Movie Review: Bond Goes Awry In “No Time To Die”

Do you remember the beginning of 2020?

It seems like ages ago. In January of that year, I wrote a blog post titled "The 5 Movies I'm Most Excited About In 2020." Two of those movies haven't even been released as of this review (one of those — "Top Gun: Maverick" — won't be released until 2022). 

I just finished watching the new James Bond thriller "No Time To Die" at Aksarben Cinema. It was originally supposed to be released in April 2020. 

I reviewed the teaser trailer for "No Time To Die" (read my review) in December 2019. It's a surprisingly detailed review (for a trailer) and includes lots of personal anecdotes and thoughts on the movie and the franchise as a whole. 

In my discussion of the trailer, I wrote "I love what they've done with the 007 franchise since [Daniel Craig]'s played Bond." 

That is true. "Casino Royale" reinvigorated the franchise. Some entries in Craig's Bond filmography have been received more favorably than others. (For me, "Skyfall" represented the high-water mark when it was released in 2012.) 

Going into "No Time To Die," I wasn't sure what to expect. More than anything, I was happy the film had finally been released. 

"No Time To Die" starts off with a tense "prologue" that finds a girl (a young Madeleine Swann, played by Coline Defaud) dealing with the death of her mother and trying to keep herself from getting murdered by the man who had tried to kill her father. 

Definitely an interesting structural choice to start the film. It turned out to be a decent plot device designed to introduce a new villain, and add a bit more depth to Léa Seydoux's character. 

The challenge here is the fact that it's been nearly six years since "Spectre" was released. I revisited that film for a second time when I wrote my review of the "No Time To Die" trailer in 2019, but my recollections are somewhat foggy two years later. 

One of the "evolutionary" aspects of Craig's stint as 007 is the fact that all the films felt more "serialized" in nature — a shift away from the close-ended Bond films of the past. The intertwined structure presents more opportunities, but it also creates potential pitfalls. 

As I watched the early moments of "No Time To Die," I felt like the story relied a bit too heavily on Bond's past exploits. 

Point in case, after the prologue, the story jumps to present day and finds Bond and Swann on a trip that appears to be a romantic getaway in Matera (a city in southern Italy). Some time has passed since the events of "Spectre." 

But Bond is there to visit the tomb of Vesper Lynd, a character (played by Eva Green) who last appeared in 2006's "Casino Royale." 

While Bond might still be attached to Lynd, it didn't feel right tonally. 

It felt like the writers were trying too hard to reference loose ends from Craig's 007 repertoire. 

Craig has made it no secret that he is done with the franchise, and news broke prior to this film's domestic release that this would be his final outing as Bond. 

In no way do I mean to sound tepid about the 25th entry in the James Bond series. There just seemed to be a few too many of those "trip down memory lane moments" strewn throughout the script. 

Anyhow... Bond is ambushed at Lynd's grave (which results in the film's most entertaining action sequence) and believes that Swann has betrayed him. Despite her insistence otherwise, the two part ways at a train station, feeling lost and heartbroken. 

The story then shifts ahead five years. Bond has left MI6 and is retired in Jamaica. 

(It is interesting to note that MI6 boss M — played by the talented Ralph Fiennes — says they had trouble finding Bond because he was off the grid. While that might have been true, it didn't feel as if he was so remote that a robust intelligence agency like MI6 would have had trouble tracking him down over the course of five years... but I digress...). 

Bond reunites with CIA counterpart Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and meets Leiter's new colleague Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen). 

He also meets an MI6 agent named Nomi (Lashana Lynch) who has become the new 007. 

Bond learns that kidnapped MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik) has developed a DNA-targeted bioweapon (called "Project Heracles") that is lethal to selective targets — an appealing tool for surgical assassinations. 

This exposition sets up the main narrative structure for the rest of the film. 

A man named Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) wants to use the bioweapon for nefarious means. Malek is an interesting actor who seems to have range. I was curious to see how he ranked among various Bond villains. 

"No Time To Die" moves forward as Bond works to stop the deadly virus, trying to juggle fresh plot elements while tying up loose ends from "Spectre." 

It's a decent setup for a spy thriller, but the film can feel like it is being pulled in too many directions at the same time. 

