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The A-Team starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Sharlto Copley & Quinton Rampage Jackson

Posted on December 3, 2010 Written by ripitup

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The A-Team starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Sharlto Copley & The A-Team starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Sharlto Copley & Quinton 'Rampage’ Jackson
The A-Team starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Sharlto Copley & Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. 2010. Directed & co-written by Joe Carnahan.

The Cast

The moment I heard about the cast, I knew I’d see the A-team. Sure, nostalgia is a part of it but I was a kid when the show aired (1983 – 1987) and all I really remember were the concept and characters.  But I am huge fan of Liam Neeson. Bradley Cooper makes entertaining movies and Patrick Wilson reminds me of Patrick Swayze and Michael Keaton (yes, both of them, at the same time). Weird, I know. Oh, and I also thought Luke Wilson would be in the movie. I can’t believe how much Sharlto Copley resembles him!

So a modern adaptation with a great cast, a nostalgic trip with lots of action and comedic moments, The A- Team was an inevitable choice. And I wasn’t disappointed.

The Plot

The story starts with how the team is formed: Colonel Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson) makes his escape from the Mexicans so that he can save his friend/fellow soldier Lt. “Faceman” Peck (Bradley Cooper) from even a worse situation. On his way he runs into B.A. Baracus (Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson), a big man and ex-soldier. After a pretty loud and fun rescue operation, they realize they need to fly in order to survive so they team up with the first pilot they run into, the nutty Captain H.M. Murdock (Sharlto Copley), who was staying in the psych ward.

Many years and successful operations later:

The movie s only gets faster from this point. The strong female part is filled in by Jessica Biel, who had also co-starred with Bradley Cooper in Valentine’s Day. Biel plays Captain Sosa, ex-girlfriend of Face who he doesn’t seem to be over.  Hannibal and his team retrieve some valuable metal plates used in money-manufacturing. Unfortunately, they get side-tracked by a hired soldier and his team.  The plates are stolen and General Morrison (Gerald McRaney), who has granted them the mission, is killed.

With their only witness dead, The A-Team is put on trial. Captain Sosa is demoted while the men are discharged from the military and sentenced to 10 years jail time in a maximum security prison. Of course Lynch (Patrick Wilson), the CIA agent who wanted the team on the mission in the first place, visits Hannibal and helps him break out of jail so that he gets his team back, retrieves the plates and clears their names. However they just might have more enemies than they anticipated and well, Sosa may also get in their way…

The Verdict:

Pure fun! I had a blast watching this movie. Sure, there were many logically and physically impossible scenes as well as some really bad computer effects but I am willing to ignore those because it is a really great action/comedy. I love the character interactions, the one-liners, the flight-phobic ex- commando, the crazy pilot, kick-ass leader Hannibal and the flirty and funny Face…

Favorite Scenes:

– Well every time Sharlto Copley’s Captain Murdock flies a plane and how he “lands” it.

– The prison rescue scenes

– Face’s prison cell and his equipments

– Face’s retrieval plan in execution

– Germany scenes where they are trying to retrieve the plates….

7.1 on IMDB. Fine with me. Leave logic aside and have fun!

Other Bradley Cooper Posts

Bradley Cooper Trivia

Case 39 starring Renee Zellweger, Bradley Cooper, Ian McShane and Jodelle Ferland

The Hangover starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha

He’s Just Not That Into You feat. Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connelly

Valentine’s Day feat. Cooper, Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Patrick Dempsey, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel…

Wedding Crashers feat. Cooper, Vince Vaugh, Owen Wilson & Rachel McAdams

Alias TV Series starring Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan and Bradley Cooper

Other Liam Neeson Posts

Chloe starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried

Seraphim Falls starring Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan

The Other Man starring Liam Neeson, Antonio Banderas and Laura Linney

Other Posts on Jessica Biel

The Illusionist starring Biel and Edward Norton

Valentine’s Day

Other Posts on Patrick Wilson

Watchmen starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Wilson, Matthew Goode

No Strings Attached, The Switch and Morning Glory: 3 Romantic Comedies to Anticipate

