4 Quickies - Ryan & The Rock

I'm on vacation this week, and I've been catching up on a few movies. The COVID booster knocked me on my ass, and the following day I wasn't able to do much but watch movies. 

Here's four movies I've seen in the past couple of weeks. All of them star either Ryan Reynolds or Dwayne Johnson, if not both. I'm a fan of both actors, though neither have shown a lot of acting range. Reynolds has at least proven he can play other characters (see 2005's "The Amityville Horror") but he seems to prefer roles where he can just be himself. Johnson is one of the best wrestler-turned-actors, though it is kind of hard to swallow when he tries to play "normal guy" roles.

Free Guy

This is a fun movie, but not particularly deep. I have a feeling that anybody who actually understands programming gets Dan Browned the entire movie, but it's not like the movie is supposed to be realistic. 

It feels like they combined elements from a dozen other movies like "Ready Player One" and "Wreck-It Ralph", but I see more of Tron than anything else. Not because it takes place inside a computer, but because a huge plot point is that the head of a tech company stole video game code from an ex-employee.

Anyway, it's fluffy but fun.

Jungle Cruise

So years ago, Disney started making movies based on Disney World Rides. "The Country Bears" was a flop, and "The Haunted Mansion" wasn't much better. But "Pirates of the Caribbean" was a huge hit. So how do we replicate that hit? By reusing that movie's biggest plot point. I don't want to spoil it here, but when you see it, you'll know.

Still, it's entertaining, if not completely original. The Rock is funny, the visuals are nice (though some of the CGI could have used more work), and the action is exciting. But it's no Pirates.

Red Notice

A great comedy/thriller along the lines of "The Italian Job" or "Ocean's 11". Lots of plot twists and backstabbing. It's one of those movies where you think you keep spotting plot holes, but most of them disappear when the final twist happens. Reynolds, Johnson, and Godot have a lot of great quips and snappy dialogue.

San Andreas

This is just another action movie along the lines of Volcano or Twister, but it is exciting. Don't expect more than that. If you like disaster movies, you'll have a good time.