Inkheart

 Released Year: 2008

Directed by Iain Softley

Casted by:

Brendan Fraser as Mortimer "Mo" Folchart

Eliza Bennett as Meggie Folchart

Paul Bettany as Dustfinger

Andy Serkis as Capricorn

Helen Mirren as Elinor Loredan

Rafi Gavron as Farid

Jim Broadbent as Fenoglio

Sienna Guillory as Teresa "Resa" Folchart

 Story:

One evening, whilst Mortimer "Mo" Folchart and his wife Teresa "Resa" Folchart are reading the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" to their baby daughter Meggie, a red velvet hood appears out of nowhere. Several years later, a much older Meggie travels with her father Mo to visit an old book shop in Italy, unaware that he secretly looking for a copy of the book, Inkheart. Shortly after finding one, Meggie comes across a marten with horns outside the shop, who tries to bite her fingers. Suddenly, a man appears from the shadows, claiming to be an old friend while revealing the marten's name as Gwin. When Mo comes out of the book shop, he quickly recognizes the man as a person called Dustfinger, whom quickly asks to be read back into the book, only for Mo to flees with Meggie from him.

Travelling across Italy, Mo takes Meggie on a visit to Meggie's great aunt Elinor, whereupon he reveals to Meggie why he fled from Dustfinger. While she was young, Mo read to her from Inkheart, inadvertently freeing Dustfinger as a result, due to a gift he possessed from birth, that marks him as a "Silver Tongue". Unfortunately, his gift also freed the book's villain Capricorn and several of his henchman, but at the same time, losing Resa after being forced to flee with his infant daughter. Soon, Dustfinger reappears seeking Mo, accompanied by Capricorn's minion, Basta, who quickly captures Mo and his family and takes back Inkheart, destroying Elinor's valuable library in the process.

The four are taken to Capricorn's new castle in the real world, and imprisoned in the stables, which house various creatures from different storybooks, including the winged monkeys from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the minotaur from the story of Theseus, and a unicorn. During their imprisonment, Mo explains to Meggie and Elinor about his gift, stating that when he reads a person or an object out of a book, someone from the real world is sent into it, hence why his wife disappeared. Capricorn, interested in using his gift, forces Mo to read out items from books, causing him to get a stash of treasure from one of the stories in The Arabian Nights, while causing one of the 40 Thieves, named Farid, to be brought out as well and forced into imprisonment. Dustfinger, who believed he could get his chance to return into the book, quickly learns Capricorn tricked him, and so prompts a quick escape using the famous tornado from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; during the escape, he opts not to tell Mo that his wife Resa is in the village, but has lost her voice.

Following their escape, Meggie offers the idea of finding the author of Inkheart, a man named Fenoglio, who may have access to a copy of the rare-to-find book. Whilst Elinor decides to leave them to recover what is left of her book collection, the rest head for the author's location, with Dustfinger initially staying with Farid to teach him to juggle fire, yet secretly afraid of learning his fate in the book. When he does travel with Mo to find and meet with Fenoglio, the author's ecstatic mood, upon seeing his creation live and breath before him, causes Dustfinger to discover that his efforts to save Gwin at the end of the book brings about his death. Angry, he berates the author for not being his god and that he has the freedom to chose whatever fate he wants, before eventually confessing to Mo, who Resa is in the book, that his wife was in Capricorn's castle.

Both he and Mo take Fenoglio's car, leaving Meggie behind with the author, where during the journey, they quickly discover that Farid had stowed away in the car's trunk, and take him along at his insistence. Whilst away, Meggie begins reading a number of books out loud, and discovers she is a "Silver Tongue" herself, just before Basta arrives with men to capture Mo. Upon learning that she can read things out of books, after the author notices she brought Toto from the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Basta takes her and Fenoglio back to Capricorn. Elinor, who has a change of heart and does not take the train back to her home, returns to the author's home and quickly senses trouble, pursuing the captured pair. At the castle, Capricorn reveals to Meggie his intentions of bringing the monstrous Shadow from Inkheart, revealing that, although he burned all the copies, he spared one for such a purpose, threatening to harm her mother if she fails to comply. During this time, Mo sneaks into the castle, but is captured by Capricorn's henchmen.

