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The Kidd Vs. PREMIUM RUSH
As soon as PREMIUM RUSH begins, you get to hear the familiar opening of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley.” Well, at least I got one thing good out of this dumb film from director David Koepp. For the rest of the film, I’m stuck watching people ride bikes through New York City in what amounts to an elongated chase scene over the course of 90 minutes. Now I wouldn’t mind this so much if there were some impressive stunt work or maybe a little bike parkour to feast my eyes on. Then I could tell you to go in carrying a loaded iPod and some killer tunes to at least make the visuals interesting, since the stupidity of PREMIUM RUSH’s story isn’t likely to hold your interest. But the flick doesn’t even have that going for it. All it brings to the table is the opportunity for you to say you saw Joseph Gordon-Levitt slumming it in the worst motion picture he’s been in to date.
PREMIUM RUSH puts JGL in the role of bike messenger Wilee (yes, like the coyote, which the dialogue will go out of its way to point out on more than occasion). He’s a smart guy, who apparently just hasn’t gotten around to taking the bar exam. Why not? Well, he can’t fathom a life where he has to go to work wearing a suit every day. He’d much rather have to hustle for jobs on his beat-up old bike, which he rides with no gears or no brakes – that’s supposed to be a metaphor for his lifestyle. Well, on one particular day, he takes a run that calls for a package delivery from his old alma mater down to Chinatown. Unfortunately for him, the contents of his envelope are worth a lot of money and are sought after by Bobby Munday (Michael Shannon), a NYC detective who desperately needs to get his hands on it at all costs to settle some growing financial problems he’s facing. That sets up Wilee versus Munday in a battle for the envelope, bike against car, maneuverability taking on sheer mass. That could have potentially worked if Shannon wasn’t called upon to play such a buffoon with a badge that you never quite question if Wilee is going to be able to make his delivery on time. Impulse control issues are no substitute for intelligence.
Shannon gets to chew up some scenery as the over-the-top bad guy, including one actually funny scene where he gets to rail about the state of primetime television and the language they can get away with these days, but PREMIUM RUSH does a disservice to itself by never truly establishing him as someone JGL shouldn’t be fucking with. In fact, there are several instances where Wilee is actually within arm’s length of Munday, easily grabbable with the envelope there for the taking, only Munday takes these chances to then get back into his car and resume the endless chase.
Let me not forget the rival bike messenger… yep, they went there… who is after Wilee’s ex-girlfriend of only a few days, Vanessa (Dania Ramirez), also a messenger herself. Manny (Wole Parks) wears plenty of spandex, rides a shiny new bike and talks in the third person. He thinks this means he’s automatically better than Wilee, and, as they sort of this barely there love triangle via Bluetooth, since they couldn’t just pull off to road to hash it out with everything that’s going on, he challenges and gets a race with Wilee through Central Park right in the middle of this other important chase that’s going on with the detective. Don’t worry… it gets worse.
David Koepp obviously believes he’s got a smart film on his hands due to the amount of technology he can show at his disposal in order to make bike riding through the city look cool. He uses tons of map zooms and street views as if he’s pulling them directly off his smartphone, which give PREMIUM RUSH no style whatsoever unless you find Google Maps to be artistic, and his use of slow-motion bike messenger vision (the biker can slow down time as they enter a troublesome area in order to see what would happen if they took that particular route) is unintentionally laughable as you can’t believe a film actually went there with such a cheesy device to convey the danger faced by messengers… especially the pursuing cop isn’t doing the trick.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon deserve better, so much better, than this hunk of junk. Shannon at least tries to do what he can to make the most of his fairly limited role, but there’s no saving this one from the trash heap. It’s a good thing I got “Baba O’Riley” again right before the end credits… that final reminder of such a classic song helped me walk out of the theatre easily forgetting the mindless fluff I just sat through.
-Billy Donnelly
"The Infamous Billy The Kidd"
Follow me on Twitter.
Readers Talkback
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:02 p.m. CST
oh, and the first 2 lines of your article summed it up, Kidd. I got a great laugh.
by Nik
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...to shit films and television shows. These are the cold hard facts of life.
