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365days365movies · 4 years ago

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January 8, 2021: R.E.D. (2010)

Time to continue the action-comedy trend by getting away from the buddy cop trend, and hitting a different style of comedy: the ensemble. I’ll talk about this more during Comedy April, but one of my favorite comedies is an ensemble comedy. That would be 1963′s It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.

I cannot properly explain how much I love this movie. It’s only grown over the years, and I WILL get into this one day. Don’t know HOW...but I WILL.

Anyway, what do I mean by the ensemble? It’s a cast composed of many big names, especially those famous or popular at the time the film is made. Nowadays, superhero films tend to be our ensembles, as well as some other action films that I’ll get to later this month.

But in today’s case, the ensemble is different. Rather than purely action or comedy stars, they’re kind of all over the genre map. But ere we go, here’s the list of stars:

Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Mary-Louise Parker, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, Ernest Borgnine, James Remar. Seriously. LOOK at the list of people up there. That’s one hell of an ensemble. None of them particularly well-known for comedy, and that’s handled in a surprising way. Which movie is this?

R.E.D. is definitely an interesting movie as action-comedies go, but let’s get into it, shall we? SPOILERS AHEAD, as a warning heading forward!

Recap

Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retiree living in suburbia, reading romance novels, and calling Sarah Ross (Mary Louise Parker), a girl working in the GSA pension office. Sarah Ross is most likely the Inevitable Love Interest of this film. The two decide to meet up in Kansas City, where she works.

But no time for that, as a group of masked assailants invade Frank’s house to kill him. But, see, it turns out that Frank’s ex-CIA. He handily takes them and turns the tables, then goes into the basement to prepare. Meanwhile…

Not very subtle, huh? I feel like the neighbors know what’s going on at this point. Frank takes on the rest, the house collapses, and he makes his way to Kansas City...directly into Sarah’s apartment. She freaks out (appropriate reaction), as he warns that people are trying to kill her, because they know how he feels about her via their (likely surveilled) phone conversations. She’s not buying it.

So he kidnaps her.

Good start, building trust, establishing boundaries, good start.

We now cut to an opulent estate, where The Butcher/Executioner/Judge Dredd Karl Urban is killing a man. He’s playing William Cooper, a CIA agent tasked to kill Frank. After Frank drops off Sarah at a motel (still kidnapped, remember), he goes to meet Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), another retired agent living at a retirement home, with his…

...hobbies. Using his connections, they discover that the hit quad after Frank also killed a reporter. The plot thickens. Sarah escapes, and calls 911, a call which was intercepted by Cooper. A fake cop nearly kidnaps her, but Frank saves her. Cooper catches up, leading to…

OK, yeah, that was a cool shot. Literally. Frank sets up Cooper to get arrested by the local police, and escapes with Sarah to New York City. There, they meet the mother of the NYT reporter killed, and discover clues that lead them to the NYU library, and a book with a hitlist hidden within it. They discover that everyone on the list is dead except for a Gabriel Singer. However, tempered with that, we get some unfortunate news.

Joe’s dead. Which sucks, I honestly liked Joe. He was already dying of liver cancer, but he sadly was assassinated by a mysterious assailant.

Anyway, back to Cooper. He goes to visit the Record Keeper (Ernest Borgnine), who gives Cooper the mostly redacted case file of Frank Moses. An extremely effective black ops agent in his day, the now older Frank’s been marked “RED,” or “retired, extremely dangerous.”

FLORIDA! There, we meet the paranoid and flighty Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), who lives in the swamps of Pensacola trying not to get killed. He lives underground in a bunker whose entrance is a broken-down car, and I love it a lot. I love it a whole lot.

Turns out Marvin was given doses of LSD every day for 11 years while working for the government, which made him understandably paranoid. My MK Ultra senses are tingling, and Marvin retrieves a file detailing a case in Guatemala from 1981, in which Frank, Marvin, and everybody else on the hit list was involved. And with this, Marvin gets the pig.

I can’t wait to find out what the pig is. Because I know it’s gonna be some crazy weapon. And I’m excited for it. Now, we head to Mobile, Alabama to catch up with Singer (James Remar), the only living person on the list. Marvin then briefly holds a random bystander hostage, and he might be juuuuuuuuust a little unstable.

They meet Singer, and he explains that his job on the Guatemala mission was to carry a passenger in the middle of the night, for unknown reasons. Singer’s quickly assassinated from a helicopter after giving this information, and may I just say...these guys aren’t subtle about their assassination techniques. I feel like somebody would notice this stuff happening, throughout the entire movie.

Anyway, a group of assassins comes in to kill the group of 3. Including this person.

Nice. And as if that wasn’t enough, we now discover the purpose of the pig. It contains a grenade launcher. Of course it does. We get a cool firefight in which Marvin hits a grenade like a baseball, and Marvin and the woman from before face off in a Western standoff. And then…

Yeah. This is awesome. Seriously, I’m loving this so far.

Next destination, as our guys head to the Russian Embassy, where we meet Ivan Simanov (Brian Cox), an ex-KGB agent and former enemy of Frank Moses. The two catch up in a funny exchange, and they reminisce over their old days as agents and assassins. Almost sweet in a macabre way. Frank’s there to ask Ivan for help in breaking into the CIA, using schematics that they probably have.

Using the assistance of Sarah (who’s enjoying this a LOT, apparently), they get into Langley, making this the second movie I’ve seen this month where the protagonist breaks into the CIA. There, they meet the Record Keeper Henry, who immediately helps them, and gives them the Guatemala file. They also find out about Cooper, leading to Frank meeting him at his office, where a kickass fight ensues to some kickass music.

Frank’s not looking stellar after this fight, not that Cooper’s doing great either. They escape by setting up an explosion, stealing a firefighter’s uniform, and escaping to an ambulance There, they’re greeting by Marvin and…

Joe! He escaped, and killed the assassin. Now, it’s Joe, Frank, Marvin, and Sarah on the run in an ambulance. But Frank isn’t doing great, as he was shot in the struggle with Cooper. They head up to Chesapeake, Maryland, to the Eagle’s Nest. It’s there that we meet Victoria Winslow (Helen Mirren), yet one more R.E.D. agent, and a talented assassin as well.

They discover that the file has one redacted name, which is found on the reporter’s list as Alexander Dunning (Richard Dreyfuss), an arms trafficker and gangster, apparently protected by the CIA. Using Joe as a pretend buyer, R.E.D. infiltrates the mansion, as Dunning sneaks Joe into a safe room, where their negotiating can take place. Soon though, though, Frank and Marvin join in, and it turns from negotiation to interrogation.

We find out here that the Guatemala mission was meant to clean up the destruction of a Guatemalan village performed by the current vice president, Robert Stanton. Yikes. Apparently, he went nuts and murdered the entire village. And so, the hits are meant to cover up with war crimes, allowing him to run for President without fear of persecution.

After that reveal, Cooper calls the trio; looks like the mansion’s been surrounded by FBI, who were surveilling Dunning’s mansion anyway. Cooper, who’s been in doubt about the motives of this mission, tells Frank to surrender, and he’ll hear his side of the story. With little option for escape, Joe, who’s dying anyway, volunteers to take his place, as they know he will most likely be killed immediately.

And unfortunately, they’re right. Joe’s shot and killed, and Frank and Marvin escape with Victoria’s help. In the escape, however, Sarah falls and is captured by the agents. They escape with the aid of Ivan.

They need to get Sarah out of Cooper’s custody, while also deciding to end the cause of this: Vice President Stanton. Frank makes it into Cooper’s home, and calls him from there. This, of course, is a threat meant to protect Sarah. He also tells Cooper that he plans to kill the Vice President, who will be at a gala that night.

Vice President Robert Stanton (Julian McMahon) announces his intention to run for President, as Cooper, Victoria, and Ivan watch on. Ivan sprays a gas throughout the ballroom, while Victoria blocks the doors. Ivan causes a distraction, claiming the smell of gas (which he’s caused), then pulls a fire alarm. The Vice President is routed through the back entrance, where Victoria and Marvin are waiting with a machine gun.

They rig it to autofire, and chase the VP back through the building. Victoria’s shot in the process, and Marvin detonates a smoke grenade to aid their escape. He then rigs up a bomb to his chest and chases the VP away, into a vehicle driven by, of course, Frank.

Cooper’s defeated, and Frank has the VP, offering to trade him for Sarah. Cooper calls his boss, all of whom head to the rendezvous point. And alongside Cooper’s boss arrives Alexander Dunning. Surprise! He kills Stanton, and is in command of Cooper’s boss. And Cooper is NOT happy about that.

Cooper kills his boss, Marvin and Victoria kill the bodyguards, and Frank and Marvin kill Dunning. Cooper lets the REDs leave, unencumbered and free. But Ivan reminds Frank of his favor to him, and I smell a sequel as Frank and Sarah kiss.

Whew. That’s R.E.D.! And what a fun ride it was! Might not have come across in this recap, but this movie is hilarious fun, and I’ll explain exactly how in the review section, coming up next!

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cathygeha · 4 years ago

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REVIEW

Mockingbird’s Cry by Winter Austin

Hera Force Series #1

Excellent introduction to three strong women that were the core of a black ops military team. They fascinated me. Sure, there was a bit of the feel of Charlie’s Angels in that there were three women working together to get difficult jobs done using many skills BUT these women were tougher, more determined, and more intriguing than the fluffier Angels.

What I liked:

* The first chapter grabbing me immediately

* The intensity and pace of the story/writing

* Josephine “mockingbird” Caruso: brilliant, analytical, leader, planner, strategist, team player, capable of great love, demanding, has trust issues, wants justice, good partner to Lincoln…once they work through things.

* Lincoln Sullivan: soldier, cop, team leader, spontaneous, capable of loving long term, has secrets, good partner to Jo once they work through their issues.

* Jade “Dragon” Delacour: dog handler and trainer, sniper, lethal snarky, can scent liars, MMA fighter, want to know more about her.

* Nadia “Phoenix” Roth: CIA Agent, assassin, chameleon, lethal, bubbly, TBI injury to deal with, mediator between team members, intriguing and I want to know more about her.

* Thor: Malinois service trained canine and Jade’s partner – also there for the team

* David Beckhorn: dislikable but grew on me and interested in seeing how he and Nadia get along in the next book.

* General Nathaniel Thornblade: string puller, seeking to put The Chessmaster out of business, strategist that doesn’t always get it right. I wonder what part he will play in the future…is he Charlie but seen or more of a Bosley or perhaps someone else entirely?

* The idea of Hera Force being composed of predominately highly skilled females who accomplished jobs male soldiers were unable to do. That may change in the future or not…it will be interesting to find out.

* Wondering if The Chessmaster will be dealt with eventually

* The twist…there was a big one.

What I didn’t like:

* The way the bad guy was eager to kill rather indiscriminately

* Having to wait for the next book in the series.

