Mom's Minute

Disclaimer:  My movie review below of the film Death Wish is a reprint published previously awhile back right after I saw it in the movie theater.

By the way, the movie Death Wish is rated R and should not be watched by anyone under 17 years of age.

Introduction to the Bruce Willis Death Wish Movie Review by Ms. H

If you saw the latest John Wick movie -- John Wick: Chapter 2 -- you will undoubtedly notice there was many shooting scenes. After seeing Death Wish, starring Bruce Willis, I must say this movie did not have quite as many shootings as the John Wick movie, but the vivid details of the shootings and other methods of destruction that were violently gruesome had the same negative affect.

Bruce Willis Returns in the Bruce Willis Death Wish Movie

There was quite a buzz about Death Wish a few months before the movie released -- some good and some bad. I was awaiting the release of Death Wish to come to my own conclusions about this movie. Additionally, I was anticipating seeing Death Wish since it has been awhile since I’ve seen Bruce Willis in a blockbuster type movie. Oftentimes he has small roles in movies where he probably used his name to command a huge salary. An example of this would be the straight to DVD movie he had a minor role in such as Precious Cargo.

Plot of the Bruce Willis Death Wish Movie

The plot of Death Wish should not be a surprise, especially if you saw the original Death Wish movies that starred Charles Brunson from back in the day. In the current version of Death Wish, Bruce Willis plays a doctor who “avenges” his wife’s murder by taking the law into his own hands instead of relying on law enforcement authorities to capture the criminals. In Death Wish, it looks like Bruce Willis’ character Dr. Paul Kearsey who is a medical doctor becomes a vigilante and goes after other criminals as well. 

The Death Wish movie has been updated to include social media which was not around when the original Death Wish movies were made. Due to social media, just about everyone probably saw Bruce Willis’ character commit numerous crimes. However, this did not stop him from continuing on his criminal spree. In my opinion, the original Death Wish vigilante movie was intense, but this current version seemed to show violent scenes that were equally or more visually disturbing to me.

 Bruce Willis from the Die Hard Movie

Bruce Willis has played a number of characters during his acting career including John McClane from the successful Die Hard movie franchise. This is the movie he is probably most famous for but other good movies Bruce Willis starred in included The Sixth Sense, The Fifth Element and many others. I could not help looking for just a remnant of the Bruce Willis from the DIe Hard movies in this character he was playing.  Unfortunately, I did not see any resemblance. Bruce Willis’ character showed no sign of empathy at any times during this movie even though he was playing the part of a doctor. The storyline has Bruce Willis’ character using his medical knowledge for evil instead of good. Of course Death Wish is a fictional movie so no part of this movie is to be taken seriously. That being said,  I think the writers chose Bruce Willis’ character to have an inappropriate profession in this movie given the violent acts he was going to commit.

Assessment of the Bruce Willis Death Wish Movie

I wanted to like this movie, especially since it was a Bruce Willis film.  As I alluded to earlier -- this was a fictional story; however, the violent scenes performed by Bruce Willis’ character did not sit well with me. There were a few good parts in the movie, like the pose Bruce Willis made at the end of the movie, which sort of reminded me of the Bruce Willis from the Die Hard movies -- but that was it. As I look back on Death Wish, the dominant scenes that I remember are the violent ones.  For that reason I have to give the movie, Death Wish, a low rating.

Rating of the Bruce Willis Death Wish Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the best, I rate Death Wish one and a half (1 ½) stars.

Introduction to Bruce Willis - Survive the Night Movie

I was pleasantly surprised to discover a recent (2020) Bruce Willis movie on Amazon Prime Video. I was curious about the role that renowned action movie star Bruce Willis would play in the Survive the Night movie. Was I surprised at the role he played in this movie? Check out my rmovie review to find out this and more. By the way, Survive the Night Movie is rated R and should not be watched by anyone younger than 17 years of age.

Plot of Bruce Willis - Survive the Night Movie

Survive the Night is a movie with a familiar plot which centers around a home invasion to include actions by the villains and the victims. Like me, you’ve probably seen similar type films before.  I’m always curious as to what transpired before the home invasion actually took place; and even more importantly, what happens to the victims as well as the criminals.

