Cat Run

With a very stellar cast. Paz Vega beautiful as ever, but also some acting heavyweights in there too. The action is filmed nicely and the fact this aimed for an adult audience (with the action and the erotic situations, though still tending to go for funny most of the time) really helped it. DL Hughley has a small part in this (most of him that is, which you'll get after watching the movie), but he is really something in it. Very funny indeed.

The story is nothing special and the coincidences might be a bit too much for some. But it has charm and charisma and if you have a heart for those small budget movies, you might find it entertaining enough to actually like ... like I did.

The Andorran call girl and single mother Catalina "Cat" Rona (Paz Vega) is hired to participate in an orgy in Montenegro with other escorts and powerful men and the American Senator William Krebb (Christopher McDonald). Something goes wrong with the politician and all the girls are murdered by the security of the host to avoid witnesses. However Cat escapes and brings a hard-drive with classified information with her. There is a manhunt for Cat and the cruel assassin Helen Bingham (Janet McTeer) is hired to retrieve the HD and kill Cat.

Meanwhile the Americans Julian Simms (Alphonso McAuley) and Anthony Hester (Scott Mechlowicz) decide to open a detective agency to raise money. When they see on the newspaper that Cat is being chased, they decide to seek her out expecting to receive a reward. However, they cross the path of Helen and they end protecting Cat from the killer. When Helen is betrayed by those who had hired her, she decides to help Anthony, Julian and Cat to retrieve the HD and their freedom.

"Cat Run" is an action-comedy with a heavy handed direction and lack of humor in a rip-off of Guy Ritchie style. Unfortunately the plot is silly and absurd and never works. In addition, Alphonso McAuley is not funny and Helen Bingham is a cliché of other assassins. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Gata em Fuga" ("Cat in Flight")

This movie was a classic B Movie that just fell short of propelling the stars to A status. The totally forgettable 3 main actors were out of character as this was neither a comedy or a thriller, so the way they portrayed it was just wrong. The leading assassin who stole the show with her portrayal of a cold blooded killer was the best part of the movie but it was over acted and it was only 2 steps away from being Austin Powers. It could have been so great but the poor acting ruined it, it could have been funny but the poor acting ruined it, it was badly scripted but the cinematography was excellent, it had so many good points but far too many bad points to recommend it.

"She wanted it, she told me to." Catalina (Vega) and her escort friends are at a high end party when senator Bill Krebb (McDonald) goes to far and one of the girls ends up dead. Catalina takes the tape and runs. An assassin is hired to find her and and get the tape back. Catalina finds two private investigators who are just starting up to help her. This is a movie that was actually pretty good, but the big problem was that it was a little too long. There were some really exciting and fun action scenes and tense moments in this, but there were also some very slow paced and unnecessary scenes that slowed the movie down and kept it from being consistent the entire time. Equal parts action and comedy made it a fun watch, but nothing to rush out and see either. Overall, an entertaining movie that is worth watching once but that's about it. I give it a B.

A bunch of prostitutes go to a fancy party. Among them is Cat and a friend of hers. Among the guests is an American ambassador. The palatial house is owned by a mean guy named Carver. When the ambassador gets rough and kills one of the girls, all hell breaks lose. Carver decides to kill all the girls. Cat manages to escape.

Next morning while on the run she makes a phone call at a restaurant owned by Anthony. She steals his car and his friend's phone. Around this time the friend, named Julian, proposes they start a private detective business. Anthony eventually agrees. They get an "office" in a porn theater, hire a guy missing 3 limbs as an assistant, and take on the "case" of finding Cat.

Also looking for her is Carver. As it turns out Cat stole a hard drive of his with evidence of all sorts of wrongdoings. He hires a hitwoman Helen, a prim and proper English woman. And she's mean. She and the two morons follow the same trail--Cat's family in Spain, her pimp, and eventually the two find Cat just as Helen finds them all. They barely manage to escape. When Helen fails to do her job, Carver sends a hit-man after her. That causes Helen to join forces with the other 3, who now go after the ambassador and Carver. They crash another one of his parties and violence and the resolution ensues.

This movie is not at all what it seems like. Cat is a very secondary character, and no, she isn't not some action chick. Initially it's all about the two fools chasing after Cat. And they make terrible lead characters. Since they are so weak, the appearance of Helen livens things up considerably, except that she it detestable. Things improve when the Scottish hit-man appears but unfortunately he's there only for a short time. While the characters are lame, the story is alright and the action is pretty good. This movie delights in some of the extremes it shows. The settings in Serbia are pretty neat and interesting. Overall a fairly decent movie that's at times annoying but overall entertaining and action packed.