Thank you to the author and Tirgearr Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

Five years ago, Josephine "Mockingbird" Caruso belonged to an all-female black-ops military group named Hera Force—a team tasked with bringing down terrorists like the enigma dubbed the Chessmaster. But the faceless criminal mastermind had other plans and single-handily destroyed the operation, ruining the women’s military careers and their lives. Ex-Delta Force operative Detective Lincoln Sullivan reports to the scene of a mass-murder, learning all too quickly he knows the victims. The killer has left behind a deadly missive just for him: Find the Mockingbird or more will die. Lincoln flies to New Orleans where Jo lives with her twin brother. Lincoln and Jo had once been co-operatives and lovers, however the fallout from Hera Force's destruction left what little relationship they had in tatters. Jo has no desire to work with Lincoln again, but the threat to her life and the remaining two operatives, Nadia “Phoenix” Roth and Jade “Dragon” Delacour, force her hand. The four former teammates are thrust together once more. There are unknown forces moving in the background and an old enemy is about to return with a vengeance. Tensions between the ex-lovers come to a head when Lincoln learns his partner is an Army agent working under Hera Force’s top general, a man who's not all that he seems. With each step Lincoln and Jo take, they are met with death and destruction. Buried lies and half-truths begin to unravel Jo’s shaky trust in Lincoln until all is brought to light. When the killer strikes, Jo is faced with a hard choice, be the leader she was born to be, or lose Lincoln forever.

AUTHOR BIO

Winter Austin perpetually answers the question: “were you born in the winter?” with a flat “nope.” Having returned to her hometown, Winter has stepped into the chaotic world of a full-time wife, mom, author, and employee. A lifelong Mid-West gal, Winter rediscovered her love of her beloved Iowa with its hot summers and snowy winters. She grew up listening to the captivating stories told by relatives around the table or a campfire. Since becoming a published author, she learned a mindset of a glass half-empty personality makes for a perfect suspense/thriller author. Taking her ability to verbally spin a vivid and detailed story, Winter translated that into writing deadly romantic thrillers. Combining her love of all things rural, agricultural, and military, she’s turned her small town life upside down.

Website: http://www.winteraustin.com/

Twitter: WinterAustin_

#Winter Austin #Hera Force Series 1 #Military #Romance #Thriller #Fiction #Military Romance #Second Chances #Terrorist #Women Soldiers

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wftc141 · 6 years ago

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Blackwatch Chapter 1: We Are Blackwatch

In 2014, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed a covert black ops unit, bringing together members from the shadows with a certain set of skills, all curated from the best with the best. They operate in countries that revolves in reconnaissance, rescue, counter-terrorism and assassinations. If they are compromised, NATO was not involved. They do not exist, they do not have records. They are ghosts. They are Blackwatch.

5:06 AM, Local Time

Ukraine

April, 2017

Elsewhere far towards the yet to be risen sun, the War of Donbass continued to rage on in the distance. The gunfire and the roars shut out the outside world between the Russian army and the Ukraine forces. Footsteps and war cries rattled the village as a rocket obliterated a chunk of a house.

Dust, debris and glass powdered as a group of armed and masked(with the exception of certain members) operatives evade and escape from an army of Kadyrovtsy soldiers and Pro-Russian rebels, peppering after them with their rifles. Their mission was to rescue missing CIA agent Clint Goddard who was captured by Chechen forces and set to be executed. But when the captors have Pro-Russian rebels on their contacts list, what do they do? Now they were on the run, desperately making their way for the helicopter evac a few blocks away.

Gabriel Reyes, ex-Delta Force and the front man, turned around and fired automatic bursts with his 10 inch barreled HK416 fitted with an Eotech sight, a tactical foregrip, an AN/PEQ-15 ATPIAL and a suppressor while the team ran past him. His signature skull balaclava topped with a black hood glared at the rebels, designed to strike fear into their hearts, thus earning his nickname, Reaper. Doesn't seem to be working so far.

He stopped shooting and retreated, catching up with Amélie Lacroix, the team's sniper and second in command. Apart from the others, she was armed with a HK417 with custom attachments consisting of a RIS foregrip, a suppressor, a Harris bipod and a laser designator. As one of the most deadliest snipers from France, Amélie was known for her sharpshooting skills and her combined use of hand-to-hand combat and ballet dancing. Therefore, the others knew her as Widowmaker. Shortly, Reaper's earpiece from his comms radio brightened alive.

"Ghost Rider to Shadow 1, get your asses moving. I'm running out of fumes here and I'm getting shot at, over!"

"We're on the move right now! Stand by, over!" Reaper replied while hopping over uneven terrain.

Making their way down a hill through a blasted hole on a wide fence, American country-man Jesse McCree turned around and burst rounds with his AR-15 5.56/223 Carbine attached with a Crimson Trace lasergrip and ACOG scope against their pursuers. Everybody was quick to call him a cowboy based on his thick beard, ragged hair and the cowboy hat whenever he wasn't on the field. The Japanese Genji Shimada was also beside him, doing the same thing with his TDI Kriss Vector SBR .45 ACP attached with an extended mag, Trijicon SRS sight and an Osprey suppressor. He also had a hood over his balaclava.

Another operator assisting them was the newest member in Blackwatch. Keenan Cortell, AKA. Marvel, straight out of the US Air Force bringing in his experiences as a fighter jet pilot. Unlike everybody else, he only carried an automatic Glock 18, firing rapid bursts. He always preferred a pistol over an assault rifle but if he had to choose, his first pick would be his custom UMP-45. After taking down a group of rebels, another wave of them clambered after them, forcing the three to fall back.

"This mission was supposed to be clean and quiet!" McCree yelled while sliding down the rocky but short hill.

"How would it be if we're in the middle of a goddamn war-zone?!" Marvel retorted, following him.

While the rest of the team ran through the wide dry area, Irish operative Moira O'Deorain carried Goddard by his shoulders. Even though he went through some beating sessions, he was still able to walk on two feet. Ex-Delta Force operative, Nicolas Beltrán or Nico for short fought back against the rebels trying to flank their east using his camo AK-12 with Eotech sights, AFG grip along with the Mexican, Sombra. Nobody knew her identity when she joined, not even the FBI. Her beanie covered her purple highlighted hair with sunglasses. Her custom silver blue MP7A1 attached with a suppressor, vertical foregrip and an Eotech sight was able to pick off a row of rebels charging after them.

"It would be better if you guys lent me a gun." Goddard croaked.

"Sorry sir but you're our mission and we can't risk you getting killed." Moira said.

The operatives caught up and they formed a line, fighting back against the pursuing rebels far from their distance while Moira brought Goddard to the front. After what felt like forever, their pilot in a PZL-Świdnik Mi-2 arrived and landed in front of the team. The rotors hovered, blowing away the remaining grass on its landing zone.

"Ghost Rider to Shadow 1, we're here. Get your asses in. I don't wanna stay long."

"Copy, Ghost Rider."

As the rest of the team provided covering fire, Moria quickly placed Goddard into the helicopter. Once he was strapped in, Moira stepped near the doors and called after the team.

"Objective secure, everybody in the helicopter now!"

Genji and Marvel were the first to jump in while the rest continued to shoot back. One by one, the team jumped in while taking shots. Now it was Nico and Sombra's turn to get in. As Sombra removed her clip while backing towards the helicopter, Nico's gaze fell upon to his west where he saw one of the rebels crouched and aiming something pointy at them. It didn't take long for him to realize what it was.

"RPG!" He shouted.

Wasting no time, Nico pushed Sombra out of the way just in the nick of time. As Sombra fell to the ground, Nico was unfortunately standing on the radius of the missile seconds away near him. As soon as it landed, an ear-crunching thwoom erupted and smoke formed the area. The explosion damaged the helicopter, which almost had it tilting to its right with its rotors grazing the ground. As the smoke cleared out and the team got back to their senses, Sombra who had covered herself from the blast looked up and found Nico on the ground but he wasn't responsive.

"Nico?" Sombra called. He didn't move or cough, prompting her to get up and check on him. "Dios mios, Nico!"

When she got to him, it wasn't a pretty sight. Sombra almost felt something forced up her throat. Nico's body has almost turned into a limbless statue with both of his legs and left arm missing, as well as burns all over his chest and face. A puddle of blood formed underneath him, soaking the dry grass. His eyes were shut tightly as if something dug inside it.

"N-Nico's down! I repeat! Nico's down!" Sombra yelled.

Everybody gasped silently and gave each other glances except Reaper. He jumped out of the helicopter while bullets continued to rain after them. He went up towards Sombra and helped her pull Nico to the helicopter while the rest of the team provided covering fire. Moira got out as well armed with a spare HK416, managing to take out a pair of rebels closing in.

Once Reaper and Sombra got in with Nico's body, Moira stopped firing and hopped back in. The helicopter began to lift from the hot-zone and Marvel shut the slide. The rebels continued to shoot at them but the ceased shooting proved that the rebel's efforts were fruitless.

As the helicopter flew out of sight from the village, Reaper bent down near Nico's body and pulled his mask off along with hood, revealing his brown goatee. He began to apply CPR while Goddard and Moira came to assist with cleaning up and bandaging the missing limbs with the provided first aid. Blood was now forming on the surface, slowly sliding downwards.

"Come on, Nico! Wake up!" Reaper begged as he pressed his chest repeatedly.

There was no response. No cough or a faint feeling of a breath. Reaper didn't want to believe it. He kept on pressing his chest while the team waited for a miracle. Moira was the only person who knew an injury like this wasn't bound to be healed.

"Nico, don't you fucking die!" Reaper growled, raising his voice progressly.

He continued to press his chest to the point where it was starting to get pointless. Goddard and the team couldn't do anything but watch as Reaper slammed his hands on Nico's almost limbless body while throwing his entire energy on him. Eventually, Reaper stopped while heavily panting. His hands were covered with Nico's blood and went limp onto the surface. The fact that they were together in the Delta Force added further injury to his pain, like a bullet to the heart.

"Goddamn you, Nico," he whimpered as the wine red blood reached the end of the door slide, dripping off the gap. "Goddamn you."

(1 Year Later)

Even being awake, the alarm clock continued to beep without even stopping. Reaper was already up, sitting on the side of his bed while staring down at the floor. Only dressed in worn sweatpants with his old dog tags, the rest of his body was not so pure. There were multiple healed wounds on his body, a healed gunshot wound on the waist with an exit and another on his right shoulder. There were several more on his back, including some healed burns. His right arm also had a healed burn wound. As the alarm beeped mindlessly, Reaper sighed, fed up and turned off the alarm clock.

8:23 AM, Local Time

Rome, Italy

Embassy of the United States

May, 2018

Blackwatch was never assigned any stations but the associates from NATO were kind enough to lend in the Embassy of the United States in Rome as the team's station. The Embassy was big enough for Blackwatch to fit in their own quarters and their operation centers for their missions, similar to the CIA and the DSS. Reaper parked his rented Fiat at the nearest parking garage and got out, dressed in all black rolled up shirt and pants with a NATO ID badge, because Blackwatch isn't an official unit. He didn't have time for breakfast since he wasn't much of an eater.

