Making a buddy comedy in the depths of the Cold War can be a tricky sell even with someone like Ryan Reynolds headlining. Reynolds is known for his quick style but it doesn’t work in all scenarios. There has be a balance. "Mayday" is a big budget movie but is going directly to the streaming service. It is too bad some of the big set pieces won't be seen on the big screen. The best part of the film though is the inspired casting of Kenneth Branagh who doesn’t get to do this type of role often.

Jason Statham is a chameleon of the action genre. He knows his strengths but also has enough range and charm to make any concept work. Working within his own vehicles, he has figured out the longevity of these mid range pictures that sell well internationally (and he also produces). "Mutiny" is effective and not unlike "Under Siege" in a way using a boat as a structure with a bigger foe awaiting back on land. The set up here makes sense and keys a little bit of "The Transporter" into it which is what kicked off Statham’s career.

The interesting aspect of "Forbidden City" is its mix of Italian and Chinese to tell a story mostly set in Rome. The action optimizing Elisa Wong (known for the live action "Mulan") is fast and furious when it happens and yet the film is also balanced by the more cathartic Italian form of storytelling combined with a gangster picture. Written and directed by Gabriele Mainetti, it is an interesting mix since it moves different than a normal kung fu action film. There is a slickness and some Italian humor and yet retains a bit of the melodrama familiar in certain Far East cinema.

"Blades Of The Guardians" is an interesting epic, big in scope and aware of itself through and through. Directed by action legend Yeun Woo-Ping, the film follows the story of a disavowed soldier of the Emperor's Guard that becomes a mercenary. He cares for a young boy whom we learn more about throughout the film. Primarily though this is the story of Dao Ma (Wu Jing), a man staying under the radar and making money. Woo-Ping has gathered together some of the best martial artists (including many known to the West) but these are covered in beards and make up so it allows the audience to sink into the characters without wondering who they are.

Jason Statham seems to know a little bit about playing specific heroes. In an era where there are few to take that mantle, he has found a sustainable formula while still picking specific and efficient enough scripts to make sense. His new movie "Shelter" from "Greenland" director Ric Roman Waugh is an efficient, entertaining, mid-range picture that knows what it is while still delivering a character that can function time and again.

Gerard Butler, like Jason Statham, but in a different way, has found a way to crash his own corner of the concept realm while still delivering box office. Seemingly "Greenland", bolstered by the pandemic, did well to allow the story to move on. "Greenland 2: Migration" is bigger in scale and obviously takes on a different locale in a way. Beginning in Greenland where the last film ended, utopia, or what the inhabitants were hoping for, doesn't turn out in the way they hoped.

The difficulty with ending something is trying to find the right tone and context to make it work. With "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning," it is a little tricky because it is not like Tom Cruise really wants to end this franchise...but he is a businessman at heart…and these movies have to perform because of the elements involved.

Holiday movies always have an interesting irony in that they are made for a very specific time of year but can also move along and be timeless in a certain way. The judgment behind making "Red One" is sound. As a producer and star, Dwayne Johnson does understand the math but there is also a boundary which should or could be done.

"Monkey Man" in certain ways wants to be the second coming of "John Wick" but from an Indian point of view. While what star/director Dev Patel does is admirable and his heart is fully in it, the movie doesn't truly hit its stride until the last 1/4 of the film.