(TV SERIES) Man on Fire Season 1 - A Less Action Packed Second Adaptation of the Popular 1980 Novel

Few weeks ago I already noticed this series promoted in Netflix under its Coming Soon section which was something that intrigued me. When it was finally released two days ago, I began watching and finished it last night. All right then, let's get right to it.

Brief Story Line

John Creasy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II - Wonder Man TV series, Aquaman etc) was a former Special Forces who was suffering from PTSD for few years. His old friend from military Paul Rayburn (Bobby Cannavale - Scarpetta TV series, Blonde etc) tried to make John better by employing him in a military work in Rio de Janeiro, doing protection from terrorist attack. Despite his reluctance, John decided to go ahead and met with Paul's family, including his teenage daughter Poe (Billie Boullet - A Small Light mini series etc).

(2026) Shelter - A Gritty and Entertaining Action Thriller

Last week, this film had advance ticket sale in Indonesia. Since my wife and I are big fans of Jason Statham who starred in the movie, we did not even hesitate or read the synopsis to decide on buying tickets for today's show. All right then, let us get on with the film.

Brief Story Line

Mason (Jason Statham - A Working Man, The Beekeeper etc) had been living in recluse for many years in a small island near Scotland where he got his necessities delivered every now and then by young girl named Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach - Hamnet, So Akward Academy TV series etc) and her uncle. Due to some reasons, Jessie ended up staying with Mason for a while.

Unfortunately Mason's past caught up with him as a group of people assigned by Loretta (Naomie Ackie - The End of the F***ing World TV series, I Wanna Dance With Somebody etc) were trying to capture him. Things gotten worse for Mason when Loretta's former boss Menafort (Bill Nighy - Harlan Coben's Lazarus mini series, Role Play etc) instructed the assassin with code name Workman (stuntman Bryan Vigier) to kill him. Mason had no choice but to escape from those people while trying to get Jessie to safety.

(MINI SERIES) Mercy For None - Thrilling Series Full of Brilliant Fight Scenes

Although this series was put under the Coming This Week section in Netflix, I was a little bit hesitant to watch as I thought the premise was pretty standard and there was not a lot of hype about it. But since I just finished another series and was not sure what to watch next, I decided to give it a try on Friday night, a day after its release and managed to complete the whole series yesterday. OK, let's find out more then, shall we?

Brief Story Line

Nam Gi-jun (So Ji-sub - Alienoid: Return to the Future, Oh My Venus TV series etc) used to work for the two largest gangs in Seoul, i.e. Joowon led by Lee Joo-woon (Heo Joon-ho - Dark Nuns, Bloodhounds etc) and Bongsan led by Gu Bong-san (Ahn Gil-kang - Sweet & Sour, A Shop for Killers TV series etc). After a major incident 11 years before, Gi-jun left the organization and became normal person, while his younger brother Gi-seok (Lee Joon-hyuk - The Firefighters, Our Beloved Summer TV series etc) became second in command in Joowon since Mr. Lee's only son Geum-son (Choo Young-woo - Oasis, Trauma Code TV series etc) worked as a Prosecutor. On the other hand, Bong-san's only son Jun-mo (Gong Myung - Extreme Job, Be Melodramatic TV series etc) who was supposed to take over the Bongsan organization was making a lot of trouble that worried his father.

A Working Man - Another Satisfying Statham's Action Thriller Movie

Though the movie was released only this week, technically it is still one of the film that I tried to catch up after my vacation. Since yesterday I was allowed to leave work earlier before the long holiday, together with my wife we were able to see the movie at a more convenient time. OK, why don't I just get to it then.

Brief Story Line

Levon Cade (Jason Statham - Meg 2: The Trench, Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw etc) was a former Royal Marine who left the force to be a good father to his young daughter Merry (Isla Gie). He chose to work as a construction worker for the company owned by Joe Garcia (Michael Peña - Fantasy Island, The Lego Ninjago Movie etc). When Joe's daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas - Prom Dates etc) was kidnapped by some human traffickers, Levon was asked to find her. 

