Jonah Hex

   Not nearly as gritty and violent as the modern graphic novels but a wild and interesting adventure nonetheless!

   Walking a fine line between righteousness and wickedness, Jonah Hex is a man of certain skill and questionable motives. He survived the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil only to have everything he loved taken from him. Scarred for his ‘betrayal’ and believed to be demonic, he will hunt the guilty and bring them to justice - dead or alive.

   Jonah’s vengeance was robbed from him by fate but an amoral bandit, “a terista”, and a call from The President of the [newly] United States has given him a new opportunity – justice for his family is at hand!

   Revered and reviled, Hex is coming... and death lay behind him.

   Well written {though not without the usual Warner’s departure from the source material} and remarkably performed, this film is decently directed and well set [with some ‘wild west’ innovation].

Starring: Josh Brolin; John Malkovich; Michael Fassbender; and Megan Fox
Featuring: Will Arnett; John Gallagher, Jr; and, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
With: Tom Wopat and Aidan Quinn
Writer: Brian Taylor; Mark Neveldine; and, William Farmer
Director: Jimmy Hayward

B / PG2
19 June 2010
Reel Reviews by Josef

Karate Kid (2010)

   Delightfully familiar, yet refreshingly new.

   When his mother is promoted to a new position, Dre Parker is relocated from his comfortable home in Detroit to an uncomfortable apartment in China.

   Language, customs, and culture unknown to him, Dre is soon in turmoil. Targeted by bullies who torment him daily, he is soon overwhelmed. But, his salvation is found in the form of a simple handyman with a promise to teach him “true kung-fu.”

   In learning the discipline of martial art, Dre will learn the beauty of a new culture and put his turmoil to rest.

   Still, his tormentors are relentless and without mercy... a battle is inevitable.

   Well written and decently performed this film is brilliantly directed and wonderfully set. Like the title, many scenes are an homage to the 1980's films starring Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita – shame a cameo or faux cameo could not be included in this film.

Starring: Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan
Featuring: Taraji Henson; Wenwen Han; and, Zhenwei Wang
With: Zhensu Wu; Rongguang Yu; and, Wang Ji
Writers: Christopher Murphey and Robert Mark Kamen
Director: Harald Zwart

B / PG
12 June 2010
Reel Reviews by Josef