Ultimately, the mishmash of elements ends up giving short shrift to Malek's villain. There was too much going on to give his character the proper room to breathe. 

There are some surprises along the way. I won't go into them, other than to say I think they worked pretty well.   

This could have been one of the best entries in the Bond franchise. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga tried to craft a film that combined trademark 007 action sequences with the emotional heft seen in previous Craig entries like "Skyfall." 

I'm just not sure the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. 

Even the score by Hans Zimmer (one of the best composers in the business) felt uninspired compared to the "Skyfall" and "Spectre" scores by Thomas Newman. 

Although, I do give Zimmer props for including some of John Barry's wonderful "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" theme in the movie (among other nods to previous Bond scores): 

There are several other references to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in "No Time To Die" (some obvious, others more subtle). 

As I mentioned earlier, it has been reported that this is Craig's last outing as the venerable British spy.

I'm not going to go into the movie's ending here. 

That said, there are multiple tracks the Bond franchise could take going forward. 

Building on the franchise that's been developed the past 15 years could be a fascinating direction to go, allowing fans to experience a fresh 007 movie that sheds the vestiges of the past. 

But that is not going to happen. 

As the credits rolled on "No Time To Die," I told Bridget I thought a "full reboot" was the most likely direction for the future. 

It is interesting how times have changed...

I was just rewatching 2018's "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (read my review) on Paramount+, and was reminded how Tom Cruise's franchise has set the standard for the modern spy thriller. 

Part of that success is due to the talents of director/screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, but it is also due the fact that there is a consistency in the franchise that steers the decision-making process throughout (led largely by Cruise's guiding hand). 

As it regards the 007 franchise, it is a shame they couldn't have landed director Sam Mendes ("Skyfall," "Spectre") again, along with scribe John Logan ("Skyfall," "Spectre"). Those two (in particular, Mendes) really understood what made a modern Bond film compelling. 

Overall, I enjoyed watching "No Time To Die." Was it everything I was hoping it would be? Not quite. Do I think it could have been better? Absolutely. 

While far from perfect, the filmmakers did a yeoman's job wrapping things up. 

Craig's turn as Bond managed to infuse a lot of life into the franchise (that felt past its prime in the 1990s). Going with a grittier choice to play 007 reinvented the franchise for the 21st century. As a longtime fan of the series, I am thankful for that. 

I'm excited to see where things go from here. The next Bond has a lot to live up to. I just hope we don't have to wait another six years to see the new iteration of "Bond, James Bond." 

Previous post: Movie Review: "Marvel's 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'" 

Movie Review: Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"

One thing that I enjoy about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how it can surprise you. 

There are times when your high expectations don’t quite come to fruition. In other instances, there are movies in the series that come out of nowhere and pleasantly surprise you. 

I think back to 2014’s "Guardians of the Galaxy" — one of my favorite entries in the Marvel movie lexicon. The early promotional material left me scratching my head. At that point, I had serious doubts. 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t have a burning desire to see the latest Marvel tome “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” 

I figured it would be decent (each of the 24 previous movies in the MCU have at a minimum been entertaining), but I’m not a terribly big fan of martial arts movies, so I wasn’t sure how I’d react to it.

My initial qualms were unfounded. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie!    

“Shang-Chi” starts off with fairly typical origin story material. While I know this is standard operating procedure for movies of this ilk, I always hope filmmakers don’t belabor the point. 

We are taken back thousands of years when Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung) discovers the ten rings. They are powerful weapons that imbue a user with special powers and immortality. He creates an organization called “Ten Rings.”

In the mid-1990s, Xu Wenwu goes in search of a village that has magical creatures in order to enhance his powers (it’s a fantasy movie... just go with it). 

He is ultimately stopped from entering the village by a woman named Ying Li (Fala Chen). The two fall in love, leave the village, start a life together and have two children — Xu Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing. 

I appreciated the fact that they shifted some of the origin elements to a later point in the movie. We learn more about the family dynamic in flashback sequences throughout the film’s third act. 

From here, the story kicks into present day. For me, this is where the film became a funny and engaging superhero tale. 

We find a grown-up Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) who works in San Francisco as a valet (and goes by the name Shaun) with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina). 

The dynamic between the two characters is really engaging. Both are at a point in their life where their friends are moving onto “bigger and better” things in life, leaving the pair feeling more than a little self-conscious about their place in the world. 

