Taken (2008) --- "Dad Threatens Kidnappers With Death For Taking Daughter."

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Plot Summary

 Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), a former government operative, is trying to reconnect with his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). Then his worst fears become real when sex slavers abduct Kim and her friend shortly after they arrive in Paris for vacation. With just four days until Kim will be auctioned off, Bryan must call on every skill he learned in black ops to rescue her. (1)

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Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references, and language. Recommended for ages 20 and up.

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     It is understandable that some audiences were skeptical or proceeded with caution before they say this film. BUT Taken has proven to be a violent yet great action thriller of 2008. Now the movie does have a similar, predictable plot to most action thrillers but even then the journey is amazing to see. Taken (2008) also covers a very real world problem, the kidnapping of young women in order to turn use them as prostitutes and make them drug addicts as well as the dark and underground world of such a ‘business.’ get to see who really supports these ‘arrangements’ and what lengths they're willing to go in order to obtain their victim. It is an eye opening experience that this happens to people around the world and that the ones you think should be against such cruelty and fighting to save the victims are just as corrupt as the captors.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) --- "British Gentleman Meets Kentucky Whisky Brewer In This Provocative Spy Comedy. P.S. Avoid Eating The Burger, Trust Me."

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Plot Summary

With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organization in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, something that's becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy. (1) 

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     I enjoyed Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and I am pleased that the sequel didn't disappoint. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) remains true to the first film and more. I favored Kingsman 2 more than Kingsman 1 because the main focus of the first film was centered around Eggsy’s transformation from a young street punk into a proper English gentleman; we saw the various tests and trials that he was put through in order to become a Kingsman. Essentially Kingsman 1 was an origin story. However, Kingsman 2 needed no such introductions but rather plunged straight into the big-scale action that comes with none-origin spy films and this made the film so much better.

Kingsmen: The Secret Service (2014) ---- "Street Swag Meets Gentleman Class In This Crude Language Spy Comedy."

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Plot Summary

With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organization in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, something that's becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy. (1) 

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Rated R for sequences of strong Violence/Gore, strong Profanity, references of Sex & Nudity, Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking, and Frightening/Intense Scenes

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     Once again director Matthew Vaughn has adapted a comic-book to film, with Kick-Ass (2010) and X-Men: First Class (2011) being his most recent films to date. Comic book and superhero films have a tendency to take themselves too seriously but Vaughn is able to combine serious drama and attentive character development with cartoonish humor and witty action. As a result, Kingsmen: The Secret Service (2014) is a unique, ultra violent, humorous, foul-mouthed piece of entertainment that is licensed to thrill audiences. Like an R-Rated version of a James Bond film, even Colin Firth’s (Mamma Mia) character mocks the idea by saying “Give me a far0fetched, theoretical plot any day…” It’s not so much a parody, like Austin Powers but rather pays homage to the famous franchise, like a James Bond meets Kick-Ass type film – where one film doesn’t dare to go the other ventures its untraveled roads joyfully.

American Assassin (2017) --- "Tom Cruise Has Nothing On Him. Find Out Why."

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Plot Summary

Black ops recruit Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien) is reeling from the death of his fiancée in a terrorist attack when he is assigned to shadowy CIA figure Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton) to receive special training in tracking terrorists. Rapp and Hurley are then dispatched to join a Turkish agent on a mission to stop a mysterious operative from unleashing chaos of international proportions. (1) 

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     American Assassin (2017) is like JASON BOURNE meets DIE HARD, it is an action/thriller packed full of action, espionage, conspiracies, and suspense. The film is directed by Michael Cuesta (TV’s Homeland) and based off the bestselling novels by Vince Flynn. This is the type of action film that is entertaining because it puts the main character onto a revengeful path and although it may not have a memorable plot it is exciting to see a gritty and brutal main character exact his revenge; like in Jason Bourne, Die Hard, John Wick, and Man on Fire. I would not be surprised if the studio decided to continue on as a franchise because the ending left a decent amount of content for continuation.

John Wick 2 (2017) --- "Apparently Blowing Up An Assassin's House Is Not Courteous."

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Retired super-assassin John Wick's plans to resume a quiet civilian life are cut short when Italian gangster Santino D'Antonio shows up on his doorstep with a gold marker, compelling him to repay past favors. Ordered by Winston, kingpin of secret assassin society The Continental, to respect the organization's ancient code, Wick reluctantly accepts the assignment to travel to Rome to take out D'Antonio's sister, the ruthless capo atop the Italian Camorra crime syndicate. (1)

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     Chad Stahelski, who co-directed the first John Wick (2014) returns as a solo director with the same writer as the original, Derek Kolstad. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) pits John Wick (Keanu Reeves) against the mean and wicked assassins of the criminal underworld. Once again, Wick proves that he is a force to be reckoned with in this over-the-top sequel that is every bit as fun as the original. Films like John Wick are rarely known for their artistic value but Chapter 2 sets the bar high both in action as well as set design: (Kevin Kavanaugh^{(Production Design)}, Letizia Santucci, and David Schlesinger) and cinematography (Dan Laustsen). This film is exciting with vibrant colors that compliment the violence and chaos surrounding Wick. The sound effects are amazingly realistic, even the fist punches and bone breaking sounds will make you cringe with how realistic they are.

