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Post by themoviesinner on Aug 1, 2021 8:36:37 GMT
Here's another random poll. I got this idea after watching Jaume Collet-Serra's Jungle Cruise and it was by far the worst I've seen from him (I refuse to watch that Goal atrocity). Anyway, I think all of his four collaborations with Liam Neeson were very good (even great) and I wanted everyone's opinion on the best of the four. I'll go with The Commuter, which I found the more suspenseful of the four, but each of them does it's job pretty well.
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Post by thomasjerome on Aug 1, 2021 11:07:40 GMT
"Jungle Cruise" is definitely his worst, up there with "House of Wax" (Haven't seen that "Goal" film). There's just not a single element that shows it's directed by him. Everything feels very "Disneyified". Even Emily's charisma couldn't save it. But I usually like his stuff, he also gets strong lead performances out of his actors (Vera Farmiga in "Orphan", Blake Lively in "The Shallows"). As nonsense and even silly as they can be, his collaborations with Liam Neeson are all fun. They keep bringing "Taken" up but his films are the reason why Neeson became so reliable in the action/thriller genre.
I'd rank them as such:
1. "Non-Stop" - A lot of things happening in this movie doesn't make sense or are not convincing but is it entertaining? You bet. The mystery element really works well up until the very end. Even though the reveal is not satisfactory, I didn't mind it.
2. "Unknown" - The second act/reveal of the mystery is bit "eh" but it keeps you engaged.
3. "Run All Night" - mostly a satisfying crime drama without any silliness this time and probably Neeson's best performance out of those four but at the same time, it feels little unremarkable.
4. "The Commuter" - enjoyed it for what it is but slightly underwhelming compared to the rest.
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Post by themoviesinner on Aug 1, 2021 11:39:39 GMT
"Jungle Cruise" is definitely his worst, up there with "House of Wax" (Haven't seen that "Goal" film). There's just not a single element that shows it's directed by him. Everything feels very "Disneyified". Even Emily's charisma couldn't save it. But I usually like his stuff, he also gets strong lead performances out of his actors (Vera Farmiga in "Orphan", Blake Lively in "The Shallows"). As nonsense and even silly as they can be, his collaborations with Liam Neeson are all fun. They keep bringing "Taken" up but his films are the reason why Neeson became so reliable in the action/thriller genre. I'd rank them as such: 1. "Non-Stop" - A lot of things happening in this movie doesn't make sense or are not convincing but is it entertaining? You bet. The mystery element really works well up until the very end. Even though the reveal is not satisfactory, I didn't mind it. 2. "Unknown" - The second act/reveal of the mystery is bit "eh" but it keeps you engaged. 3. "Run All Night" - mostly a satisfying crime drama without any silliness this time and probably Neeson's best performance out of those four but at the same time, it feels little unremarkable. 4. "The Commuter" - enjoyed it for what it is but slightly underwhelming compared to the rest. Everything you wrote is pretty spot-on and I agree with you that these films are what made Liam Neeson a pretty reliable action lead. And it's probably the way that Collet-Serra films the action, which relies more on short impactful bursts of violence than long stretched out shootouts - sequences, that plays to Neeson's strengths and makes him quite believable as the lead (unlike Taken for instance, which, as much as I like it, it just is too ridiculous to take seriously, especially the sequels). And Collet-Serra can create suspense and tension very effectively and that's the main reason these films work as well as they do, despite their silly plots. |
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Aug 1, 2021 15:58:20 GMT
Non-Stop is my favorite of the bunch. It's easily the most fun and straightforward. A real simple action movie, but Liam Neeson is a true badass, and carries that movie like a real star. Plus a good supporting cast doesn't hurt.
Regarding the rest, I'd rank them The Commuter, Unknown, and Run All Night. It's a nice little set of afternoon Sunday movie types. Films that don't ask much of you, most of them are similar too, but they're good and fun to watch.
As for the rest of Collet-Serra's filmography, I've seen The Shallows, which I enjoyed, and House of Wax, which I don't like very much at all. I haven't seen Jungle Cruise yet for obvious reasons (I still haven't been back to the cinemas), but I think the dude is a good little studio director, with a nice sense of humor.
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Post by HELENA MARIA on Aug 14, 2021 13:20:13 GMT
The Commuter was absolutely brilliant . One of the most entertaining thrillers / action flicks of the past decade.
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