I loved Awkwafina in “Crazy Rich Asians” (read my review), and she provides a welcome dose of oddball humor in “Shang-Chi.”

More than that, the relationship dynamic between Shang-Chi and Katy is intriguing. You can’t quite tell if the two have future romantic inclinations, or are simply good platonic friends. Whatever the case, it is a likable on-screen duo. 

The main narrative focus gets going when Shaun and Katy are attacked by a group of his father’s Ten Rings thugs on a city bus. They are after a jade pendant Shaun’s mother gave him. 

This entire action sequence was really entertaining. 

In the aftermath, Shang-Chi and Katy travel to Macau to find Shang-Chi’s sister Xu Xialing (Meng’er Zhang). The siblings are estranged from one another, and he wants to warn his sister that the Ten Rings organization is hunting them down. 

This ultimately sets up a story about honor, revenge, and troubled family relationships. 

There are a number of sequences I won’t get into because I don’t want to tread into spoiler territory. 

I will say, though, that a modern-day martial arts movie wouldn’t be the same without “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s” Michelle Yeoh, and the talented actress is featured in “Shang-Chi.” 

It’s not as if any of the narrative moments (in and of themselves) are particularly profound, but the likable vibe of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” makes for a surprisingly strong viewing experience (even if you aren’t a martial arts aficionado).  

In a way, the tone reminded me of the 1986 movie “Big Trouble in Little China” — albeit with better visual effects and better martial arts sequences. 

I’d definitely recommend “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” While it might not be a conventional superhero tale, it certainly has a lot to offer. The film’s strong leads create something that is much more than the sum of its parts. 

The auditorium at Omaha’s Aksarben Cinema (on the evening I watched the movie) was about 75 percent full. It was fun to experience “Shang-Chi” with an enthusiastic crowd — something movie fans haven’t been able to experience enough of the past 18 months. 

Be sure to stay for both a mid-credits “Easter Egg” scene and a scene after the credits. 

Previous post: Book Review: Times Change in "Enemy at the Gates" By Kyle Mills 

Book Review: Things Change In "Enemy at the Gates" By Kyle Mills

The world is changing, and so is Mitch Rapp’s role in it. 

We’ve seen a distinct evolution in Vince Flynn’s venerable special operator under the tutelage of author Kyle Mills. 

Throughout his seven entries in the series, Mills has given hints of the “life changes” that could be coming in Rapp’s life. One of the more entertaining examples of a potential pivot involved Rapp’s brief stint as a celebrity security guard in 2019’s “Lethal Agent” (read my review).  

In “Enemy at the Gates,” Mills takes things a step further, showing a world that has a very different geopolitical viewpoint than the era when this series began. 

I had the opportunity to read the “Exclusive Mitch Rapp Ambassador Edition” of “Enemy at the Gates” as part of VinceFlynn.com's “Mitch Rapp Ambassador” program. My wife and I have had the honor of being ambassadors the past three years, and we get to do fun things like my “unboxing” video, filmed when the advance reader copy arrived: 

Or Bridget’s “TRACK DOWN THE TITLE” video from January to promote the novel’s official title reveal: 

Most of the narrative of “Enemy at the Gates” takes place in Uganda. The early passages focus on Dr. David Chism, a man with revolutionary ideas in the realm of virus research. He is working on a vaccine that will wipe out the entire coronavirus category (something we could really use). 

Chism is bankrolled by trillionaire Nicholas Ward. The successful entrepreneur oversees a foundation dedicated to solving the world’s ills (as written, Ward is sort of a cross between Bill Gates and Elon Musk). 

It isn’t long before Chism goes missing. A sadistic revolutionary named Gideon Auma is to blame. 

At the same time, a mole in the highest reaches of the United States government is accessing sensitive files about Nicholas Ward. 

Mitch Rapp and Scott Coleman (along with the crew at SEAL Demolition and Salvage) find themselves protecting the trillionaire (and looking into the whereabouts of the missing Dr. Chism). 

What ensues is a story that has a “smaller” focus than Mills’s two previous entries in the series (major calamities like virus outbreaks and mass power outages are not on tap this time). 

