Fatman

 Fatman (2020)

Starring Mel Gibson, Walton Goggin, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Chance Hurstfield

Directed by Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms

Written by Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Conspiracy Theory

 Conspiracy Theory (1997)

Starring Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, and Patrick Stewarttt

Directed by Richard Donner

Written by Brian Helgeland

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

What Women Want

 What Women Want (2000)

Starring Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda, Ashley Burke, Mark Feuerstein, Lauren Holly, Judy Greer, Sarah Paulson, and Bette Midler

Directed by Nancy Meyers

Written by Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa, and Diane Drake

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Maverick

 Maverick (1994)

Starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Graham Greene, James Coburn, and Alfred Molina 

Directed by Richard Donner

Written by William Goldman

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  D

The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Starring Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Christo Jivkov, Francesco De Vito, Mattia Sbragia, Luca Lionello, and Monica Bellucci

Directed by Mel Gibson

Written by Mel Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: B

Movie Review - Hacksaw Ridge

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Starring Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, and Teresa Palmer

Directed by Mel Gibson

Hacksaw Ridge is an engaging film of two disparate tones that surprisingly and seamlessly meld together under the direction of Mel Gibson.  Certainly a difficult sit for its last hour which gives the audience one of the most realistically violent portrayals of war I've ever seen captured on film, I never found myself bored or uninterested in the true story of conscientious WWII objector and soldier Desmond Doss even during the film's first ninety minutes which plays like a 1940s style Hollywood wartime romance.  However, while Gibson succeeds at blending two distinct genres (and infusing some amusing humor), his film sometimes plays a bit too hokey due to some of his directorial flourishes and some of his cast's one-note "podunk country" characterizations.

Andrew Garfield portrays Doss who grew up in Lynchburg, Virigina, during the Great Depression.  A near tragic childhood incident in which Desmond could've killed his brother instills a deeply religious belief system into his young mind, with Desmond carrying the missives of the Ten Commandments with him throughout this life.  When WWII begins, Desmond feels that he must enlist to serve his country despite the urgings of his parents (Hugo Weaving and Rachel Griffiths) and his girlfriend Dorothy (Teresa Palmer) to remain in Virginia and do his part on his home soil.  Filled with patriotic pride, Desmond heads off to basic training to be a combat medic where he immediately finds resentment amongst his fellow soldiers for his refusal to carry a weapon, taking on the role of a passive conscientious objector as he abides by the commandment that he "shalt not kill."  Many attempts are made to relieve him of his duties, but Desmond perseveres and is allowed to head over to Japan with his regiment (after a quick wedding to Dorothy, that is).  It's there where the American troops engage in an epic battle to take over Hacksaw Ridge from the Japanese -- a brutal melee during which Desmond proves his worth and his unimaginable bravery without ever picking up a weapon.

Desmond Doss's story on the battlefield is an amazing one -- one that deserved to be brought to the screen.  His tale is treated with reverence by Gibson (and the screenwriters) and it's certainly an odd thing to see religion and faith be treated with respect in a mainstream big budget movie.  For that, I commend Gibson, but I also feel that there were moments when visually the director decides to paint a too blatantly Jesus-esque depiction of Doss.  Slow motion edits and obvious cinematographic overtones hammer home the comparison a bit too bluntly (and actually caused me to laugh at one point in time -- something that was certainly not the intention).  In a similar fashion, during the film's first half, much of cast is forced to portray one-note characters, particularly that of Desmond's father Tom played by Hugo Weaving.  Weaving is the quintessential country bumpkin -- an alcoholic, abusive, slow-talker who is eventually won over by his son's backbone -- and he's playing a joke of a role that feels as if it could've been culled from a Duck Dynasty episode or a human version of The Country Bear Jamboree.  Quite frankly, it's a bit embarrassing, as is the typical array of characters Desmond meets in his army regiment from the tough-as-nails Smitty (Luke Bracey) who refuses to accept Desmond until a pivotal moment changes his worldview to a comedic Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn) who puts Desmond through a tough struggle to stay in the army.  Granted, Desmond's army buddies fare better than his father, but the script does these side characters no favors.

Andrew Garfield and Teresa Palmer come across much better and their love story is peppered with several meet-cutes and blinky-eyed 1940s flirting, but it works in the environment set up by Gibson.  Admittedly, this romance stands in huge contrast to the incredibly violent though brutally realistic war scenes in the film's second half, but Gibson manages to stage both disparate segments with confidence, allowing Desmond's religious faith to remain a strong focus amidst the chaotic freneticism of the violent Hacksaw Ridge battle.

