James Bond Movie: **** Goldeneye (1995)

 We have a new James Bond in Pierce Brosnan.  We also have the first woman M (Judi Dench), and a new actor play Miss Moneypenny (Samantha Bond).  Q is the same showing his gadgets.  Our villain turns out to be 006/ Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), who appears to die at the beginning of the movie.  Trevelyan is helped by Xenia Onatopp (Famke Jansen) who has many methods of killing including a good squeeze.  She kills with sexualized passion.  For his part, Bond refuses to die.  He is helped by Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), who escaped alive from the first use of the Goldeneye satellite, which fries all electronics.  She worked at a satellite dish which was used to control the device, but then targeted.  This time financial markets will be the target allowing them to steal assets without being seen as the device will destroy all records.  Bond's job is to prevent this.  Jake Wade (Joe Don Baker) with th CIA helps.  Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming) also helps Trevelyan as the inside computer geek who worked with Simonova.  

This movie has a chase scene, Bond in am army tank trying to rescue Simonova.  He runs over lots of car, and even puts the tank in front of a train for a spectacular collision.  

This movie continues the Bond fun and action.  There are plane crashes Bond walks away from, and lots of shooting.  And the effects of electrical pulses.  

Movie Review: ***^Taken 3 (2014)

This is the third installment of the Taken series.  This time the plot is a bit different.  Instead of someone being taken like the first two films, in this it becomes personal as Bryan Mills' (Liam Neeson) ex-wife (Famke Janssen) is killed and Mills is framed.  In this movie there is much violence and vehicles crashing.  Much of the violence is aimed at the police.  Which makes the final result a bit confusing.  Liam must stay free in order to solve this crime, and the police of course want to bring him in as he is their prime suspect.
I was confused with one aspect of the plot.  His daughter (Maggie Grace) is kidnapped at the end, however I am not sure of the motivation; except that maybe the murderer kidnapper is working for someone.  Anyway, when everything gets resolved, Mills is given a walk.  There is no repercussion from the police after Mills caused multiple accidents, many involving police officers, and assaulted officers on several occasions.

Movie Review: ****X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

X-Men series

This movie is cool and in the same genre as the others; but I think it is a bit over the top.  They bring Jean (Famke Janssen) back form the dead, but she has no control over her powers, and her inability to control turns into a power that can take atoms apart, and basically destroy everything. She accidentally kills her boy friend Cyclops (James Marsden),  Dr. Xavier (Patrick Stewart) tries to keep her in an induced coma, while she heals, but Wolcerine (Hugh Jackman) feels they are imprisoning her and lets her out.  Then all trouble breaks lose.  Xavier becomes a victim of the atom thing and is killed. 
A sub plot is the development of an antidote for the X-men phenomena.  All who want to  be cured of being X-men just need to ask.  This becomes a recruitment tool for Magneto.  Beast (Kelsey Grammar) plays a big part, both as a politician and an X-man.  Storm (Halle Berry) takes over Dr. Xavier's school.  Thus the big battle between X-men under Magneto (Ian McKellen, and those who follow Dr. Xavier. It is fought in San Francisco. 
The last battle is a bit intense.  It is about even until Jean/Phoenix starts dissolving everything.  Then only Wolverine can save the day.
Something I don't understand.  How is Dr Xavier in future movies if his atoms have been scattered all over the place.   Maybe someone can explain.

Movie Review: ****X-Men (2000)

X-Men  series

 This movie introduces us to several interesting characters.  It is based on the Marvel Universe.  The reason for all these characters is that some have an advanced genetics as humanity goes through a progression in their evolution.  I was not familiar with the comics when I first watched this, so all the characters were new.  There is Magneto (Ian McKellen), who is the leader of those who want to control everything, and Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), on the opposite side who also runs a school for young mutants.  Two drifters are invited to the school, to keep them away from Magneto’s grasp; Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin).  Wolverine is almost indestructible, and has long claws, Rogue can take the powers of anyone she touches.  Other important characters are Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) who is a shape shifter and pretty wicked and Magneto’s assistant; Storm (Halle Berry), Cyclops (Scott Summers) and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) are in Professor Xavier’s inner circle. 

The story centers around how the government is wrestling with the idea of registering all mutants, who they are and what they can do.  Magnet is resistant to this, so he is planning a demonstration to prove his point.  He is going to turn many people into mutants, even though the process he has developed is unstable.  He kidnaps Rogue to carry this out, puts her in a machine which will kill her for sure.  The machine of Xavier is sabotaged by Mystique, and almost kills him.  The students have to fight on their own.  They take on the henchmen of Magneto, for the safety of many dignitaries that are discussing mutant issues.  It is a rough go, but they do prevail in the end, Wolverine saving Rogue, and letting her use his regenerative powers.  The first part of this story ends with Xavier’s men on top of sorts.  Magneto is captured, and in a plastic prison (he can manipulate anything of metal) and hopefully there is the possibility for good relations between human and mutant.

The theme of this movie is accepting those who are different than ourselves.  It is hard to do, but possible with patience and understading.

Movie Review: ***Taken II

This is the sequel to Taken, and is just as tense and exciting.  In this movie, we have the father of one of those killed, and criminal boss of the Albanian mafia coming after Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and his family.  They are on vacation in Turkey when they make their move, and they are successful in kidnapping Mills and his wife (Famke Janssen).  However the miss his daughter (Maggie Grace) who is left with the responsibility of rescuing her father, who rescued her in the first movie.  Mills had studied where they were taken, and is able to direct his daughter to bring him a gun.  And from there the hunted becomes the hunter.  He offers a truce to the father, in hopes that their can be peace between their families.
This movie has plenty of violence and death, but it is an exciting ride.