For me, the most intriguing aspect of the story is the aforementioned evolution of Rapp. We have a character who — in the book’s early moments — appears to be on the verge of hanging things up.

We see a man who is set to enjoy an extended stay in South Africa with love interest Claudia Gould and her daughter Anna — and he doesn’t seem unhappy about that fact. He is working on his cycling skills to participate in a 450-mile mountain bike race. 

It’s the world we find ourselves in that has lead to Rapp’s disillusionment (as if he wasn’t cynical enough already), and a sense of relief being out of the hornet’s nest that is Washington, D.C.  

“Views that only a few years ago would have been considered tin-foil-hat territory were now being discussed by straight faced, mainstream newscasters,” writes Mills. 

I’m not sure what direction Mills plans to take Mitch Rapp in the future. The author has suggested this book is the first part of a three-book cycle, and that the stories will have an integrated feel. 

A key new character introduced is 44-year-old President Anthony Cook. Cook (along with his wife Catherine) definitely has a different vibe from other “commander-in-chiefs” found in the Rappverse. 

It would have been tempting for Mills to make the new president into a familiar, current-day political archetype. Yet he avoids creating a cliché, which adds a certain level of uncertainty as it regards the character’s motivations going forward. 

I also enjoyed the fact that Mills decided to set the novel’s main narrative elements in Africa. The continent adds a unique flavor to geopolitical thrillers, and a number of recent authors have crafted entertaining stories there (including Jack Carr’s 2019 thriller “True Believer” — read my review). 

With “Enemy at the Gates,” Mills steers the Mitch Rapp series in a different direction, tossing aside the tried-and-true tropes as a means to shake things up. I’m intrigued to see where things go from here. 

(There’s also a surprising twist at the end of the novel... that’s all I’m gonna say.)

It’s definitely worth following the official Vince Flynn Twitter account if you haven’t done so. In addition to the “Mitch Rapp Ambassador” program, there are other fun contests and giveaways throughout the year. 

I’ve pre-ordered a copy of “Enemy at the Gates” in hardcover. You can order your copy here. 

Highly recommended (as is the entire series). 

Previous post: TV Review: “How She Rolls” Mixes Entrepreneurism With Comfort Food 

TV Review: "How She Rolls" Mixes Entrepreneurism With Comfort Food

“I have always had biscuit dreams” – Carrie Morey, “How She Rolls” 

It’s fun to stumble upon tasty little gems as I'm perusing Apple TV. 

The PBS series “How She Rolls” follows Charleston, South Carolina, entrepreneur Carrie Morey as she juggles family life and the future of her business, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit (named for her mother, whose biscuit recipe is at the heart of culinary hand-made items served up). 

As I was perusing the PBS app a couple weeks ago, I discovered “How She Rolls” listed in the app’s “Featured Shows” section. I decided to sample a few minutes of an episode (I inadvertently selected the season finale, but it didn’t spoil anything). 

I thought it looked like something Bridget and I would enjoy watching together. We donate to PBS, and a perk is access to all the content available via the streaming platform. 

As small business owners ourselves for more than 25 years, we enjoy programs focused on the entrepreneurial life. Staples in our streaming diet are series like ABC's “Shark Tank” and CNBC’s “The Profit.”  

“How She Rolls” shows the challenges Morey faces as Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit looks to expand its mail-order and brick-and-mortar operations. They also have a charming food truck called “Butter” that is launched during the first episode. 

“It’s not a biscuit company,” says husband John regarding his wife's business. “It’s way bigger than that.”

Indeed it is. Viewers gain insight into the the small empire that Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit has become over 15-plus years. 

In addition to the typical challenges faced by businesses in the food space, much of the series was filmed during — and highlighted difficulties caused by — the COVID-19 pandemic. 

We breezed through the 10-episode season in a weekend (each episode in the debut season runs about 25 minutes). 

The danger with watching a food-based series is that you inevitably want to sample the treats featured. As I’m writing this blog post, I'm craving one of the Sausage Biscuits featured on the Callie's Hot Little Biscuit menu. 

We looked to see if we could purchase any of Morey’s items in or around Omaha (the closest store carrying any items is 100 miles away), so we’ll have to have something shipped here. 