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In Russia, movie watches you!
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At least it's not a remake. I guess.
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Oops, wrong movie...
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:12 p.m. CST
So if I watch Quicksilver and glance at a pic of JGL once in a while, I'm better off?
by Fawst
Not shocked.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:12 p.m. CST
yes, the kidd does like some movies. it's just that there are so many bad movies.
by zom-bot.com
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He liked The Dark Knight Rises, but I think that's about it. Could be wrong, though.
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It's a common mistake though, at least you didn't call it 'Teenage Wasteland', Kidd. From the trailer this one looked to be slight but entertaining. Judging from your review, that is still on the cards. Might still catch it in the theatre if the gf wants a JGL fix.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:18 p.m. CST
It's retarded as fuck the song isn't just called Teenage Wasteland.
by Randy
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What a clunker of a way to start a sentence. What's your first language, Kidd? Because it clearly isn't English...
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:24 p.m. CST
bemorefunny (aka Retard), in fact LET ME NOT FORGET is the subjunctive mood, which is reasonably advanced English grammar. You fail utterly, idiot.
by golden tribw
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:26 p.m. CST
I'd watch this movie if a the package JGL was carrying blew up and turned him into reluctant hero who can manipulate electricity.
by Pvt. Duke
That'd be the PS3-exclusive game called Infamous, which would make a cool movie except that it would probably be directed by Paul Anderson or Len Wiseman.
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Sadly. I blame Gene Simmons. He did discover Van Halen though. Gives him a little credit....until Sammy Hagar showed up anyway.
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sorry...couldn't help it...i'll go now.
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So this is actually worse than Hesher? Impressive.
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....so let me get this straight...because the Kidd a) exercises a margin of personal taste and selection of which films he likes, b) isn't a sycophant who gushes with praise for every film that"s released (we've all seen that before) and c) doesn't crap on every film but actually looks for some common denominators in which films he enjoys (check his review record; he does like certain films), trolls on this site are just gonna bitch and moan that he doesn't like anything? For years, everyone bitched about reviews on this site endorsing and liking too many films (including ones we all knew were clunkers), and now that you have someone actually applying a modicum of taste (whether you agree with the Kidd or not), you don't like....so in other words, you're not pleased. Big f@#$ing shocker there.
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Ebert loves the movie and it currently has a favorable 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Kidd has to hate it.
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Did I say it was grammatically incorrect? No. It technically is, but no one speaks that way. It's a goofy, awkward way to start a sentence, which he would have realized if he put more thought into the way he expressed himself. Lots of non-native English speakers use technically correct expressions that nonetheless are awkward and out of touch. And nice job immediately calling me an 'idiot' and 'retard.' Thanks for keeping the discourse at a high level.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:41 p.m. CST
reellifela. You're only kind of correct. This movie does look like garbage in all fairness.
by Ld
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STOP WITH YOUR BULLSHIT THE KIDD VERSUS SCHTICK. To be a fly on the wall during this idiots interview to be a writer on this site...you'd probably just hear the suckin sounds.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:42 p.m. CST
I hope JGL uses his slow down time powers in the Nightwing movie.
by kindofabigdeal
I prefer the Arkham City version of Robin. Cloak and staff....nice.
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That's TWO posts I've read from you today: The first being that the ROCKETEER was, I believe you said "Boring as fuck"? and then this "why isn't it just called 'Teenage wasteland'?" nonsense. Both of these lead me to believe that YOU, sir, may be the biggest moron on IACN...And that's saying a LOT.
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Wouldn't have guessed that
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..absolutely man, completely agree with you (about this flick looking crap, not to mention already being done...see Quicksilver)....was just putting that to the side to advance the other subject (of folks showing up for Kidd's reviews just to shit on them).
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why would JGL choose to do this film after being in Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Looper? Or was this shot before those films and he was taking any work he could get? It boggles my mind.
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I always look forward to your reviews, which are well done, but I always ask myself before reading them if you're going to hate the film or really hate the film, haha.
