'Spenser Confidential' Trailer: Mark Wahlberg, Peter Berg, And Winston Duke Bring The Boston P.I. To Netflix

My Dad would be going crazy if he knew Spenser: For Hire was coming back.  The popular Boston detective of Robert B. Parker's novels has been adapted many ways in different forms, including a TV series that ran for three seasons in the 1980s and led to a spinoff series A Man Called Hawk and a bunch of small-screen movies. Now the character is headed to Netflix in a movie by those two wild and crazy bros, Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg, who are joined by Us star Winston Duke.

Spenser Confidential isn't based on one of Parker's novels. Instead, it draws from the novel Wonderland by author Ace Atkins, who was brought on to relaunch the book franchise in 2012. The character of Spenser was most notably played by Robert Urich, with Deep Space Nine's Avery Brooks as the streetwise, sharp-dressed Hawk.

SYNOPSIS: Spenser moves in with Hawk, an aspiring MMA fighter with his own rap sheet. Between gym rounds, the duo’s taunts turn to trust, and they team up to solve a double homicide. 

The duo of Berg and Wahlberg have been thick a thieves ever since 2013's Lone Survivor, still their biggest film together. After a couple of well-reviewed financially-disappointing films in Patriots Day and Deepwater Horizon, they teamed up most recently on the forgettable action flick Mile 22. It'll be interesting to see what they can do under the Netflix banner where they won't be measured by box office.

Netflix debuts Spenser Confidential on March 16th.

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'McMillions' Trailer: The McDonald's Monopoly Scam Is Now A Docu-Series From HBO And Mark Wahlberg

More than a year ago Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick began developing a movie based on the 2000 McDonald's Monopoly scandal, based on a wildly entertaining Daily Beast article about a guy who figured out how to rig the game. Well, they've all been beaten to the punch by HBO who will get to tell that story first in an upcoming docuseries, titled McMillions.

The trailer for McMillions shines a light on former security chief Jerome Jacobson, who used his position to figure out a way to rig the system and supply winning game pieces to his friends and others, including figures in the mob.  Mark Wahlberg is on board as exec-producer, and he and HBO have obviously been working together for years dating back to Entourage.

SYNOPSIS: This documentary series chronicles the stranger-than-fiction story of an ex-cop turned security auditor who rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly game promotion for a decade, stealing millions of dollars and building a vast network of co-conspirators across the U.S. The series draws on exclusive firsthand accounts and archival footage, featuring: the FBI agents who brought down the gaming scam; McDonald’s corporate executives, who were themselves defrauded; the lawyers who tried the case; and the culprits and prizewinners who profited from the complicated scheme, as well as the individuals who were often unwittingly duped into being a part of the ruse.

This looks like a lot of fun, and may actually boost interest in Affleck's feature film, assuming it gets off the ground.  Check out the trailer for McMillions below, then look for it to hit HBO next year.

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Mark Wahlberg Races To Inspirational Dog Adventure 'Arthur The King'

The movie may be called Arthur the King, and Mark Wahlberg may be starring in it, but he won't be suiting up in any armor or wielding Excalibur. Instead, the film is a true story of a dog who became a viral sensation for tagging along on an extreme racing team's journey across Ecuador.

Yep, it's a dog movie.

Unfortunately, Wahlberg won't be playing the dog but I don't put it past him to voice a canine someday, if he hasn't already. The film is an adaptation of Mikael Lindnord's book Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, about the author's 2014 race through the Amazon rainforest as part of Team Peak Performance. After offering some meat to a stray dog, Lindnord found the badly-wounded canine simply wouldn't go away and followed him through much of the 400+ mile journey. The dog was named Arthur after King Arthur, naturally, and was adopted by the team who nursed him back to health with the help of social media contributors and other donors who fell in love with the story.

Chicago Fire creator Michael Brandt will adapt the script, but no director has been named. Wahlberg has been doing better with family movies than his action stuff, anyway, so this move makes sense. He managed to make something out of the Daddy's Home comedies and last year's surprise hit Instant Family. An inspirational dog movie should be right up his alley, and then we can worry about getting him into an actual King Arthur movie later. [Deadline]

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Mark Wahlberg May Replace Chris Evans In Antoine Fuqua's Sci-Fi Thriller 'Infinite'

So how does one go about replacing Captain America? I guess the easy answer is just give Anthony Mackie a call, but that's not always possible. For Antoine Fuqua, who is in pre-production on his sci-fi film Infinite, he's got to deal with the loss of his star, Chris Evans, and so he's turned to Mark Wahlberg to take over.