After escaping his cell, Mo attempts to free Meggie, Resa and Fenoglio from imprisonment, as Capricorn forces Meggie to read out the Shadow from the book. Meanwhile, Dustfinger sneaks back into the castle with Farid and decide to set it alight, after his conscience gets the better of him. The distraction this causes allows Fenoglio to give Toto a rewrite he made to help Meggie stop Capricorn's plan. The plan partly works until Capricorn gains the upper hand. Just then, Elinor arrives with the creatures Capricorn imprisoned, giving Mo the opportunity to quickly throw his daughter a pen, allowing her to write out a story on her arm to combat Capricorn's plan. Meggie quickly reads out her creation, which causes Capricorn to turn into dust, vanishes his henchmen, destroys the Shadow, and return all the read out creatures back where they belong, including Toto. In addition, she grants Fenoglio's wish, and send him into Inkheart to live in the world he created, while restoring her mother's voice, allowing her and Mo to finally reunite with her, before fleeing as the castle collapses.

Shortly afterwards, Dustfinger, having missed his chance for Meggie to read him back into his book, decides to leave, not wishing to force Mo and his family to do anything without risking their happiness. As he does, Farid catches up with insisting on travelling with him to find another reader to send him back into the copy of Inkheart he had stolen before the castle collapsed. After a moment's hesitation, Dustfinger agrees and the two start off together only to have Mo catch them up and fulfill his promise. Dustfinger is soon transported safely back into Inkheart, where he reunites with his wife Roxane at their home. In the real world, Farid quickly reveals he kept Gwin with him, thus allowing Dustfinger to avoid his fate and have control over his destiny. As Mo and his family leave with Farid, Meggie agrees to teach him how to read while Farid agrees to teach her how to use the dragon breath.

 L² Scored: 9/10

L² Comment: 

Till now I still have not find the novel of Inkheart which was written by Cornelia Funke. Not sure how originally the movie follows the novel, but definitely its a very exciting movie and full of fantasy. Brendan  Fraser always give me a dreamy kind of image. His character is usually brighter whenever he was in this kind of fantasy movie... Overall the movie is quite good, how i wish i can find the novel in Big Bad Wolf lol~

The Mosquito Coast

Released Year: 1986
Directed by Peter Weir

Casted by:
Harrison Ford as Allie Fox
Helen Mirren as "Mother" Fox
River Phoenix as Charlie Fox
Conrad Roberts as Mr. Haddy
Story:

The film opens with Charlie Fox explaining that his father, Allie Fox, is a Harvard drop-out and brilliant inventor with "nine patents, six pending." Allie has grown fed up with the American Dream and American consumerism, believing that Americans "buy junk, sell junk and eat junk," and that there is an impending nuclear war on the horizon as a result of American greed and crime.

Allie and Charlie go to a hardware store to buy components for a new invention, an ice machine known as Fat Boy. Upon seeing that the product was made in Japan, Allie refuses to purchase it. Allie and Charlie acquire the components at a local dump. Allie finishes assembling his creation. Allie's boss and asparagus farm owner, Mr. Polski complains that Allie is not tending to the asparagus, which is rotting. Allie, Charlie, and Allie's youngest son, Jerry, meet Mr. Polski, and Allie shows him "Fat Boy." The machine leaves Polski unimpressed. As he drives past the fields,a dejected Allie comments on immigrants picking asparagus, and says that where they come from, they might think ice was a diamond of some sort. The home of the migrant workers is in a state of disarray exemplifying their poverty.

That night, Jerry tells "Mother", that he believes something terrible is about to happen, which Mother rebuffs, explaining that she believes something good will happen. The next morning, Allie throws a party for the immigrant workers, before telling his family that they're leaving the United States. Boarding a Panamanian barge, Allie shouts a defiant "Goodbye, America!!! Have a nice day!!!," as the barge sails. Aboard, Allie's family meets Reverend Spellgood, a Christian missionary, his wife, and their daughter, Emily. Emily flirts with Charlie. Allie and the Reverend begrudgingly try to get along, despite having entirely different religious views. The barge docks in Belize City. The families disembark and go their separate ways. Allie, with the consent of the Belize government, purchases a small village called Jeronimo in the rainforest along the river.