In the end, Hacksaw Ridge is a successful film and portrays a story that will instill a great deal of pride in Americans who give the film a watch (even those inherently anti-war and anti-violence).  Gibson really does do an excellent job in showcasing and merging the brutality of war with the gentle strength of faith and character in Desmond Doss.  I just wish the screenplay could've allowed for a more well-rounded portrayal of the cast outside of the film's central romantic relationship.  It's good to see Mel Gibson back behind the lens again and even if he adds in a few too many flourishes, he proves he's an adept auteur.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - The Beaver

The Beaver (2011)

Starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Cherry Jones, and Jennifer Lawrence

Directed by Jodie Foster

I've said this before in a previous review of one of his films, but what Mel Gibson does outside of a cinematic setting is one thing...I still like him greatly as an actor (and director, for that matter).  In The Beaver, Gibson's first foray into acting since his most recent meltdown in which he berated his girlfriend, the actor takes on a role that seems rather suited for him in his current situation -- a depressed guy wanting to hide away from the world.  Although married to a seemingly lovely wife (Jodie Foster) with whom he has two sons and despite being the top exec at a promising toy company, Walter Black is in a funk.  Seriously forlorn, his wife Meredith kicks him out of the house, unable to deal with his lack of attention to his family.  While throwing away some of his belongings in a dumpster, he comes across a beaver hand puppet, which, after he places it on his hand, becomes Walter's sole way of communicating with other people.

Right off the bat, The Beaver has an incredibly odd premise that seemingly would lend itself to comedy (or dark comedy at the very least).  However, this is where the Jodie Foster-directed film ends up faltering the greatest.  It's obvious that the ultimate goal of the flick was to find a balance between drama and humor, but the comedy never really made itself known.  Foster simply can't foster the humor and it creates an uneven tone that never works itself out.

It's unfortunate, really, because Mel Gibson is actually pretty darn good here.  Perhaps by studying the accent of his Edge of Darkness co-star Ray Winstone, Gibson's rough-around-the-edges British accent that he spouts whenever speaking as the puppet is spot on.  But there's certainly more to his performance than an accent.  This'll sound corny, but there was something in Gibson's eyes in this movie that just said all that needed to be said.  While Gibson was spouting the Beaver's lines, the eyes of Walter were displaying what the character truly felt -- a man struggling with trying to find who he once was and how he possibly could have sunk so low.

While I placed a bit of the blame on Foster above, I think the film's biggest problem is a script that just doesn't quite know where it wants to go.  To me, this thing would've worked infinitely better as a clever short 30-minute flick, but when the movie tries to expand its landscape by delving into the life of Walter and Meredith's eldest son Porter and his burgeoning relationship with the school valedictorian (Jennifer Lawrence) who has troubles of her own, the whole thing falls flat.

There's part of me that wants to tell you to rent The Beaver simply because Gibson's performance is worthy of viewing.  However, heed the warning that you won't really be seeing a quality film to go along with it.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Forever Young

Forever Young (1992)

Starring Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Elijah Wood

Directed by Steve Miner

***This movie is currently streaming on Netflix***

***Posted as part of the Elijah Wood Early 90s Mini Film Festival***

Schmaltzy and cheesy, Forever Young is a movie that will probably have you rolling your eyes more than once.  But, thanks to decent performances all around, a quick pace, and an overall interesting idea (from a script written by J.J. Abrams, no less), this flick proves to be moderately successful.

The year is 1939 and test pilot Daniel McCormick (Mel Gibson) is about ready to propose to his longtime girlfriend.  Unfortunately, he chickens out and mere seconds after she leaves, she is hit by a car and falls into a coma.  Devastated, Danny turns to his best friend (George Wendt), a scientist for the Army, who has crafted a cryogenic machine that can successfully freeze (and then unfreeze) a person.  Feeling like he has no reason to live, Danny agrees to be a guinea pig for the experiment.  Cut to 1992 and Nat Cooper (Elijah Wood) and his friend uncover the machine and accidentally open it up, allowing Danny to wake up.  Needless to say, things are a bit different in the 90s than they were in the 30s and Danny must both adjust to a new world and attempt to find the reason he's been kept frozen for so long.

Although it's certainly odd, Mel Gibson sells the difficult role.  His wide-eyed childlike innocence when he awakens from his frozen slumber is spot-on at times.  Elijah Wood is also quite good here.  He's allowed to play a normal kid and sometimes that's difficult to do.  There's nothing special for him to do here, but he plays "normal" very well.  Jamie Lee Curtis as Nat's mom is also pleasant to watch.  None of these three actors do anything remotely extraordinary, but they all do fine jobs with what they're given.