A few days after watching “How She Rolls,” Bridget surprised me with buttermilk and cheddar biscuits, sausage gravy, brown sugar bacon strips and florets from Gravy Train - Scratch Biscuits & Gravy. 

She pre-ordered the items and picked them up at the Omaha Farmers Market in the Old Market (Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through Oct. 10). 

I enjoyed having the biscuits for breakfast over the next couple of days. You forget just how satisfying and comforting something as simple as a buttermilk biscuit can be. 

“How She Rolls” is an intriguing look into the life of an entrepreneur, mixed with an ample helping of comfort food along the way. 

It was nice to see the spotlight focused on a female-led business. 

I’m hoping we'll get to see more seasons of “How She Rolls” on PBS (the first season left me curious about plans for future expansion). We had a terrific time learning about Carrie Morey, her husband, daughters, and extended family in the Palmetto State. 

Check your local listings to see if “How She Rolls” is airing in your area. The series is also available via various streaming platforms — including PBS Living and to PBS Passport subscribers via the PBS app. 

To learn more about Carrie Morey, the “How She Rolls” series, and Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, visit www.calliesbiscuits.com. 

Previous post: Movie Review: Punk-Rock Inspired “Cruella” is a Fashionable Surprise 

Movie Review: Punk Rock-Inspired “Cruella” is a Fashionable Surprise

Let me say this out of the gate... I didn’t have a burning desire to see another live-action ‘re-imagining’ of one of Disney’s animated classics. 

A little over two years ago, I reviewed Disney’s live-action remake of “Dumbo,” and described it as “a pretty big yawn.”

I’ll admit I haven’t seen all of the recent “House of Mouse” remakes (I’m told that 2019’s “Aladdin” reboot is worthwhile, and have added it to my Disney+ queue). 

It was with some trepidation that I went into “Cruella,” the origin story of “101 Dalmatians” villainess Cruella de Vil. 

In order to prep for the movie, I watched 1961’s “101 Dalmations” so I’d have some context. I don’t know that I’d ever seen the spotted puppy classic, and it certainly isn’t required viewing to enjoy “Cruella” (but there are some ‘Easter Egg’ nods to that original film).

The main hook in the narrative of “Cruella” is centered on Estella (Emma Stone), a thriving grifter and aspiring fashionista in 1970s London. 

The film starts out with sequences of grade school Estella (Tipper Seifert-Cleveland) during her early years in rural England, living with her mother Catherine (Emily Beecham). These scenes show us a precocious and creative girl whose “hair makes a statement.” She has a side to her personality that is edgy — “your name’s Estella, not Cruella” her mother opines as the two debate on the proper way to make clothes for the girl’s teddy bear. 

Estella’s penchant for challenging the world continually gets her in trouble at primary school. This ultimately creates situation where Catherine has to uproot her daughter to London. 

A series of unfortunate events leaves our heroine an orphan, on her own (with her dog Buddy) in the streets of London. 

Fortunately, Estella is able to make “friends in unlikely places,” and is buoyed in a chance meeting at Regent’s Park Fountain by youthful thieves Horace (Joseph MacDonald) and Jasper (Ziggy Gardner). 

The setup pulls elements of classic tales like “Annie” and “Oliver Twist,” and provides the foundation for Estella and the boys to evolve into a successful (and sophisticated) thieving trio. 

Estella dyes her hair a unified color, and a montage sequence (to the Rolling Stones 1960s tune “She’s a Rainbow”) moves the characters 10 years forward into early adulthood. 

Estella designs useful (and stylish) disguises for the trio to pull off various heists. Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) and Jasper (Joel Fry) are both affable members of the hodge-podge “family that is good at stealing stuff.”

Thievery isn’t Estella’s ultimate goal in life. To that end, Jasper is able to procure Estella an entry-level job at Liberty for her birthday — the “most fashionable department store in the city” (which exists in London to this day). 

The position isn’t where the wistful fashion designer hopes to be, but she does eventually find herself in the employ of Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), the head of the couture House of Baroness. 

What ensues is sort of like “The Devil Wears Prada” if it had been written and directed by the love child of Tim Burton and Guy Ritchie. 

(I was just watching Burton’s 1989 film “Batman” a couple weeks ago, and his gothic flair during that era feels like an inspiration for “Cruella” — minus the Danny Elfman soundtrack.) 