Mr. Haddy takes Allie and his family upriver to Jeronimo. Allie meets the inhabitants and proceeds to start building a new, 'advanced' civilization, in the process inventing many new things. The locals take kindly to Allie and his family, but Allie's will to build a utopic civilization keeps them working to their limits. One day, Reverend Spellgood arrives to convert Jeronimo's citizens. In the process, Allie and Spellgood angrily denounce each other, leading to a permanent schism: Allie believes Spellgood to be a religious zealot; Spellgood believes Allie to be a Communist. Allie sets to constructing a huge version of "Fat Boy" that can supply Jeronimo with ice. Upon completing the machine, Allie hears rumors of a native tribe in the mountains that have never seen ice. Allie recruits his two sons to carry a load of ice into the jungle to supply the tribe. Upon arriving, Allie find that the load has melted, and that the tribe has already been visited by missionaries. When Allie returns to Jeronimo, he learns that Spellgood has left with much of the populace, scaring them with stories of God's biblical destruction.

The near-empty town is visited by rebels, who demand to use Jeronimo as a guerrilla base. Allie and his family accept to accommodate them while Allie constructs a plan to be rid of them. Set on freezing them to death, Allie bunks the rebels up in the giant ice machine, tells Charlie to lock the only other exit to the machine, leaving them no escape route, and starts the machine. The rebels, waking in panic, try to shoot their way through. This causes an explosion, blows up the ice machine and, thereafter, Jeronimo. Allie and his family watch on in horror.

Forced downstream, Allie and his family arrive at the coast. Mother and the children rejoice, believing they can return to the USA. Allie, refusing to believe his dream has been shattered, announces that they have all they need on the beach and, lying, tells the family that America's been destroyed in a nuclear war. Settling on the beach in a houseboat he built, and refusing assistance from Mr. Haddy, a paranoid Allie believes that the family's accomplished building a utopia. One night, there is a terrible storm, nearly forcing the family out to sea, until Charlie reveals he's been hiding motor components given to him by Haddy, allowing them to start the motor on the boat. The family becomes physically and emotionally weaker for lack of food, shelter and other human companionship. Traveling upstream once again, Allie and his family stumble across Spellgood's compound. Coming ashore, Allie sees barbed wire, and believes the settlement to be a Christian concentration camp. While the rest of the family sleeps, Charlie and Jerry sneak over to the Spellgood home. After finding out that the US was not destroyed by a nuclear war and that Emily will assist them in escaping from Allie, Charlie obtains the keys to a jeep. Before Charlie can convince Mother and his sisters to leave, Allie sets the Spellgood church on fire. Reverend Spellgood shoots Allie, paralyzing him from the neck down. The family escapes aboard the boat.

The film concludes with the group traveling downriver again, where Allie drifts in and out of consciousness. Allie asks his wife if they are going upstream. She lies to him - going against the wishes of her husband for the first time. Charlie's final narration reports the death of Allie but gives hope that the rest of the family can live their lives freely from now on.

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

Well, its been a while since i watch this kind of old movie, and i quite enjoy it :) The story is kinda interesting on how Allie Fox took the risk to move his family to a place he has never been before, and build up the whole things by himself. Harrison Ford of course is the Mr Hot of this film; and this would be my first time to watch River Phoenix's film. This pretty boy has left us when he is 23yo, and he is so damn cute even when he is young. Too bad the brother Joaquin is not as hot as him~

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Released Year: 2010
Directed by Zack Snyder

Casted by:
Jim Sturgess as Soren
Ryan Kwanten as Kludd
Emily Barclay as Gylfie
Helen Mirren as Nyra
Joel Edgerton as Metal Beak
Hugo Weaving as Noctus and Grimble
Miriam Margolyes as Mrs P
Geoffrey Rush as Ezylryb
Sam Neill as Allomere
Story:

Soren, a fledgling barn owl, lives peacefully in the forest of Tyto with his family; his father, Noctus; his mother, Marella; his older brother, Kludd, his younger sister, Eglantine and Ms. P the family's nest maid. Noctus enjoys telling Soren and Eglantine stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythical group of warrior owls, who once saved all owlkind from the evil "Pure Ones" in a great battle in which the Guardians' leader, Lyze of Kiel, defeated the Pure Ones' leader Metal Beak. Kludd, however, thinks Soren soft-headed for believing in such stories. One night, while branching, a jealous Kludd pushes Soren and loses his balance in the process, and they both fall to the ground below. They are attacked by a Tasmanian devil but are saved and also kidnapped by a pair of Long-Eared Owls named Jatt and Jutt.

