. The Germans are stationed off the coast of Newfoundland, at Ethel, when another ship is torpedoed - the HMCS Donnacona sights the remnants – dead soldiers who have been thrown to the surface from the bowels of the ocean.

On the ninth day, the HMCS Donnacona is caught in the midst of a raging storm, as a result of which, it strays from the convoy and is lost. When the ship is about three hundred miles away from the Irish Coast, MacLain realizes there are more ships like the HMCS Donnacona which have strayed away from their convoys, he meets the Captain of the tanker Egyptian Star, who conveys dire warnings and fears to MacLain, believing that his ship is being followed and is under surveillance of German submarines.
Just as the Captain warned, they come under German fire from a squadron of bombers, but one of the convoy’s fighter planes comes to its rescue. In the fighting that ensues, the Egyptian Star is sunk by a torpedo, while the HMCS Donnacona takes on the submarines. Using a depth charge, one of the submarines is eliminated, however, the HMCS Donnacona comes under attack from a U-boat in a surface battle that disables it, Mac is also injured. Lt. Paul Cartwright with Seaman Stooky O’Meara move underwater to dispose the depth charges, which strike the submarine.
When it’s destroyed, MacLain recognizes the U-boat as the one which was responsible for the death of his men. The HMCS Donnacona arrives safely in Ireland with another six merchant ships. As a mark of respect, before it anchors the Corvette K 225 sails past the other docked ships, which salute the crew for its unsurpassed courage in the face of the enemy. A film which has a tragic beginning, but a triumphant end; an easy watch if you’re a WWII movie buff!

Action thriller - Gone in 60 seconds (released in 2000) (starring Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie and Robert Duvall)

"I didn't do it for the money. I did it for the cars." (Memphis)

Gone in 60 Seconds is somewhat loosely based on the 1974 film by the same name; the current movie was directed by Dominic Sena (Swordfish), was released in 2000, and stars Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie and Robert Duvall, among an ensemble cast.
Randall “Memphis” Raines (Nicholas Cage, The Rock, Con Air) is an ex-car thief, who is forced to go back to his thieving ways when the Brit crime czar threatens to kill his brother Kip, when he failed to deliver a consignment of stolen vehicles on time.
How to save his brother ? The condition is to steal 50 cars in 72 hours, with his former partners-in-crime Otto (Robert Duvall, who played roles in Godfather, Speed) and Sway (Angelina Jolie, most famous in Lara Croft and Salt).
Suspicions are fanned when LAPD detectives come to learn of Raines’ return- Memphis must get the cars to the Long Beach Docks. These fifty beauties range from the Aston Martin, the Dodge Viper, Ferrari, to the Pontiac, Lamborghini and Volvo, each of them are code named after girls - Bernadine (Jaguar XJ220), Pamela (Chevy Corvette), Sharon (Pontiac GTO) etc.




All goes according to plan, until Detective Castlebeck (Delroy Lindo) throws a spanner in the works and takes out three cars - not one to be deterred, Memphis steals three cars from the police parking lot in retaliation. The Achilles’ Heel is Eleanor, the 1967 Mustang – which Raines has tried to steal on many occasions prior and failed. A Hollywood style chase takes place, which ends with Memphis jumping the car over a jam.
Unfortunately, Memphis reaches 12 minutes late - which almost cost him his life and the Eleanor is ordered to be crushed. When LAPD learns of the actual reasons for Raines return to crime, Castlebeck teams up with him to kill Calitri -who falls to his death. Kip presents Memphis with the keys to an old Mustang, which he bought in exchange for his chopper, finally happy, with his criminal past behind him, Raine and Sway drive into ‘happily-ever-after’.
Despite the impressive cast, the film received mostly poor reviews, the real star of the movie though, was Eleanor, the Mustang - with its replica named Roneale (Eleanor spelt backwards). The movie promises turbo-charged, adrenaline pumping thrills, but delivers only high decibel hype - do consider watching it just for Jolie’s pout, since Cage’s mumbling tone and the alternating screeching of brakes makes for little that could be termed entertaining.
The plot seems jaded, and the rush one awaits at the prospect of fifty machines displaying such brazen horsepower-never really happens. Great cast, fifty awesome cars, and 118 minutes later - the movie is still lame and boring. Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced Days of Thunder, The Rock, Con Air etc, really lost the plot this time. Love your cars, maybe make a really nice movie with cars that tell the story , but do refrain from glorifying car theft, no matter how pressing the reasons are!