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It just makes more sense as the title, and it's annoying when people try to correct you if you wanna call it Teenage Wasteland. Still, if you think I'm the dumbest person on AICN, you must have never heard of Harry Knowles.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 5:13 p.m. CST
Holy god, Kidd. I may not agree with you most of the time, but
by Nichole
Fuck me, that was a funny review. Not even sure if I can keep a straight face, watching it now. You tore that movie, a new one. Classic.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 5:13 p.m. CST
vameon: Nice comeback. I chuckled when you called Harry the dumbest person on AICN.
by kindofabigdeal
Ranking on Harry is something that all TB'ers can agree on. Except for the occasional one who kisses his ass.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 5:15 p.m. CST
@inexplicable_nuclear_balls -- Close. Sounds more like 16 Blocks on a bike.
by GreatWhiteNoise
But Bruce all the same.
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No joy in life.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 5:21 p.m. CST
And if you read Beaks' interview with JGL, he cites Bruce Willis as a big influence on doing action scenes.
by GreatWhiteNoise
So it really IS 16 Blocks on a bike (although JGL goes to the Die Hard canon for direct reference).
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Aug. 23, 2012, 5:26 p.m. CST
Question: Has anyone reads Capones review of The Master? Is it that spoilery.
by kindofabigdeal
If so, then I don't want to read it.
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What the fuck kind of reviewer sets himself up to fight a film everytime? Your critquing a film you fuck, not setting yourself up for a fight! I am really getting sick of you and can't wait tell you leave. Of course, you have most of these people worshiping you ass that you will be here for awhile.
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Different, even if it's related to Baba Besides that, as a title it is too much on the nose for such an iconic song
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Aug. 23, 2012, 5:53 p.m. CST
It's fine that Kidd has high standards and doesn't automatically like things but the VS routine is tired
by Adelai Niska
When your starting point is "VS this movie" you're sitting down and saying "Impress me, motherfucker." Whereas actual reviewers sit down and say "lets watch a movie." That's the problem with Kidd's schtick.
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When he likes something, he expounds on its merits; when he doesn't, he discusses what went wrong. Compare that to Harry's salivating positive reviews of "shiny shiny loud loud" movies and his negative reviews if a movie dares throw in some ambiguity, character development or shows some effort in plotting. The Kidd also seems to have a modicum of respect for the english language, which translates to respect for his audience...a point I bring up only, again, as a counterpoint to Harry's reviews.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 6:11 p.m. CST
@greatwhitenoise -- I'm beginning to think there's some kind of Six Degrees Of Bruce Willis happening with action films
by Inexplicable_Nuclear_Balls
Somehow, they always come back to Bruce.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 6:16 p.m. CST
Oh, and I'm very disappointed they went with The Who instead of Queen
by Inexplicable_Nuclear_Balls
They didn't use Bicycle Race? The Fuck???
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I've said it before and I'll say it again... The Kidd Vs. is merely set up as a one-on-one, no-holds-barred, honest approach to seeing and reviewing a movie solely from my perspective. It is not meant to be confrontational in any way. It is not meant for me to be daring a film to impress me. It is not meant for me to already go into a film with a negative mindset. It is quite simply a title that now sets me apart from everyone else. If you judge that it means I automatically hate something, then that's your prerogative. It also means that you aren't actually reading the full review and are jumping to conclusions based on nothing more than a title. Either way, you can keep complaining about it until whenever, but it's not going to change anytime soon.
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And often, I think they're just exaggerating, but here you really go out of your way to slam this particular movie. You describe the style of this movie only to conclude the movie has no style. You describe cool things only to say how not cool you think they are. You describe the character only to imply he isn't well-drawn. In other words, instead of criticizing this movie on its merits, whether or not its a good film based on criteria most other critics use, you instead slam the movie bc of what its not; in other words, its not what YOU wanted. I'm starting to come around to agreeing with everyone else here. You do a *really* bad job of explaining your position in most of these reviews, and you'd be better served if you just said "I didn't like it" (in other words, its not what you wanted) rather than trying to shove your feelings into a critique that suggests the movie is bad. Because nothing about this sounds like a "bad" movie; just a movie you particularly didn't like. You need to step it out.
