Movie Review: ***^Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

This is a movie based on the Tom Clancy characters, but seems out of order in terms of the time line and the story.  Other than that, this is a very good story.  Jack Ryan versus a plot to start on economic catastrophe in America with a terrorist attack and then a dumping of U.S. dollars.  Keira Knightly is Jack's fiancé if she says yes.  She wants to see what he is up to and follows Jack on his trip, and becomes and impromptu agent.  Crazy stuff.  This of course doesn't go well when she is taken hostage.  Lots of action to the end here.  Very entertaining.
Does anyone have an explanation for the out-of-sequence nature of this movie.  Is this Jack Jr., or just taking liberty.

Movie Review: ****^Hidden Figures (2016)

This is a fabulous movie which shows the plight of the African American women working for NASA.  The were involved at many levels, including being ready to use computers, and advanced engineering.  There is a particular series of scenes in which one African American woman, Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) who is working on advanced calculations, but restroom were segregated.  There are no African American restrooms in that area.  She had to walk across campus to use the restroom.  The other staff were upset at her long breaks, not realizing why she was gone for so long.  However, when the cause was discovered, her boss, Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) ended segregated restrooms.  It shows how at times, we can discriminate without realizing it.  Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) had enough foresight to study computer languages, and to have her staff also trained.  This gave them a jump up when typewriters were replaced by computers.  Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) fights discrimination in university classes, as she needs more education to become a NASA engineer, but the school is limited to Whites.  Her case goes to court and she prevails. 

Movie Review: ****Robin Hood (1991)

This movie starts with Robin of Locksley, (Kevin Costner), returning to England after the crusades, grateful to have escaped with his live, and bringing with him a Moorish friend, Azeem (Morgan Freeman), who has a debt to pay to Locksley, and has vowed to save his life in return for his life having been saved.  However England has changed, with the absence of King Richard (Sean Connery).  The Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) is plotting to become king.  He is helped by a witch, who is actually his mother (Geraldine McEwan).  After finding his own lands in ruin, and his father executed, he seeks refuge at the home of Marian Dubois (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), who of course greets him poorly.  Robin eventually falls in with the thieves of the forest, and takes them on a mission of revenge against Nottingham.  However he has bit off more than he can chew, and with the Celts as hired mercenaries they are overwhelmed and many taken prisoner and scheduled to be hung.  That is what sets up the doom of the sheriff, as Robin will not let this happen.  Seven men take on his forces, and with the people rising up, win the day.  Great adventure, and terrific scene with Robin and Azeem being catapulted over the wall.  Perhaps the best thing about this movie, is the song sung with the credits, with several lines slipping in during the show:

"(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"

Look into my eyes – you will see
What you mean to me.
Search your heart, search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more.

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for.
You know it's true:
Everything I do, I do it for you.

Look into your heart – you will find
There's nothin' there to hide.
Take me as I am, take my life.
I would give it all, I would sacrifice.

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it, there's nothin' I want more
You know it's true:
Everything I do, I do it for you, oh, yeah.

There's no love like your love
And no other could give more love.
There's nowhere unless you're there
All the time, all the way, yeah.

Look into your heart, baby...
Oh, you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
I can't help it, there's nothin' I want more.

Yeah, I would fight for you, I'd lie for you,
Walk the wire for you, yeah, I'd die for you.

You know it's true:
Everything I do, oh, I do it for you.

Movie Review: ****Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

This is another Tom Clancy (obvious from the name) but it has Jack Ryan in the post 911 era.  Sheri says that Clancy wrote about Jack Ryan's son, and perhaps that is where this material comes from.  Jack (Chris Pine) is recruited as an analyst for the CIA by Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner).  At the same time he has fallen in love with Dr. Muller (Keira Knightly).  Then we fast forward three years.  Jack thinks he will just be an employee on Wall Street, while actually working for the CIA.  He notices files hid from them by a Russian firm, and feels he is onto a plot.  He is asked to go to Russia by the CIA to meet with the president of the Russian Company with which they are doing business.  His journey to Russia gets off to a bad start.  His bodyguard (Nonso Anozie) tries to kill him, and Ryan has to kill him instead.  He has now gone active.  They have to get into the Russian director's computer.  He is planning a plot for a terrorist attack against the U.S. as well as a dollar dump, which likely will bring on a depression.  The Russians are mad at the U.S. over lack of support at the U.N.
This show has tension on two levels.  Can Jack, and his fiance who follows him to Moscow, survive, and can the CIA stop the Russian terrorist.  This movie keeps you tense in your seat.  I thought the theater was cold, but it was just my body reaction to the tension which lasts through most of the second half of the movie.
This is good Tom Clancy fun.

Movie Review: ***^Silverado

Silverado is a good western, made after westerns were popular.  Because of that it had to be twice as good, and it lived up to its billing.  It stars a quartet of heroes taking on a land baron and his sheriff and deputies.   The quartet are made up of two brothers Emmett (Scott Glen) and Jake (Kevin Costner), a drifter with a past, Paden (Kevin Klein) and an African America traveling to join his family, Mal (Danny Glover).  This movie has its share of violence and killing, but also has a few tender moments.  The brothers are visiting their sister to say goodbye before they try their luck in California.  While there old feuds, as well as their getting in the middle of a land war.  Mal's father is killed by the same land war, while Paden is hired by the side perpetuating the problem.  Sherriff Cobb (Brian Dennehy) perpetuates the negative situation.  Everyone is effected.  Emmett and Jake see their family effected, brother-in-law shot and nephew kidnapped.  As mentioned Mal's father is killed in efforts to run him off his land.  His sister becomes an ally.  Paden sees what is going on, but worries about his friend, Stella (Linda Hunt) who will get hurt if he takes action.  A gambler "Slick" (Jeff Goldblum) befriend's Mel's sister, but is no an ally.
This movie has good action, and it entertains, which is its motive.