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: action, adventure, Bradley Cooper, comedy, Gerald McRaney, Jessica Biel, Joe Carnahan, Liam Neeson, movies, Patrick Wilson, Quinton 'Rampage’ Jackson, Sharlto Copley, the a team, the a team movie, the a team tv series

Must-See Pierce Brosnan Movies feat. Butterfly on a Wheel, Remember Me, Seraphim Falls & More

Posted on November 23, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan

Coupling character Steve (Jack Davenport) states in one episode that one of the things all heterosexual men in common is that their favorite Bond is Sean Connery. That might be true. But I am a girl and my favorite Bond is Pierce Brosnan. This might be due to the fact that Pierce became 007 about the same time I developed an appetite for movies, entertainment and well, good-looking men. Pierce is not only my favorite Bond but also one of my favorite actors. And while I appreciate everything Ian Flemming and Hollywood have done for us, I’ll exclude the Bond films from this list. Because yes, Pierce has made even more entertaining, intriguing and/or challenging films.

After the Sunset starring Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek and Woody Harrelson

After the Sunset starring Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek and Woody Harrelson
After the Sunset starring Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek and Woody Harrelson. Fun action/comedy/romance. Image via movieberry.com

This is one great action/comedy with a touch of sexy romance co-starring the ever-gorgeous Salma Hayek. Here, Brosnan plays a middle-aged thief who has promised his younger and hot girlfriend and partner in crime Salma Hayek that this would be their final heist. But agent Woody Harrelson is dying to catch him. He tracks them to their tropical island and tries to collaborate with beautiful local female cop. Does he have what it takes to catch Max? Or will Max try to pull his biggest heist ever, while trying not to lose the love of his life in the process?

Exotic location, beautiful leads, smart plots and fun action. This movie may not be deep, but it will show you a good time if you let it.

Evelyn starring Pierce Brosnan, Julianna Margulies and Aidan Quinn

Evelyn starring Pierce Brosnan, Julianna Margulies and Aidan Quinn
Evelyn starring Pierce Brosnan, Julianna Margulies and Aidan Quinn. Image via movieberry.com

Ireland, 1950s. When out of work painter Desmonf Doyle  (Pierce Brosnan) is dumped by his wife, he has to take care of his 3 children. But social norms and laws of the time don’t seem all that willing to let a broke father keep his kids. So the fight of his life starts, as he changes his life, finds work and fights against the Irish Constitution. Brosnan is terrific as the loving father, desperate to win his case. Co-starring are Julianna Margulies (as the beautiful bartender), Aidan Quinn (as his attorney).

Butterfly on a Wheel starring Gerard Butler, Pierce Brosnan and Maria Bello

Butterfly on a Wheel starring Gerard Butler, Pierce Brosnan and Maria Bello. A refreshing thriller.
Butterfly on a Wheel starring Gerard Butler, Pierce Brosnan and Maria Bello. A refreshing thriller.

Co-starring Maria Bello and Gerard Butler, this is one of my favorite movies ever. This is a great, low-budget thriller (as in decent quality and a great script that doesn’t require special effects). Abby (Maria Bello) and her husband Neil (Gerard Butler) seem like the perfect couple. He has a great job in advertising; they have a lovely daughter and a solid marriage. Or so it seems.

When a weekend requires the couple to leave their child with a babysitter, things change for the worse:

Before Abby can meet her friend and Neil can meet his boss, they are taken hostage in their car by a gun man (Pierce Brosnan) they have never seen before. They have to meet his demands or they will never see their daughter again. However, as it turns out, this man is not exactly after money. The problems in their marriage and trust issues resurface as they try to do their best with the strange and challenging requests of this man. What does he want? And why does he hate them so much?

This movie is original, smart and well-paced. The acting is top-notch as expected and it is fun watching Butler playing such a grey character. And it also has one of my favorite movie endings.

Top 5 Movie Endings feat. Se7en, Man from Earth, Butterfly on a Wheel and More

Seraphim Falls starring Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson

Seraphim Falls starring Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan
Seraphim Falls starring Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan.