 Regarding the plot and to make a long story short -- Bruce Willis Survive the Night movie is essentially about two criminals who had nothing better to do than to commit numerous senseless crimes, until one of those crimes led one of them to seek treatment for a serious injury from a doctor  -- who of course was put under great duress regarding his and his family’s safety -- since they broke into the home.  The doctor (Rich Clark) was played by Chad Michael Murray while Bruce Willis played his father in the movie - Frank Clark.  

Drama in Bruce Willis Survive the Night Movie

For the most part, the drama involved the doctor, who had been sued for malpractice as well as the father (Bruce Willis) constantly undermining him because of this.  Spoiler Alert: Of course during the tense moments of the movie, there were conversations between the son and the father, where the father refuted the negative things he had said previoudly about the son.

Bruce Willis’ Role in Survive the Night Movie

You find out that Bruce Willis’ character has retired based on pictures around the home. In my opinion, Bruce Willis played the part of a retired sheriff  to a “T” including probably having  a favorite rocking chair until the home invasion took place.

During the home invasion, I waited for Bruce WIllis to take the lead as well as control of the crisis situation, similar to how he acted in his “Die Hard” movies. Spoiler Alert:  Unfortunately, this did not come to pass.  The most action Bruce WIllis got out of this movie was driving a muscle car to detract one of the home invaders.  By the way, there was no fire involved in the movie, even though you may see advertising scenes with a muscle car and flames behind it.

Holes in the Plot of Bruce Willis - Survive the Night Movie

Spoiler Alert:  Here are some of the holes in the plot where the victims could have overpowered or escaped from the villains numerous times.

1. 1.  The criminals were  outnumbered by people in the house -- i.e. two criminals (1 physically incapacitated) vs. initially 5 other people in the house. The interesting point about this movie was that there were two families living there; however, it seemed to be an arduous task for them to overcome two criminals -- one of whom was injured.

2.  2. Instead of the wife and child hiding in an outside shed, they could have fled to get help -- even though they seemed to live far from the main highway. By trying to walk into town, they would have been safer than staying in a shed where they were sure to be found.

3. 3. During the barn-shed fight scene, the main actor successfully knocked the villain out, but did not take the weapon that was laying down beside him.  Of course when the villain came to, he grabbed his weapon and the pursuit started again.

4. 4. The main character did not use his bargaining position well.  All he had to do was to make a deal with the criminal to let the families go -- and he would perform the necessary actions to save the other criminal. This did not happen during the movie.

5.  5. During the car chase -- Bruce Willis’ character could have drove into town for help -- instead of doubling back to the scene of the crime to continue being a victim.

There are probably other holes in the movie; however, these are my top five. You may find more if you watch the movie, Survive the Night.

Actions Needed to Showcase Bruce Willis as an Action Star

Spoiler Alert:  There is a scene in the movie where Bruce WIllis' character is untying the wife of the doctor who has been ordered to operate on one of the villains. He untied her -- but instead of Bruce Willis' character taking control of the situation, the wife did so and commenced to go after the villains. Instead of having the wife take action, Bruce Willis' character could have taken more of an active role to protect his family.  Looks like the wife took away his thunder, leaving Bruce WIllis' character to seem more like a background character instead of the action star he is known for. 

Assessment of Bruce Willis Survive the Night Movie

Even with the holes in the storyline of the movie, I think this film may be worth watching.  If you are a Bruce WIllis fan, you may enjoy seeing him still active in the movie industry. 

That being said, I was disappointed that Bruce Willis did not carry out his legacy as an action star.

On the other hand, maybe he is choosing not to take on action roles in movies where he is the main character. Who knows? However, on a positive note, I was glad to see that he is continuing to act. 

What’s Next for Bruce Willis?

The good news is that Bruce Willis has an upcoming movie that I plan to check out called Breach. Hopefully in his next film, he will take more of a leading action hero type role. To put it simply, maybe in Breach, he will be in the driver’s seat of action instead of simply sitting in the back seat watching everyone else take the wheel -- like he did in the Survive the Night movie.

Rating of Bruce Willis - Survive the Night Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Bruce Willis Survive the Night movie 3 stars.