Film - Con Air - Action thriller starring Nicholas Cage and John Malkovich (released in 1997)

The movie marks the 1997 directorial debut of Simon West, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (The Rock). Con Air, the name borrows inspiration from the JPATS (Justice Alien and Prison Transportation System), the largest prison transport network. Nicholas Cage (Face Off, The Rock) plays Gulf War veteran Cameron Poe, who returns home to his wife, pregnant with their first child, and who ends up killing a drunken man who assaults her- this lands him in a maximum security prison.

Eight years down the line, he is being let off for good conduct. He nervously looks forward to meeting his daughter - the child he’s never seen before. Flying on a C-123, the Jailbird will take him home to Alabama. His co-passengers include Mike "Baby-O" O'Dell, the vicious Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, along with his   right-hand man, Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones - they are being transported to another penitentiary. 

Also on the plane is the Drug Enforcement Agent Duncan Malloy, who gets another agent Willie Sims on board, in guise of a prisoner; unbeknownst to the others, Malloy arms Sims with a gun. Their aim is to get the transported drug lord Francisco Cindino to divulge more information about his operations; the US Marshal Larkin (John Cusack, America’s Sweethearts) on board agrees, unaware that there is a weapon on the person of the agent.
Cyrus (John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire) provokes his fellow passengers to riot; they end up hijacking the Jailbird. Pretending to befriend him, Poe plants a recording device on one of the guards, who would be off loaded in Carson City, dressed as a prisoner. The aircraft is now manned by “Swamp Thing”, with Cindino, the master mind close at heel. Cyrus commands Joe "Pinball" Parker, to get rid of the transponder telling plant it on another plane. But just as the Jailbird is airborne, the guards discover the device Poe had planted, and they alert Malloy and Larkin.

Joe Parker meets a gory end as his body is lodged in the landing gear when the plane takes off - but not before Poe sends in a note to Larkin telling him about what’s going to take place. The Marshal alerts the National Guard to go to Lerner Airfield, an abandoned airbase. Meanwhile, Poe’s identity and intentions are discovered by Billy Bedlam, who had found the parole letter, thus revealing the fact that Poe was the traitor amongst them - he ends up dying at the hands of Poe.
The  plane lands at the airfield but goes off the runway - skidding to halt in sand, next to a tank of propane.
Cindino had planned for his jet to already be there - but seeing that it isn’t, the Virus commands everyone to start digging into the sand to free the plane. Marshal Larkin makes it to the scene, preventing Cindino and his minions from escaping, when the Virus gets to know how Cindino duped him - he kills the drug lord.
An ambush is evaded as Larkin helps the Guardsmen - all the other prisoners return to the Jailbird, including Cyrus – who discovers the true intent of Poe, he tries to get even by shooting Poe’s friend Mike Baby’O.
The transponder helps Malloy track the aircraft, ordering it to land in Las Vegas, but lack of fuel causes it to crash land at The Strip. Cyrus is killed by a pounder at a construction site, as are his pals Swamp and Jones.
Poe is reunited with Casey and his wife, all’s well that ends well, or like Baby ‘O said –‘God’s got my back’.
Almost ten different aircrafts were used while filming the movie. It has a wonderful soundtrack, especially the song “How Do I Live Without You” (which was nominated for an Oscar in 1997) is hauntingly lovely!
The audiences worldwide received the film well- its current approval rating is 55% on Rotten Tomatoes- it is an action-packed entertaining thriller, worth a second watch!

