Displaying items by tag: Frank Grillo

SUPERMAN 

US, 2025, 129 minutes, Colour.

David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabella Merced, Wendell Pierce, Skye Gisondo, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Frank Grillo.

Directed by James Gunn.

Here is a Superman movie for the 21^st-century – although, we realise that we have already had a 21^st-century Superman in the form of Henry Cavill, his action in Gotham city but also his participation in the action of the Justice League. (And, those older, thinking back to the comic strips and comic books, may remember the black-and-white films of the 1940s with George Reeves but, with great fondness, the Superman presence of Christopher Reeve.)

This time Superman is a David Corenswet, who looks somewhere in between Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill. But, the action is updated to the present. We do get flashbacks to Superman’s parents and their sending him to earth and the message for him to be a man of peace. And we do get flashbacks to the Kent family and the wise advice of his earthly foster father. And, this time, a significant character is Superman’s dog, called Krypton. And he does get involved significantly in the action.

And there is Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, a touch antagonistic but also in love, making demands in interviews with Superman. And, there is the editor of the Daly Planet and Jimmy Olsen. Still familiar.

And, as we expect, the villain is Lex Luthor, played arrogantly by a bald Nicholas Hoult, but this time a villain of the 21^st-century involved in all kinds of AI, manipulating complex social media outlets for fake and destructive news, defence systems, a power hungry villain with a considerable staff with all kinds of technological expertise.

But, this time there are alternate universes, strange places and atmospheres, Lex Luthor manipulating, imprisoning, overpowering Superman. But, this time Superman is not alone. Coming in from the Justice League is Green Lantern, as well as a few other characters with superpowers, Mr Terrific, Metamorpho, Hawkgirl.

For audiences not in the know, this can be quite confusing. Probably the best thing is to sit back, relax when possible, take the action and characters as they come, be amazed at the overreaching ambitions of Lex Luthor, especially as he unleashes a terrifying power that cuts through Manhattan, a vast rift, buildings collapsing – and, definitely the need for Superman to the rescue as well as his support team.

And, it seems, that this update of the franchise has proven very popular.

1. The long history of DC comics, early films, cereals, television series, the range of films from the 1970s, Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill? His expectations?
2. The work of the director, Guardians of the Galaxy, writing and directing this film? The basis on DC comics in more recent decades?
3. Audience awareness of Superman, Krypton, his parents, sent to earth, the farewell message? The recreation of these sequences here?
4. The opening, the play on 30 and three, tracing Superman coming from Krypton?
5. Superman, Clark Kent, working at the Daily Planet, his knowing Lois Lane, relationship with her, the significance of the initial interview, his own story, her questions, the tension between them, resolution? The editor, Jimmy Olsen as the enthusiastic reporter? The, her relationship with Lex Luthor, infatuation with Jimmy?
6. Lex Luthor, a 21^st-century interpretation, age, appearance, bald, technological skills, his range of associates in his office, the IT, advice, support? Wanting to capture Superman, his dog, getting the code, capturing and imprisoning Superman? Creating the counterbalance, Ultraman? Their eventually confronting each other, Superman discovering his alter ego, the fighting, destroying his alter ego?
7. Luthor and his plans of power, narcissistic, psychopathic behaviour?
8. Superman, David Corenswet’s interpretation, his relationship to the dog, the many dog sequences?
9. The capture of Superman, the Pocket Universe, Superman and his weaknesses, his strengths, with or and the interview with Superman, the public holding him in regard, his strength to help people, the reinterpretation, putting on a bad light, people turning against him, criticisms, disillusionment?
10. The squad helping Superman, Green Lantern and his personality, Mr Terrific, his style, Metamorpho and his situation, powers, Hawkgirl? The tradition of the DC comics, their participation in the action, stepping in and helping Superman?
11. The public, the creation of the rift, the special effects showing the rift pursuing the city, the collapse of the buildings, disaster…? Closing the rift, Mr terrific?
12. Superman, the struggle with himself, the escape, the help of the squad, the collaboration with Lois, with the editor, with Jimmy, the role of Eve, her disillusionment with Lex Luthor, his treatment of her, her making contact, the sending of the information, the unmasking of Lex Luthor?
13. The final resolution, the heroes, Superman and Lois and the kiss, the cousin coming in, the return of the dog. And sequels?

STOWAWAY

US, 2021, 93 minutes, Colour.

Ruby Rose, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Frank Grillo, Luis De Silva junior.

Directed by Declan Whitebloom.