Introduction to Bruce Willis Movies -- Has Bruce Willis’ Action Movie Star Brillance Died Hard?

After watching a few of Bruce Willis' recent films, I decided to research exactly what is happening to his once stellar movie career.  I’ve discovered that more often than not, he seems to be “phoning in” his acting performances while at the same time, using his name to still demand and dare I say get the big bucks. 

 Has this world-wide, well-renowned actor known for action films decided to throw in the towel? Is Bruce Willis continuing to get paid for appearing in movies that are way below his high standard as an action film actor? Check out my assessment of Bruce Willis' acting career to find out.

The Good Old Days - Bruce Willis

Like me, you may have followed Bruce Willis’ television and movie career since the early days of the Moonlighting TV series starring himself and Cybil Shepard. At that time in the 80’s, he was a relatively unknown actor while Cybil Shepard was the big name draw for the detective television series  At that time, not many well known movie stars would hang up their film career -- like Cybil Shepard did -- to work in television -- even though that seemed to have changed a lot in recent years.

My highly favorable impression of Bruce Willis as an actor was based on the character he played in the Moonlighting TV show. He played a character who had a sense of humor, did not take things seriously, and most importantly seemed to be ok working with a female boss -- since Cybil Shepherd's character in Moonlighting owned the detective agency.  While on Moonlighting,  Bruce Willis ventured out into movies to play other similar type light-hearted roles in such films as Blind Date and others.

Bruce Willis - Die Hard Movies Era

I was surprised and I must admit quite impressed when Bruce Willis made the bold move to star in the block-buster movie Die Hard.  In the Die Hard movie, he played the heroic figure of police detective John McClane who always seemed ready to save, not only the day -- but the world itself. After starring in Die Hard, suffice it to say, Bruce Willis’ career really sky-rocketed. His career transition from TV to movies was good timing since the Moonlighting television series, though successful in its own right, was coming to an end.

When you think of the first Die Hard movie, you may envision Bruce Wilis jumping out the window of a high-rise building, bare-footed, hanging on a fire hose with a large explosion in the background of a gigantic glass splattering skyscraper. What an iconic image!

From that time forward, Bruce Willis would star in other Die Hard sequel movies and in turn

became a well known, world wide action movie star who was undoubtedly paid very well.

Fast Forward to the Present - Bruce Willis' Movies

I’m sure Bruce Willis has an enormous fan base due to his work on the Die Hard films, as well as others.  As for me, whenever I notice that Bruce Willis is appearing in a film -- the movie becomes a “must-watch" one for me.

With that being said, for the past few years, it appears as if Bruce Willis' movie star brilliance has died hard, pun intended. If you watched any of his recent films, it's obvious that he is not giving his all in his performances, and dare I say, is just appearing in a movie to score a huge paycheck.  Of many, some examples of these Bruce Willis' low quality movies are  Survive The Night and Hard Kill. Another movie that I actually saw in the movie theaters a while bacck was Death Wish, which garnered only 1 1/2 stars from my movie review out of a possible 5 stars. Unfortunately, the Bruce Willis movie, Death Wish was that bad.

Bruce Willis - An Action Movie Hero Star

Known domestically and  internationally as a renowned action hero movie star, Bruce Willis is now showing signs  that he is ‘bored” with doing these type movies.  The term “bored'' was used directly by Bruce Willis and is not inferred by me.

However, the question is why is Bruce Willis continuing  to appear in movies, if these films are not the type that will stir up his passion for acting?  The answer from Bruce Willis appeared to be one word -- “ Money.”  

You may recall that a few years back Bruce Willis demanded an astounding $4 million dollars for 4 days of work on the Expendables movie -- which was understandably rejected by Sylvester Stallone.  Even though they have since patched up their relationship, at the time, Stallone described Bruce Willis as “greedy and lazy.”  By the way, he was offered $3 million for 3 days of work -- which he turned down.  Unbelievable!

Bruce Willis’ Motivation for Acting or Lack Thereof

Only Bruce Willis can explain what is happening to his career as well as his passion for acting. Has lucrative action roles simply dried up for him, or has his passion for action roles dwindled to the point where he may be looking for a change? Or maybe, dare I ask-- Is Bruce Willis ust looking for the next easy big paycheck, regardless of what type movie it is?

