Brief thoughts on things I have seen lately ( Tom Clancy's Without Remorse (2021), SAS: Red Notice (2021), Wrath of Man (2021), Cruella (2021).

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Undoubtedly many reviewers already have said all that could be said about the following titles. But humour me maybe I'll surprise you with my unique insight.

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Review Tom Clancy's Without Remorse (2021)

Starting with Without Remorse. Apparently John T. Clark is an Tom Clancy's second famous fictional character next to Jack Ryan. Without Remorse is his origin story. That already should give you an idea about what to expect. If by any chance you were hoping for a Taken or John Wick with Michael B. Jordan then you will be heavily disappointed. Actually even if you weren't expecting anything you will have a hard time liking this little film. Tom Clancy films used to be huge. Without Remorse however feels like a TV Film with some big names. Almost everything even the action is generic and predictable. My wish for this to contain at least some nice close quarters and or military combat was squashed pretty soon. Yes there is somewhat of a nice scene towards the final part of the film. You won't get there without feeling bored. For whatever reason the film's pace is super slow. The supposed intrigue is not thrilling or suspenseful at all. So what is the point? Avoid this. It's not worth your time.

Review SAS: Red Notice (2021)

If you happen to have caught the trailer you might have gotten the idea that SAS: Red Notice is some kind of low budget B action film made for TV. And you would be right. This is exactly what it is. So is it any good? It certainly isn't bad. I think there is enough there to merit a watch. Although a lot of fuzz is made about main character Tom Buckingham, a psychopath who finally found love? At the start of the film it's almost like they are setting him up to be the next James Bond but eventually ends up as a Tom Clancy hero. The action is adequate. But Ruby Rose as the main villain? Come on, that is just ridiculous. The rest of the solid cast give the film some credibility. The story however is utterly predictable. In essence this is an average but mildly entertaining Die Hard on a train.

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Wrath of Man a.k.a. Cash Truck (2021)

One could mistake this film for a standard Jason Statham film where it's all about the ass kicking and nothing else. While he does a hefty amount of ass kicking it's a little more substantial. At least that is what Guy Ritchie wants you to think. Ritchie is a veteran when it comes to crime flicks and he is very adapt in creating iconic characters and events. Usually with a big comedic undertone. In this one the comedy is left out and you have one serious film that never lets up. It's very effective for sure but ultimately does feel empty. You don't really get to know the characters. To be fair it's not really necessary. Although I had hoped a for a better ending though. It's all so predictable. Overall Wrath of Man is fun while it lasts. 

I am aware this is a remake of Le convoyeur (2004). Very soon I will watch that one and compare the two. 

Cruella (2021)

Got to admit that I can't hate on this film for the fact that this is not a scene of scene live action reboot of an animated classic. However the decision to do a prequel that clearly is foreshadowing what is to come is a little puzzling. On one hand it does give you some sense of why Cruella De Vil is who she is. But at the same time this film also undermines her character. Actually the film plays out events that don't exactly fit in with Cruella from One Hundred and One Dalmatians. For the most part it is expected of you to just go with the events otherwise you will have a hard time enjoying it. And yes for the most part I was on board. But there are quite a few flaws that stood in the way of my enjoyment anyway. The duration for one thing. Events are either prolonged artificially or they are repeated. I will never understand this practice especially if it detracts my viewing pleasure. The Baroness (Emma Thompson) is more evil than Cruella. I understand in context of challenging Estalla into becoming Cruella. However you are let to believe that she is going to change even more between this film and the original. Why not show those changes? 

That being said. There are some real fun moments especially involving the dogs. There is one scene in particular that had me in stitches. I mean a little dog dressed up as a rat is among the funniest things I have seen in my life. Besides the dogs were cute and definitely increased the fun factor. I liked some of the dynamics. Emma Thompson is a real master in making herself super evil and yet still relatively likable. But I was expecting more. If this film was intended for adults it fell short. However if this was intended for kids it was quite dark. Overall Cruella is a bit of a mess tone wise and intention wise. This certainly won't be for everyone but I can't deny there are enough fun moments to call this entertaining.