Skip to content
Archive of posts filed under the Action & Adventure Movies category.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader

This time around – Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb – find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world. Joining forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond.

On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan’s Country – a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader – can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

Directed by: Michael Apted
Starring: Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Will Poulter, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson
Screenplay by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Richard LaGravenese
MPAA Rating: None.
Release Date: December 10th, 2010
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Faster

Faster

A stint in prison usually has one of two effects on a man – it either breaks him down or makes him stronger. For Driver (Dwayne Johnson), a 10-year sentence proved the latter. His strength was not just fueled by time, but also by a hunger to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his own imprisonment. Untouchable on the ‘inside,’ he made plenty of enemies in prison – men who were counting the days until his release so they could exact their own revenge on the outside. Now, on the day of his release, he is hell-bent on reaping vengeance upon the four men responsible for his brother’s murder. With a list of names and addresses in hand, he sprints out of the prison gates and is immediately on his mission.

No regard for witnesses. No finesse to the acts. One down. Check. Within hours of Driver eliminating the first name on the list, two men are on his trail – Cop (Billy Bob Thornton), a veteran police officer just days from retirement, and Killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a young egocentric hitman with a flair for the art of killing. The hunter is now also the hunted.

Without hesitation, Driver methodically continues down his list while the mystery deepens surrounding his brother’s murder and who might have tipped off those responsible to their robbery plans. With each killing, Driver finds himself face to face with Cop or Killer and he evades them every time. Killer wants Driver now more than ever – he’s finally met a worthy opponent. Thus begins a do or die race to the list’s finish with new details in the decade old murder emerging along the way… hinting that Driver’s list may be incomplete and his life in further danger.

Directed by: George Tillman Jr.
Starring: Carla Gugino, Dwayne Johnson, Maggie Grace, Moon Bloodgood, Billy Bob Thornton
Screenplay by: Joe Gayton, Tony Gayton
MPAA Rating: for strong violence, some drug use and language.
Release Date: November 24th, 2010
Studio: CBS Films

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

The final chapter of the Harry Potter film series begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione leave Hogwarts behind and set out to find and destroy the Horcruxes–the secret to Voldemort’s power and immortality.

Part 1 begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort’s immortality and destruction—the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart.

Meanwhile, the wizarding world has become a dangerous place for all enemies of the Dark Lord. The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort’s Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. The Chosen One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort… alive.

Harry’s only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. But as he searches for clues, he uncovers an old and almost forgotten tale—the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks.

Little does Harry know that his future has already been decided by his past when, on that fateful day, he became “the Boy Who Lived.” No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the task for which he has been preparing since the day he first stepped into Hogwarts: the ultimate battle with Voldemort.

Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes
Screenplay by: Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling
MPAA Rating: None.
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: November 19th, 2010

Unstoppable

Denzel Washington and Chris Pine in UnstoppableUnstoppable, is about a runaway train carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals. Pits an engineer and his conductor in a race against time. They’re chasing the runaway train in a separate locomotive and need to bring it under control before it derails on a curve and causes a toxic spill that will decimate a town.

Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Elizabeth Mathis, Jessy Schram
Screenplay by: Mark Bomback
MPAA Rating: None.
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: November 12nd, 2010

Fair Game

Naomi Watts and Sean Penn in Fair Game

A suspense-filled glimpse into the dark corridors of political power, Fair Game is a riveting action-thriller based on the autobiography of real-life undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts), whose career was destroyed and marriage strained to its limits when her covert identity was exposed by a politically motivated press leak.

As a covert officer in the CIA’s Counter-Proliferation Division, Valerie leads an investigation into the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Valerie’s husband, diplomat Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), is drawn into the investigation to substantiate an alleged sale of enriched uranium from Niger. But when the administration ignores his findings and uses the issue to support the call to war, Joe writes a New York Times editorial outlining his conclusions and ignites a firestorm of controversy.

Directed by: Doug Liman
Starring: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly, Bruce McGill
Screenplay by: Jez Butterworth, John Butterworth, Valerie Plame
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language.
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: November 5th, 2010

Red

John Malkovich, Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman in Red

Frank (Bruce Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) used to be the CIA’s top agents – but the secrets they know just made them the Agency’s top targets. Now framed for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history.