Bruce Willis Die Hard Movie Fans

Of course, I cannot speak for Bruce Willis fans or for the actor himself.  Bruce Willis continues to appear in movies -- mostly those that go straight to video or Video on Demand - VOD. His next movie will be Breach -- which has a release date of December 18, 2020. Could this movie be his turning point to regain his spark and ignite his passion for acting or will he continue to churn out straight to video type movies?

Who knows?  Maybe his film choices will improve, and he will once again become the action movie star that he was known for in his heyday.  Only time will tell.

Disclaimer:  The below movie review is a rewrite - reprint from when this film was actively showing in movie theaters. Since Mile 22 is currently trending as a top 10 movie on Netflix, I decided to rehash my review of this film. Interesting enough, I started watching this movie on Netflix before I realized I had seen it before. Go figure. With that being said, here is my review of the Netflix movie - Mile 22.

Introduction to the Mile 22 Movie

Mile 22 is basically an action spy - surveillance type movie starring Mark Wahlberg as James Silva. It is a gritty action film, rather than the suave type you may have seen in the James Bond franchise movies.  Spoiler Alert: There are probably lots of similar movies with a plot to stop dangerous situations from taking place with a brief interlude for drama; however, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a reveal at the end of the movie.

Actors in the Mile 22 Movie

In the Mile 22 movie, Mark Wahlberg tends to say his lines quickly -- sometimes popping the rubber band around his wrist as a reminder to keep calm. In my opinion, other than these actions, Mark Wahlberg seems to play the same person in all his movies. In other words, to me he seems to be a one-dimensional actor.

As the movie progresses, Mark Wahlberg's character loses his quick speech pattern, probably not by design. The other actors played their roles well; however, the stand out action star in Mile 22 in my opinion was Iko Uwais.

If you are a Ronda Rousey fan, you may be happy to know that she is in this movie -- but I  think you will be disappointed in the reach of her role. She has a small part and her script as well as facial expressions involved her mostly saying profanity and keeping a scowl on her face.  By contrast, Lauren Cohan (the other major female actor in the movie) as Alice Kerr had a more prominent role in the Mile 22 film. I think if Ronda Rousey had won more champopnship fights (in real life) her role may have been bigger in this movie. Unfortunately, the directors could have completely deleted Ronda Rousey's scenes from the film with little to no impact on the movie.

Action Scenes in the Mile 22 Movie

The Mile 22 movie had a fair number of action scenes from the beginning of the film to the end. If you watch this movie, you will notice there are lots of explosions and violence as well. In fact, this movie is rated R so you must be 17 years or older to watch it.

Spoiler Alert: The fight scene that caught my interest was the one that took place in an hospital where Iko Uwais, who played Li Noor demonstrated some of his martial arts skills. Of course, these fights could have been performed by stunt men instead of the actor, but to me, it was still the highlight of the movie.

Regarding the violence, there is a graphic scene dealing with a car window and broken glass, that I think should have been omitted due to its graphic nature.

Look-alike Actors in the Mile 22 Movie

Lauren Cohan resembles the star of the now canceled Blindspot TV series starring Jaimie Alexander. When I saw her initially on the screen, I thought Jaimie Alexander had shifted from Blindspot to work in this movie.  Of course, that was not the case.

Assessment of the Mile 22 Movie

If I compared Mark Wahlberg's film Mile 22 with Tom Cruise’s blockbuster movie, Mission: Impossible -  Fallout -- the latter would win by flying colors. This is due in part to the high quality of action in the Mission Impossible Fallout movie, as well as the sense that you are watching a spectacular film.  When I look back on the Mile 22 movie, the most I can remember is the barrage of shootings, fights and explosions.

On the other hand, a major plus for this film was inclusion of women in the action scenes rather than having them sit or stand by on the sidelines.

Overall, I believe you will enjoy Mile 22 if you like movies with lots of action, explosions and a hint of suspense.  I am giving this movie an extra ½ star rating because even though I could predict some of the ending scenarios of the movie -- there is one part that I did not see coming. If you watch the Netflix movie, Mile 22, you will know what I'm talking about.