Reaper had to meet up with Widowmaker as the two have a debrief with Major Salvatore of NATO. After getting checked by guards and processed, Reaper picked up the FNG at the front entrance as ordered yesterday and made their way down the hallway, going into an elevator. While in the elevator, Reaper briefly glanced at the FNG. He was a black guy with a temple fade haircut and a beard. He looked like any average soldier: standard build and six feet tall. He also wore a navy blue t-shirt with tan pants and carried a backpack.

Before he went to the meeting, Reaper took the black guy to Blackwatch's quarters. When the two entered the room, the team who were inside stopped what they were doing once Reaper stepped inside. All of the members were in their casual clothes.

Genji was leaning at the corner, wearing a grey sweatshirt with the hood completely shading half of his face alongside black jeans. Marvel had a grey polo shirt and a cap topped with Ray Bans. McCree had his signature cowboy hat with a brown leather jacket over a blue tucked in shirt and tan pants.

Sombra's appearance has made some drastic changes for the past year. Although her shaved side hasn't grown back, her remaining hair was shorter and red highlights replaced her original colour as well as her clothes, shifting into a burgundy raglan tee and black skinny jeans. Other than Reaper, she had a NATO ID badge on her belt. Moira had her usual black shirt with a purple waistcoat. Their pilot, Tamara "Fio" LaPaglia, stood next to Sombra in a green open short sleeve shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. Born with a Brazilian descent, Fio shared similar experiences with Marvel as a US Marine pilot with the exception of a fighter jet.

"Who's this guy, Reaper?" Sombra asked, pointing at the black guy.

"This is...the FNG," Reaper answered. He didn't sound enthusiastic. "Sorry, didn't really catch your name."

"Raymundo Owens. But you can call me Ray."

The team were surprised about the news since nothing bad happened after the death of a former member but nonetheless, none of them had a problem with the news. However, Sombra didn't seem to like the new guy. Its like questioning a nobody in a top secret covert unit sent to replace a previously deceased member. Reaper also noticed that Widowmaker wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Where's Lacroix?" He asked.

"Already waiting for you at the meeting." Sombra replied, ignoring Ray as much as possible.

"Alright, while I'm at the meeting, you guys make Ray feel at home," Reaper then turned to Ray. "And you...don't cause any trouble while I'm gone."

He replied with a nod. Shortly, Reaper was out of the room and the door swung shut. There was nothing but silence surrounding the room as the team stared at Ray. The silence was eventually broken once McCree got up from the cases he was sitting on and approached Ray. His index finger was tapping intensely on his upper thigh as if he really wanted a cigar.

"Well, I suppose we make ya feel comfortable," he held out his hand. "I'm McCree, Jesse McCree."

Ray shook his hand back. "Nice to meet you."

He seemed warm enough. McCree then let go of his hand.

"So, which branch you from?" He asked.

"Army, 75th Rangers. You?" Ray replied.

"Marines, Force Recon. Those were the days, partner."

McCree then turned around and planned to introduce the team. He first gestured towards Moira.

"This is Moira, ex-Irish Army Ranger Wing. She's our field medic but if you're a bad guy who just got shot or just piss her off in general, she'll murder you slowly and painfully."

Moria warmly smiled and waved like it was a normal thing. After a moment of awkward silence, McCree then pointed towards Fio.

"This is Fio, our pilot. When it comes to any sort of aircraft, she'll fly 'em."

Fio simply smiled and nodded at him, prompting him to do the same. McCree then pointed to Sombra.

"Over there is Sombra, NSA's top cyber security agent and hacker. Her past is a mystery and that's why the NSA want her. She's wicked smart and asks no questions. Ask her to break into Elon Musk's servers, she'll get it done in no time." When Ray looked at her, Sombra avoided eye contact. McCree wasn't surprised at all. "Oh, don't worry about it. She's not so into new guys. She'll soften up eventually."

McCree turned towards Marvel where he was staring at Ray.

"That's Marvel, fresh out of the US Air Force. He's a pro with a fighter jet and he can take on just anybody with his hands. Trust me when I say you'll only last three seconds on the mat."

"Hey." Marvel uttered without waving.

Ray nodded. McCree eventually got to the last part, pointing at the hooded guy.

"And last and not least, Genji Shimada, our other hand-to-hand expert. Actually kicked Marvel's ass a buncha times."

"Once, actually!"

McCree ignored his comment and continued.

"Genji's a former Japanese officer from the Special Assault Team. Had a great record of locking up many bad crooks, especially one of the most ruthless Yakuza clans of Tokyo."

Genji just showed him a peace sign without a word.

"Widowmaker's our leader's second in command but she's currently in a meeting with the boss. You might get to meet her later. I'm gonna assume it's gonna be 'bout our next mission so don't get too comfy. But other than that...welcome to Blackwatch."

McCree patted Ray on the shoulder with a smile before walking away, leaving Ray alone. As everybody else got back to whatever they were doing, Ray stood there, figuring out how to get used to being in a special black ops unit. It was quite hard, especially for new guys like him.

As soon as Reaper and Widowmaker entered the briefing room, they were greeted by Major Salvatore, serving NATO for twenty years, sitting at the middle of the room with a desk containing folders along with two chairs. A pair of guards were also stationed at the corners. As the two sat down, they noticed the two folders conveniently placed for them.

"We have a situation in Zambia," Salvatore stated. "Two days ago, a squad of peacekeepers from the United Nations were captured and publicly executed during their routine patrol by a local militia group. We caught the word when a group of villagers came to one of our nearest bases in Zambia with the decapitated heads of the peacekeepers."

Reaper opened up the folder and picked up a file, showing four seperate pictures of men with blue berets. Underneath were some bullet points and additional notes with one of them by the name of 'Ejner Lütken' highlighted for whatever reason. Maybe he was the leader. Either way, Reaper had some divisive opinions on the decision.

"Obviously it was a stupid call to send in a four man team unarmed into a bad neighborhood." He said, leaning back on his chair.

"They were only ordered to observe and possibly maintain order there." Widowmaker added.

"She's right, Reyes," Salvatore said. "Zambia is still a war-zone and the UN were trying to maintain the peace by using their hearts and minds, not automatic weapons."

Reaper scoffed. "I've seen the work the UN does and with all due respect, this shit ain't working at all. It's just making the situation worse. I hardly believe they're even brave enough to handle this or even give a rat's ass about it."

Salvatore wasn't fazed by his comment but he just handed Reaper another folder. "Either way, this is a Blackwatch operation, Reyes. We've identified the militia who executed those peacekeepers."

Reaper flipped over the folder and took out the paper with a blurry photograph of a black man with braids and sunglasses, standing beside a couple of armed men in shemagh scarves.

"Your target is Arno Macaba. Younger brother of former warlord, Dede Macaba who was killed by the Namibian Defence Force five years earlier. Arno is trying to finish what his brother started by taking full control of South Africa. They had control of both Zambia and Namibia earlier but ever since the death of Dede, Namibia is in the government's hands which leaves Zambia, the only hole left for Arno to fill. The NSA has managed to pinpoint his location at a large camp which is 3 miles away from the village where the UN peacekeepers were killed. Airstrikes are a no go because the NSA has also found out that the militia are using the villagers for labor and we can't risk casualties or worse, have the CNN snoop around on NATO's activities. Which is why we need you and your team on the ground to eliminate him. Keep the mission as quiet as possible. We can't afford any traces leading to NATO. The C130 will be wheels up at 10. Good luck."

After that, words were exchanged and the two left the room. They went down the corridor towards the elevator where they passed a man carrying some files. It was dead silent on their way back.

"Heard about the new teammate." Widowmaker said, breaking the silence.

"You okay with that?" Reaper asked.

"Oui. You think I don't like newcomers?"

"I do, actually. Hell, I don't even want any more members on the team."

Widowmaker chuckled for a moment. The two both stopped after arriving at the elevator. "There's nothing wrong with having a new member on the team, Gabe. You didn't say anything when Marvel first arrived."

Everything went silent again as they stood together. The elevator sign above changed numbers.

"Considering what happened back in Ukraine, it shouldn't be a big deal with the new guy on the team."

Reaper sighed, silently admitting she had a point but he was still concerned.

"Lets just hope the kid won't screw up the mission and get himself or all of us killed."

The elevator arrived just as he finished and they were silent again for the rest of the trip back to the quarters.

10:20 AM, Local Time

Flying over Africa's Airspace

Prior to the boarding of the C130, everybody swapped into their compatible clothes to blend in the dark. Their weapons, each different, were also packed in containers for the mission. Marvel and Fio piloted the aircraft as part of their skills. Shortly, the aircraft went for the sky and made an estimated time of a twelve hour trip to Zambia.

Two hours has passed during the flight and everybody has been minding their own business. As the aircraft rumbled and shook lightly on the sky, Ray looked around where the team were. Sombra and Genji were resting, McCree had earphones on while napping, probably listening to some country music by the looks of him and Widowmaker was writing something on a notepad. Moira was reading a book titled "The Human Anatomy" which seemed to unsettle Ray but he pretended as if it wasn't a big deal. Sighing underneath his breath, Ray looked at the ring on his finger. A small smile slowly grew across his face.

"You're married?"

Ray looked up and noticed Reaper standing above him. He laid his finger off the ring.

"I am, sir."

Reaper nodded and handed him a small container. Ray looked at it in confusion before looking back at the leader.

"Leave the ring in the C130 once we get out," Reaper said. "We don't let our enemy know what we have in life for them to use against us…"

Ray's eyes slowly descended down to the surface of his ring. He had a point there.

"Plus you make us look bad. We're still single." Reaper added.

That comment was enough to make Ray chuckle, brightening the tension a little bit. After taking the container from Reaper, he left him to himself and Ray pulled the ring off his finger, placing it into the container. Just as he removed it, Ray seemed to feel a sense of guilt and pity. Maybe he never had taken the ring off for a while. Could be.

10:43 PM, Local Time

Zambia, Africa

Militia Camp

After arriving in Zambia, the team made another half hour ride towards the marked camp with the supplied helicopter. Fio landed them a few miles away from the camp before taking off. Apart from the other villages where it was pitch black, the camp was decently lit well enough to expose their presence. Prior to their mission, they all suited up in plate carriers although Marvel and Widowmaker had chest rigs and Kevlar under their clothes, ballistic helmets with night vision goggles, bandanas and ski masks except Marvel and Widowmaker and go bags.

First impressions of the camp: easy but looks don't fool anyone. The voices coming from the camp seem to give away more than just a group of useless goons. Shouts and wails can be heard from a distance. It was also surrounded by a line of fence which doesn't look professionally set up. Everybody else was fully armed.

While the rest of the team are moving to the camp, Sombra and Moira stayed back to keep watch in case any reinforcements arrive with Sombra using her personal tri rotor drone controlled by a tablet. The drone hovered above the camp where it was dark for anybody on the ground to see.

"Mini drone's activated." Sombra said on the comm.

The rest of the team moved through one part of the fence at the side of the entrance which was torn open where Reaper suddenly raised a hand, prompting the team to freeze. In front of them was a guard in a tank top with a chest rig standing in an isolated area. Smoke was visible in front of him.

"Genji, take him out." Reaper whispered, gesturing towards the guard.