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pretty much any early 20's hipster. You know those Williamsburg types, the same facial hair and glasses. Only stuff which is critically acclaimed or considered high art is good. Anything hollywood produces is bad. Blah blah etc etc. Not sure why I think that. It could be the constant dislike of hollywood films, the facial hair and glasses, or maybe because he's an austinite (many who have the same characteristics). Anyone else get a similar vibe?
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someone making the most out of a fixed gear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiE1Qm7HSd8
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Aug. 23, 2012, 6:40 p.m. CST
I hate to say it, but you do sound very angry, Kidd, both in the review and in the TB comment you decided to leave.
by AlienFanatic
I really hadn't any plans to see the film, so your review didn't really affect me either way, but it is pretty negative throughout. It's also seemingly at odds with RT's current 72% score, though that certainly has no bearing on how you felt, but few of the other reviews on even RT are as vehement as yours. Ah well. Still appreciate the amount of work you turn out, even if you're the Statler and Waldorf of AICN lately :)
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How could you possibly review this movie and not bring up Quicksilver (which sucks, too)?
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I'm finally starting to see what everyone else has complained about. Its not that the Kidd doesn't like any movie or isn't a sycophant, its the fact that he *never* really describes why a movie is good or bad. Like Harry, he merely only *reacts* to the movie, and then transposes that dislike into "criticism". Which doesn't really work out that well. Especially when he doesn't really do a great job explaining that position. It just amounts to "So then JGL does this... which I guess you're supposed to think is cool, but really isn't. And then this happens, which I guess you're supposed to think is artistic, but really isn't".
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Doing your own thing, Kidd. I, and doubtlessly many others, appreciate your direct approach. That doesn't mean I always agree, but your reviews allow readers to formulate why and how they agree or disagree, and that's a characteristic among reviewers, who often act like they are the ultimate judge and don't actually make a case. Also, good to see you corrected the song title. It is just too much of a classic to get wrong its title, even if it does make you work for it!
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Damn distractions.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 6:44 p.m. CST
Speaking of reviews, anyone noticed how Roger Ebert's kinda dove off the deep end lately?
by AlienFanatic
His reviews are much less informative than they used to be and really turn out, more often than not, to simply be a running narrative of the film with few if any of the funny observations he used to make. He also gave Premium Rush 3 1/2 stars, which is of course his right, but it seems that unless the film is pro-religion or isn't anti-Republican enough, he's pretty sure to give even dumb movies a pass. I used to love reading his stuff, since it contained frequent insights. Now, he seems more interested in spouting off about his political views than giving detailed reviews of the films he watches. Bummer.
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Seriously Kidd, what did you go into the theatre expecting with this one? Because it looks dumb and fun as fuck. You can't call out the dumb movie for being dumb, man, it's SUPPOSED to be dumb. Get it?
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Aug. 23, 2012, 6:54 p.m. CST
baba o'riley is so named because the opening sound is a musical interpretation of guru Meher Baba's life
by Monnie Knapp
The O'Riley comes from Terry Riley, an American composer greatly influenced by traditional Indian music
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I noticed a shot in the trailer that looked like some seriously terrible CG. JGL is about to hit a car then swerves at the last second or something. It was laughably bad and not at all what I'd expect in a movie like this. Did you see any of this in the actual film?
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Aug. 23, 2012, 7:19 p.m. CST
There Is No Schtick... yeah there is, it's called being the Consumer Reports of movie reviewers. It's all about whether people are getting a quality product worth the price of admission.
by AntonStark
People call you a hater, because 99% of your reviews are negative and 100% of your reviews have no passion in them whatsoever. You don't get angry about a movie cause you wanted to love it, like Harry does with Nolan films. You don't gush about a movie, even if it's shit to everyone else, because you still had a great time and everyone else can fuck themselves. I don't think you are a hater. I think you don't love movies. You are neutral about them. Indifferent. A few have blown your skirt up over the years, but the rest of them just don't really do much for you. Why you write movies reviews is beyond me. Maybe I am wrong about you and you do love movies. If so, maybe you should try showing it once in a while. Show some passion. Otherwise, you are just an outsider belittling what we all love here.
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Jesus H. Do ever like anything?