Demon City - A Very Dark and Violent Revenge-driven Movie Based on Japanese Manga

When I saw this movie in the Coming Soon section of Netflix and its cool looking poster, I was interested to give it a try. But as I was finishing another series, I only got the chance to watch this last night, 3 days after its release. So how was the film then? Let's find out more, shall we?

Brief Story Line

Shuhei Sakata (Toma Ikuta - Hanamizuki, Beyond Goodbye TV series etc) was a professional hitman who informed his handler Fujita (Taro Sugura - Tokyo Swindlers TV series etc) that he wanted to retire and live peacefully with his family. Unfortunately for him, a group of masked men murdered them and pinned the crime to Sakata by showing that he committed suicide.  

Monkey Man - A Violent Revenge Action Movie with Strong Cultural Background

I found out about this movie some time back when I read about the box office performance in US. To my surprise, its trailer was shown few weeks ago, which meant it was going to be released in Indonesia. And it was indeed released just this Wednesday but only in selected theaters, including the one very near my home. So I decided to see it last night by myself since my wife was in the middle of a drama series and could not stop watching. OK, I'll just get to the movie then.

Brief Story Line

Kid (Dev Patel - Hotel Mumbai, The Green Knight etc) had been working as a fighter in an underground club managed by Tiger (Sharlto Copley - District 9, Gringo etc) for quite some time while trying to find ways to infiltrate a club managed by Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar - Rudra: The Edge of Darkness TV series, 36 Farmhouse etc). Kid was planning to kill the Police Chief Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher - Dukaan, Aarya TV series etc) who frequently went to the club.

The Beekeper - An Entertaining Old School Action Movie with Some Greatly Done Fight Scenes

As fans of Jason Statham, my wife and I did not want to miss out on seeing him in action once again. So when this latest movie of his was released yesterday, it did not require too much convincing for my wife to see it in the theater near our home. It was the 6.30 PM show which gave me plenty of time to be there after my day's work. All right then, let's get into it.

Brief Story Line

Adam Clay (Jason Statham - Meg 2: The Trench, Fast X etc) was a beekeeper who was neighbor with a retired teacher, Mrs. Parker (Phylicia Rashad - Creed III etc). When she got scammed by a group of scammers and lost her savings, Adam decided to take matters into his own hand. He tried to pursue all the people responsible, especially their ultimate leader Derek (Josh Hutcherson - Zathura: A Space Adventure, Future Man TV series etc) who had a resourceful advisor Wallace (Jeremy Irons - Red Sparrow, The Mission etc).

The Roundup: No Way Out - Another Ma Dong-seok's Movie with Plenty of Satisfying Action Scenes

As soon as I found out there was another movie starring Ma Dong-seok aka Don Lee in the theaters, I encouraged my wife to see it at the earliest possible time. And since she is also a fan of him, she did not hesitate to do so. We decided to see this in one of the not so many cinemas showing the movie as it did not play in the Indonesian largest cinema chain. OK, will get right to it now.

Brief Story Line

Few years after the events of The Roundup, Detective Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok - Ashfall, The Gangster, the Cop and the Devil etc) now working in the Metropolitan Investigation Unit and partnered with Kim Man-jae (Kim Min-jae - Train to Busan: Peninsula, Unstoppable etc) under the supervision of Captain Jang (Lee Beom-soo - Come Back Home, The Prime Minister and I etc). Their latest case involved new dangerous drugs called Hiper that were sold at some clubs in South Korea. These drugs were distributed by some criminals who got them from a mysterious vicious man (Lee Joon-hyuk - Strangers TV series, No Mercy etc).

Sweet Girl - An Action Thriller Movie that might be Better without the Over Complexities of Plot

Yesterday I decided to watch this new movie on Netflix which based on its trailer seemed to promise good old fashion action that I love. It was also intriguing to see how Jason Momoa fare in this film as he started to have more lead roles. OK, let's get on it now.