Film - Face Off (starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage) - Action thriller - Released in 1997

“There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.”
Face /Off is an out and out thriller, throw in sentiment for good measure, a few teary eyed moments and voila - a full thriller where you don’t have to think too much. The cops and robbers routine is taken to the next level when FBI Special Agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) loses his son to Castor Troy’s (Nicholas Cage) bullet - one which was meant for him.
Castor’s Achilles’ Heel is his brother Pollux Troy (Alessandro Nivola); they are both planning a bomb blast in LA -  whilst Castor is severely wounded in the gun battle that ensues, Pollux, the only guy who knows the location of the bomb, is taken captive.
Meanwhile, the vegetated state of Castor ensures there’s no way he’s disclosing the whereabouts of the bomb, so it’s now left to Archer to step up to the moment.
In a bizarre proposal, doctors tell Archer he can take on Castor’s identity – by way of a ‘Face/Off’. He has so much at stake but mainly the memory of Michael, his son, needs to be laid to rest. And so agrees to get a new face, a new identity. After the operation, Archer (as Troy) is incarcerated in the same prison as Pollux, and manages to get the location of where the bomb is planted. The tricky part now is getting out unscathed from Erewhon prison.
Castor Troy, now faceless, arises like phoenix from the ashes, and manages to get a face for himself - that of his rival Archer. And along with the new identity he has certain perks – a lovely wife, a beautiful home and a whole lot of ways to make sure that he uses the FBI to get rid of Archer once and for all. In order to earn the trust and praise of the department, Castor defuses the bomb - and becomes a hero. He takes to his new role like a fish to water, while the actual Archer faces near death in a prison riot, but manages to escape; once out, his aim is to get in touch with all of Castor’s network - his buddies and girlfriend, included.
Déjà vu when Castor (actually Archer) sees Adam, Sasha’s son (Castor’s ex) - and memories of Michael come flooding back. On the other hand Archer (actually Troy) is making inroads with Jamie - the daughter, who says she can never bring herself to forgive her father for what happened to her brother Michael. Having climbed the upper echelons of the Department ladder, Archer now takes matters into his own hands after he kills an FBI big gun and is himself promoted to Assistant Director In charge - virtually untouchable AND hopping mad because Cage killed his brother Pollux.



Meanwhile the actual Archer (in guise of Troy, played by Cage) approaches Eve, his wife and convinces her that the man in her home is the impostor Castor Troy; she tells him that Troy will be attending the funeral of the official he’d killed. But Castor, a veteran to cat and mouse games, is a step ahead, and he takes Eve hostage. In the gun fu that ensues Castor manages to escape in a speed boat, only to be brought down by Archer, who wins back his family and self respect, with a second chance at caring for the child Adam, whose mother Sasha was killed in the crossfire.
John Woo is known for bringing the Asian character to his films - they may be a little over the top, however, audiences love them. Both Travolta and Cage were two actors he had worked with earlier in Broken Arrow and Windtalkers. An excellent play is conducted by Woo on the words and names in the Film. For instance, Castor and Troy, according to ancient Greek Mythology - are brothers who make up the constellation Gemini, the prison Erewhon is the word “nowhere” written backwards.
With a rousing musical score by Hans Zimmer, the Movie was well received by audiences and critics alike - it was nominated for the Academy Award for Sound Editing (70th Academy Awards, 1998), losing to the Titanic. It won the Best Action Scene in the MTV Movie Awards and the Best Directing and Writing in the Saturn Awards.

Taken - A fast paced and successful action film set in France starring Liam Neeson - Released in 2008

There are many different types of action films, and some of them work well while others do not do as well. There is no set recipe for how a movie is to be made, or the level of action, but there are higher chances of a movie dealing well if the action is gripping, and to some extent believable. The concept of a super-hero is a different kind of movie and the same is true about a movie such as Terminator and Predator where the hero is almost like a super-hero. Taken was a movie released in 2008 that was a box office success and even inspired a sequel.
The movie was made on a budget of approx 25 million dollars and made almost 225 million dollars overall, including internationally. In that sense, the movie was a big success, but one cannot say the same about its reception from critics. The movie is fast, and as a result, you don't really need to see much of acting skills or even a lot of dialog. There is a lot of action, and it moves pretty fast, including quick scenes where one-by-one, the hero easily kills a number of opponents, only depending on luck right near the end. To some extent, the hero can catch up with quick moving cars, does not get affected by anybody attacking him, and it is to the credit of the director that the action sequences do not seem forced, no extravagant actions.

