X-Men

When you look back at the original “X-Men” (2000), it’s a pretty solid underpinning to what has been one of the most stable franchises in recent filmdom. A traditional, good-but-not-great summer blockbuster that neatly sets the table for sequels, merchandising, etc. But you also see something else. The special effects are like a traditional movie, not like a video game. The music is symphonic, not like a pop/rock/hip-hop festival. It’s all so … analog. Not that that’s a bad thing. It’s just a little jarring to see how much has changed in action movies in a decade and a half.

 

A Fighting Man

I could tell “A Fighting Man” (2014) was filmed in Canada. The trees didn’t look American. Like Canada, this film is quieter and less interesting, but in an acceptable sort of way. It’s a cliché boxing movie about a washed-up pug with one last chance for redemption. Or something, I couldn’t tell for sure what. The script was trying so hard to be self-consciously profound, it made me cringe, remembering back to when I was an obliviously crappy 22-year-old fiction writer. Ever wondered what an exact 5 was on a 1-10 movie quality scale? Then go see “A Fighting Man.”

Taken

I like Liam Neeson. He’s my taller, Irisher, badassier alter ego. And I like movies where the good guy enjoys violent, sloppy revenge against those who have wronged him (more of that alter ego stuff). Suffice to say I enjoyed “Taken” (2008). Neeson beats up or kills half of France while tracking down his daughter’s kidnappers (insert joke about France surrendering here). There’s the usual spy movie double-crosses and fake identities, but modern technology plays a role too. So much so, you could almost say it’s a commercial for a certain wireless company – almost, because I can’t recall its name.