Brief Story Line (Warning possible spoiler)

Ray Cooper (Jason Momoa - Aquaman, Conan the Barbarian etc) had lost his wife due to cancer and raised his daughter Rachel (Isabela Merced - Instant Family, Dora and the Lost City of Gold etc) by himself. Ray was actually really upset and held Simon Keeley (Justin Bartha - The Hangover trilogy etc) the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company called BioPrime responsible for his wife's demise. 

(TV SERIES) The Mandalorian Season 1 - Magnificent Series in the Star Wars Universe

I have seen many times the promotion of the second season of this series which is set to premier today, and it was quite funny that I never got the chance to watch it until last night. As it is available on Disney+, it was quite convenient for me. My review might have been a bit late, but I think it should be just nice before the new season is released. OK let's get on with it.

Brief Story Line

Set 5 years after Return of the Jedi (Star Wars Episode VI), a bounty hunter known as The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal - The Equalizer 2, The Great Wall etc) was famous for being able to capture hard and dangerous criminal. He would usually got the assignments from Bounty Hunters' Guild leader Greef Karga (Carl Weathers - Rocky movies, Action Jackson etc). When the Mandalorian was given a special task by The Client (Werner Herzog) to capture something referred to as The Child, he decided against all odds to protect it instead.

Rambo: Last Blood - A Good Enough (Hopefully) Finale of One of the Most Iconic 80s Heroes

When I heard they were going to make another Rambo movie, I was quite intrigued as I am a big fan of this character and all the movies in the franchise. When it premiered yesterday, I was having a bit of a challenge to see in my favorite theater with Dolby Atmos system due to the traffic condition. But as I did not have info on whether the movie had that specific sound effects, I opted to see it in the theater nearest to our home. My wife was supposed to accompany me, but she did not feel well at the last minute so I went to see it by myself. Anyway, let's go straight to the movie now.

Brief Story Line

Set many years after the event of the last movie, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone - Creed 2, Escape Plan: The Extractors etc) was leading a peaceful life in a ranch with an old woman named Maria (Adriana Barazza) and her teenage granddaughter Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal). Occasionally Rambo also become a volunteer when required.

Angel Has Fallen - The Third Movie of the "Super" Secret Service Agent Mike Banning Franchise

I noticed about this movie few weeks ago when I was looking at the list of upcoming films in Indonesia. It was another sequel to the action movies I quite enjoyed then. But it did not seem to be garnering a lot of hype here, probably because the trailer was never shown at all and it only played in 1 cinema chain, albeit the largest one. Anyway, my wife and I went to see this in our favorite Dolby Atmos theater. OK I am going to go ahead with the movie now.

Brief Story Line

Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler - The Vanishing, Hunter Killer etc) was now given the assignment of protecting president Trumbull (Morgan Freeman - The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, The Shawsank Redemption etc). His life seemed to be in best shape as he was in contention to be promoted and had a real good life with his wife Leah (Piper Perabo - Coyote Ugly, Covert Affairs TV series etc) and baby daughter plus enjoying his friendship with his old army buddy Wade Jennings (Danny Huston - Wonder Woman, The Aviator etc).

John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum - Fights, Fights and More Fights!

Finally I got the chance to see this movie on its 3rd day in Indonesia. I was unable to see it on its premier date due to office function and I was not keen on seeing this in the small size studio with average sound effects. So last night my wife and I bought the tickets for the 6.20 PM show at Epicentrum which was just nice as it would not be too late at night when the movie finished. Well we shall get on with the movie now.

Brief Story Line (warning possible spoiler)

Set exactly after the events in the previous movie, John Wick (Keanu Reeves - Speed, Siberia etc) had become excommunicado and exiled from the league of assassins. A major bounty was put on his head and all the killers in that league wanted to kill him, including a highly skilled assassin Zero (Mark Dacascos - Crying Freeman, Cradle 2 the Grave etc) and his pupils. John had no choice but to seek help from some of his old acquaintances such as a former assassin Sofia (Halle Berry - Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Swordfish etc) and a mysterious Russian lady (Anjelica Huston - The Grifters, The Addams Family etc).