John Wick (2014) --- "They Stole His Car And Killed His Dog. You'll Never Believe What He Does Next!"

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Legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retired from his violent career after marrying the love of his life. Her sudden death leaves John in deep mourning. When sadistic mobster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal John's prized car and kill the puppy that was the last gift from his wife, John unleashes the remorseless killing machine within and seeks vengeance. Meanwhile, Iosef's father (Michael Nyqvist) -- John's former colleague -- puts a huge bounty on John's head. (1)

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     John Wick (2014) was helmed by two ex-stunt men, Chad Stahelski (The Matrix stunts) and David Leitch (Bourn Ultimatum stunts), which allowed for there to be more practical effects rather than rely on a green screen a lot of the time. Both did an amazing job at co-directing this film, which is to expected considering that they have worked together in the stunt department for films like 300 (2006) and V for Vendetta (2005). Also considering Stahelski was once Keanu Reeves’ stunt double it allowed for a level of familiarity which gave the directors a base knowledge of how far they could push Reeves. This resulted in the action scenes being clean, stylish, realistic, and entertaining.

Transporter 4: Refueled (2015) --- "Refueled Doesn't Always Mean Full. Find Out The Difference."

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Frank Martin is living a less perilous lifestyle, or so he thinks, transporting classified packages for questionable people. Things get complicated when femme fatale Anna and her three accomplices orchestrate a bank heist and the kidnapping of Frank's father. It's all part of a grand plan to take down the human trafficker who victimized her years earlier. Now a pawn in her vengeful scheme, the former special-operations mercenary must use his covert skills to play Anna's dangerous game. (1) 

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The original Transporter film was first released in 2002 and while it was not well-received by critics, audiences loved it. As a result, two sequels followed one in 2005 and one in 2008 but neither were able to live up to the success of the original as each new sequel received lower ratings than its predecessor from both critics and audiences. By 2015 the franchise was – as the fourth film is conveniently named – running out of gas and so there were questions on whether this new film would have enough fuel to entertain audiences again. Producers were hoping that Transporter: Refueled (2015) would have been the first installment in a prequel trilogy depicting a much younger Frank Martin played by British rapper and acting newcomer, Ed Skrein (Deadpool). Writer Luc Besson (Transporter 3) tries to continue the franchise with Skrein replacing Jason Statham (Fate of the Furious) as a younger Frank Martin. Serkin has the Frank Martin smirk down and using him as a replacement is understandable considering Statham’s growing popularity (and thus becoming more expensive). However, Skrein is no Statham and instead could have been more convincing as a younger brother or new transporter initiative, like in the Hitman films. The film would have been better off if Statham did a cameo flashback where he hands off the baton to Skrein and possibly leaving room for a potential return, like Vin Diesel returning to The Fast and The Furious franchise.

Transporter 3 (2008) --- "Exploding Shackles May Cause Serious Harm. Here's How To prevent Such Injuries."

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Mob courier Frank Martin's (Jason Statham) latest assignment pairs him with Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), the cynical daughter of a Ukrainian official. While her father ponders what to do with three boatloads of toxic waste, Frank must guard the problematic woman and prevent her from wandering too far from his vehicle or risk triggering the explosive shackles they both wear. (1) 

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     I enjoyed the first two Transporter films with the Transporter 2 (2005) being my favorite but I found Transporter 3 (2008) to be the weakest in the series. The reason why this film was not as enjoyable as the first two is because of the tone which is primarily affected by the over-dramatic soundtrack and a generally abysmal script. The tone in the first two films made a point to be humorous in its comic-book like presentation and stunts, whereas this film is trying to be an overly serious action film by removing the humor from some potentially humorous moments. It seems like the tone of the film is trying to set itself apart from the first two films but this makes it confusing. Were they trying to appear more like a James Bond film?

Transporter 2 (2005) --- "Kidnapping Rich Children May Cause The Bodyguard To Go On A Hunt For The Culprits."

