Saturday, December 25, 2010

Eastwood Movies - Invictus, Eiger Sanction, Grand Torino, Every which way

Invictus (2009)
Stars Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon 134 minutes. 
Plot: Nelson Mandela enlists the national rugby team on a mission to racially integrate and win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. 

Freeman is very good as Mandela but he can't save the movie from being another predictable (almost cliche) feel-good sports movie about putting aside differences to win. Eastwood's direction is solid but old-fashioned. No doubt Rugby fans will enjoy the film more. Rating **

The Eiger Sanction (1975) 
Stars: Clint Eastwood and George Kennedy. 123 minutes. 
Plot: A professor who doubles as a professional assassin, is coerced out of retirement to avenge the murder of an old friend. 

A typical Eastwood action/thriller made enjoyable by the breath-taking mountain climbing/survival scenes. Not much of a story, and while the dialogue is forgettable, except for a few Eastwood one-liners - Jack Cassidy isn't. He's quite memorable in a fairly small role and reminds me of his terrific guest shots on Columbo. Summary: A typical Eastwood movie, its not Shakespeare, but its entertaining when seen on a big enough screen. Rating **1/2

Grand Torino (2008) Eastwood. Eastwood play a Korean War vet & recently widowed autoworker who learns to like the Hmong family next door. A pleasant surprise. Eastwood shines as a combination Archie Bunker and Dirty Harry. Eastwood tosses around Asian ethnic slurs and glares at his grand-daughter for her smoking and tattoo, but we know good Ol' Clint really isn't a hater, he's just a grumpy old guy with a heart of gold. The story is well done - but predictable. Eastwood defends the Hmongs against a local gang and teaches their son how be a man (Dirty Harry version). And of course there's a priest who Eastwood can insult and talk to. The Ending was needlessly violent. Summary: Except for the ending - a good Clint Eastwood movie. Rating **1/2

Every which way but Loose (1978) Eastwood Clint co-stars with his wife (Locke) and an orangutan in this blue-collar comedy about a truck driver/bare knuckle fist-fighter. An Eastwood version of Burt Reynolds’ “good ol’boy” movies. Lots of beer, country music, fighting, and a funny monkey, Clint really isn’t funny, but he’s likable and uses others to carry the comedic load. Summary: Some good elements and enjoyable for the first 20 minutes, but shallow and repetitive. A lame script. Rating *

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