“Cruella” was directed by Craig Gillespie. I wasn’t familiar with his work. He is probably best known for the 2017 biopic “I, Tonya” (he is also a director and executive producer on the upcoming Apple TV+ series “Physical”). 

If this movie is any indication, he’s a director we’ll be hearing more from in the coming years.  

“Cruella” combines elements of a stylized fairy tale with an unorthodox heist movie. 

Estella’s rise in the fashion world plays with her internal emotional sensibilities. The juxtaposition between the heartfelt Estella and the edgy Cruella is at play throughout the film. 

“I’m Cruella,” she says, “born brilliant, born bad, and a little bit mad.”

“Cruella” maintained a brisk pace throughout. When I hear a movie runs two-plus hours, I’m often concerned about ‘narrative drag.‘ But the film’s overall momentum kept me interested (and I have the attention span of a gnat). 

Part of the appeal of “Cruella” is its overall look. The production design and fashions are a visual feast for the eyes. The costumes are essentially a character unto themselves, and provide more dimension to the film's characters. 

Costume designer Jenny Beavan created 277 costumes for the movie (including 47 for Stone’s character). Beavan is a two-time Oscar winner who previously designed for “Mad Max: Fury Road” and period dramas like “Gosford Park.” 

This Disney featurette focuses on some of the costumes in the film: 

I also enjoyed the soundtrack for “Cruella.” The filmmakers weave in a seemingly endless supply of songs from the 1960s and 70s. The musical stylings also include the newly recorded “Call Me Cruella” by indie rock band Florence + the Machine. 

While the script itself doesn’t have a whole lot of depth, the performances in the film are able to overcome the deficiencies. 

Emma Stone is one of today’s underrated performers. She has more range than she gets credit for, and gives off a certain je ne sais quoi in “Cruella” that has you rooting for her character throughout (read more about Stone in my 2018 blog post “The Lost Review: Is ‘La La Land‘ All That?“). 

Emma Thompson is solid, as usual, and is spot-on as an egomaniacal fashion designer. We don’t see her in films nearly enough these days, but she starred in two of my favorite films of the 1990s — 1991’s “Dead Again” and 1993‘s “The Remains of the Day.”

In addition to the two Emmas, the supporting players in “Cruella” give notable performances (often with scant material to work with). 

In particular, Paul Walker Hauser has a number of “scene-stealing” quips as Horace. I’ve written about him before in my 2019 review of Cobra Kai Season 2. While I wasn’t quite sold on his character in “Cobra Kai,” there is an affable goofiness about his performance in “Cruella” that aids the overall vibe. 

I also enjoyed the understated performance of Joel Fry as Jasper. Horace and Jasper could have been silly simpletons, but I appreciate that the filmmakers chose to give them a bit more texture.

Another one of Estella’s cohorts is Artie (John McCrea), the owner of a vintage fashion store called 2nd Time Around. While the character doesn’t garner much screen time, his Bowie-esque look ads to the film’s punk-rock aesthetic. 

I think “Cruella” is a textbook case of a movie becoming something greater than the sum of its parts. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why it works, but it works. 

It also had more of an ‘edge’ than I was expecting.

Some of you will remember the G-rated “101 Dalmatians” reboot Glenn Close headlined in the 1990s. While that movie (and a sequel) was built to be “kid-friendly,” this film veers in a grown-up direction. 

“Cruella” is rated PG-13 and is more nuanced than any of its predecessors. That said, this is Disney we’re talking about, so the film doesn’t push the envelope too much. Still, it was nice to see something a little more sophisticated this time around.

I enjoyed Disney’s “Cruella.” 

Maybe my fondness is due to the fact that I went in with low expectations (and without any preconceived notions), but I had a good time with “Cruella.”

P.S. – Be sure to watch for a mid-credit scene after the movie! 

Previous post: Movie Review: Does “Without Remorse" Stay on Course?” 

Movie Review: Does “Without Remorse” Stay on Course?

I had high hopes going into “Without Remorse,” the latest entry in the “filmed Clancyverse” (filmed properties based on the novels of Tom Clancy). 

Looking at the trailers and pre-release materials for the film, fans of the Clancy novel could tell right off that it veered away from the 1993 novel (which took place in 1970). 