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That's right... I commit hours upon hours to watching and then writing about movies, because I don't love them. Clearly that makes sense. Thanks for the assumptions.
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I have to get back to staying up through the middle of the night to get these next 3 reviews written, because I must not like movies.
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I might actually like this movie!
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Guess people missed all of those films from Fantasia I really dug...
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In all seriousness, there is no doubt that you love movies and you do give positive reviews, most recently to Beasts of Southern Wild. If you were partial in all of your reviews, you wouldn't be a good critic.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 8:08 p.m. CST
Worst Movie of his career? JGL was in GI JOE: RISE OF COBRA
by billydeewilliams
It can't be worse than that!
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BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA!!!! lol lol.....seriously tho',TDKR sucked.
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This reviewer is cranky.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 8:34 p.m. CST
billythekidd - it's not an assumption, it's a hypothesis based on deduction.
by AntonStark
you 'commit' hours upon hours to watch movies and write reviews about them. the reviews are almost always about how much you didn't like the movies. we all look forward to going to the movies, because we love movies. we don't have to make commitments to watch movies. we have to take shit from family and friends for being addicted to movies and spending too much time and money on them. people aren't giving you shit saying that they think you don't like any movies. they are just realizing that based on the reviews you write, you don't seem to like almost any movies. maybe it's not fair to criticize you for this. it's your job now. you don't get to pick all the movies you see based on looking forward to them. you have to go watch them to review them. that takes a lot of joy out of a movie. especially when you have to watch to critique instead of just letting yourself get sucked into the movie and forget about work. just, maybe consider the fact that the people who read your reviews, they are looking forward to seeing movies and they are hoping that the movies will be fun. they like honest reviews, but they do watch reviews from people who are like them. people who are actually looking forward to the movies. people who are going to feel something other than snarky annoyance about a movie. which is what you seem to feel about most of the movies you review. but whatever. you wouldn't be a reviewer for AICN if you weren't getting shit from talkback.
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I'm write there with you, dude. I'm not just a critic. I'm a fan, too. I look forward to going to the movies, regardless of what it is, because I still love seeing that magic brings new worlds, new characters, etc. to life. And every time I step into a theatre and sit down to watch whatever, I hope it's good. But what can I say? I haven't had my socks rocked off with any degree of regularity as of late. That's not my fault. That's the fault of people who are making these films that are of a subpar quality. It's quite possible that I've become spoiled over the years, having grown up watching so many great films. But that doesn't mean I should lower my standards in order to make the release calendar more palatable. I like what I like, and I don't like what I don't like, and there are plenty of times things are just okay. That doesn't mean I don't like movies. In fact, I love movies so much that it disappoints me to see such mediocrity thrown our way week in and week out. I'd love to tell you about movies that I enjoyed, movies I loved, movies I dug the shit out of, movies that were fun as hell. They are out there, and I have when the opportunity has presented itself. But I'm not going to fake it, in order to try to gain some sort of acceptance. All I offer up is an opinion. You can agree with it, or you can disagree with it... but that doesn't mean it's wrong. All it means is that's what I thought. All I'm supposed to do is express my thoughts on a film, and you can do whatever you want with them. If I steer you away from a movie I thought was shit that you were considered wasting your money on, awesome. If I've turned you onto a movie I've loved that you otherwise might not have seen, even better. Likewise, if my like of a movie means you don't want to see it, because our tastes are different, that's cool, too. If my dislike of a film makes you want to see it more, whatever. After all, it takes different strokes to rule the world.
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I think he's pretty spot on. It's just that really, when ya get on down to it - there aren't a lot of good movies coming out these last couple of years. It's slim pickins.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 9:20 p.m. CST
the 'kid vs...' and his 'negative reviews' aren't annoying-
by zom-bot.com
it's become the people that always bring up the 'kidd vs' gripe and think he hates all movies. yeah. that's right. you all have become more annoying than the things you claim are annoying. that's really fucking annoying.
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They seemed to be leaving an opening for him in Chicago.
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*feast
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Worse than the one he did as a kid where he was an Amish boy who had to marry Patricia Arquette? <br><br> Methinks thou doth protest too much.
