By CHRIS PUNTO & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but it’s starting to get a bit chilly. As the weather gets colder, so does the ice that runs through the veins of former CIA spies. This week, we watched
“The November Man”.
Natalie’s review:
3 CIA badges out of 5
“November Man” has nearly everything you need for a good action movie: suspense, cars blowing up, Russian villains, a gruff and tough-looking main character, guns and intense chase scenes. However, these are factors that can be found in nearly every action movie. To have a great spy thriller, there has to be a little extra spark, which I believe “November Man” has.
The acting for “November Man” was solid. Though Pierce Brosnan, once a Bond guy, gives a good performance, I believe that supporting actress Olga Kurylenko steals the show. She gives an emotional performance, with the depth that is needed to draw an audience in and to sympathize with her. The rest of the characters are decent … though I would say the villain looked too much like a suburban dad to be intimidating. But overall, the cast was strong.
“November Man” did have its flaws, however. There were a few continuity errors and a few places where the plot became a bit hazy. Also, this is clearly not a movie to take your little nephews or nieces to. Sorry, little Jimmy. There is roughlanguage and content, some of which made Chris giggle and cover up my eyes. There is also violence and quite a bit of blood, so if you’re squeamish, beware. You’ve been warned.
What stood out to me the most about this film, and that bumped my rating up a star, is its dive into the social and cultural issue of sex slavery. While this was just a subplot, I thought it was a good addition and an eye-opener as to what occurs not only in other countries, but here in America as well. Kurylenko carried this plot line, creating an emotional storyline that I believe had more depth than the actual plot of the movie.
Bottom line: While I enjoyed this spy thriller, it probably won’t be the film of the month. “November Man” probably will be forgotten by November.
Chris’ review
2 CIA badges out of 5
Hey all! Do you like it when guns go “boom!” and fists go “pow!” in movies? Well have I got the one for you! “The November Man” is the story of a former CIA agent who deals with challenges presented when the agency he once worked for turns on him.
Now, it could just be that I’m a jaded old man when it comes to movies, but is anyone else seeing a trend? I’m willing to bet that you can’t even remember how many movies have this same premise. A former awesome something (CIA, Army cop, FBI) has to come out of the shadows in order to undo someone else’s wrong and most likely save some girl. That sounds like every Liam Neeson movie since 2008 and half of Tom Cruise’s movies since 2002.
But if you are a fan of redundancy than here is some more about this great plot. The cast did not have anyone outstanding. I believe Natalie looked over at me and said, “I think I’ve seen her in something else.” And that’s exactly how I felt about the whole movie; I think I’ve seen this somewhere else. There is also an assassin in the film who really does not belong there other than for the fact that she makes everyone go “Uh oh! Run!”
One of the few good comments I have about this film is that it has a decent twist, which all spy movies do, but I’m going to hop off my repetition soap box. There were also some booby scenes. That’s a plus I guess if you are one of those guys that gets tickled pink by a nipple inn a movie (tee-hee).
Bottom line? Go to this movie. Why? Because I’m tired of being the guy that tells everyone that a movie sucks. I’m working on being more positive. If you like this movie, tell me why and I’ll try to watch it again with an open mind. I’d like all of you to give me a movie review this time. (Plot Twist!)