They are taken to St. Aegolious, home to the Pure Ones, where Soren meets an elf owl named Gylfie and her captor, a (boreal owl) named Grimble. The two are roughly thrown into a crowd of other kidnapped owlets. Nyra, second-in-command of the Pure Ones and the mate of Metal Beak, claims that the owlets now work for the Pure Ones as slaves. Soren and Gylfie protest, and are sent to be pickers, along with most of the captive owls. Kludd denies his brother, and goes away to be a soldier with other selected owls. They are tutored by Nyra in the ways of the Pure Ones, who believe that Tyto owls (barn owls and their relatives) are the strongest owls and that, because of this, they have the right to rule the owl kingdoms.

The other captured owls are forced to sleep under the full moon. Gylfie informs Soren that this will cause "moon-blinking", a trancelike state in which owls lose all sense of will and individuality. Soren and Gylfie stay awake, which means that they are not moon-blinked. They are brought to a large cavern to pick through owl pellets for small metal flecks. Soren discovers that the flecks en masse cause weakening pain in owls, when he is ordered to deliver a fleck to the bag they are kept in. The full bag is then carried away by a large bat to a gigantic metal container. Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton) and an unknown owl watch from above, making a bargain in which the unknown owl will receive a portion of the owl kingdoms and the Tree in return for laying a trap for the Pure Ones' enemies, the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. Grimble secretly takes Soren and Gylfie to his library, where he reveals that he is not truly a Pure One. He also tells the two owlets that his family was captured by the Pure Ones and forced into their service. He teaches Soren and Gylfie to fly, so they can warn the Guardians of the Pure Ones' plans.

Kludd has become a strong soldier, and his promise prompts Nyra to ask him about Soren's similar potential. Hoping to recruit him, the Pure Ones interrupt Grimble's flying lessons. Nyra attacks Grimble, Soren and Gylfie. Kludd joins the fray on Nyra's side, ignoring Soren's pleas. Grimble sacrifices himself to hold them back, and Soren and Gylfie just barely escape to begin their quest. On their journeys, they meet a (burrowing owl) named Digger; a (great gray owl) named Twilight; and Soren's old nestmaid, a (snake) named Mrs. P. They join Soren with the promise of leading him to the Sea of Hoolemere, the location of the Great Tree and the home of the Guardians. Soren and his allies are mobbed by (crows) on the way to the Sea and they nearly lose Twilight's lute, in which Mrs. P is riding. The battle brings them to the shore of the Sea of Hoolemere and the home of an (echidna) mystic. The crows deliberately led them to the meeting so that the Echidna could give them their bearings to the Great Tree. Far out over the ocean the group encounters a fierce hurricane, and Digger falls towards the sea. Soren dives to save him, only to find Digger being rescued by an enormous (snowy owl) with an armored mask - a Guardian of Ga'hoole. The Guardian leads Soren and his friends through the storm to the Great Tree.

Digger's saviors are Boron and Barran, the king and the queen of the Tree. The king and queen, as well as the ranking officers of Ga'hoole, hear Soren's tale. The search-and-rescue squadron leader, a (great gray owl) named Allomere, expresses doubts about Soren's story. But battle-scarred (whiskered screech owl) Ezylryb (Geoffrey Rush) defends Soren. Boron decides to send a scouting party, led by Allomere, to St. Aegolious. Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger begin their training in the different trades of the Tree. During one lesson, Ezylryb takes them out to learn how to "really fly," using a powerful storm to teach the young owls how to use the wind currents instead of fighting them. Soren briefly masters the technique of flying by instinct, only to lose control and to be saved by Ezylryb. After the lesson, Soren converses with Ezylryb in his hollow tree and learns that Ezylryb is, in fact, Lyze of Kiel. Soren is disillusioned with the seemingly heroic stories when he sees his hero's disfigurements and hears that the battle in the stories wasn't as heroic as he thought.