The movie primarily stars Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, showcasing what happens when a black operative (apparently skilled in a number of weapons usage, skilled in intelligence operations, and many other dangerous skills) and now retired and working in the security business becomes a concerned father. He is divorced with his daughter living with her mother. He knows the dangers out there, and to that extent comes out as paranoid. His daughter wants to travel to France along with her friend, and he is very concerned, enough that his daughter gets disgusted. He finally agrees with some conditions, but is doing so with a reluctant mind.
And you know that with the type of movie this is, his worst fears will come true. His daughter forgets to call him when she reaches Paris, and at the airport, they meet a young man and agree to share a cab with him. The young man scouts for young girls who can be kidnapped and sold into a trafficking circuit, moving them quickly into a horrific life after drugging them. The ring is run by Albanians. Kim, Bryan's daughter, sees men kidnapping her friend and realizes that she has a very small period of time before she will also be taken. She calls her father who tells her that she will be taken, but she needs him to give him clues by describing the men who are taking her. And so it happens, and he records what she is saying as well as the words of the men who are taking her, and has a very brief conversation with one of them before the phone is cut.
Bryan quickly reaches Paris by using the plane that Kim's stepfather has access to, and starts the process of trying to find more information. He is able to find an image of Peter and chases him, in the process of which Peter dies in an accident. Bryan is taking some reluctant help from his friend in the French intelligence agency, but this friend is very reluctant to help, just providing some initial clues. The rest of the movie is a rushed affair where Bryan finds out more and also keeps on doing killing.

North West Frontier (released in 1959) - Set in turbulent times in India

North-West Frontier is a movie set in the time of the British raj in India. Starring the sophisticated Lauren Bacall and Kenneth Moore, this drama was directed by Lee Simpson and included the Bollywood actor I.S Johar. It chronicles the tensions between the Hindus and Muslims in the North western frontier province of British India, currently in Pakistan, in the year 1905.
A Hindu Maharajah From the North Western frontier province request Captain Scott to accompany his son to Hazerabad as riots have erupted in their home town. So Captain Scott safely moves the boy to the Governor's residence along with his governess, Mrs Wyatt. Now Hazerabad is also not safe and the Governor washes his hands off the young Prince. So Scott looks around for a transport to take him to Kalapur which is considered as a safe haven. He comes across “The Empress Of India”, an aging train tended lovingly by a retired Engineer, Mr. Gupta. So Gupta, Scott and the Prince Kishan leave under the cover of darkness to Kalapur, accompanied by Mrs. Wyatt, Lady Wyndham, a journalist Mr. Van Huyden and couple of other travelers. Soon the rebels get to know of the departure and the train is pursued vigorously. But Mr. Gupta smashes the train through the cantonment and soon they are on the way.



En-route they come across a refuge train which has been savagely attacked by the Muslim raiders and can rescue only a small baby. Soon a at and mouse game ensues as the train is constantly in danger of an attack. As the journey progresses, Mrs. Wyatt sees a heliograph which is the mode of communication for the attackers. The tension bounds as they know that the attack is imminent. The situation is complicated by the presence of Journalist Van Huyden. He encourages the young prince Kishan to take unwanted risks like dangling on the fly wheel etc. This arouses suspicions about his loyalties. He is many a time caught on the act by the fellow passengers. The last straw comes while on a crossing Van Huyden willingly dangers the prince's life.
Scott now convinced of Van Huyden's duplicity imprisons him in the luggage room. But the raiders destroy a viaduct and shoot Mr. Gupta. In this thrilling and beautifully shot sequence Scott drives the Train through he broken section as the Raiders try to fight them. Van Huyden also escapes and with a machine gun holds the passengers hostage. He is unable to kill the prince as he is outside the engine room. Scott soon arrives to grapple with the villain, whois killed by the spunky Mrs. Wyatt. Soon battered but not lost the engine reaches Kalapur safely and the Prince is handed over.
The movie is well shot even though the Spanish mountains had doubled for the North Western Frontier panorama. The technological innovation and the special effects did make an effect even though we in the age of “Avatar” it might seem a bit primitive. The performances are great with the undercurrent of romance between the brave captain and the spunky Mrs. Wyatt captivating. A good movie comes highly recommended.

