2016 Recap - The Movies

For me, 2016 was a pretty incredible year for movies with such a diverse mix of styles, genres, and countries represented. Indie films, festival films, foreign films, animated films, horror films, and big budget blockbuster films all filled movie theaters in a seemingly endless stream of talent and creativity. Of course, not all of them turn out as good as you hope they might (Independence Day: Resurgence, X-Men: Apocalypse) and others seemingly come out of nowhere to shine above all the rest (Train to Busan, Sing Street).

Underworld: Blood Wars - Movie Review

The Movie: Underworld: Blood Wars

The Director: Anna Foerster

The Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Charles Dance, Lara Pulver. Tobias Menzies, James Faulkner, Bradley James, Clementine Nicholson, and Daisy Head

The Story: Vampire death dealer, Selene fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. - imdb.com

The Great Wall - Movie Review

The Movie: The Great Wall

The Director: Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers}

The Cast: Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Andy Lau, Pedro Pascal, Hanyu Zhang, Lu Han, Kenny Lin, Eddie Peng, Ryan Zheng, Karry Wang, and Willem DeFoe.

The Story: European mercenaries searching for black powder become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures. - imdb.com

Cook Up a Storm (决战食神) - Movie Review

The Movie: Cook Up a Storm (决战食神)

The Director: Wai Man Yip

The Cast: Nicholas Tse, Jung Yong-hwa, Yan Tang, Bing Bai, Anthony Wong, and You Ge.

The Story: A Cantonese street cook and his chief rival, a French-trained Michelin-starred chef, discover they have a lot in common as they prepare for a world-famous culinary competition. imdb.com

2016 Recap - The Performances

In 2016, I watched a lot of movies. Probably more in one year than I ever have before so there was a lot of acting to take in. Most are passable and get the job done adequately and then there's a few that make you cringe and wish the casting director had made a different choice. Finally, there is a select handful that really catch my attention and never for the same reason. These performances are so unique, often very powerful, and, if nothing else, they are just fun to watch on screen.