Rating of the Mile 22 Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Mile 22 movie 3 1/2 stars.

Introduction to the Bruce Willis Hard Kill Movie

Discovering this latest Bruce Willis film was a surprise for me. I was looking forward to seeing his new movie Breach; but, alas, Bruce Willis has  a new 2020 movie --  Hard Kill now out on Netflix.

Personally, I was curious if once again Bruce Wilis would succumb to taking on the role of a background actor, rarely making appearances, or if he would be a true action hero. Was he? Check out my movie review of Hard Kill to find out.

By the way, the movie Hard Kill is rated R and should not be watched by anyone under the age of 17 years old.

Synopsis of the Bruce Willis Hard Kill Movie

The plot of the Hard Kill movie was to try to stop an evil villain, played by Sergio Ruzutta as The Pardoner -- from getting access to a code needed to activate a project that was designed for good; but if left in the wrong hands, could do major harm to the world. Bruce Willis played the role of the father (Donovan Chalmers) of his daughter, a scientist who had created this Project 725. The scientist was played by Lala Kent as Eva Chalmers.

Jesse Metcalfe played the role of the action hero, Derek Miller -- an ex-soldier, who seemed to be destined to save the day -- just like Bruce Willis’ characters used to do in his Die Hard movies.

Cookie Cutter Action Movie Film Format -- Bruce Willis Hard Kill Movie

There was nothing really unique about this action film which followed the usual playbook of these type movies.The movie playbook includes the hero setting up a team, going after the bad guys, the action star fighting the toughest bad guy in the end and the hero triumphantly exiting the scene, walking  into the sunset with some of his comrades.

Spoiler Alert: That being said, there was a twist toward the end of the movie, which I did not expect and will not divulge here.  If you watch the Hard Kill movie, you will know what I’m talking about. 

Location of the Majority of Action Scenes in the Bruce Willis Hard Kill Movie

Most of the movie action took place in what looked to be a gigantic abandoned, dilapidated  warehouse. As expected, there were lots of chases and weapon fights as the good guys fought against the bad ones. 

Bruce Willis’ Role in the Hard Kill Movie

As in his recent movies, once again Bruce Wilis’ character took a backseat to the action in the film. Initially, his character was placed in a room in the abandoned warehouse for his own safety as the good guys battled against the bad ones. 

A note here is he was given a weapon at the same time, which increased my anticipation that he would play an action star. However, this did not come to fruition as later in the movie, not only is he captured, but his character was probably humiliated when he could not prevent his daughter from being harmed while being tied up by the villain.

Women Action Actress in the Bruce Willis Hard Kill Movie

Natalie Eva Marie starred as Sasha, a member of the “good guys” team in the Hard Kill movie. I think she held her own regarding executing some of the action scenes (unless these were done by stunt people); however, I think her acting skills need improvement. I applaud the director/casting for including her in this movie as a woman of action instead of as a damsel in distress.

Hard Kill - A Jesse Metcalfe vs a Bruce Willis Film

The Hard Kill movie was really a Jesse Metcalf vice a Bruce Willis film. Bruce Willis seems to be satisfied with roles that place him as a second fiddle instead of the main star -- even though I’m sure he knows that his name still has a draw for some people when looking to watch an exciting action movie. I’m disappointed that his roles have not exactly panned out to be those of an action hero -- but as of late -- he plays victims in need of saving.

Assessment of Bruce Willis Hard Kill Movie

The Hard Kill movie has a lot of “John Wick” type fights which may or may not keep your interest. The storyline was cliche and the ending of the movie is predictable, but it may still be a film you may want to check out. 

As a recap -- From the beginning of the movie, Hard Kill,  it was obvious who the action star of the film would be and it was not Bruce Willis. Looks like Bruce Willis’ days as an action movie star may be over or at least limited to a large degree. Maybe the tables will turn for him in his new movie Breach -- to be released on December 18, 2020 and he will take on a true action role. I guess we will just have to wait and see…. Fingers crossed.

Rating of the Bruce Willis Hard Kill Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Bruce Willis Hard Kill Movie 3 stars.