Spanish prisoner (released in 1997) - A suspense film, starring Campbell Scott, Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ben Gazzara and Ricky Jay

Directed by David Mamet, Spanish Prosoner is a suspense movie which tells the story about a confidence game to undertake a corporate heist. The film stars Steve martin, Campbell Scott and Rebeca Pidgeon.
A the plot goes, Joe Ross is a geeky engineer who develops a highly efficient industrial process which would revolutionize the manufacturing world. As he scouts for probable buyers he meets the wealthy Jimmy Bell and his secretary Susan at an island resort. Jimmy befriends Joe and asks him out to his house to introduce him to his sister. Simple Joe feels this kind of attention to be very flattering. Susan and Jimmy also keep insinuating that Joe's boss was trying to embezzle the plans and processes all for himself and in the end Joe believes them.
Jimmy convinces him to take his legal counsel and meet him with the plans. But soon Joe understands Jimmy to be a fraud and enlists the support of the FBI agent Pat McCune. But Pat turns out to be hand in glove with the con men and poor Joe is thoroughly robed of his plans. And to add salt to his wounds it appears as though he has sold his plans to Japanese industrialists.



This alienates his boss and other members of his family. Joe is also framed for the murder of his co-developer George Lang. While running from the law Joe meets up with Susan who appears to believe him and keeps professing her love for him. A desperate Joe believes her and the duo formulate a plan to prove his innocence. Joe remembers the cross circuit television camera's in the island retreat where the meeting was held. He plans to take the tapes which would prove his innocence and Jimmy's presence. But Susan too is proved to be the fraud and Jimmy arrives at the island to kill him. In the ferry Jimmy and Susan are surrounded by a gaggle of Japanese tourists who shoot at Joe. Joe is hit by a dart and falls unconscious. The Japanese tourists turn out to be American marines who were tailing Jimmy. All ends well as Joe gets his plans and is proved innocent. Jimmy and Susan are taken to jail.
This movie is a well paced comedy and really involves the audience. Steve Martin as the evil Jimmy Dell is one of the suave and finest villain act of the time. His menacing act evokes laughter and curiosity. Apart from the typical Martin mannerisms this movie offers the audience more insight to the talents of this fine actor. Campbell Scott as the simple Joe is apt and Rebeca Pidgeon as the wily Susan is a class apart.
This movie was a critics favorite and the top grosser of 1997. The film was nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. A perfect cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday evening is the best back drop to see this movie. It is worth your time and money.

My Blue Heaven (released in 1990) - A comedy starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cusack

This Steve Martin movie is light hearted and fun. It is a romantic comedy where the romance is of less importance because the chemistry between the male and female co-stars pale in front of the chemistry between the male ones. Directed by Herbert Ross and scripted by Nora Ephron this movie is based on the life of Henry Hill.
Steve Martin plays Vinnie Antonelli an Ex-Mafia don who is going to squeal on his murderous ex-buddies. So he joins the witness protection program and moves to a suburb in San-Diego to keep his detractors away. Vinnie is protected by Barney Coopersmith a stiff uptight policeman whose attention to detail gets on everybody's nerves. Vinnie's wife leaves him earlier on as she is not charmed by the domestic life of the suburbs. Same happens for Coopersmith whose wife finds his tiny habits annoying, it seems that he is so methodic that he gets equal amounts of butter on to the two halves of his waffle.
Vinnie soon settles in to the witness protection program, but you cannot keep the crime out of a mobster too long. He starts petty thieving which goes on to bigger times and frenetic night clubbing. Poor Barney Coppersmith is simply aghast and tries hard to reason with him.



