Kill the Irishman (2011)

Did this movie escape your radar? If so, it is well worth the watch.  The long list of big names makes this story increasingly interesting as it unfolds.

Ray Stevenson is the constant in this equation.  The common thread, and a very good one. Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Christopher Walken, Finnula Flanagan, and many others play a mix of Cleveland organized crime figures in the late 1970s.

Tony Lo Bianco, Robert Davi, Steve Schirripa, and Paul Sorvino among others play their New York connected Italian competition.  All do a super job.  This is a great all-star cast.

With a great mix of archival news footage this story unfolds as it happens.

Watch this with anyone who has lived in or been to Cleveland.

Punisher: War Zone

This sequel, like most others, is not as good as the original. In fact, this one is barely even a sequel. You do not need to have seen the first installment to pick up the story in this one. None of the characters are played by the same actors, and there are even slight storyline differences which a fan of the first movie might find annoying.

This movie may appeal to some segments of the movie-loving audience. I however, am not in that demographic. This movie is more about the violence and gore than about the smart, funny, quirky characters who orbit around the main character. These types of characters are there, no question, but they are overshadowed by all the splatter. This movie felt more like a Batman or Dick Tracy story than the original Punisher.

Ray Stevenson does a credible job playing the all-too-human super hero. And Dominic West is over-the-top as the bad guy, but in this type of story, that is what is expected.

Watch this movie at your own risk and without pasta and sauce in front of you.