A great western/drama/thriller where Liam Neeson has hired a bunch of men to do one thing alone: to kill his nemesis, Pierce Brosnan.

It doesn’t seem exactly right for those men to go after one man – who doesn’t strike you as a villain at all. Is this a simple fight for survival between good or evil or are things much more complicated than they seem?

Very solid and engaging. It is always a pleasure watching Neeson or Brosnan. It is definitely a fine move to put them together in a different kind of western movie.

Seraphim Falls Review

Remember Me starring Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Lena Olin, Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper

Remember Me starring Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper and Lena Olin
Remember Me starring Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper and Lena Olin. Wonderful drama/ romance.

I watched this movie after I had originally finished this post so it was added later. While the trailer was not really promising, the movie is a heart-felt and decent effort at a drama/romance that will stay with you even after the end credits roll. Sure, some hate it but trust me, it deserves a chance. Especially if you’re only familiar with Pattinson from his Twilight role.

* Ultimate fun for romantic comedy lovers: Laws of Attraction

Laws of Attraction starring Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan
Laws of Attraction starring Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan. A sweetheart of a romcom. Funny too.

*Also Recommended: The Ghost Writer starring Pierce Brosnan, Evan McGregor and Kim Catrall

The Ghost Writer starring Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor and Kim Catrall
The Ghost Writer starring Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor and Kim Catrall. Image via actorsandcrew.com

I am not a Polanski fan and I don’t particularly enjoy Evan McGregor movies but this is one decent drama thriller. Not the most entertaining Brosnan role, but one of the most interesting plots.

The Ghost Writer Review

**

What are your Brosnan favorites?

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: after sunset, Butterfly on a Wheel, Chris Cooper, Emilie de Ravin, evan mcgregor, evelyn movie, Gerard Butler, Lena Olin, Liam Neeson, Maria Bello, Pierce Brosnan, pierce brosnan movies, remember me movie, Robert Pattinson, Salma Hayek, Seraphim Falls, The Ghost Writer, woody harrelson

Chloe starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried

Posted on June 25, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Chloe starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried
Chloe starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried. Image from http://moviecultists.com

And there will be SPOILERS

Well, there will be-not because I want to tell you the ending- but because you will know what to expect from the movie.

The Plot

Catherine Stewart (Julianne Moore) is going through a very problematic and lonely time in her life: Her husband D avid (Liam Neeson) seems to be evasive, negligent and overly flirting with other women. Well, younger and beautiful women, to be exact. To top this, her son Michael (Max Thieriot) seems to despise her and is a lot closer to his father.

At this particular juncture in her life, she runs into a very beautiful young woman named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried). Chloe is an expensive hooker/escort who Catherine used to see with different men from her office window. Yeah, Catherine is an expensive gynecologist with a big office and an amazing house and they hang out in the same neighborhoods.

Anyway, one day, a desperate Catherine gets to meet Chloe. And no longer able to stand the suspicions about her husband, she hires Chloe to see if she can seduce her husband. She does, as expected, and reports back to Catherine.

Now, of course, this is the point where you expect any woman to do one of the following:

–          To confront David and to either forgive or dump him.

–          Or not confront him and just deal with it on her own.

–          Or maybe have a little affair of her own out of spite/revenge.

I am guessing, however, you don’t expect her to be turned on by Chloe’s storytelling about how she slept with her husband and you definitely don’t expect Catherine to sleep with Chloe.

OK, I am guessing, some of the men would expect or at least want Chloe and Catherine to get together. So to satisfy your curiousity, there is a sex scene with nudity. And it doesn’t involve Liam Neeson.

Having gotten that out of the way, the movie takes a turn where Chloe is obsessed with Catherine. Maybe she was from the beginning, but it becomes much more apparent. She would be more than willing to be her girlfriend. Of course Catherine wants none of that. So Chloe goes after the son. Why not the husband, if he enjoyed the affair as much as she described? Maybe because he never slept with her in the first place and all the scenes Chloe described were nothing more than detailed storytelling?