This is an action thriller which many would describe as “generic”. It is not unfamiliar material but, nevertheless, provides passing entertainment for a wide audience.

The star of the film is Australian Ruby Rose, not all that popular with some audiences, a lot of hostility from bloggers. However, here she is as an action star.

Focus is on the father-daughter relationship, devoted father, the little girl almost drowning, but her father disappearing, her growing up with a criminal group, finding herself in prison – then the passing of years, seen trying to steal a motorbike but then informed that she has inherited a luxury boat from her father. She goes to the boat, encounters a young man at the bar, is not supposed to be on the boat, some thugs come and kill the security guard at the harbour, are searching for money in a safe, forcing the captain of the ship to take them out to sea. The young man escapes but is shot. The rest of the film is the young woman using her wits, helped by the captain, signalling for the Coast Guard who come but find no evidence, her escaping with the captain in a lifeboat.

The audiences see veteran action star, Frank Grillo, giving the news to the young woman about her boat then disappearing. It quickly emerges that he is the chief villain, controlling the thugs, aiming to confront the young woman to find out about $80 million which her father had taken back from Grillo and his thugs – but, ironically, had given it all away to those in need.

Happy ending, of course, the young man wounded, calling the Coast Guard, the rescue, the boat blown up, the young woman giving a lot of the money to the sick daughter of the captain who saved her life.

Generic, yes, 90 minutes of action for the wider audience.

LIGHTS OUT

US, 2024, 90 minutes, Colour.

Frank Grillo, Mekhi Pheifer, Jamie King, Dermot Mulroney, Scott Adkins.

Directed by Christian Sesmo.

This is one of those action films which used to be called “straight-to-video”. Now it is “quick-to-streaming”.

There is immediate war action, grimly filmed, involving the central character Duffy, played by Frank Grillo, who seems to have specialised in appearing in this kind of action show. Then he is involved in a confrontation with someone cheating at cards, displaying a capacity for fighting. He is observed by Max, Mekhi Pheifer, with a proposal that they join together doing the rounds of the Underground fight club’s, making money from bets – something which immediately happens.

Duffy is wary of Max at first, then joins with him, goes to Los Angeles and boards with Max’s sister and niece, the sister being a victim of domestic violence. And he is tormented by flashbacks to the past.

The first minutes of the film, it seems to be a macho show for a male audience, then some acknowledgement of women as victims of male domestic violence.

The rest of the film is a combination of tough, very tough fight scenes, a wheeler dealer fights entrepreneur played, surprisingly, by Dermot Mulroney, who is also one of the producers of the film. However, the main villains of the film happened to be reputable police, actually working the fight clubs, claiming money, even shooting their opponents while keeping their reputation. In fact, the main villain is a female detective played by Jamie King.

Duffy becomes a more genial man, especially boarding with Max’s sister and niece, gets tangled up in more fights, building up to a confrontation with the corrupt police and shootout.

The film is principally for a male audience which likes this kind of tough action – and for a female audience who may be interested in a film with such a tough female villain.

The director, Christian Sesmo, has made many such action shows.

LITTLE DIXIE

US, 2023, 105 minutes, Colour.

Frank Grillo, Eric Dane, Beau Knapp, Annabeth Gish, Peter Greene, Thomas Dekker, Mercedes Mason, Sofia Bryant.

Directed by John Swab.

The title sounds like a pleasant little ditty from the American South. It is from the American south, from Oklahoma, with writer-director, John Swab dramatising his home state. But it is not a pleasant little ditty.

This is one of those B-budget action films that are very popular with aficionados, once upon a time straight-to-video, now turning up on streaming.

For audiences with more delicate sensibilities and sensitivities towards screen violence as well as towards brutal narratives, not their film.

John Swab has worked with Frank Grillo on a number of similar films – and Frank Grillo has worked on how many more similar films. Here he is Doc, specialist operations expert, helping the governor, Eric Dane, for his political promotion, advised by Annabeth Gish, channelling money from the Mexican cartels. The film opens with the governor and Grillo as Doc, present at the execution of one of the cartel gang – which leads, of course, to retaliation, numerous deaths, and, surprisingly for our possible sympathy with Doc, his doing a lot of the killing. The cartels have given him a motivation by abducting his daughter.

So, there are the Mexican mansions with the wealthy cartel leaders, the processing of the drugs by almost naked women, and gay bar and the death of a singer, a final showdown in Mexico.

While a lot of this may well be based on fact, for many it is ugly viewing.