Big Dumb Action Films

My good lady and I have managed a couple of cinema visits recently for a pair of action films that weren't superhero based - this can be quite difficult to avoid given Disney's hegemony, but manage it, we did.
The first film was Fast and Furious presents: Hobbs and Shaw. A spin off from the increasingly silly but ever so watchable Fast and Furious series, Hobbs and Shaw sees Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham team up to save the world in a cheese-tastic Big Dumb Action Film. Having a plot isn't really essential for this kind of flick but the basics are that Statham's on-screen sister (played by the excellently cast Vanessa Kirby) is set up as a rogue agent after her MI6 team is killed on a black-op (very Mission Impossible - 1995) to prevent a nasty virus from being stolen. In order to stop the villain (a motorcycle riding Idris Elba), she injects herself with the virus and off starts a 72 hour countdown before she infects the whole world (very Mission Impossible 2 - 2000).
Now, it is a universal truth that action film plots tend to be generic or derivative, but that has never stopped the likes of Bond or the aforementioned Mission Impossible series from achieving considerable success. Hell, the MI series, for me, dipped in quality on its second outing and has improved with each subsequent entry. Whilst Hobbs and Shaw has a cut and paste story, it is the performances that make the film. The on-screen chemistry between Johnson and Statham was obvious in the most recent  F&F film and Hobbs and Shaw takes that up to 11, with some great banter between the two, some of it literally head to head. There is a self awareness here that cuts through any misgivings you might have and the film truly wears its heart on its sleeve. There is action galore and you can see where the $170 million budget went. True, you have to suspend disbelief to the point of handing it to the Montgolfier Brothers and waving it goodbye but ever since the F&F series reinvented itself from number 6 onwards, you know pretty much what you are going to get.
So, high points of the film are Johnson, Statham and Kirby, who deserves her own action film based on her performance here. Elba is good but one dimensional which is a shame considering how great an actor he is - and to be honest, this is probably as close as he's going to get to a Bond style film - I think he is just a tad too old for the role once Daniel Craig hangs up the Walther. The action is well framed and action-y, and the overall tone is rather light, especially with the hilarious cameos from Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds. It is nice to see a light touch to the F&F series as the presence of the leaden and stilted Vin Diesel often kills such an approach.
Downsides? Well, the film's internal logic and treatment of time and distance are patchy at best. Elba is  wasted, as noted above, and the bit part actors are serviceable at best - even the ever reliable Eddie Marsan struggles with his Russian accent. The Reynolds cameo is a hoot but, and I say this as a fan, his Deadpool-like shtick is starting to wear thin through overuse. We're not quite at peak snark just yet but we're getting there. Then there is the issue of Statham and Kirby's age difference - no way are they siblings of a similar age!
With the set up of the inevitable sequel, Hobbs and Shaw is a bit of a change from the usual F&F template and one that has found success at the box office (over $740 million). Films like this are  never going to be high art but there is always a place for Big Dumb Action Movies.

The second film we have watched is Angel has Fallen, the third entry in the Fallen series and once again, Gerard Butler fights his way through bad guys whilst battling that most sinister of foes - the American accent.
Olympus has Fallen was a decent mid-budget action film ($70m) that offered Butler a good action role that mostly worked, slightly dubious CGI included. That success was followed up with London has Fallen, a $60m that moved production from the US to Britain and Bulgaria. Again with dubious CGI and what came across as a very nasty streak of racism, it did well enough for this latest entry to be green-lit. Following the law of diminishing returns, the budget for Angel was $40m and yet it still offers more than enough action to satiate most films buffs. Considering that Hobbs and Shaw cost over four times more than Angel, it was interesting to see the effects of the budget disparity.
First up, though, the story. Butler plays an aging and injured Mike Banning, a Secret Service agent entrusted to protect President Trumble (a returning Morgan Freeman who, despite his advancing years, peppers the scenes he's in with the usual "twinkle" in his eyes that feels like he's reveling in every detail). After catching up with a former Army colleague (Danny Huston, showing once again that men of a certain age can still give it some welly in action films) who runs a private military training firm, a drone attack on Trumble and his detail on a fishing trip sees Banning framed for the attempted assassination. Add to  that some political shenanigans with the Vice-President, a domestic angle with Piper Perabo as Banning's wife and a woefully underused Jada Pinkett Smith as an FBI agent and you have quite a bit in the mix. Oh, and Nick Nolte.
The plot of Angel has Fallen seems like it wants to be a political thriller as well as an action movie, yet the handling of the conspiracy side and the identity of the villains is ham-fisted at best. The film practically shouts out the identity of the bad guys from the first reel, subtlety be damned. However, you know all will be well with the world once the final credits roll. It's still quickly paced and the near two hour running time certainly does not feel that long.
Cast-wise and it's the usual from Butler, who is aging a bit and looks a bit more jowly than usual. His struggle with the American accent isn't as bad as some of his films and there is less speaking from the side of his mouth that has plagued other projects. He does bring a physicality to the role and a sense of humour when required - even if he is approaching Superman levels of invincibility by the film's climax. Piper Perabo isn't given much to do as Banning's wife, whilst Huston is believable and Freeman very good value - plus he has that voice! Tim Blake Nelson tries his best with the under-written role of the Vice-President and Lance Reddick is his usual cool and collected self as the head of the Secret Service (if you've seen Fringe or any of the John Wick films, you'll know what I mean). This leads me to Jada Pinkett Smith and Nick Nolte. Pinkett Smith is good enough (though she has done better) but the film builds up her character and then, well... no spoilers but there isn't much of consequence here, with off-hand explanations abound. It's very much a let down. Then there is Nolte, looking every bit of his 78 years and then some more. He plays Banning's father and is the funniest thing in the film, not only with the biting comebacks and kooky behaviour but also with a lot, and I mean, a lot of high explosives.
Filming primarily in the UK and Bulgaria, it just doesn't feel as though it was made in the US, with the look and feel just being that little bit off. That is probably me overthinking it but once you notice it, you'll not forget it. Watch this as a popcorn film and you'll probably enjoy it as much as I did. But, given the relatively meagre budget, you can see where the corners have been cut, especially with the CGI. Some of it is passable, some of it is dire! Glaring examples include Marine One, a sniper on another helicopter and the climactic roof top fight that was blatantly filmed in a studio.
For all of that, these faults can be forgiven. Angel has fallen does change the Fallen formula and is better for it. The smaller scale action is well directed and feels more more personal and visceral than the slick Hobbs and Shaw. Despite the differences in budget, both are enjoyable films for different reasons, if aimed at different audiences and, if Mr Butler wishes to tackle that accent again, my good lady and I will be there to witness it.