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...admitted, I already wasn't crazy about it due to its trailer, but with the nod to Wile E. Coyote and the villain of the piece's apparent recurring near-misses--which makes the whole thing one big Road Runner short--I can't help but think "Okay, who thought that was clever?" Maybe it works better than it sounds onscreen...?
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...it makes you look like a bitter, basement-dwelling, Cheeto-stained cunt.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 11:59 p.m. CST
That's the fault of people who are making these films that are of a subpar quality.
by Tanning Chatum
That statement seems kind of objective. I.e. you think the movies are bad because....they are actually bad. It's not that you didn't like it, it's that they are actually deeply flawed films. That be smug hipster talk. Write?
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Aug. 24, 2012, 12:30 a.m. CST
Well we as film lovers can all agree that there is more garbage out there than treasure...
by The_All_Dead
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like i was saying. then it makes sense that a reviewer would ultimately have more dislikes in his reviews than likes.
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I've been reading AICN for ten years, I seldom comment in talkbacks, but wanted to say for the record that The Kidd has totally earned my respect with his intelligent, fair reviews. I read this and saw that it was by The Kidd, and I felt assured that I could skip it in theaters. I don't feel this way about Harry, who I love to death, but don't trust a word of his critisicms. They are all personal, and fetishistic. The Kidd is the real deal. I'd even go so far as to call him Quint-esque in his O.G.ness. Do other long time readers feel this way? Keep up the good work, Kidd.
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Get it? It's a biking movie. Armstrong was a cheater.
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Aug. 24, 2012, 3:20 a.m. CST
Why does the whole "Kidd Vs" shtick get to everybody here?
by SuperSaiyan2112
I like it. *shrugs* And I like his reviews. Nothing will please you fuckers, I swear. P.S. Keep up the good work, Kidd. Fuck the haters.
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I just googled your reviews for movies this summer starting with Avengers and I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me that I came to my conclusion of you. Holy fuck, I was completely wrong about you. I was wrong, kidd. You don't deserve any shit. You are doing a kick ass job on your reviews. I must have confused you with someone else or something or maybe my love of a movie you didn't care for blinded me or something, cause you are as good as Moriarty. I don't know how I fucked up this much. Thanks for defending yourself. You didn't even have to. But I'm glad you did, because I figured out that I need my head fucking examined or something. Keep on kicking ass, brother.
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You must not be very familiar with JGL's career trajectory. As a child actor, he appeared in a whole lot of garbage, most of which were TV movies that never made it to theaters. Here's a few that did make it: HOLY MATRIMONY THE ROAD KILLERS ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD HALLOWEEN H20: 20 YEARS LATER He then grew up and got pretty damn respectable, I must say. But he still found the time to appear in a few eye-gouge worthy shit fests, such as: GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA HAVOC SHADOWBOXER UNCERTAINTY ELEKTRA LUXX I just came out of a screening of PREMIUM RUSH. Sure, it's nothing to write home about, but clearly the actors and the director weren't taking any of it very seriously and it was nice to see Shannon cut loose for a bit. Not even close to the scum sucking depths of shit like GI JOE. I predict that this review was an over-reaction and if you look back on this movie in about a year you won't feel as down on it.
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These are the types of movies i've to see when I switch up the 'I pick the film,you pick the snacks' role. And I get why people sandbag you.
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I'm not saying this is one of his better movies. He's easily been in 15 movies better than this one. I'm just saying he's also been in maybe 10-15 movies worse than this.
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He's a good actor, but he does a lot of bad movies. I'm surprised nobody mentioned KILLSHOT yet.
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They used to all have dredlocks and a million piercings and tattoos. I haven't really seen them around as much lately since PDF got invented. Are they all clean cut little boyscouts like JGL these days?
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He doesn't really do much to defend his position. He doesn't really do much to explain why these are "bad" movies. He just basically says he doesn't like the movie and gives one or two examples. The whole basis for his review of Paranorman was that he thought there were too many speeches- that's it. That's his big example to back up his position. If you guys think that makes a review good or even great, that's fine with me. But personally, I like a little bit more explanation, a little bit more in-depth analysis of what makes the film good or bad, the kind of stuff I get from Capone and Quint.