Allomere returns without his scouts. He tells King Boron that they were ambushed; that the scouts were killed; and that he barely managed to return with two moon-blinked owlets. One of the moon-blinked owlets is Eglantine, who was kidnapped by Kludd. Outraged, the Guardians go to war. At the urging of Ezlyryb, Soren reluctantly stays to tend to Eglantine. She soon awakes, but with shocking news: she wasn't rescued, but given to Allomere by Kludd. Allomere is revealed to be a traitor, and Soren and his friends rush to the Guardians' aid. When the Guardians arrive at St. Aegolious, they are drawn into a trap. Allomere peels off at the last moment and the Pure Ones unleash the power of the flecks against the Guardians, leaving the owls helpless on the ground. Soren and his friends arrive minutes too late, just as Metal Beak and Nyra send the bats to finish off the defenseless Guardians. Soren sends Twilight, Digger and Gylfie to hold back the bats. He plunges into the burning forest fire, carrying an oil lamp that becomes engulfed in flames after flying through the fire. The band's arrival causes Metal Beak to distrust Allomere. Believing that he has been betrayed, Metal Beak orders a group of bats to viciously kill Allomere.

Soren plunges into the flecks' magnetic field to drop the flaming oil lamp on the mechanism which holds open the lids over the flecks. The fire spreads across the machine and burns through the ropes. The lids slam down, freeing the Guardians. With his plan disrupted, Metal Beak orders the Pure Ones to fight the Guardians. Ezylryb and Metal Beak square off, as do Soren and Kludd. Their fight leads to them ending up in the burning forest. Soren tries to talk some sense into Kludd, who tells his younger brother that the Pure Ones believed in him when no one else did. He attacks Soren with renewed vigor, sending them both tumbling over a fallen tree and causing Kludd to break a wing. He convinces Soren to save him, only to attempt to pull his younger brother into the flames. Soren dodges the attack, and Kludd falls into the flames instead.

Soren sees that Ezylryb, Metal Beak, and Nyra are engaged in fierce combat. Filled with rage, he snaps off a burning branch and flies off to help Ezylryb. He takes Metal Beak by surprise, arriving in time to save Ezylryb. Metal Beak easily overpowers Soren and throws his branch away. Soren regains his weapon, just as Metal Beak moves in for the kill. Metal Beak impales himself on the branch, and Nyra retreats with the remaining Pure Ones. Soren and his friends return to the Great Tree with the owlets, and Soren is greeted by Eglantine and his parents. Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger are made Guardians of Ga'Hoole. In the epilogue, Soren reveals that Kludd's body was never found and Nyra is still out there with a contingent of Pure Ones. Kludd is then shown to be alive, now with the glowing red eyes of the other Pure Ones. He walks around and stares down at Metal Beak's body and mask, hinting at a sequel with Kludd as the new Metal Beak. After being interrupted by an owlet ,Soren says he doesn't want to give him daymares. Ezylyryb insists on taking flight, so they all fly across the sea.

L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

This is a best animation which i have missed last year in cinema. The movie is great - storyline, graphic, music and the casting.... The owls are so cute... make me feel like i wanna get one for my hse too~ lol.

I believe there will be a sequence of this movie since they are grossing quite well last year. Hope to see it soon :)

Caligula

Released Year: 1979
Directed by Tinto Brass

Casted by:
Malcolm McDowell as Caligula
Teresa Ann Savoy as Drusilla
Helen Mirren as Caesonia
John Gielgud as Nerva
Peter O'Toole as Tiberius
Guido Mannari as Macro
John Steiner as Longinus
Story:

Caligula, the young heir to the throne of the syphilis-ridden, half-mad Emperor Tiberius , thinks he has received a bad omen after a blackbird flies into his room early one morning. Shortly afterward, Macro, the head of the Praetorian Guards, appears to tell the young man that his great uncle (Tiberius) demands that he report at once to the Island of Capri, where he has been residing for a number of years with close friend Nerva, Claudius, a dim-witted relative, and Caligula's younger stepbrother, Gemellus, Tiberius' favorite. Fearing assassination, Caligula is afraid to leave, but his beloved sister Drusilla convinces him to go.