Vinnie even meets up with his old pals to start a new syndicate. Hannah Stubs played by Joan Cusack is the district Attorney who tries to prosecute Vinnie for his crimes, but her actions come to a cropper because he is part of the witness protection program. At first Barney and Hannah hate each other but are thrown together a lot. So the ice melts and to Vinnie's delight, they start liking each other. Vinnie takes Barney under his wing and helps him to dress better, dance better and woo Hannah.
Meanwhile Vinnie's old pals in crime try their best to prevent him from testifying. So Vinnie does all the wonder work for Barney and together they outwit the murderous gangs of Manhattan. This laugh riot is one of the funniest movies of all times. It was a critics delight but did not exactly set the box office on fire. Just as good wine, it slowly acquired a fan following and is considered as one of the cult comic capers of the century. The story may not be an Oscar winner but the script is great, suitably interlaced with one liners which evokes laughter. The best part of it is the bonding between Vinnie and Barney and the chemistry between the two actors just raises the film to a new level. It was so that Steve Martin was to play the role of Barney and Schwarzenegger that of Vinnie. But Schwarzenegger opted out and the role was taken up by Steve Martin. Rick Moranis was brought in for Barney. No complaints there for they rock the show.
Not the least, a great hurrah for the songs in the movie. The great numbers like “New York, new york”, “Take me out to a ball game”, “the boy from New york city” and “My blue heaven” are absolute delights. You can watch this movie anytime, in any mood as it is bound to evoke the loud guffaws. Only trouble may be your neighbor's objection to your loud laughter.

Three Amigos (released in 1986) - A musical comedy starring Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short

Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Micheal Short star in this Musical comedy of 1986 and is directed by John Landis. The movie is co-scripted by Steve Martin who provides the ultimate comic touch, the real “Steve Martin” touch.
The movie opens with a raid in Santo Poco, a small village in Mexico by the Ruthless bandit El Guapo and his men. Carmen the daughter of the village head prays for a hero to save them and on one of her visits to the church sees the American silent movie featuring the three Amigos. Taking them to be real super heroes, she sends a telegram for help. But the clerk at the telegraph office whittles down her message as she does not have enough to pay.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Lucky Day, Dusty Bottoms and Ned Neerlander star as the three Amigos in the movie series. They demand a price hike from the studio head who fires them for their temerity and evict them from their houses. Down in luck and out in the streets they receive Carmen's telegram and mistaking her appeal as an invitation for making a movie with El Guapo, they break in to the studios costume room, steal the costumes and flee across the border to Mexico.



They reach a “cantina” near the village and are mistaken as associates of a sharp shooting German Pilot who has wreaked havoc at the bar. I really like this sequence when the three amigos actually belt out the song “my Little Buttercup” to the mean scraggy crowd at the bar. Its hard to keep a straight face through out the sequences and I wonder how the actors did it. They are found by the German and in the mix up that follows they are put up at the best houses and are flown to the village. Carmen soon arrives to bring them home. At the village they are feted and treated and soon some minor bandits arrive to get their protection money. Mistaking them to be talent scouts, the Amigos put up a show which scares the wits out of the bandits and they ride away. The ecstatic villagers celebrate and keep them in style.
El Guapo swears to find the Amigos and kill them by morning and rides into the village. As the truth dawns, the Amigo's are scared witless and beg forgiveness from El Guapo. El Guapo punishes the villagers and loots them, as the Amigos leave in disgrace. He kidnaps Carmen and intends to make her his bride to punish her for her involvement. As the Amigos trudge their way back home, Ned reminds them that they have none waiting for them. He exhorts them to go back and at least try to save Carmen and be real heroes. After many disagreements they come together to find Guapo's hide out and soon follow the German plane which delivers ammunition for the gang. Amidst the celebrations of the bandits wedding the Amigos sneak in to the hideout only to be caught. The German Pilot gets in to a shooting match with Ned and he wins to give them enough time to escape. As the Amigos reach the village they exhorts the villagers to fight the evil bandit. El Guapo in his last raid is brought down by the combined might and the Amigos ride in the the sun set as real heroes.
This movie was well received by critics and audience alike and is well crafted. I feel the funny quotient diminishes as the movie progresses, but still is eminently watchable.