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Aug. 24, 2012, 6:18 a.m. CST
and shouldn't Michael Shannon be Wylee and JGL the Roadrunner?
by Spandau Belly
Or maybe David Koepp's interpretation of Looney Toons is like Tarantino's interpretation of Superman.
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Aug. 24, 2012, 7:03 a.m. CST
Now I wouldn’t mind this so much if there were some impressive stunt work or maybe a little bike parkour to feast my eyes on
by DexterMorgan
Um, there's TONS of impressive stuntwork and bike parkour. Yeah the rest of the film is still rubbish, but it is certainly not lacking in the action department. I find that a really bizarre criticism as it's the one thing the film did really well.
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It was entertaining...yes, with its clichè love triangle, use of comedy, simple plot line and stunts...granted it wasnt meant to be an oscar worthy performance but overall it did entertain for 90 mins...When you do a series as in Boardwalk Empire and you're coming off a film as in TDKR...one does need something fun and simple just to give yourself a break...i still like it!!! :)
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Kidd, I for one want to put my name on the list for people who love your reviews. I'm not sure if we have the same taste in movies, but I think we definitely have the same expectations when it comes to movies. That being said, you need to work on your grammar. If you're going to take the spotlight, even for a moment, to comment on someone else's work and critique it in a way that states it was not up to an acceptable standard, then your writing needs to be above standard. Reading your reviews is like reading through my 12 year old nephew's homework. I'm sorry, but that's the English professor in me reviewing your reviews. Improve yourself or not, I'll still be looking forward to the next review!
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I find your reviews usually hit the nail on the head.
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All I'm supposed to do is express my thoughts on a film..
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Aug. 24, 2012, 10:27 a.m. CST
Can someone just tell me one thing about this flick?
by ultragoregrind
I fully expect it to have a Cannon Ball Run style ending which is of course meant to keep the door open for a sequel... (ie- "Great job on making that delivery against all odds... now how about a REAL challange?" JGL grins, smash cut to credits) Can anyone confirm or deny this for me? heh
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Aug. 24, 2012, 10:59 a.m. CST
In the first 30 words we learn that The Kidd does not like this movie. In the next 800, we learn why. Thanks for that. Although I was passing on this one anyway.
by misterfadedglory
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Aug. 24, 2012, 11:35 a.m. CST
"The Kidd vs." title does not set you apart as you say, Kidd. You stole it from FILM CRIT HULK
by Wally_West
Considering I only know FILM CRIT HULK because this site linked to him before, it's sad that you don't know it. It's a lame conceit for naming your articles AND someone else has been doing it longer.
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Aug. 24, 2012, 12:51 p.m. CST
It's hardly a matter of Kidd not liking movies, but the way he approaches them.....
by john
He constantly comes off as a snarky douche who goes into films with a huge chip on his shoulder. He could give all the negative reviews he wants and I wouldn't care - just as long as he doesn't always go into every film dwelling on the negative aspects of it and looking to make as many snarky remarks as possible. He can't even post a movie trailer without a stupid and negative remark. He may say "I love films, I review them!" but that's BS. Like many film bloggers, he seems to like the sound of his voice berating something a lot more than the actual medium.
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Aug. 24, 2012, 1:21 p.m. CST
@inexplicable -- yeah, it's funny, isn't it? Of course, Die Hard WAS the touchstone of all smart actioners...
by GreatWhiteNoise
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the more pretentious I find him and his reviews. There's just something completely disingenuous about his "opinions." It seems less a matter of his skirting the edge, presenting his objectivity from a different POV, than it does a desperate attempt at stirring the pot of nonconformity. I find it all exhaustively phony.
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let's see that 300 hit Banhammer hyper combo finish.
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Aug. 24, 2012, 3:17 p.m. CST
looks like Transporter on a bike....but looks awesome!
by Aaron Schweitzer
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So that's 2 movies he liked this year. I think this has been one of the worst years ever for movies. Last year was pretty bad too. There's a few movies coming out later on that might redeem 2012 somewhat, hopefully.
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