I will admit that the movie is not exactly boring. However, the writing doesn’t really flow naturally. Sure, it is an original twist, compared to other “fatal attraction” sort of movies where the woman had an actual affair with the man and then threatened the whole family  because she wanted the man. Herevwe have a girl who wanted the woman. And she was never really a violent threat, but an obsessed and emotional one who did everything to get closer to Catherine, rather than destroy her.

But how is it supposed to make sense that a woman who has been heterosexual all her life, depressed about her son and husband, will hire a prostitute to prove he is cheating and then accept her words as proof? So you don’t believe your husband? Fine, hire a P.I. Because P.I.s aren’t paid to tell stories. They are paid to show proof: video, photographs…You know, actual proof.

And why would you send the hooker to seduce him? There is a big chance that she could want him for herself. He is handsome, well-off and well, nice! So let’s say that you are so desperate, you don’t think naturally and you did hire her. And you believed her. When did you decide to sleep with her???

I know writing a good screenplay is difficult. And while this one makes an OK job for the most part, some things just don’t really add up. How stupid can a woman be? So she slept with her. Wasn’t she supposed to wake up about how obsessed Chloe was when she didn’t want money or wanted to give her hairpin that was given to her by her mother…How twisted is that?

Oh- and then there is the scene where she does prove to herself, unexpectedly, that in fact her husband never cheated.  He was so hurt and disappointed. Do you think he would have forgiven her so easily if she had slept with a man? Oh, you might see the ending coming. But you may or may not see the final scene coming. I am wondering whether you would say “Great job” or “Come on!!! You have got to be kidding me!”

While the director is a man (Atom Egoyan), I am surprised to see that the screenwriters are women.  It might be old-fashioned of me but I find everything in the movie very hard to relate to, as a woman. I also find it hardly believable that Liam Neeson’s  character would actually say no to all women, even though they weren’t really having sex anymore and his gorgeous female students were probably coming on to him. I am not just buying that. Call me a cynic.

I do, however, have to admit that this movie is much more intriguing than the last love triangle movie I saw Liam Neeson in. That time he wasn’t suspected of cheating or wasn’t flirting with anyone. He was being cheated on by his beloved wife who was cheating on him with Antonio Banderas’ character. The movie was called The Other Man.

I think I should give this movie a 6, that is the highest rating I can give. It had its moments and it certainly had flaws. Tell me you didn’t see Liam wasn’t cheating the moment we weren’t given actual scenes but just story telling from Chloe?

If you like dramas/thrillers, twisted characters with the most irrational behavior and the actors, see it. It is a 6.6 on IMDB.

Other Posts on Liam Neeson

Kingdom of Heaven starring Orlando Bloom, Neeson, Eva Green

Seraphim Falls starring Neeson and Pierce Brosnan

The Other Man starring Neeson and Banderas

Buy Chloe on Amazon.com

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Amanda Seyfried, Atom Egoyan, Chloe, drama, Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Max Thieriot, movies, thriller

Kingdom of Heaven starring Orlando Bloom and Eva Green

Posted on March 5, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Kingdom of Heaven- Orlando Bloom
Kingdom of Heaven- Orlando Bloom. Photo via lightscamerahistory.files.wordpress.com

1184. Blacksmith Balian (Orlando Bloom)  is not a happy man. He has recently lost his kid, and his wife has committed suicide, not being able to bear the death of their child. Moreover he has to listen to the town’s priest (Michael Sheen), who goes on and on about how his wife is in hell. But his life completely changes when he meets his father for the first time. The absent father is Lord of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), and he is there to take Balian with him. At first Balian is unwilling but circumstances force him to go. From then on, he learns a lot from his father. He will also need to prepare himself to take his father’s place. He now doesn’t even have the time to grieve- he has to be a knight, a worthy lord, deal with Prince Guy (Marton Csokas) who absolutely despises him, travel to Jerusalem…

Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven. As glorious as an epic should be. Written by William Monahan. Directed by Ridley Scott. Photo: images.allmoviephoto.com

Balian’s journey is exciting and never dull for a second. In Jerusalem, he easily makes friends with the Marshall Tiberias (Jeremy Irons) and earns the trust of King Baldwin (Edward Norton). He also intrigues and attracts, Sibylla  (Eva Green)-  The King’s sister- who also happens to be Guy’s wife. Not to mention, Guy is thirsty for blood and is dying to fight the Muslims- much against the will of the King.