At Capri, Caligula finds his uncle has become depraved, showing signs of advanced venereal diseases, and embittered with Rome and politics. Tiberius enjoys watching degrading sexual shows, often including children and various freaks of nature. Caligula observes with a mixture of fascination and horror. Tensions rise when Tiberius jokingly tries to poison Caligula in front of Gemellus. After Nerva commits suicide on the prospect of Caligula's rule, Tiberius collapses from a stroke, leaving Macro and Caligula planning a way to hasten the latter's ascent to the throne.

Late one night, Macro escorts all the spectators out of Tiberius' bedchamber to allow Caligula the opportunity to murder his uncle, but when he fails, Macro finishes the deed himself by strangling Tiberius with a scarf. Caligula triumphantly removes the imperial signet from Tiberius' finger and suddenly realizes that Gemellus has witnessed the murder. Tiberius is buried with honours and Caligula is proclaimed the new Emperor, who in turn proclaims Drusilla his equal, to the apparent disgust of the senate. Afterwards, Drusilla, fearful of Macro's influence, convinces Caligula to get rid of him. Caligula obliges by setting up a mock trial, in which Gemellus is intimidated into testifying that Macro alone murdered Tiberius. With the powerful Macro gone, Caligula appoints Tiberius's former adviser Longinus as his right-hand man, and pronounces the docile Senator Chaerea as the new head of the Praetorian Guard. Drusilla endeavours to find Caligula a wife amongst the priestesses of the goddess Isis, the mystery cult they secretly practice. Caligula only wants to marry Drusilla, but when she refuses because she is actually his sister, he spitefully marries Caesonia, a known courtesan, but only after she bears him an heir.

Caligula proves to be a popular, yet eccentric ruler, cutting taxes and overturning all the oppressive laws that Tiberius enacted. The senate begins to dislike the young emperor for his eccentricities and various insults directed towards them. Darker aspects of his personality begin to emerge as well; he rapes a bride and groom on their wedding day because of a minor fit of jealousy and orders the execution of Gemellus merely to provoke a reaction from Drusilla.

After he discovers Caesonia is pregnant, Caligula suffers severe fever, but Drusilla nurses him back to health. Right after he fully recovers, Caesonia bears Caligula a daughter, Julia Drusilla, and Caligula marries her on the spot. During the celebration, Drusilla collapses in Caligula's arms from the same fever he'd suffered. Soon afterwards, Caligula receives another ill omen in the guise of a black bird. He rushes to Drusilla's side and watches her die. Caligula experiences a nervous breakdown, he smashes a statue of Isis and drags Drusilla's body around the palace while screaming hysterically. Now in a deep depression, Caligula walks the Roman streets, disguised as a beggar. After a brief stay in a city jail, Caligula becomes determined to destroy the senatorial class, which he has come to loathe. His reign becomes a series of humiliations against the foundations of Rome; senators' wives are forced to work in the service of the state as prostitutes, estates are confiscated, the old religion is desecrated, and he initiates an absurd war on Britain to humiliate the army. It is obvious to the senators and the military that Caligula must be assassinated, and Longinus conspires with Chaerea to carry out the deed.

Caligula wanders into his bedroom where a nervous Caesonia awaits him. The blackbird makes a final appearance, but only Caesonia is frightened of it. The next morning, after rehearsing an Egyptian play, Caligula and his family are attacked as they leave the stadium in a coup headed by Chaerea. His wife and daughter are brutally murdered and Chaerea himself stabs Caligula in the stomach, to which he defiantly whimpers "I live!"

As Caligula and his family's bodies are thrown down the marble steps and their blood is washed off the marble floor, Claudius is proclaimed the new Emperor.

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

A Penthouse production with a several version after changing for a few times. It has a lot of sex scene which can satisfy a slut like you~ lol. Though Caligula's period is famous of his control of the sexual activities in Rome, but how true is it the film has shown? Is it a bit too much? Lol~

RED

Released Year: 2010
Directed by Robert Schwentke

Casted by:
Bruce Willis as Frank Moses
Mary-Louise Parker as Sarah Ross
Morgan Freeman as Joe Matheson
Helen Mirren as Victoria
John Malkovich as Marvin Boggs
Karl Urban as William Cooper
Julian McMahon as Robert Stanton
Ernest Borgnine as Henry, The Records Keeper
Richard Dreyfuss as Alexander Dunning
Brian Cox as Ivan Simanov
James Remar as Gabriel Singer
Rebecca Pidgeon as Cynthia Wilkes
Story:

Frank Moses, a former black-ops CIA agent, is now living a quiet life in retirement. However, he begins to feel lonely and often chats on the phone with Sarah, a customer service agent working for Frank's pension office in Kansas City.

