Hubby and I were lucky enough to score a free pass for two to a sneak peek of this movie last night, set to open nation wide on June 12th. (Thanks Bear!) It was a fun "date night" out and we couldn't beat the price! John Travolta, along with Denzel Washington star in this remake of the 1974 original movie about a New York subway train that is high jacked. The story centers on these two, Travolta, the bad guy, and Washington, the good guy. Danny Zuko, where are you? Let me start off by telling you, this is NOT your Grandmas' John Travolta...WOW! Travolta is excellent as the bitter bad guy, and his shortly cropped hair, and bad @ss tattoo on his neck help to complete his "creep" look. Those, combined with his extremely foul mouthed lines make for a very different Travolta than most of us are used to seeing. Gone are his gorgeous locks of hair, million dollar smile and adorable giggle we knew and loved in so many films over the years. Still, he can hold me hostage anytime.
Washington shines as an "average Joe" kind of a guy, with a big heart,and a bit of a secret. His secret is important to the story line, but doesn't overpower it. What it does, however, is make you question his integrity. I found myself on a bit of a roller coaster wondering whether or not he was involved in the high jacking. It made for a good bit of suspense.
James Gandolfini was also quite good in his roll as the slimy Mayor of New York. In typical Gandolfini fashion he smirked his way through his part, giving you the feeling that underneath his very expensive suit was quite a sleaze ball.
The story was entertaining, although a bit predictable. The cinematography was impressive, and there was plenty of action to keep your interest, but the language (although it did fit into the storyline) was pretty harsh throughout. I'd rate this film a solid B.
On a side note, I've seen several other movies lately that honestly, I've just been either too busy, or too lazy to review. Here they are in a nutshell...
The Soloist, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx - LOVED IT! Rated it an A
Night at the Museum, Battle of the Smithsonian, starring Ben Stiller - Somewhat lame sequel to the original. Rated it a C
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner - Cute, no brainer, chick-flick kind of movie. Silly fun - B-
Angels & Demons, starring Tom Hanks - not a bad followup to The Da Vinci Code, but nothing compared to the book. A solid B, but it could have been so much better...
...like I should talk...because, you know, I'm such an expert! Ha! See you at the movies!
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