Tom Clancy/ Harrison Ford Movie Review: ****^ Clear and Present Danger (1994)

The president's (Donald Moffat) friend is killed in the Caribbean.  And the president wants to seek revenge.  He indirectly orders forces to Columbia.  In this movie the head of the CIA (James Earl Jones) is diagnosed with cancer.  Consequently Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) is shoved more into the spotlight.  The president wrangles him to go to Columbia.  They have discovered accounts in the name of the president's deceased friend where he was laundering drug money.  The Columbian drug lord is Ernesto Escobedo (Miguel Sandoval) and his henchman is Felix Cortez (Joaquim de Almeida).  Clark (Willem Dafoe) is tasked with putting together a team to go to Columbia.  These men are good at their job and cause Escobedo some headaches.  James Cutter (Harris Yulin) as security advisor and Robert Ritter (Henry Czerny) as his underling put the program together.  The even direct a plane dropping a bomb on a meeting of cartel leaders.  

Eventually Ryan, as the deputy director of the CIA, figures out what is happening.  Part of this is that a secretary (Ann Magnuson) of the US. government has inadvertently been feeding information to Cortez.  Cortez kills her.  Ryan's wife (Anne Archer) notices that her death coincides with other happenings, and they realize it is tied with the Columbian issue.  Cortez is tracked and a conversation intercepted he has with Cutter.  The President, Cutter and Ritter kill the programs with no extraction.  Ryan decides to go down to Columbia and get the U.S. service men out if he can.  He and Clark are to the rescue.  

*****Spider Man: No Way Home: Movie Review

 In my mind the movie of the year 2021.  It is the movie that made the most money, and the movie I have enjoyed the most.  The three Spider Men is just cool and brings back so many fond memories.  This is the funnest movie of 2021 and the highest grossing.  You have Spider Man (Tom Holland) interaction with Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and also interacting with MJ (Zendaya).  In addition to past Spider Man versions making an appearance; you also have the bad guys, Green Goblin, Electro, Octavius, Dr Connors/Lizard, and Sandman.  This movie is a good time.  It is no wonder it has made loads of money at the box office.  I wish the Oscars would wake up and reward the movies people like.  The only Oscar nomination is best visual effects.  The Oscars have become less relevant as they focus too much on someone's definition of woke (not mine).  But this movie has it all, nostalgia, love, heartache and action.

Movie review: ****Aquaman (2018)

Aquaman (2018)  Here is the definitive story of Aquaman from DC Comics.  Aquaman is the son of Queen Allana (Nicole Kidman) and a human male, Tom Curry (Tamuera Morrison).  Who knew there were so many beasts living under the sea.  Aquaman’s (Jason Momoa) brother, King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren) is determine to wage war on the surface dwellers.  Facing him is his older half-brother Aquaman, and his allies Mera (Amber Heard) and Vulko (Willem Dafoe).  Mera and Aquaman end on a quest to find the Trident of Atlan.  Only the rightful king can wield the trident.  Tailing them is the Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Manteen II), whom Aquaman offended when he let Manta's father die.  He has sworn revenge on Aquaman, and using weapons provided by King Nereus, and tracking information from Mera’s bracelet, hw nearly succeed.  However things are not easy.  Aquaman must face a sea monster who is guarding the trident.

Movie Review: ***^Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

This movie represents a fascinating look at the Agatha Christie classic.  The cast of character is also very interesting.  Kenneth Branagh plays our detective hero, Hercule Poirot.  Bouc, his traveling companion is played by Tom Bateman.  And then the other passengers on the train, who all become the subject of an investigation as Poirot is called upon to solve a murder where a passenger is stabbed a dozen times and killed.  Other actors include: Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer and Daisy Ridley.  Kenneth Branagh also directed.  Each of these characters comes together with the other is a most peculiar way, which is what makes for the twist at the end of the movie.  I can't say I enjoyed this version better than the original from the 1970s.  However it does see true to the story, and the mystery.

Movie Reviews: *****Spider-Man

 

*****Spider Man: This movie introduced us to Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, who had flaming red hair in the first movie of the trilogy.  We also see Mary Jane's family, and next door, Peter Parker living with his Aunt and Uncle.  Peter the nerd, becomes Spider Man, after a trip to a science laboratory and a spider bite.  He then faces the Green Goblin, (Willem Dafoe) who is Harry's (James Franco) father.  Harry is his best friend.  The action is great, as is the budding relationship between Mary Jane and Peter Parker.  We also see the emotions of the change, and accepting the responsibility of being a super hero.  Finally Peter realizes those he loves are in harms way, and this affects all he does.  Harry, dates Mary Jane, and Spider Man and the Green Goblin have a war, which results in the Goblin's death.  My only complaint, we want to know how Peter came to live with his aunt and uncle.

Movie Reviews: ****John Carter;

John Carter is the big budget Disney scifi based on a book by Edgar Rice Burroughs written 100 years ago.  The movie tells the story of the uncle of Burroughs, Civil War veteran John Carter, (Taylor Kitsch) who is transported by accident to Mars.  There he becomes involved in a war between four civilizations, two humanoid, one four armed and green and remind me of Avatar, and a sinister people who are behind the scenes.  They manipulate the war, giving information when it suits them.  They have superior technology, such as transporting between worlds, having ray guns etc. They remind me of something from Doctor Who. This movie took a pounding from the critics, and the box office.  It probably looks too much like other movies, Avatar, Star Wars.  It has the fight between monster and prisoner in the arena.  The monster looks like the snowman from Hoth. There are also traces of Stargate.  However there are some things new.  The critter that is like a dog is cute.  I also like the interaction between Burroughs and Carter and how this plays into the plot.  Maybe the characters in these other movies are based on Burroughs.  I give this movie four stars as I love most anything scifi.  This is good, but not as good as some others.