Kingdom of Heaven- a battle scene
I love a good old battle scene. Well, what did you expect? My favorite movie ever is an epic war flick, Braveheart. Photo: film.com.tr

This movie is a really good example on how an epic should be. It has all the complications and the amazing battle scenes. It has the peace-loving villager-turned lord-who doesn’t let go of his virtues, even though it might cost him dearly. Orlando Bloom fits Balian perfectly and the rest of the cast is simply brilliant.

Fun Stuff:

Liam Neeson only appears in the first 25 minutes or so.

Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson in Kingdom of Heaven
Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson in Kingdom of Heaven. Father and son bonding moment. Cool for Bloom. Those sword-fighting lessons from Pirates of The Caribbean must have come in handy. Photo: hecinemasource.co

King Baldwin has leprosy. So you never see Edward Norton’s face. But it is fun to have him nevertheless.

Edward Norton in Kingdom of Heaven
Edward Norton in Kingdom of Heaven. Yep, this is how Edward Norton looks throughout all his scenes. For all we know, he could have recorded his voice. Just kidding. It is always nice to have him in a movie. Even when you don’t see him.Photo: cinecultist.com

The (only) leading female is Sibylla, played by the gorgeous Eva Green.

Eva Green in Kingdom of Heaven
Trust me, this picture doesn’t do her justice at all. She is simply radiantly beautiful in this cool epic from 2005. Photo: http://www.atoww.com

There is also Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) from Grey’s Anatomy, plays one of Liam Neeson’s soldiers.

Kevin McKidd from Grey's Anatomy
Yes, I admit I went back to watching Grey’s Anatomy after Kevin’s Owen livened up the show. I was pissed off that they had gotten rid of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character for the second time. But finally there is another passionate and fun gPuy. Photo: img5.allocine.fr

Brendan Gleeson plays exactly looks like his character in Braveheart– where he played Hamish, Wallace’s best mate. Although here, he is pretty much the bad guy.

Brendan Gleeson, Braveheart
This is Brendan in Braveheart. One of the good guys.
Brendan Gleeson in Kingdom of Heaven
Brendan Gleeson in Kingdom of Heaven. Apart from 10 year gap between the films, he is instantly recognizable and reminded me of Hamish. Here, he does a great job as a mean bastard. Photo: filmdope.com

Reasons to see Kingdom of Heaven:

–          You mean apart from Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, Edward Norton, Orlando Bloom and Eva Green?

–          Director is Ridley Scott- who also directed Gladiator, Body of Lies, American Gangster, White Squall and Thelma and Luis.

–          Good script, good acting, wonderful direction and pretty cool battle scenes.

–          If you are not convinced yet, I am giving up.

Cons:

–          I didn’t see any, but you might be bothered by the stuff that is not historically accurate.

–          Why have Edward Norton play a character with leprosy in the first place? But being the cool and interesting guy that he is, it was Edward who specifically requested that role. Let’s keep fingers crossed that he does star in an epic one day, with his face showing…

–          If you do hate Orlando Bloom and think he can’t act, obviously you will get annoyed watching him for 144 minutes. Or for 190 minutes in Director’s Cut.

Orlando Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven
Yep, a lot of Orlando Bloom. He is pretty good, though. He carries his role with grace and innonce. Photo: wallpaperbase.com

My biases: Love the whole cast and I am a big fan of Ridley Scott. White Squall (starring Jeff Bridges) is one of my favorite movies ever and I am yet to dislike anything Ridley worked on.

IMDB verdict: 7.1

My verdict: 7.8- 8.0

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: action, adventure, Brendan Gleeson, Edward Norton, Eva Green, history, Jeremy Irons, Kevin McKidd, Kingdom of Heaven, Liam Neeson, Marton Csokas, Michael Sheen, movies, Orlando Bloom, Ridley Scott

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