His life is disrupted when a hit squad raids his house in the middle of the night. Frank kills the assassins and, knowing they would have tapped his phone, goes to Kansas City to protect Sarah. She becomes Frank's reluctant companion while he tries to find out who is trying to kill him, and track down his old black ops team for help. Meanwhile, CIA agent William Cooper is assigned to hunt and kill Frank.

Frank first goes to New Orleans to find his mentor Joe Black, currently living in a retirement community and terminally ill, who tells him that the hit squad Frank killed were also responsible for the murder of a news reporter. While avoiding Cooper, Frank and Sarah find clues left behind by the deceased reporter, which leads them to a hit list. They then track down Marvin, a paranoid conspiracy theorist, to provide more information. Marvin tells them that the names on the list were all connected to a secret mission in Guatemala that Frank participated in during 1981, and that one name, Gabriel Singer, is still alive. The trio track down Singer, who tells them that the mission involved extracting a person from a village and that everybody on the list have been killed to silence them. Singer is then assassinated by a sniper, and the team makes their escape as Cooper closes in. With the help of Russian secret agent Ivan Simanov, Frank and Sarah infiltrate the CIA headquarters to steal the file but Frank is injured in the process. Joe, having escaped an attempt on his life, helps extract the team and joins them. The team hides out in Victoria's house for first aid. Victoria, who misses her old life as a wetwork agent, joins the team as well.

After reviewing the file, all the team can figure out is that the only man involved not on the list, Alexander Dunning, has some way of protecting himself. The team arrives at Dunning's house, where he reveals under interrogation that the mission was to extract Vice-President Robert Stanton, who at the time was a young lieutenant that experienced a breakdown and massacred the village. It becomes apparent that Stanton is trying to erase all the loose ends as he plans to run for president. At that moment, Cooper and the FBI surround Dunning's mansion. Cooper tries to negotiate Frank's surrender, but Frank tells Cooper about the vice-president's treachery, which shakes his faith. Joe sacrifices himself by taking Frank's place and pretending to give up. An unknown sniper kills Joe as he leaves the mansion, despite Cooper ordering his own men to hold fire. The confusion buys the team enough time to escape, but Sarah is captured. Frank calls Cooper and threatens to kill his family if Sarah is harmed, and that he intends to kill Stanton.

The team, along with Ivan (revealed to be Victoria's former lover), infiltrate Stanton's fundraising gala in Chicago and successfully kidnap him despite Cooper's best efforts to stop them. Frank calls Cooper and says he is willing to trade Stanton for Sarah. At the meeting point, Dunning arrives and reveals that he is the mastermind behind the assassinations and that Stanton was merely a pawn and scapegoat. Cooper's handler, Cynthia Wilkes, is also in on the plot. Disgusted with Dunning and Wilkes' greed and corruption and being used by her and Dunning, Cooper gives Frank the key to his handcuffs and shoots Wilkes while Marvin and Victoria kill Dunning's bodyguards, and Frank crushes Dunning's windpipe. Marvin then shoots his head while he's on the ground. Cooper agrees to let Frank and his team go. As they leave the scene, Frank and Sarah are eager to start a new life together.

The final scene shows Frank and Marvin in Moldova, fleeing from Moldovan Army troops with a stolen nuclear device, in a wooden wheelbarrow with Marvin wearing a dress being pushed by Frank, as part of returning a favor to Ivan for his help.

L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:

Love this movie a lot, thanks to Chad for recommending. Love Helen Mirren a lot. This hot mama is still stunning in her age of 65... The way she shoot~ haha, gorgeous. Bruce Willis still my favourite~ love his bald head... And both Karl Urban and Julian McMahon are hot !!!

Like what i told Fable, this is a "must-watch" movie.