Just as ordered, Genji moved forward while the team snuck behind the huts, consuming themselves in the shadows. The guard remained unaware of the green visor lighting up the shadows behind him. As the guard continued smoking, Genji slung his suppressed HK416C rifle. Once he was close enough, Genji went for the strike. He kicked the guard's calf, sending him on one knee and wrapped his elbow around his neck. Genji pulled him away from the open and towards the dark while he held onto his neck tightly. Once he stopped struggling, Genji slowly placed him aside and finished him off with a suppressed P229 Elite.

"Clear." He said with elusiveness within his tongue.

The team advanced from the shadows and towards the opening where light was with their weapons raised.

"Shadow 2," Reaper ordered. "Take the overwatch position and prepare to provide cover once we capture our objective. Shadow 5, provide cover for Shadow 2. Shadow 3 and 7, take the east side of the camp. Shadow 8, with me. Engage all hostiles with discretion and silence. Now let's move."

Everybody moved out once Reaper made a hand signal to confirm his command. Eventually, the team dispersed without looking back. Reaper and Ray made their way to the center of the camp where activity was more active. There were several posts with loudspeakers positioned around the camp and if they were to be activated...

While the team moved on, Widowmaker advanced towards the area of makeshift huts. She side glanced the huts around her for a brief moment before moving past a guard sitting on a pile of crates while sharpening his machete. He had just saw her walk past him once he looked up. He let out a shout and grabbed his rifle, calling after her. Before he could move towards her, he loosened his grip on the rifle and slumped onto the ground, face first. Blood began to form from the surface of his face. Genji appeared from the shadows, aiming his HK416C to his body.

Widowmaker unsurprisingly paid little attention to the scene and continued to make her way towards one of the towers nearby. Genji simply went off and dispersed into the shadows. Widowmaker climbed onto the top of the tower and the first thing she noticed in front of her was a guard on a chair asleep. His rifle was also on the floor. Widowmaker slung her rifle away and took out a fibre wire attached to her belt.

Slowly walking up to the guard, she quickly wrapped the wire around his neck once she reached a suitable distance. The surprise attack was enough to jolt the unsuspecting guard awake, causing him to writhe around and make choking noises helplessly. Her strength was intense, having dug into the skin of the neck with the wire. He tried to reach for the wire holding him back, only to pull himself off the chair, giving Widowmaker an even deeper choke. Shortly, he began to relax and his hands went limp. She dragged his body to the corner and unwrapped the wire off his neck.

Widowmaker raised her suppressed HK417 with the safety off. She looked through her Leupold Mark 4 scope, revealing a much proper view of the camp. She adjusted her scope, focusing her sights on the other tower placed across the camp. Two guards, both awake and on duty. Without skipping a beat, she picked off the guard behind the one watching. He suddenly turned but he too was taken out, joining his partner's fate. Thankfully, none of them fell off the tower. Soft smoke escaped the hole of the suppressor, disappearing into the sky. There was still enough bullets in the mag.

"This is Shadow 2, hostiles on the towers have been taken care of, over." She said, tapping into her earpiece.

After the notification, Widowmaker caught sight of Reaper and Ray below. She held her gaze at them, watching behind their backs.

"Shadow 1 and 8, drone's picking up three heat signatures in a hut, fifteen steps from your position. Possible location of the HVT, over." Sombra said.

"Copy. Moving to that location, out." Reaper replied.

As Ray and Reaper walked down between the huts, they noticed a figure a couple of steps away from them. They approached him closer and they find a guard in a shemagh scarf and a teal striped polo shirt smoking while leaning against a pile of weapon crates with his back facing the duo. Reaper slung his LWRC M6A1 carbine over his shoulder and took out a knife from his sleeve as he slowly approached the guard. Ray followed him and hid behind the crates he was on.

Once the time was right, Reaper grabbed the guard's shoulder and pulled him onto the crate's surface. He plunged the knife into the guard's torso rapidly before dragging his body off the crate. Blood was left behind on the surface. Just then, Ray caught another guard walk out of a hut near them. He had just discovered the absence of the guard when Ray aimed his SIG 516 at him. He opened suppressed rapid rounds, bringing the unsuspecting guard down with bullets in the torso. Reaper stood up from the body and noticed the dead guard Ray shot before equipping his rifle and continuing to move. While the two searched for the hut, Ray froze on the spot after looking at something shocking.

Through a wide gap from the huts, there was an open field heavily lit as if it was important. There were guards with rifles supervising with kegs of water placed around the area. Ray stared at the villagers digging something up at the middle of the field. He counted more than a dozen children, five slender and frail elders and almost half of the women. Even worse, he discovered a pair of them pregnant. Ray remained fixated on the field, having that urge to save the villagers. His hand on the foregrip tightened and his finger on the verge of slipping on the trigger. Suddenly, he felt a hand slap his shoulder and spun him, directly towards Reaper.

"Hey, we're not here for them. Macaba's our mission. Let's move."

They continued moving although Ray was still focused on the villager's suffering. Shortly, they found the hut with their target, evident by the flag attached to the front door. The two stacked up next to the door, holding their rifles tightly. They were able to hear muffled voices from the room. Reaper tapped on his earpiece, exchanging communication.

"This is Shadow 1. Me and Shadow 8 are preparing to breach on possible HVT location, out." He said.

Reaper made a hand signal, indicating breach and Ray nodded. The two got their rifles ready and Reaper turned the doorknob open. They went in, aiming their rifles. There were three men standing by the desk with their backs on them and the man in the middle had the same dreads from the picture but with a floral shirt and worn cargo pants. In front of them were some pictures attached on a board. That was definitely their target, Macaba.

One of the guards wearing a dirty sweatshirt under a Kevlar vest had just looked behind his shoulder to discover some uninvited intruders and said something in his own language to Macaba. The other guard also caught them once he let out some noise. However, they weren't quick enough once Ray and Reaper dispatched them instantly. Ray fired suppressed bursts at the guard with Kevlar to his nose and mouth while Reaper fired rounds at the other guard to the forehead.

Both of Macaba's guards fell to the ground with blood sloshing from their heads onto the wooden floor along with their rifles. Just as they took care of them, Macaba had fast reflexes to grab a M1911 from the desk. Ray had just noticed Macaba aim his pistol, directly at Reaper's line of sight.

"Look out!"

Ray swiftly stepped in front of Reaper just as Macaba pulled the trigger. The bullet struck Ray's left chest, stinging him hard. The loud gunshot rang across the entire room and possibly the majority of the camp. As he fell to the ground, Reaper caught the chance and shot Macaba, hitting him in the upper arm. Macaba let out a shriek and pressed his gun to the bicep before trying to retaliate by aiming back while leaving his arm to soak in blood. Reaper quickly finished him off with the 5.56 bullets sawing into his chest. As he slammed onto the desk, his pistol went off at the same time, hitting the wall. Reaper approached his body and shot at what once was the would-be warlord further with a suppressed Glock 17, staining the desk and the photographs with blood.

Confirming he was taken out, Reaper slipped his pistol back into his waist holster and ran up towards the new guy on the ground. That bastard's crazy, he thought. He bent down near Ray who was feeling for the spot where the bullet hit him. Surprisingly, he was fine.

"I'm good, sir." Ray assured. "Round only caught the plate."

Reaper silently sighed with relief. "Then get the fuck up. We gotta move now. Everyone sure as hell heard that shot by now."

Reaper held out his arm, prompting Ray to grab him by the forearm. After getting Ray up, he handed him his SIG 516. As Ray ejected the mag in exchange for a new one, he took point with Reaper following. They opened the door and prepared to hit back with anything the militia's got. Through Widowmaker's scope, all of the guards have begun to take their duties even serious and ran around, searching for the gunshot while the villagers stood in confusion.

"Chicos, you got hostiles moving towards your location, over." Sombra warned from the comm.

"Copy we're exfiling now. HVT has been neutralised." Reaper replied.

Widowmaker moved her focus onto Reaper and Ray. They stopped and took cover behind some rusty sedans as several guards approached their position. Widowmaker shifted her scope and aimed at the guards firing at the intruders. With immense accuracy, she managed to take out the group trying to waste them. Meanwhile, McCree and Marvel made their advance to the east entrance with McCree leading the escape. Suddenly, the two get a warning from Sombra.

"Shadow 3, you got three incoming hostiles approaching from the left corner."

Just as she said so, two guards ran past the left corner of the hut in front of them, just noticing the two. Before they could react, McCree mowed them down like cheese with his modified M4A1. However, the last one wasn't present. Marvel left a signal, prompting McCree to stand by while holding his rifle high. He hid behind the corner and slightly raised his suppressed FN Five Seven, the only weapon he brought with him. He moved a few feet back to make sure his shadow didn't give away his position. The guard's shadow below him got closer and once he appeared from the corner, Marvel shot a round at his foot, causing the guard to shriek and lose balance. Marvel shot his head as he fell forwards. Once the guards were dispatched, the two took a brief breather as if they ran a mile.

"Thanks for the heads up, Shadow 4!" McCree said.

There was a sudden pause. "Not a single thanks for my Azúcar?"

"That thing's got a name?"

"It's the only reason you two are still alive."

McCree turned towards Marvel, only to receive a glance from him. Marvel slightly waved a hand from his hip.

"It's kind of a cool name." He commented.

Meanwhile, Widowmaker continued to cover for Reaper and Ray, taking out guards trying to approach them with their rifles. At this point, most of the guards were aware that one of their tower guards aren't doing their job. Which was why Genji remained in the shadows, taking care of guards trying to reach the tower. After emptying the rest of the mag on the guards, Widowmaker ejected the mag with a tap on the mag release. As the empty clip bounced on the wood, she reattached a new clip from her pouch and retracted the port.

She regained her sight through her scope, noticing the villagers spinning around in confusion. Some of the guards were rushing towards them and mouthing orders at them while raising their rifles, scaring them back into the digging point.

"Shadow 3 and 7 are out." McCree notified on the radio.

Elsewhere, Ray and Reaper arrive at the eastern entrance but stop at the very spot. They crouched and positioned their rifles behind them, aiming across the area.

"Shadow 2 and 5," Reaper said. "Me and Shadow 8 have reached the east entrance. We'll provide covering fire for your escape. Get outta there now."

"Copy, Shadow 2 out." Widowmaker replied.

Widowmaker lowered her rifle and climbed down the ladder, landing back on the surface where Genji was waiting. As they head towards the east entrance, Widowmaker took point while Genji covered their rear. He still remained a stranger with that ski mask under his helmet. Shortly, a group of guards armed with rifles appeared in front of them and opened fire. Widowmaker hid behind a parked pickup truck while Genji disappeared into the shadows. As they continued to fire at them, Widowmaker picked off a flashbang grenade from her chest rig.

"Flashbang!" She exclaimed, tossing it out in the open to where most of the guards were.

There was a thunderous explosion, ceasing the gunfire. It appeared the militia has never heard of a flashbang before. Switching her rifle into automatic mode, she appeared from the truck and opened fire with rapid bursts, gunning down the blinded guards. At the same time, Genji appeared from the corner and shot down the remaining two guards, kicking one of them into a pile of crates. The two continued to head out of the open.