Forever Young certainly isn't great, but it moves along surprisingly briskly -- if this film were done nowadays it would've been 130 minutes as opposed to 100.  It's silly and the ending is super sugary sweet, but it's a perfectly acceptable romance with just enough of a different tone to make it watchable.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Mad Max

Mad Max (1979)

Starring Mel Gibson

Directed by George Miller
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Mad Max is an awful film.  Based on the film's 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I'm thinking my opinion will not be universally agreed upon, but I'm right.  You are more than welcome to think it's so awful that it becomes good.  I'd disagree with you on that assessment, but I could see that argument.  For you to say the film is just flat out good, though, is not possible.

The nonsensical story takes place "a few years from now" in Australia where motorcycle gangs run rampant, looting stores, raping women, and wreaking havoc.  There appear to be police chasing after them, but they don't often succeed.  Mel Gibson's Max is one such policeman who, after the gangs affect his work and home life on a personal level, gets mad and goes on a quick ten-minute vindictive rampage (which are the only ten minutes worth watching and the only thing that saves the film from being a complete and utter failure).

Really, the less said the better here, but just let it be known that any good things you may have heard about this one came from someone in a drug-induced haze.

The RyMickey Rating:  D-

Movie Review - Ransom

Ransom (1996)

Starring Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Brawley Nolte, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo, Lili Taylor, Donnie Wahlberg, and Liev Schrieber

Directed by Ron Howard

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Not that the trailer for Ransom in and of itself is all that amazing, but in 1996, Mel Gibson's uttering of the film's somewhat classic line, "Give me back my son!", was played seemingly ad nauseum in theaters and on tv.  It's a simple line, but in that one line reading from Mel, the primal, guttural instinct of a parent who has had a child kidnapped shines through and Gibson shows why everyone loved him prior to his late aughts breakdown.  As far as the film goes, despite it's completely generic nature and its by-the-book direction from Ron Howard, Ransom does the job required of it, continuously ratcheting up the tension until the rather silly, although plausible climax.

There's no need to go into any plot summaries here as the film doesn't deviate from any standard kidnapping flick.  Rich parents get their son kidnapped and the abductors demand a significant ransom for the return of the child.  Sure, there are slight turns along the way, but there's absolutely nothing new brought to the table either by the writers or by the director.  

Nevertheless, the film does exactly what it needs to do in order to be entertaining.  In part, all the actors really step up to the plate.  From Gibson and Rene Russo as the distraught parents to Delroy Lindo as the FBI agent helping to track down the kidnapper to Gary Sinise as a troubled cop, the acting lifts up all the generic roles to a degree higher than what they likely deserved.

Yes, I find myself criticizing the film above, but I also was thoroughly entertained throughout Ransom.  I'd seen this upon its release and remembered liking it back then and wasn't disappointed upon the rewatch.

On a completely unrelated note, I find it quite odd that I've now watched two kidnapping movies in the span of four days...slightly odd how that happened.

And on another completely unrelated note (one that I've said before), I miss Mr. Gibson as an actor.  

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness (2010)

Starring Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone

Directed by Martin Campbell

It's certainly gauche in this day and age to say that one likes Mel Gibson.  Say what you will about me, but I must admit that I truly enjoy watching the guy onscreen.  Putting aside his anger issues and his bigotry, Gibson has a presence that pulls you in.  

In Edge of Darkness, Gibson takes on a role he's played a few times before -- the vengeful father.  Similar to Ransom and The Patriot, Gibson must avenge the wrongs that have been committed against his family -- and he's not a guy you want to mess with.  Here he's Thomas Craven, a Boston police officer whose twenty-something daughter is murdered right on his doorstep.  While he initially believes that the murderer intended to kill him, he soon discovers that his daughter was involved in a huge corporate and governmental cover-up with gigantic ramifications for the United States.

The problem with movies like this is that oftentimes the secrets are revealed much too easily and that's certainly the case here.  Everything seems to fall right into Craven's lap -- one thing after another.  It's actually a little surprising considering that the film was cowritten by William Monahan who penned a similar-type flick in The Departed.  Considering the expertise on display in that Academy Award-winner, Monahan was kind of lazy here.

Somehow, though, despite the faults in the script and the sometimes cheesy directorial choices, this film works.  I was caught off guard multiple times by some crazily crafted deaths that, while certainly there for "shock value" alone, had my mouth agape in disbelief.  It's not a perfect movie by any means, but it was an enjoyable one.

And it certainly helps that Gibson plays the raging furious guy so well.  I mean, he's had some practice apparently...

The RyMickey Rating:  B-