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Plot Summary

Mercenary Frank Martin (Jason Statham) has accepted a job that seems easy enough, as chauffeur and bodyguard to young Jack (Hunter Clary), son of crusading politician Jefferson Billings (Matthew Modine). The problem is that Billings is crusading against an international drug cartel. They retaliate by kidnapping Jack and infecting him with a deadly and highly contagious virus. Responsible for the boy, Frank must reclaim him and then find an antidote before scores of innocents are stricken. (1)

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     Transporter (2002) was an entertaining film with good action scenes and an overall sense of fun but there were plot holes that could have been easily fixed. So when the 2005 sequel, The Transporter 2, was released, let’s just say I was not expecting a huge improvement from the last movie. The action was great and the characters were good but there were still some plot issues. The only difference is that the plot this time around was a bigger problem because the main idea of biological warfare is a bit overused; at least in this way. Perhaps if it was used similarly to the 1995 film Outbreak (with Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, and Donald Sutherland) then I think this film would have been a bit more interesting. Come to think of it, Transporter 2 looks more and more like a trying to be James Bond film, rather than a driving film. Although, I guess complaining about the plot here would be like seeing an animation and then complaining about the fact that the film was animated. So you don’t exactly hold much ground for complaint.

Transporter 1 (2002) ---- "When Smuggling Young Woman Hire A Transporter."

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Plot Summary

Ex-Special Forces operator Frank Martin (Jason Statham) lives what seems to be a quiet life along the French Mediterranean, hiring himself out as a mercenary transporter who moves goods - human or otherwise - from one place to another. No questions asked. Dangerous complications ensue when he is hired to kidnap the feisty daughter of a lethal Chinese crime lord who's smuggling his fellow countrymen into France. (1) 

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     Directors Corey Yuen (The Legend 1 and 2) and Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Professional) are known for creating some pretty good action films, with Yuen working on a lot of Jet Li films and Besson being one of Europe’s biggest action producers. Their most ambitious project is the 2002 film The Transporter starring Jason Statham (Furious 7).  Jason Statham plays Frank Martin, a mercenary transporter who lives by a code; Rule One - Never change the deal, Rule Two -No names, and Rule Three - Never look in the package. Frank Martine is calm, careful, and cool most of the time but if you mess with his car then he’ll give you a taste of his dark side. He knew how to be cold and compassionate, he only killed when he needed to and it was ruthless. Lai (played by Qi Shu, Assassin) is pretty exceptional and humorous; however, you sometimes need subtitles to understand what she says because of her weak vocabulary. The villain, Wall Street (Matt Schulze – Fast Five), is a bit ridiculous and is not very villainy. The action looks smart and lethal with some unbelievable stunts and choreography, while Statham displays some impressive fighting skills.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) --- "Returning From The Dead May Involve A DANCE, DANCE REVOLUTION Battle?"

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 After coming out of self-imposed exile, daredevil operative Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) must race against time to recover a sinister weapon known as Pandora's Box, a device that controls every military satellite in the world. Recruiting a new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Xander finds himself entangled in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of government. (1) 

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     Xander Cage comes out of exile, thought to be dead, and is set on a collision course with a deadly team lead by a man named, Xiang. Xander recruits new team made up of a thrill-seeking eccentrics in order to try to recover a seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora's Box that Xiang’s team stole. The mission seems pretty straight forward but Xander quickly finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy that points to corruption at the highest levels of governments.

xXx: State of The Union (2005) --- "Ex-Con Are Known For Being Excellent Secret Agents."

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When the government finds out that a group of terrorists has infiltrated its ranks, and the group is being trained by high-ranking official George Deckert (Willem Dafoe), NSA Agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) hires an ex-con to bring down the nefarious plot. Thinking he can trust no one in the government, Augustus springs Darius Stone (Ice Cube), who once trained under him, from prison. Although Darius is a loose cannon, Augustus is convinced he is the only man for the job. (1)

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     I enjoyed the 2002 xXx movie and I was looking forward to the 2005 sequel xXx: State of the Union. State of the Union is a fair addition to the xXx franchise and while the plot is as ridiculous as its predecessor, it is obvious that no one ever watches this kind of genre for the plot. It’s not as complex as the James Bond films but that was never the point of the films. The action was pretty good but it did lack some excitement like the first film had. The film does have some merit in regards to the technical quality, which looks pretty great. There are some interesting gadgets, the humor is a bunch of cheesy one-liners, and the pace of this film is substantially faster. However, things start to go downhill with acting.

xXx (2002) --- "Fur Coats Are The Main Prize For Extreme Sports."

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Vin Diesel stars as former extreme sports athlete Xander "XXX" Cage, notorious for his death-defying public stunts. Betting he can succeed where other conventional spies have failed, Xander is recruited by NSA Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) to become a different kind of undercover agent. Enlisted for a dangerous covert mission, he must use all his extreme skills to combat a clever, organized, and ruthless enemy far beyond the scope of his experience. (1)

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     If there is one thing that xXx (2002) says above all else then it is that the hero will always be a rebel against the law and the authority. xXx is more of a dumbed down version of the James Bond movies, so it is most likely more entertaining to those who thought that the James Bond movies were too complex with an over abundant of dialogue. xXx is meant to be entertaining and a lot of fun without an overly complex or deep plot. The action sequences are pretty great and the stunts are ambitious and outrageous, which more than makeup for the more strenuous elements of the film.