"Shadow 2 and 5, you have two hostiles about to cut you off." Sombra warned.

As usual, two more masked guards appeared from the corner of the remaining huts. Widowmaker quickly slung her rifle and pulled out her suppressed MK 23 from her waist holster. With extreme precision, she dropped them down one by one with a headshot for each. As they both slumped to the ground, the two walked past their bodies and headed off where the gunfire has seemingly started to die out.

The two finally made it to the east entrance where Reaper, Ray and the rest of the team were waiting. As they escaped to the extraction area, Ray hesitated for a moment. He looked behind, feeling concerned for the villagers who were still in the camp. A couple of seconds later, Ray eventually turned away and caught up with his team.

11:25 AM, Local Time

Aviano Air Base, Italy

After another flight back to Italy, the C130 touched down at the Aviano Air Base miles away from Rome. As the team walked down on the platform with their weapons in their crates, Ray slipped his wedding ring back on while everybody else went on their way. Several vehicles passed them and loud aircraft occupied the airfield.

"Hey Ray, hang back for a bit."

Just as he stepped on the surface, Ray heard Reaper call him. While the others walked away, Ray got back into the aircraft where Reaper leaned against the side. Ray felt uneasy, worried about his actions earlier. It would make sense since he wanted to try to rescue the villagers from the militia. Reaper let out a sigh before looking back at Ray, uncrossing his arms.

"Listen," he started. "I appreciated your intention to protect me back at that camp but you need to understand that this unit is not your average team. I have responsibilities and I'll be damned if I lose anymore of you. So I'll keep this brief. Don't ever try to sacrifice your life again just to save mine. I also get that you wanted to help those people back at the camp, believe me, but you must understand that the mission comes first. There were other ways we could save those villagers without getting them killed in the crossfire."

The scariest thing about what Reaper said was...he was right. Who knew what could've happened if he actually did let the villagers loose. This would've resulted in the villagers getting hit and possibly killed in the crossfire. Reaper sighed once again and looked back at Ray with a slight sight of gratitude.

"Other than that...you did good." He said, patting him on the shoulder.

As Reaper walked past him and stepped onto the surface, Ray could only stand there wondering. He looked back at Reaper who was still heading off while the vehicles passed and soldiers marched away. Ray still felt uncertain about his position in a black ops unit.

1:00 PM Local Time

Rome, Italy

Embassy of the United States

While the rest of the team stayed in the embassy doing whatever they usually do, Reaper had just finished his report on his mission for NATO and eventually took the rest of his alone time on the balcony on the third floor. Although there were guards patrolling the area, it didn't bother him. In front of him was the open view of the city of Rome. The baby blue sky occupied the horizon with no sign of any clouds. From a distance, he watched a plane silently fly off above and beyond.

"I knew I would find you here."

Reaper didn't need to look behind. The French feminine voice was enough to give away her presence. As he remained attached to the horizon, Widowmaker approached beside him, joining him.

"Guess the rookie did alright for his first mission." She said.

"He did." Reaper replied, trying to drive the conversation away.

"Then what seems to bothering you?"

It was normal for Widowmaker to be persistent. She always found out, eventually. That's what makes her good at her job. After all, she was his second in command and the deadliest of the team. Reaper sighed deeply and took his hands out of his pockets.

"The rookie took a bullet for me."

"And that's a bad thing?" Widowmaker asked. "Je ne comprends pas. He saved your life."

"Yeah but he almost died. Who knows what could've happened if the bullet penetrated the armor."

She wasn't surprised. It was a normal thing since she was with him for years.

"Gabe, we all knew the risks when it came to jobs like this and you forgot that it's our job to keep all of us in one piece."

Reaper stayed silent. He didn't look in the mood to continue the conversation. Widowmaker got his message and started to turn away.

"Maybe you're right," Reaper suddenly said. "I just hate losing more people on this team."

Widowmaker didn't expect him to reply at all. She sympathized with his idea of losing another member close. It started to remind her about her loss of someone dear to her. Widowmaker eventually walked away, leaving Reaper to himself.

#blackwatch #overwatch fanfic #overwatch fanfiction #overwatch blackwatch #black ops au #modern black ops au #fanfic #fanfiction #my fanfic #my fanfiction #fanfics #fanfictions #my fanfictions #my fanfics #wftc141's fanfics #wftc141's fanfictions #wftc141's fanfic #wftc141's fanfiction

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courage-a-word-of-justice · 6 years ago

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Morose Mononokean II 4

Aw, another little fuzzball to steal away my heart? I’m being spoiled, aren’t I?

For some reason, this episode was meant to be really emotional, but I felt pretty restless while watching it. Probably because I was thinking about playing Merc Storia all that time.

Mob Psycho 100 II 4

Didn’t expect Shinra to be back after his previous appearance…

Notably, you’d expect Matsuo’s name to have the kanji for “pine tree” in it, but it doesn’t - it has the kanji for “demon” and then one more.

I loved it when FLCL and SGRS went into manga mode, but for some reason, the transition into manga mode didn’t land as well here…hmm.

“I’ll go inside her…With an out-of-body experience.” - That sounds majorly wronggggggggggg, Mob, y’know? Even with context.

I find it interesting Mob perceives himself to be naked…as in, unguarded. He’s fine as he is and doesn’t need to change…in some ways, anyway. He could probably do with a few more emotions, but you get what I mean.

Wha-wha-wha-whoaaaaaaaaa. You mean, Mogami just got rid of Mob’s powers??? That is a nasty cliffhanger!

My Roommate is a Cat 4

Just seeing Hiroto near Kawase’s armpit…so unfazed…it’s kinda funny, but only mildly.

Tuxedo cat…ergh. The differences between American and British English never ceases to trip me up…I mean, the term makes sense…it’s just the differences between the types of English I’m annoyed at.

If you observe the OP, you’ll see Haru has that collar…I’m not sure if that’s meant to be a spoiler then…

Haru basically has the mindset of Kaguya and Shirogane, which makes this hilarious (and yet it’s still justified due to being a believable mindset for a stray!).

S-Smug dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get out of the way of Haru-chan!

Shield Hero 4

“Draw your swords!” – Wasn’t there a rule saying Naofumi can’t use a sword anyway? Plus, Motoyasu has a spear, not a sword…

Balloon? Now, that’s funny!

Using magic to intervene is the cowardly action, methinks, Myne.

I find it interesting Naofumi sees Raphtalia as a little girl – it’s a perception of vulnerability, potentially weakness – when things are shown through his perspective.

Falling Through Starlight is beautiful, y’know that? Be-a-uuuuuuuuuuu-t-i-ful!

Magical Girl Spec Ops Asuka 4

Interestingly, Francine kinda looks like Mami (Madoka Magica).

Wait, is this woman Miura? (Sorry, I’m just wondering why Abigail – the blonde evil magical girl – would choose to use yakiniku to threaten people…)

Oh dear…it’s that train question (save one or save many).

Neding authority before you can actually do anything legal…now that sounds like Double Decker.

“Chef”? I was mortified when it came to the rusalka scene…but I think we already know why Povar is a chef…

CQC? Close quarters combat? Ooh, I’ve never heard it abbreviated before.

Well, I like how Povar and Rusalka Man (can’t spell Russian to save my life) always keep their salaries in mind. Makes them easier to see as evil.

Egao no Daika 5

Oh, this series has two moons? Kind of like Double Decker’s two suns, yeah?

I just realised Lily’s the only one with a skirt on her suit…

Morose Mononokean II 5

I don’t think I’ve seen a Fuzzy-centric episode ever since the first time we met the furball…

That hand on neck thing is apparently a CIA technique if I interpreted it right…just, it’s applied to a purple/white lion, so it’s hard to tell whether it’s the real thing…

Fluffy tadpole is best tadpole. All fluffy things are cute to me, even the lethal ones…I guess.

Seriously, if someone doesn’t call the animation of the Executive sakuga, I don’t know sakuga! That crow is some fancy animation!

Hanae’s mother is scarier than most youkai, given she can give me a nasty jump scare!

Mob Psycho II 5

This episode’s called Discord…which maks me think of the chat program of the same name…weird, huh?

Notably, it’s Dimple’s voice coming from Mob’s mouth…hmm.

That episode was real cool…it’s too bad by turning off the volume at the wrong time, I missed the Sajou no Hana song…

My Roommate is a Cat 5

Roku, Nana, Hachi…haha.

I noticed Haru has smaller eyes than Hachi…aside from the collar of course.

Aw…reunion too cute. I honestly think that this show has a fairly effective use of “filling in the gaps”, as it were, and thus making good use of cuts.

Double Decker! EX 1

Yep, we’re back with Double Decker!!! I’m glad to see it back, really.

Wait…ohhhhhhhhh. So Double Decker! doesn’t just refer to the bus in this show or the system. It means “2 Detectives” in Japanese (in a codeswitching sort of way). It was wordplay all along! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! I get it now!

This Deana assassin stuff must be a lie…

(after the commercial break) C’mon, Kirill, buddy. You’re drunk, y’know that, right…? Right??? Update: Oh, not drunk, dreaming. My mistake.

Oh, I was just saying that My Roommate is a Cat dos a nice job “filling in gaps”. Didn’t realise Double Decker did it as well. Also, how the heck is Doug unpopular with women???

So…Kirill actually got hired based on his feminine looks? Geesh, that Travis…

The thing I missed about this show was not being able to play the ED after an episode, so I’m glad to have it back!

Spec Ops Asuka 5

Having Kurumi fix up Nozomi’s arm kind of erases the consequences…but that’s what Kurumi’s for, right?

Barber Scissors…? Is this what happens when you take Kill la Kill way too seriously?

Wowee. Din’t think Sacchuu was capable of dealing nasty punches as well.

There’s gotta be some sort of parallel between Abigail and the queen vs Asuka and Kurumi…

Post-credits segment. Keep watching.

Shield Hero 5

Headbutt to the nuts! Oof!

When it comes to races, the one tune that comes to mind is one from the Dog Island (track 22 from this YouTube playlist).

I swear there was CGI during the race…on Filo.

Please don’t make jokes about Naofumi liking lolis, people. This is not that type of show…

Mononokean 6

Is it just me, or has this epiode been relying on the use of blue speech bubbles for humour more than normal?

It’s Mononokean: Sports Anime edition!

For some reason, I find the name “trashboat” hilarious. It was probably just “ponkotsu” (piece of trash) in practice, but the variation in English is really something to behold…

Ashiya sleeps like an old man, LOL. It must be cosy in that bed…

Moja is just adorable in whatever scene it appears in! Even Moja being dragged down a stream is cute~!

Relaxing your shoulders, huh? That reminds me that that’s a destress technique I haven’t used in a while. My head’s been spinning while I was trying to watch this episode, so I should probably get back to trying to do that stuff…after this episode, of course.

Price of Smiles 6

You think Spec Ops Asuka looks bad? Look at Price of Smiles melt in this “Yuni! You should recover!” scene.