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (released in 1982) - A homage to the film noir concept, starring Steve Martin

If you take scenes from the pulp detective movies of the 1940's and 50's and create a story based on those, you would get “Dead men don't wear plaid”. Directed by Carl Reiner, this 1982 musical comedy stars Steve Martin and Rachel Ward. The many characters are original actors from yesteryear films like the Exterminator, The killers, Big sleep etc. The footages used involve actors like Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Ingrid Bergman, Alan Ladd, Kirk Douglas, Ava Gardner, Cary Grant etc. The editor Bud Collins does deserve credit for linking the yesteryear classics with the current footage.
When John Hayward, noted Scientist and cheese maker dies, his daughter Juliet hires the famous detective Rigby to investigate his death. Rigby has his own psychological demons, as he flows in to a rage on hearing the word cleaning lady as his father had run away with one. He almost throttles one in Juliet's house. This one gem of a scene itself is a warning enough for the laughs that may follow. On the crime scene Rigby finds a list named as friends of Carlota and Enemies of Carlotta, and an autographed picture of singer Kitty Collins. Rigby is shot but Juliet saves him by sucking out the bullet (yes thats what happens). Rigby follows Kitty Collins (Ava gardener from killers) who leaves her brooch with the information of Enemies of Carlotta (EOC) in the soup. From Juliet's uncle Sam who had been entrusted with a dollar bill he gets information of Friends of Carlotta (FOC). Soon Rigby is entrenched in a game of deceit and trouble, but with the help of Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart in his masterpiece The Big Sleep) he manages to outwit them all and solves the puzzle.



He finds the scientist father and Juliet in a remote island with their butler who introduces himself as field Marshall Wilfried Von Kluck. John Hayward has invented a cheese whose mold could corrode even the metals and the regrouping Neo Nazis were planning to sink American vessels using this mold. So the FOC were all Nazi Agents and before John could call in the FBI he is abducted and his death faked. So after a lot of hilarious moments the bad guys are vanquished with their hideout.
This movie pays homage to the countless masterpieces of the 40's and 50's and each of those movie scenes are perfectly interlaced with the film. Steve Martin is his usual brilliant self and one can treat this movie as a big laugh riot. He performs with his dead pan comic face which is just amazing. One of my favorite scene is Steve making Java for the hapless Alan Ladd (from movie Sleepless). You feel the giggle forming to a big guffaw with the continuous pouring of coffee and ends with the sucking out of the bullet by Juliet, splendid comedy !
This movie released to full fledged critical and box office acclaim. It may not be a land mark movie like Citizen Kane, but in the annals of movie making it will stand out as a crowd favorite.

Wild Orchids (released in 1929) - starring Greta Garbo, Lewis Stone and Nils Asther

A love triangle of passion and adultery amidst the exotic location of the Javanese tea plantations. This movie was directed by Sidney Franklin and stared Greta Garbo as the passionate, frustrated wife opposite Lewis stone and Nils Asther. This movie was Garbo's seventh silent movie and 15th in her career. It also featured Swedish actor Nils Asther with whom she would star another movie in the same year.
John and Lillie Sterling are a married couple who sail to Java to explore investing options in the Javanese Tea market. John is a workaholic and very neglectful and this hurts his passionate and romantic wife. Aboard the ship, Lillie chances upon an act of violence, where a man severely manhandles his servant for a minor transgressions. This man is Prince de Gace who is enamored by this mysterious and live wire of a woman. He contrives a plan to reach the wife through the husband and develops John Sterlings acquaintance with his vast knowledge about the Tea market.
John is suitably impressed by the Prince and introduces him to his wife. Lillie recognizes the Prince, as the man who was cruel to his servant and does not encourage his attentions. This inflames his passions and the Prince pursues her more. He invites John to stay at his estate ostensibly to develop more understanding about the market and proceeds to woo Lillie. She tries to confide in her husband, but he turns a deaf ear to her entreaties. Lillie in desperation offers to accompany her husband in his professional investigations.