Death Wish - A Remake of 1974 Cult Classic

In a week where several major new Hollywood movies were released in the US, we were quite fortunate that 2 of them were also released in Indonesia. The first one was Red Sparrow which played on Wednesday and the other one premiered yesterday. I convinced my wife to see this one as I knew this was a remake of a movie that was very famous in the 1970s and 1980s due to its heavy violence. We chose to see this movie at Kuningan City as we had to do some errand there. We shall go on with the movie now.

Brief Story Line

A very successful surgeon named Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis - Die Hard series, The Sixth Sense etc) was having a wonderful life as ER doctor in Chicago hospital. He was having a perfect family where her wife Lucy (Elisabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas, Hollow Man etc) was also studying to be a doctor and their only daughter Jordan (Camila Morrone) who just graduated high school and was going out of Chicago for her college education. Paul was also very close to his brother Frank (Vincent D'Onofrio - Full Metal Jacket, Daredevil TV series etc) who seemed to be unemployed.

Wolf Warrior 2 - The Biggest Chinese Blockbuster Movie of 2017

I had read about this movie breaking so many records commercially and surely wanted to see what the fuzz was all about. But it did not play in Indonesian cinemas when it premiered last year. Few days ago I saw that one of the cable TV that I subscribed was going to play this movie during the Chinese New Year holidays and I already marked my calendar to remind me not to miss this one out on its premiere date. So last night at 9 PM, after we came back from our weekend staycation, I got myself ready to watch it on my TV (but not before I saw the original movie first). Let us get on with the movie now, shall we?

Brief Story Line

The movie started with Leng Heng (Wu Jing - SPL: Sha Po Lang, Invisible Target etc) the former soldier of special ops forces called Wolf Warrior, fighting off some pirates in African sea. It would be revealed later the reason why he was wandering around Africa and no longer working with the Chinese military. He befriended with a young African boy who referred to him as his god-father.  When a military coup against the existing government happened, all the Chinese people working or doing business there had to seek refuge in the Chinese embassy, including Leng Heng and his god-son.

The Foreigner - An Unusually Dark Jackie Chan's Movie

I have heard about the next Jackie Chan film few months ago which was unlike his more recent comedy action movies. When I saw its trailer few weeks ago that confirmed the news, I have set up my mind to see this one with my wife. The movie actually premiered in Indonesian theaters on Friday, but I chose to see another movie then and wait till Sunday to see this. Sadly my wife could not accompany me despite her being a big fan of Jackie Chan, since she was not feeling well and preferred to take a rest at home. So off I went to the cinema nearest to my home & watch the 5 PM show. Now let us go on with the movie.

Brief Story Line

Quan Ngoc Minh (Jackie Chan) was a Chinese who had emigrated to London since 1984 and became an England citizen. His normal life was torn apart when his only girl Fan (Katie Leung - as Cho Chang in Harry Potter movies) became a victim of a bomb set by Irish terrorists called UDI who claimed responsibility for the attack.

John Wick: Chapter 2 - The Cool Retired Hitman Returns

This movie just premiered in Indonesian theaters yesterday and I did not realize it till my wife informed me. From earlier information I got, I thought it would only premier on Thursday (which I already thought was kind of odd since usually a new movie would premier on Wednesday). Anyway, I was very impressed with the original movie 2 or 3 years ago and was looking forward to see the sequel. Since my wife did not join her noon food tasting event, she could buy the tickets for us and still do some blogging. The movie's playing time were rather odd as there was no 7PM show. That's when I realized that the movie was having a duration of > 2 hours. So it should be very exciting to see. Well let's get on to the movie.

Brief Story Line

Movie started immediately with the heavy car chase, guns blazing, crazy stunt fighting scenes between John Wick (Keanu Reeves - The Matrix trilogy, Speed and many more) and Abram's goons (Peter Stormare - 22 Jump Street, Fargo etc) who was holding John's car. This was directly linked with the first John Wick movie where his puppy left by his late wife was killed and his car was stolen by Viggo, Abram's brother. John managed to get his car back though in rough condition.