“Red” is the story of Frank Moses (Willis), a former black-ops CIA agent, who is now living a quiet life. That is, until the day a hi-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him. With his identity compromised and the life of the woman he cares for, Sarah (Parker), endangered, Frank reassembles his old team (Freeman, Malkovich and Mirren) in a last ditch effort to survive. “Red” is based on the DC Comics graphic novel of the same name by Warren Ellis.

Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, John Malkovich
Screenplay by: Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner, Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language.
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: October 15th, 2010

Jackass 3D

Jackass 3D

Johnny Knoxville and his buddies are up to their daredevil comic antics again. And this time they’re coming at ya’ in 3D.

Directed by: Jeff Tremaine
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Jason Acuna
Screenplay by: Preston Lacy
MPAA Rating: None.
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: October 15th, 2010

Tomorrow, When the War Began

Tomorrow, When the War Began

When their country is invaded and their families are taken, eight unlikely high school teenagers band together to fight.

Tomorrow, When the War Began follows the journey of eight high school friends in a remote country town whose lives are suddenly and violently upended by a war that no-one saw coming. Cut off from their families and their friends, these eight extraordinary teenagers must somehow learn to escape, survive and fight back.

Directed by: Stuart Beattie
Starring: Rachel Hurd-Wood, Phoebe Tonkin, Caitlin Stasey, Lincoln Lewis, Masa Yamaguchi
Screenplay by: John Marsden, Stuart Beattie
MPAA Rating: None.
Release Date: September 2nd, 2010
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Avatar (Re-Release)

Avatar

Director James Cameron’s eye-popping sci-fi action epic returns to the big screen with never before seen footage.

Avatar takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of “Titanic,” first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not exist yet. Now, after four years of production, Avatar, a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

We enter the alien world through the eyes of Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where corporations are mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth’s energy crisis. Because the atmosphere of Pandora is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human “drivers” have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely-controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air. These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora… the Na’vi.

Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na’vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na’vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake’s life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake’s relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na’vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that will decide nothing less than the fate of an entire world.

Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.
Release Date: December 18th, 2009 (wide), August 27th, 2010 (Re-Release)
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Resident Evil: Afterlife

Resident Evil: Afterlife

In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead – and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap.

Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta
MPAA Rating: Not Rated.
Release Date: September 10th, 2010
Studio: Sony ScreenGems

Machete

Machete

Machete is based on the fake trailer in Robert Rodriguez’s 2007 Grindhouse, featuring Danny Trejo and Jeff Fahey reprising their original roles.

The feature version of the trailer finds Machete (Trejo) a renegade former Mexican Federale, roaming the streets of Texas after a shakedown from drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal). Reluctantly, Machete takes an offer from spin doctor Benz (Fahey) to assassinate McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) a corrupt Senator. Double crossed and on the run Machete braves the odds with the help of Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a saucy taco slinger, Padre (Cheech Marin) his holy brother, and April (Lindsay Lohan) a socialite with a penchant for guns. All while being tracked by Sartana (Jessica Alba), a sexy ICE agent with a special interest in the blade slinger.

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Starring: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal
Screenplay by: Robert Rodriguez
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity.
Release Date: September 3rd, 2010
Studio: 20th Century Fox

The American

The American

Jack (George Clooney) is an artful assassin with a lengthy track record, constantly on the move and always watching his back. When an assignment goes wrong and a lover ends up dead, he vows that the next job will be his last. This final obligation takes him to a picturesque town nestled amongst lush Italian hills, its historical piazzas bursting with life. But to Jack, every location is a trap and every person a potential threat. Still, he surprises himself, enjoying confessional conversations over Armagnac with an insightful priest and slipping into an affair with a local beauty. But by letting his guard down, Jack may be tempting fate.

A dangerous shadow-dweller shows every sign of closing in, and the mysterious woman who has hired him may not be all that she seems. As an increasingly wary Jack contemplates life, love and death in Italy, the film escalates into a climactic showdown through the cobbled maze of age-old alleyways. This sexy, suspenseful and intricate story blends intrigue and passionate romance within a searing morality tale to finally reveal the heart of this deeply private man.

Directed by: Anton Corbijn
Starring: George Clooney, Bruce Altman, Thekla Reuten, Paolo Bonacelli, Violante Placido
Screenplay by: Martin Booth, Rowan Joffe
MPAA Rating: Not Rated.
Release Date: September 1st, 2010
Studio: Focus Features