But John refuses her offer and leaves the plantation on his projects. The Prince intensifies his efforts and forces him upon her for a kiss. Lillie, confused about her emotions, embraces and kisses him back. John returns at this moment and the Prince sends Lillie to her room and substitutes a servant girl in his arms. But John suspicions are confirmed when he finds Lillie's earrings. An enraged John plots revenge for his humiliation.
He proposes a Tiger hunt with the Prince and before embarking on the hunt he empties the bullets from the gun. The prince realizes that his gun is empty while shooting a large man eater. He tries to flee when he finds that he would have to combat John, with a fully loaded gun. As the tiger pounces upon him John fires and the Prince gets hurt. Disgusted at his own behavior John plans to leave for America, alone. But Lillie, realizing the John's worth compared to the Casanova in Java reaffirms her love for him.
This silent movie has an amazing sound track with background noises of animals, birds, crowded streets, traffic and the eerie jungle all well laid out. This romantic drama was one of the monster hits of that year with superb performances from Greta Garbo, Nils Asther and Lewis Stone. Garbo as the younger wife of a staid 50's something man who is drawn to the excitement which the Prince offers is simply superb. Catch this movie if you can.

Flesh and the Devil (released in 1926) - Starring Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lars Hanson, and Barbara Kent

Greta Garbo, John Gilbert and Lars Hanson star in this silent movie with English inter-titles, directed by Clarence brown. This movie was adapted from the play of the same name by Hermann Sudermann. The plot is the eternal love triangle which brings upon the destruction of a boyhood friendship laced with deception, drama and murder.
The film concerns two boyhood friends Leo and Ulrich who grow up to be soldiers in the German armed forces. As boys they had sworn to be friends and signed their pact in blood. On leave from duty both Leo and Ulrich are greeted by Ulrich's sister Hertha and his mother. In the station Leo meets a breathtakingly beautiful woman and it is love at first sight for him. Abandoning Hertha at the dance floor Leo leaves to be with the beautiful lady, Felicitas who is the wife of Count Rhaden. While they are lip-locked the Count returns and challenges Leo to a duel. The duel takes place under the guise of a card game and Leo kills the Count. He “requests” a movement to Africa from the military court and leaves town with Felicitas promising to wait for him.
But Felicitas soon carries on with life and gets married to Ulrich. She conceals her affair with Leo and the details about her earlier life. Ulrich in the meanwhile secures a pardon for Leo from servitude and Leo returns home. Upon his return all he can think about is Felicitas and is devastated to know her as Ulrich's wife. He starts avoiding Ulrich and this pains his friend.



But Felicitas continues to tempt Leo to continue their relationship. The only person in the know is Pastor Voss who gives a fiery sermon regarding adultery clearly pointing to their involvement. When, racked with guilt, Leo keeps away from Felicitas she proposes to elope with him. But as she packs her bags, Ulrich returns with a diamond necklace which weakens her nerve. When Leo arrives to pick her up, she tells him that she is a slave for Ulrich's money and would like to continue their covert affair. A disgruntled Leo tries to strangle her and is caught by Ulrich. Felicitas turns the tables accusing Leo of rape and Ulrich challenges him for a duel.
Leo and Ulrich reach their boyhood ground for the ultimate duel and Leo refuses to aim at Ulrich. Ulrich gets the wind of things and both of them embrace. Meanwhile Felicitas trudging to the snow to reach them on the urgings of Hertha, drowns in the pool. This movie was well received by the critics and audiences alike. It also marked a turning point for Garbo's professional and personal life.
It was during the filming of this movie that she was romantically linked with her co-star Gilbert which ultimately ended in a wedding from which Garbo backed out on the last moment. She also fought a high pitched battle with MGM studio for a break to visit her family in Sweden and as a reconciliation the studio hiked Garbo's fees. At the end of the filming Garbo was the highest paid actresses of the time.
The movie is very popular in the DVD circuit and an alternate happy ending was also incorporated. In 2006, Flesh and the Devil was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".