For some reason, this one dude (I forget his name) being a father surprises me. He looks like the type to be single…

The female version of the name “Noel” is Noelle…get that right, people!

Layla’s right when she says one of the main causes of war is the struggle for resources and wealth.

Mob Psycho II 6

I noticed instead of a Mac or something, the computer is a “One” computer.

The board says something a lot more complicated than Saitama’s routine…which means One likes exercise. Maybe…probably.

“Codomo” phone, LOL.

The last time I heard of tofu in anime that I remember…was Boueibu. Something about Ryuu killing a man with tofu.

Somehow it didn’t occur to me until the eyecatch was over but the block…was tofu!

How do you even get drunk when there’s no alcohol in the drink??? (LOL)

Oh! Shinra again!

…Also Jodo Kirin!

Shield Hero 6

Naofumi is giving 0 f**ks about the dressmaker’s love of Filo.

Why is Filo CGI…? It looks unnerving, to be honest with you.

My Roommate is a Cat 6

Eleventh grade…16? 17? Heck, Yugo looks 27, not 17!

Notably, “Comic Polaris” is the name of the magazine that publishes the manga of this. Hence ��Novels Polaris”.

Heck, Subaru. In the internet age in particular, people write to affect others. I should know, as someone who did just that just a few years ago!

Oushitsu Kyoushi Heine movie

Yay, we’re back! Crunchyroll bringing over movies is definitely increasing my workload for these commentaries, so with all the new things I’ve added to my lists of priorities as of late, I wonder if I can keep up…

Hitting us with CGI in the first minute of the movie…oh man, how far does CGI go these days???

Honestly, in my brain Wagner (Classicaloid) = the twins (this movie) = the Beppus (Boueibu LOVE! LOVE!). They’re very similar in terms of personality…

In the same way, Bruno = Schubert from Classicaloid (but swap one’s Sensei for the other’s Senpai).

Licht = Motz.

It seems like someone liked ponytail!Licht enough to keep him here. So it really wasn’t just me, huh?

Seriously, what’s this “God of War” stuff anyway???

Man, vocal exercises? This takes me back to my piano-playing days…I was a sightreader and only had to do one of the two (out of sightreading and vocal stuff), but there was someone else who had to do both.

This piano is bugging me. Its white keys are black and its black keys are white!

Somehow, Heine’s small top hat suits him. It’s probably because he wears a small beret in that same position usually.

More CGI background characters…*sigh*

Hmm…soft power at its finest(?)

Seriously though, why did that evil Duke guy appear in this movie again??? He has zero use plotwise. Sure, he was important in the first season and if we ever get a second he’ll be important there, but here? Nada!

Have you noticed Heine is in all those dance positions a girl would normally be in??? Hmm! Interesting! But still…if there’s one thing I ever missed from the anime’s experience, it would be-oh, scratch that! This is my cue to watch the cheesy live-action dance ending! I missed it so much!

Egao no Daika 7

Seriously…who is Eins talking to??? Whose emperor???

They still haven’t revealed what this new guy’s name is, even after his introduction…well, technically he was introduced at the River Deese, but we still didn’t learn his name then. (Did we?)

Spec Ops Asuka 6

Is Mia just this show’s version of Kyouko (from Madoka Magica, but American of course)???

Oooooookay, that (with the kissing and stuff) is so not what foreigners are like, people…

Oh, goodness. Have I really been living with this stuff (girl x girl teasing, with Kurumi in particular being one of the more extreme examples I’ve seen) in my magical girl anime for years now? I mean, Suite PreCure is laced with the stuff…

If ordinary rigor mortis business is at work, then I’d say the heater is to speed up the rotting of the corpse…

LOL, there’s Halloween-class…and then there’s Voorhees-class…how appropriate for Disas.

“Only one of the Magical Five would’ve known about that phrase.” – My bets are on Peipei, but we’ll find out for sure…someday.

Mononokean 7

As much as I found the pillow fight scene with Fuzzy in it funny, I swear Abeno is a bit too sadistic for my own good. What is it with some women and their sadistic kinks…?

Abeno calling Ashiya “hunk of junk” makes me think Ashiya isn’t much of a Sousuke (from Classicaloid), but they do have a lot of similar character traits, now that I think of it…hmm.

For some reason, I think Abeno knew the conditions of the deal and what the deal entailed in advance, hence the training camp.

Seiza…means sitting on the floor in the position Ashiya was in (knees to the floor etc).

Mob Psycho II 7

“Cheeseburger Tornado”, LOL.

When Reigen got angry at the TV, I was just like, “It’s Shield Hero (Mob Psycho version)!” I.e. you con the conman and not turn the conned into a conman…or something like that.

Those microphones are so obviously CGI, people…

I know I’m a fan of Yuzuru Tachikawa, but episode 5 actually didn’t do too much for me, to be honest (even though it was visual spectacle, which is Tachikawa’s strong suit). However, while episode 7 looked less punchy overall, it was miles better…

“First-press limited edition? That is the absolute best decision.” – What is that referring to??? Update: It’s referring to the BDs...or DVDs...or both.

Update: Forgot to add Double Decker to the title and tags.

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michaelgrasso · 6 years ago

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The Fall of Delta Green: JM/WAVE: 1962/1977

A few years ago, well before the announcement (let alone the release) of The Fall of Delta Green, I had an idea for a two-phase GUMSHOE game set in the Cold War. At the time I had posited using Night’s Black Agents as the setting, mainly for the game’s excellent espionage system bolt-ons (like Cover and Network; I guess I ended up slightly prophetic on the eventual coming of a Cold War-era GUMSHOE setting set in the intel community). When The Fall of Delta Green was announced a couple of years ago, it became clear this was the system and setting the game idea was always meant to live in.

The first half of this mini-campaign would consist of a Delta Green team/cell embedded in JM/WAVE, the post-Bay of Pigs think tank/CIA op set on the campus of the University of Miami in 1962. The scenario would revolve around Delta Green's interest in the supernatural/Mythos in the waters in and around Cuba, as well as the rich vein of conspiracy lore around the JFK assassination and its relationship to Cuba. The holy trinity of hard-boiled Kennedy-era Bad Men: Ellroy's American Tabloid, DeLillo's Libra, Stone’s JFK. Throw in Cthulhu and you’ve got it made. A grand slam, I thought.

The second phase of the mini-campaign would take place roughly 15 years later, in the Ford/Carter era in Washington DC (and maybe elsewhere), and would revolve around the aftermath of that 1962 Delta Green op as it related to the intelligence reform investigations in Congress post-Watergate: specifically, to the Church Committee and the House Select Committee on Assassinations.

The initial idea was that the players could maybe play older versions of some of the 1962 characters, or other reform-minded investigators/ex-intel whistleblowers set on finding out what really happened in 1962. Given the fact that between ‘62 and ‘77, Delta Green falls apart, this ended up being really fitting when this game became a Delta Green concept. But instead of the 1977 PCs being Delta Green agents, cleaning up the messes of their predecessors from the Kennedy era, I now realize that I need to hit the zeitgeist hard, and to make the '77 player characters real heroes.*

Therefore, the 1977 PCs will work completely outside the system. Not only will you have the option to play an underground journalist looking to bust the American espiocracy (say, like the ones from CounterSpy magazine or even High Times?), or perhaps a conspiracy writer toiling in the first generation of the JFK conspiracy literature complex, you'll also be able to play paranormal investigators. UFO nut? Sure! (I have Moon Dust Men right here, let’s do it.) Atlantis freak? Absolutely (you’ll see why in a bit). Documentarian from Hollywood putting together a new syndicated TV series on conspiracies and the paranormal? Hell yes. And given the 1962 op's location near Cuba, the Bermuda Triangle (which is at this point in '76/'77 still a relatively new and hot eliptonic meme) will loom very large.

This continuum in the 1970s---underground journalists, conspiracy writers, paranormal nuts---really were all of a piece. Hey, they still are, right? Throw in maybe one or two PCs who are military veterans/ex-spies/government informants (as envisioned in my original 1977 setting conception)** and you've got a tight group of Investigators ready to find out what the government is *really* hiding about the Kennedy assassination, Communist Cuba, UFOs, American adventurism abroad, and the Bermuda Triangle.

So yeah. It's DeLillo's Running Dog meets In Search Of... Bermuda Triangle mania and the first generation of JFK conspiracy-mongering collide head-on. It's the most fuckin' Mike game ever. And I wanna run it.

*The main reason I want to run a straight Fall of Delta Green at this point in my political evolution is that being the Handler would mean I'd get the chance to psychologically annihilate a bunch of American military officers and spies and that sounds like a hell of a lot of fun.

**Honestly there’s no reason you couldn’t combine the Delta Green concept with one from the journalist/investigator spectrum. Lots of ex-Air Force folks ended up being UFO investigators, for example.

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veworgive · 2 years ago

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Youtube jason bourne soundtrack

#Youtube jason bourne soundtrack series

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Intending to find the answers about his past and family, Bourne locates Dassault in Berlin. Before she dies, Parsons is able to pass the key to a luggage locker that holds the CIA files on to Bourne. They evade the CIA teams sent to locate them, but Parsons is killed by the Asset, an ex-Blackbriar program assassin who also holds a personal grudge against Bourne, having been captured and tortured following Bourne's actions that exposed Blackbriar. In Greece, Parsons and Bourne meet at Syntagma Square in the midst of a violent anti-government protest. Parsons' system intrusion alerts Heather Lee, the head of the CIA's cyber ops division, and CIA Director Robert Dewey. In the process, Parsons finds documents that concern Bourne's recruitment into the Treadstone program and his father's role in the program, and she decides to travel to Athens to find and inform him. In Reykjavík, Nicky Parsons, who has been collaborating with a hacktivist group led by Christian Dassault, hacks into the CIA's mainframe server in order to expose the CIA's black ops programs. The film received mixed reviews but was a box office success, grossing $415 million worldwide.Ī decade after he exposed Operation Blackbriar and disappeared, Jason Bourne has finally recovered from his amnesia, isolating himself from the world and making a living by taking part in illegal fighting rings. The film premiered in London on July 11, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 29, 2016, by Universal Pictures. Principal photography on the film commenced on September 8, 2015. Julia Stiles, Vincent Cassel, Riz Ahmed, Ato Essandoh and Scott Shepherd also star. CIA Director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) orders CIA cyber head Heather Lee ( Alicia Vikander) to hunt him down. In the film, Bourne remains on the run from CIA hit squads as he tries to uncover hidden truths about his father.