But having Michael B. Jordan in the lead role (one of today’s talented young actors) and a script by Taylor Sheridan (who created the series “Yellowstone” and has penned movies like “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water”) made me confident this would be a top-notch actioner. 

The movie was originally slated for a theatrical release by Paramount in 2020, but — due to the pandemic — was eventually sold to Amazon for a digital debut on Prime Video. 

The movie’s basic setup goes something like this...

Navy SEAL Senior Chief John Kelly (Jordan) and his team are tasked with rescuing a CIA operative in Aleppo, Syria. As the operation progresses, Kelly learns that the operative’s captors weren’t Syrian, but rather Russian. He wants to know why. 

(By the way, this isn’t Jordan's first role with ties to the Navy SEALs. He played former SEAL Erik Stevens in Disney’s “Black Panther” — read my review). 

Three months later, members of Kelly’s team are targeted by Russian FSB agents. 

Kelly’s home is invaded in the series of hits. He is seriously wounded in a firefight, and his pregnant wife Pam (Lauren London) is killed during the home invasion.  

Secretary of Defense Thomas Clay (Guy Pearce) and CIA officer Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell) decide not to launch an investigation into the murders. 

This prompts Kelly — with info from Lt. Commander Karen Greer (Jodie Turner-Smith) — to launch his own “investigation” into the Russians operating on U.S. soil. Kelly’s actions ultimately result in him getting tossed in prison. 

On the surface, the setup sounds pretty much de rigueur for a geopolitical espionage thriller. 

The issue is that the early sequences feel like they zip by too fast — as if the filmmakers were hurrying things along to move the narrative ahead. 

The setup eventually results in Kelly and a team of operators heading on a clandestine mission to Murmansk to find Victor Rykov (Brett Gelman), the man who  Kelly saw in his home when his wife was murdered. 

What could have been an interesting hunt for a Russian operative proves to be largely anticlimactic. I didn’t feel the story ever really reached its destination. 

Maybe it’s because we’ve seen a number of revenge movies in recent years. I can’t say for sure. 

While revenge stories often feature simple plots, the events in “Without Remorse” seemed like they unfolded in a manner that was far too simplistic. 

All I know is that the whole doesn’t transcend the sum of its parts in “Without Remorse.” 

By contrast, Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” series (read my review of Season 1 and my review of Season 2) has proven itself to be a pretty capable espionage thriller. That could be because it is given more room to breathe. 

I have a feeling “Without Remorse” might have worked better as a multi-episode series. 

That said, a number of the OG Clancy-based movies were terrific. “The Hunt For Red October,” “Patriot Games,” and “Clear and Present Danger” epitomized geopolitical thrillers in the 1990s — and rank among my favorite films of the era. 

“Without Remorse” was arguably the most “human” of Clancy’s thriller novels. Many fans rank it as their favorite in the late author’s bibliography. 

The decision to move away from the novel’s narrative is a curious choice. While no one expected this movie to take place in 1970, many of the story elements could have been adapted to the 21st century. A more faithful adaptation could have been really terrific — there was so much fertile material in the novel. 

Be that as it may, I fully accepted the idea of a movie with a different plot. 

I’d followed the development of “Without Remorse” over the years. I recall reading about various stars and directors attached to the project. Ultimately, those productions never got off the ground. 

The performers do the best they can with the material they are given in “Without Remorse,” but it just isn’t enough. 

Michael B. Jordan is solid (as usual). He has been excellent in various popcorn movies recently, including the solid “Creed” series (read my review of “Creed II”). 

Jordan’s talents would have benefitted from a better script. 

It’s an odd thing to say, considering the fact that Taylor Sheridan is one of the hottest scribes in the business today. Despite Sheridan’s narrative talents, the screenplay struggled to find its bearing (it might have to do with the fact that the project had gone through several iterations the past two decades). 

What could have been a fascinating origin story felt rushed and uninspired — more like a quick setup for a potential sequel down the road. 

(Speaking of a “potential sequel,” stay tuned for a mid-credit scene at the end of “Without Remorse.”) 

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with the execution of “Without Remorse.” The movie veered of course and lost its bearings. It could have (and should have) been much, much better. 

>> If you enjoyed my review of “Without Remorse,” follow me on X/Twitter — @TheJonCrunch 

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