Newsmakers

Newsmakers kicks off in ultra-ballistic mode with a squib-tastic shootout between cops and gangsters, like a Hong Kong heroic bloodshed movie, but instead of Chinese extras in white suits being despatched in bloody fashion, it's Russians in casual/sports wear (yes, there is an Adidas tracksuit). It's all a bit John Woo-ski. Indeed, I discovered afterwards that the film was based on a Johnnie To movie called Breaking News; I knew there had to be an HK connection somewhere.

The gangsters in the opening exchange of bullets make their escape in an ambulance and hide out in a concrete apartment building, but are soon rumbled by a local cop. Taking hostages, the criminals bide their time while sexy PR woman Katya (Mariya Mashkova) turns the situation into a media sensation to try and improve the public image of the police. Meanwhile, tough cop Major Smirnov (Andrey Merzlikin) disobeys orders to stand down and risks his life to bring the armed thugs to justice.

Blistering scenes of gunfire and explosions punctuate the movie at various intervals, but, for the most part, Newsmakers is less action and more of a wry swipe at how the authorities control the way that events are portrayed in the news, Katya distorting the truth to suit her needs and to please her superiors. All of this is reasonably absorbing, but to be honest, I would have preferred less critique of the media, and more of the blam blam, rat-a-tat-tat, and kablooey, 'cos director Anders Banke handles the action better than the drama (I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for his upcoming WWII movie, Enemy Lines).

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

Remakes are not solely owned by the Americans. In this case, a Russian filmmaker took Johnnie To's "Breaking News" and remade it. Unfortunately I haven't seen the HK Original from To, but judging from what I saw in the Russian movie (and of course To's general body of work), it must be a really great movie.

It translates into the Russian landscape well and you have an action movie, that is intelligent, with a slight taste of media criticism. Good characters make up for a great viewing, with whom you can stay on and people you can root for (even if their intentions might be criminal ones). This movie really had me caught and made me really want to see the Original, which I am going to do soon, too!

What do Die Hard and Rambo have in common? Bullets! It's a very controversial issue, but without being politically correct, there are some people who really love shooting guns. For some, especially for many young as well as some older Americans and other people around the entire globe from nearly every nation, that can be just video game shooting, hand-eye-coordination training. You've got your most recent as-close-to-life-as-possible-for-a-game type games like Splinter Cell and Modern Warfare 2 (I've played that one a bit, I admit it can be fun.) This movie is for those people, whoever they are, that love tactical maneuvers and tons of bullets flying. Some war vet and/or militaristic types of people really love this kind of thing. Suddenly I am reminded of Hot Shots: Part Deux, when Charlie Sheen talks Miguel Ferrer out of his sudden loss of his war-like ways and then Miguel blows his nose, says, "Thanks Topper! I can kill again thanks to you!", jumps up to shoot some goons, then turns around to speak directly into the camera in a TV ad way to say, "War! It's fantastic!" with a big wide grin on his face. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the guys who wrote the Newsmakers screenplay were big fans of Tom Clancy's books. The tense philosophical parts were nice but I felt like it didn't really get into hammering home major lessons in morality and was more of just a long joyride the whole way through with (I promise) tons and tons of bullets. Flying hot lead all the time, a heaping 100 minute serving of almost non-stop action, Russian style. The bad guys were made to be just as likable as the good guys for the most part. At times I felt like I wanted them to win. It was pretty good in that way. The actors and director were pretty good. The camera, FX, and editing crews were all really superb. There could have been a little more music I think. Seemed like there was supposed to be some sort of perverse romance-type think going on, but it didn't seem to be one of the strong suits of the script. Its a movie for guys who like action movies anyway so leave your girlfriend behind unless she's a sadistic homicidal maniac just like you are.