#Youtube jason bourne soundtrack series

The fifth installment of the Bourne film series and the direct sequel to 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon reprises his role as the main character, former CIA assassin and psychogenic amnesiac Jason Bourne. 'Jason Bourne' was released by 2up2down on 20th January 2022.Jason Bourne is a 2016 American action thriller film directed and written by Paul Greengrass and film editor Christopher Rouse. Maybe with 'Jason Bourne' Dutch is looking to once again find his true identity and show us who he really is? Both 'Never Forget You' and 'Never Really Mine' only registered at a very lowly 99 on the UK Singles Chart. The 'I Dunno' and '808' hit maker has been finding it difficult to replicate his earlier successes with his last two singles. Glad you dusted yourself down, brushed off the dirt from the rats. keep coming with this energy bro love it" and "Welcome back brother king. Comments included, "Iv always believed in Dutch this song proves how good he is, rate the fast flow", "This is the energy we needed! Surely, Only If You Knew, Bando Diaries, 2AM and now this. This is Dutchavelli's first new track of 2022 and his first since he released 'Never Forget You' in November last year.įans of the Birmingham born, Rotterdam raised, British rapper were loving and praising his latest release as the video premiered on YouTube. "Opp block bally on me like I'm Unknown T, but I'm Jason Bourne, If these dumb-dumbs go to your head, Fam, they're dead, you won't respawn" Dutchavelli raps as the verses come thick and fast on his latest single.

#Youtube jason bourne soundtrack tv

agent for that matter, as Dutch visits the Brandenburg Gate, takes in the TV Tower and drives his Mercedes SUV precariously down the Unter den Linden. There's no sign of Matt Damon or Jeremy Renner, or any other rogue C.I.A. Dutchavelli takes us on a whistle stop tour of Berlin in the video for his latest single, 'Jason Bourne'.

#Youtube jason bourne soundtrack

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baked-potatoes · 6 years ago

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Review - Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018)

January 4, 2019

*spoilers included*

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson

Distributing Studio(s): Paramount Pictures (USA)

Runtime: 148 minutes

Rating: PG-13

US Release Date: July 27, 2018

Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and the IMF team join forces with CIA assassin August Walker to prevent a disaster of epic proportions. Arms dealer John Lark and a group of terrorists known as the Apostles plan to use three plutonium cores for a simultaneous nuclear attack on the Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. When the weapons go missing, Ethan and his crew find themselves in a desperate race against time to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.

I feel like last summer had an amazing and well-received queue of film releases (that was a weird sentence), and this seventh Mission Impossible installment does pretty well. Action movies usually are what they claim-- action porn-- but McQuarrie gives us a more unconventional take on the genre. Characters are believably flawed (Hunt makes a great deal of mistakes throughout the movie), and motivations are cloudy, as one might expect in the world of espionage and terrorism.

As a side note, the Golden Globes are this Sunday at 8PM EST/5PM PST, so I’ll be reviewing the Best Picture (Drama AND Comedy/Musical) winners after then! Which movie do you think will win? I’m excited to see who wins the Best Actor and Actress categories, since the race this year is intense.

Acting

What a great ride and medley of (mostly) rounded and realistic characters. Tom Cruise plays Hunt to a T in this film, spilling his heart on his sleeve and giving Ethan Hunt a fresh vulnerability. And Hunt is all too realistic, making mistakes and swearing profusely, just as any person would in his messy situation in this film. I think I saw him cry when he mourned Alec Baldwin’s Alan Hunley’s death, and it was the sort of ugly crying that shows off a well-developed acting ability and depth. Hunt’s character is massively rounded in this film, and coupled with cast chemistry and impressive stunt work, it works out really well.

Speaking of Hunley’s death, we get to see Henry Cavill as the main antagonist-- the man revealed to be the mysterious John Lark. It’s a complete far cry from Clark Kent as he plays the duplicitous CIA assassin August Walker (such a cool name), complete with a porno mustache and angry bicep reloading. Cavill captures this character’s essence extraordinarily well as a bitter, somewhat-insane man who complements Ethan Hunt-- for better or for worse. From the co-op bathroom (smartly-edited) fight against Liang Yang’s character to the final standoff on a collapsing cliff, Cavill’s turn as Walker shines in every mannerism and action.

Rebecca Ferguson comes back as MI6 agent Ilsa Faust from MI: Rogue Nation and plays her conflicted character to a similar T; a scene between her and Hunt in a wooded canopy park is one of the quietest yet vulnerable moments in the film. Perhaps the character arc is a bit exhausted after two films, but her character nicely fits into the IMF as it does in Rogue Nation. Like I mentioned, I didn’t really see how her character would develop over the course of this film, but I can see a real humanity within her as she tearfully reunites with Hunt and learns of the existence of his ex-wife, Julia: a compassionate and capable (if slightly boring) returning character who parallels Ilsa’s life and choices, played by Michelle Monaghan.

Other stand out performances include that of Sean Harris, who reprises as Solomon Lane. I have mixed feelings about his character because it just looks like his role in Rogue Nation but pushed to a side antagonist role. Harris plays it beautifully though, and it really looks like the deranged terrorist I remember from Rogue Nation.

Some other standout roles: Angela Bassett as CIA director Erika Sloane is powerful, capable, and as nice as you’d expect from a CIA director (meaning, not very). Her character is shrewd and cynical throughout the entire film and radiates careful danger. The ending speech to Hunt about saving one person over millions seems a bit clichéd, but it’s a well-played concession to Hunt’s humanity. Alec Baldwin does quite well as a final arc for CIA-turned-IMF secretary Alan Hunley, and his death genuinely moves Hunt enough to chase Walker around the city. Overall, his character and Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn are played for laughs (I laughed at some of the running gags throughout the franchise, such as Benji messing up gloriously as a sidekick), but they and the rest of the IMF deliver brilliantly in the near-hopeless finale, when the nuclear bombs seem slated to go off and render their efforts meaningless. Ving Rhames is, of course, stalwart, and it’s just a well-rounded, chemistry-filled cast of characters that I’m excited to see in the next MI.

Directing, Screenplay, Cinematography, Soundtrack

Christopher McQuarrie comes back from Rogue Nation to direct but aimed to create a different tone than the fifth film (as all of them do), and it pays off really well. Fallout mixes thrilling action, sympathetic arcs, and well-crafted plot twists to deliver a unique film for the IMF. His choice to do a long take for the HALO jump keeps the pace of that scene suspenseful and exciting, and that bathroom fight is smartly filmed without shaky cam or fast jump cuts, showing us how Hunt is a scalpel while Walker is a hammer (as noted by Sloane) in their fighting styles. And the two characters were beaten by Liang Yang’s John Lark decoy, showing us a great motif McQuarrie wants to show us in his script and direction: that these seemingly perfect people make mistakes. Hunt’s mistakes are continually mocked by other characters and often lead to genuinely terrifying consequences (although I laughed when Hunt tries to drop a helicopter payload onto Walker’s helicopter and fails, swearing). And even as Tom Cruise does these mind-bendingly amazing stunts, McQuarrie brings him a real vulnerability and does so for the entire cast. Well, Walker didn’t really have too many redeeming qualities (and his villain reveal seemed kind of clumsy in his dialogue), but I found him incredibly complex either way. He’s painted as a villain and assassin, but he’s loyal and ruthless for the CIA, which is really exciting to see. It’s not often that you see a unflinching and brave villain because those are qualities you’d expect in the hero, not the villain. The rest of the characters make mistakes too, as Benji fumbles with his navigation tablet and Ilsa misses shots from her motorcycle.

McQuarrie also made the decision to bring Lorne Balfe as the composer for this film’s soundtrack, and I have to say, bravo. Balfe’s soundtrack complements McQuarrie’s sympathetic and vulnerable script with a suspenseful yet moving score. There are elements of Lalo Schifrin's Mission Impossible theme mixed in with a softer, quieter tone overall. Some critics complained about the “Nolan-esque” style, saying it sounded too much like Hans Zimmer, but I disagree. It has its own style that fits in with McQuarrie’s direction and complements well with many beautifully shot scenes (side-scrolling London sprinting, anyone?), and honestly, I’d be thrilled if I were compared to Hans Zimmer.

Speaking of the cinematography, I enjoyed it a lot. Most of the film is shot in 35mm film (the ubiquitous film format). Cinematographer Rob Hardy collaborated with McQuarrie to create a closeup, gritty visual style, and it creates a strangely intimate yet pulse-pounding effect. Going back to that bathroom fight, Hardy used fluorescent lighting to contrast against the Palais party’s rave lighting and the brutality of the close-up and well-edited brawl. That infamous HALO jump is shot in digital IMAX over Abu Dhabi (recreated in post-production into Paris) and apparently could only be shot as one take per day (shortly after sunset).

Summary and Rating

Mission Impossible: Fallout brings an excellent take on the franchise as it delves into a combination of thrilling action and complex emotions.

9/10 : Hot Potato!

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_Impossible_%E2%80%93_Fallout

https://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/blog/blog_post/?contentid=4295008965

#bakedpotatoesreview #film #missionimpossiblefallout

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yourdailykitsch · 7 years ago

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TEXAS FOREVER Taylor Kitsch Is Not Game for a ‘Friday Night Lights’ Revival But the hunk formerly known as Riggins is having the time of his life breaking bad, first as a terrorist in ‘American Assassin’ and next as cult leader David Koresh in ‘Waco.’ Before he gave his best blue steel modeling for Abercrombie & Fitch, and before he rose to stardom as the brooding, hunky Tim Riggins on NBC’s Friday Night Lights, Taylor Kitsch took his fair share of hits. He—along with his two older brothers—were raised by their mother in a trailer park in his native Canada after their father deserted the family when Kitsch was one, and a devastating knee injury during his teenage years dashed his dreams of hockey stardom. Years later, after the modeling gigs dried up in New York, he found himself homeless, spending his nights sleeping in subway cars and sneaking into gyms to shower; after moving to L.A. to try his hand personal training, he spent four months living out of a tiny hatchback, with one of its windows replaced by a clear plastic sheet covered in duct tape. “Any time you can go through life and get hit or knocked down, it should help,” he says. “The journey of getting here was a pretty darn good test, and I’m still being tested each and every day.” Kitsch’s latest test comes in American Assassin, with the 36-year-old actor playing his first onscreen villain. He is Ghost, a shadowy international terrorist attempting to get his hands on a nuclear weapon in order to exact revenge on the U.S. We later learn that he was a former black ops agent who was left for dead overseas by his boss Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton), an ex-Navy SEAL who specializes in asymmetric warfare. Ghost serves as a foil to Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien), a young man who, after losing his fiancée during a terrorist attack in Spain, attempts to single-handedly penetrate a terror cell and kill those responsible—only to then be recruited by the deputy director of the CIA (Sanaa Lathan) and trained by Hurley to kill for the red, white and blue. “I loved it,” Kitsch says of breaking bad. “I hope to do it a lot more, to be honest with you. It’s nice to create this guy and have free rein to make him how you saw. It strays away from ‘cliché’ bad guys. He is an American, it’s an attack that’s beyond personal for him, and on a certain level you kind of understand him—which I loved.” Assassin is gloriously over the top, and nobody seems to be having more fun than Kitsch and Keaton, who appear to be playing their own personal game of Who’s More Grizzled? In what is without question the film’s finest sequence, Kitsch removes his shirt to reveal the spoils of war before brutally torturing Keaton, yanking off his fingernails one at a time. “I got nine more! I like this!” Keaton barks back. The cinematic implication of a scarred villain torturing the two-time Caped Crusader was not lost on Kitsch. “I definitely saw it,” he chuckles. “You know you’re in good hands going to bat with Keaton, and the work he’s been doing of late has been just terrific. It was a big part of me signing on, and driving a scene like that with him was a lot of fun.” With a title like American Assassin and a truly bonkers normal-guy-hunts-terrorists premise, many feared that the film would succumb to crass jingoism at a time when a hawkish strongman with an itchy Twitter finger has the U.S. on the perpetual brink of global war. But Kitsch insists it’s “not just violence for the sake of violence” and far from fetishizes combat. “We show you the worst, most unglorified part of being an assassin,” he says. “Obviously it’s fictional, but you see the trauma that Dylan O’Brien’s character goes through personally, and you see the trauma that being in war brings. We take you down the worst part of that. It’s not like Bond, where you’re going, I want to be Bond! Nobody’s going, I want to be Mitch Rapp—this tortured, psychologically scarred young man out for vengeance.” With roles like Ghost, Bruce Niles in The Normal Heart, and the closeted Paul Woodrugh on True Detective, Kitsch has seemingly weathered the blockbuster storms of John Carter and Battleship and returned to his character actor roots. Just don’t expect to see him in a revival of Friday Night Lights. “I think there are still rumblings about that,” he says, laughing. “Pete [Berg] knows the answer loud and clear. We’re having dinner tonight, and even at dinner, I think he would more or less joke about it than ever be like, ‘Hey, let’s go back ten years and relive this moment that ended perfectly.’ You know, there’s just no point.” “Earlier on, even if you wanna start with Riggins, I was told, ‘He’s going to last just one season,’ and ‘you’re not a priority,’ so I’ve always been drawn to these character-driven guys,” he continues. “Bang Bang Club was an incredible story and still something that I’m very proud of. Then you take these big swings with winners like [Andrew] Stanton at Pixar and Pete [Berg] with Battleship, then you go into a Murphy [in Lone Survivor] that was a beautiful tribute to these guys. I feel incredibly happy with the work I’ve done—not just making the most of them, but staying scared and keeping myself off-kilter.” In that vein, Kitsch will next embark on perhaps his most difficult role yet: portraying David Koresh in Waco, a miniseries about the Waco siege set to premiere on the Paramount Network early next year. The show’s all-star cast includes Michael Shannon, Melissa Benoist, Andrea Riseborough, John Leguizamo, and Rory Culkin, and will run over six one-hour episodes. But Kitsch will be front and center as the charismatic cult leader of the Branch Davidians. And it sounds like he’s done his homework. “I met the nine guys that survived the last siege. After I read [survivor] David Thibodeau’s A Place Called Waco several times I got in touch with him and hung out with him a lot, and then spent a lot of time learning what Koresh believed in,” shares Kitsch. “Singing and learning guitar took up a lot of my time too, as did losing about twenty-five to thirty pounds to play him. I listened to hundreds of hours of Koresh phone conversations with the FBI, with the ATF, with child protective services, with his mom to watching sermons and videos of him growing up. It’s really the key to anybody—the past, and how he grew up.” He adds, “I will say that it’s going to bleed a lot of truth into what actually happened. What the media gave people at the time was incredibly one-sided, and they wouldn’t let the Davidians talk to the press or release anything. They’ve still withheld a lot of these FBI tapes. We’re going to shed light on what actually happened.”

#taylor kitsch #American Assassin #waco #friday night lights #interview #dailybeast

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ljones41 · 7 years ago

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"THE BOURNE LEGACY" (2012) Review

"THE BOURNE LEGACY" (2012) Review Following the success of the 2007 movie, "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM", Universal Pictures announced its intentions to release a fourth movie featuring the amnesiac CIA assassin, Jason Bourne. However, their plans nearly folded when actor Matt Damon announced that he would not do a fourth movie.

Damon's announcement failed to put a final kibosh on Universal's plans. Instead, the studio and writer-director Tony Gilroy went ahead with another movie about the CIA assassination programs in which Jason Bourne had participated. Instead of bringing back director Paul Greengrass, Universal and Gilroy (who had written the first three movies) hired Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner to portray a second CIA assassin named Aaron Cross. With Gilroy in the director's chair, the results led to the fourth movie called "THE BOURNE LEGACY". The movie's title came from Eric Van Lustbader's 2004 novel, but its plot is completely different. "THE BOURNE LEGACY" introduced a third black ops program called Operation Outcome. Unlike Operations Treadstone and Blackbriar, Outcome was specifically created by the U.S. Department of Defense and it enhanced the physical and mental abilities of field operatives through pills referred to as "chems". The movie opens with one of its operatives - Aaron Cross - engaged in a training assignment in Alaska. After Cross traverses rugged terrain to a remote cabin, he meets its operator, an exiled Outcome operative, Number Three. During Cross' time in Alaska, the Blackbriar and Treadstone programs were publicly being exposed (during the events of the previous film, "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM"), leading the FBI and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to investigate CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy, Blackbriar supervisor Noah Vosen, Treadstone clinical researcher Dr. Albert Hirsch and CIA Director Ezra Kramer. Kramer requested help from Eric Byer, a retired Air Force colonel responsible for overseeing the CIA's clandestine operations. Byer, who had originally recruited Cross, discovered potentially damaging video on the Internet in which the lead researchers for Treadstone and Outcome - especially Hirsch - appear at professional functions in public. To prevent the Treadstone/Blackbriar investigation from finding and revealing Outcome's top-secret scientific advances, Byer decided to end Outcome and order the deaths of the program’s agents and medical personnel. He saw this sacrifice as acceptable because the government had already separately initiated next-generation "beta programs". Byer attempted to kill both Cross and Number Three by sending a drone bomb to destroy the cabin in Alaska. Number Three is killed and Cross managed to survive, due to being outside when the bomb dropped. Byer made another attempt to kill Cross with a second drone and unbeknownst to him, ended up killing a wolf pack. Cross then learned of a massacre at Outcome's private research lab, conducted by a chemically brainwashed scientist. The sole survivor turned out to be geneticist Dr. Marta Shearing, whom Cross later saved from CIA assassins. He had hoped that Dr. Shearing could help him wean or "viral" off the chemicals and at the same time, save both of them from being killed by Byer and the Department of Defense. When Universal first leaked news of a fourth movie with Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, I did not exactly embrace the idea. As far as I was concerned, three movies were enough. When Damon announced that he would not reprise the Bourne role, I felt a surge of relief. As much as I had enjoyed the third BOURNE movie, I felt it was a bit of a comedown after the first two movies. Then I heard news that Universal and Tony Gilroy was going ahead with a fourth movie . . . without Damon. Again, I dismissed the idea of going to see this latest BOURNE movie, until I learned that Jeremy Renner had been cast in the lead. Since I am a fan of Renner's, I decided to go see this fourth film. However, I did not believe I would enjoy it as much as the first three. Like the previous three movies, "THE BOURNE LEGACY" was not perfect. One, I never understood the need for Tony Gilroy to create a third black ops program for the franchise. Considering that the Treadstone and Blackbriar programs were in danger of exposure by the end of "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM", I was surprised that Gilroy did not simply make Cross a Blackbriar operative. In other words, I found the addition of a third black ops program rather irrelevant. Unfortunately, the movie also featured the continuing presence of CIA Director Ezra Kramer. His presence in the third movie struck me as writing blooper on Gilroy's part. His presence in this fourth movie is a continuation of that blooper. For some reason, Gilroy decided to utilize Paul Greengrass' shaky cam style of filming . . . much to my annoyance. My biggest problem with "THE BOURNE LEGACY" was the ending. I found it vague, rather sudden and anti-climatic. When the movie ended with Cross and Dr. Shearing somewhere in the South China Seas and Pamela Lundy in trouble with Federal authorities for revealing the details of the Treadstone and Blackbriar programs, the first words that left my mouth were "Was that it?". As far as I was concerned, the BOURNE franchise required a fifth movie to tie up the loose plots . . . which never materialized. Despite the ending, despite the continuing presence of Ezra Kramer and despite the Greengrass filming and editing style; I enjoyed "THE BOURNE LEGACY" very much. Who am I kidding? I enjoyed it a lot. In fact, it became my favorite film in the franchise. I felt that Gilroy did a slightly better job of meshing the plot from "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM" with this film, than meshing the third film with the second one, "THE BOURNE SUPREMACY". A throwaway discussion between Kramer and Noah Vosen regarding Pamela Lundy in the third film finally came to fruition by the end of this movie. The movie also explored - during most of its 135 minutes - Cross' difficulties in dealing with his dependency upon the "chems". Like the other three movies in the franchise, "THE BOURNE LEGACY" featured some first-rate action sequences. My favorites include Cross' use of the wolf pack to distract the second drone bomb from himself, the massacre at the Operation Outcome labthat featured a chilling performance by Željko Ivanek, and the long chase sequence in Manila, the Philippines. But my favorite sequence featured Cross' rescue of Dr. Shearing from the CIA assassins. The best thing that Tony Gilroy ever did for this movie was to avoid making Aaron Cross into a Jason Bourne 2.0. He did this by creating Cross as a completely personality - verbose, more extroverted and an acute judge of character. But what really made Cross worked as a character was Jeremy Renner's performance. Some critic once said that what was the point in watching a BOURNE movie without Matt Damon. Well, the first BOURNE production I ever saw was the 1988 miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain. And he was great. I also enjoyed Damon as Bourne, but . . . honestly? I did not really miss him, due to Renner's performance. The movie also benefited from Rachel Weisz's excellent performance as Operation Outcome medical researcher, Dr. Marta Shearing. Weisz's Shearing was a quiet, intense personality, whose ordered life was thrown upside down by her brainwashed colleague and later, the CIA. Weisz was exceptional in the scene featuring the CIA assassins' murder attempt on her. More importantly, the actress and Renner proved to have a superb and somewhat humorous screen chemistry. Another excellent performance came from Edward Norton, who portrayed the ex-Air Force colonel Eric Byer. What I liked about Norton's performance was that he portrayed Byer without the occasional frantic behavior that marked David Strathairn or Chris Cooper's performances. Stacy Keach, whom I have not seen in several years, portrayed a high ranking Federal official named Mark Turso. I cannot recall ever seeing him in a villainous role (at least not to my knowledge), but I must admit that I found his performance very impressive. Dennis Boutsikaris gave a very sardonic and entertaining performance as Terence Ward, the CEO of the company that created the “chems” for the Outcome agents. Oscar Isaac was effective and subtle performance as the other Outcome agent, Number Three. I could also say the same about Donna Murphy, Michael Chernus and Corey Stoll, who portrayed Byer’s employees. I was very impressed by Elizabeth Marvel’s balanced portrayal of a tough and no-nonsense C.I.A. assassin sent to kill Marta Shearing. It was nice to see Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn and Albert Finney again. But they were not on the screen long enough for me to judge their performances. Like I had earlier stated, "THE BOURNE LEGACY" was not perfect, but it seemed a far cry from the failure that some believed it was. A far cry. In fact, not only do I believe it was a first-rate political thriller despite its flaws, I am seriously beginning to regard it as the best film in the franchise. Thanks to Tony Gilroy’s direction and screenplay; along with a first-rate cast led by Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz, I enjoyed it very much.

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