Variety reports that scheduling conflicts have forced Evans out of the film, but Wahlberg may be the guy to step in. Infinite is based on D. Eric Maikranz’s novel The Reincarnationist Papers and centers on a near-immortal group known as "The Infinite", who must rely on a schizophrenic man and his visions of a previous life to defeat a terrible evil. Ian Shorr wrote the script, with Fuqua directing his first film since last year's The Equalizer 2.

Wahlberg is coming off a mixed 2018 in which starred in the action flick Mile 22 and the surprise hit Instant Family. He recently complete filming on Good Joe Bell, and has his latest collaboration with Peter Berg, Wonderland, opening later this year.

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New Scooby-Doo Film Casts Mark Wahlberg As Blue Falcon

Warner Bros.' animated Scooby-Doo film, which they are calling Scoob, isn't just an all-star lineup of Hanna-Barbera favorites, it's also got an all-star voice cast. The latest to join up is Mark Wahlberg, who will playing the superheroic Blue Falcon.

Wahlberg joins a voice cast that includes Zac Efron as Fred, Gina Rodriguez as Velma, Amanda Seyfried as Daphne, Will Forte as Shaggy, and Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo. The film will pull from Hanna-Barbera's vast library of characters, creating a  cinematic universe of sorts, where practically anybody can show up. Tracy Morgan will be voicing Captain Caveman, for instance, with Kiersey Clemons as Dee Dee Sykes and new addition Jason Isaacs as the villainous Dick Dastardly.

Blue Falcon is the resident superhero of the Hanna-Barbera universe. His robo-canine pal Dynomutt will be voiced by Ken Jeong. Consider Blue Falcon a little bit like Batman, only less grim and violent. Under the guise of his civilian identity of millionaire socialite/art dealer Radley Crown, Blue Falcon monitors the world's trouble spots from the Falcon Lair. They've teamed up with Scooby and the Mystery Inc. gang on numerous occasions, including 1976's The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour.

For me, Blue Falcon and Dynomutt were always more interesting than Scooby, and I hope this leads to them getting their own movie in the future. That's what using all of these Hanna-Barbera characters is for, right? To springboard multiple franchises?

Scoob will be directed by Tony Cervone and hit theaters on May 15th 2020. [Deadline]

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Mark Wahlberg And Blumhouse Team For "The Stolen Kids Of Sarah Lawrence" Adaptation

The New York Magazine article "The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence" was just published on April 29th, and already it's been snatched up by Mark Wahlberg and Blumhouse to adapt either as a film or series. If it's a movie you can count on Wahlberg playing the charismatic figure at the heart of the story.

THR reports Wahlberg will team with Blumhouse's Jason Blum to produce and star in a project based on Ezra Marcus and James D. Walsh' article. The story is pretty incredible, centering on Larry Ray, whose daughter attended the prestigious liberal arts university. Having just been released from prison, Ray moved into his daughter's dorm and began insinuating himself into the lives of her classmates. Eventually, his manipulation and abuse extended to the emotional, physical, and sexual.

Blumhouse is best known for their small-budget horror/thriller blockbusters, but their reach extends incredibly far. Blum was a producer on Jordan Peele's Get Out and Us, as well as Spike Lee's Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman.  It's clear to see where the horror elements may come in here, and could lead to something interesting for Wahlberg if he takes the role of Ray.

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Mark Wahlberg Is 'Good Joe Bell', Mackenzie Davis Joins Jon Stewart's 'Irresistible'

Mark Wahlberg will join Connie Britton and Reid Miller for Good Joe Bell, based on the real-life Oregonian father who sets out on a walk across the United States with his son, Jadin. The film will be directed by Monsters and Men director Reinaldo Marcus Green, with a script by Brokeback Mountain writers Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry. [Variety]

Jon Stewart is gathering quite a cast for his sophomore directorial effort, Irresistible. Tully and Blade Runner 2049 star Mackenzie Davis has joined Steve Carell, Rose Byrne, and Chris Cooper in the political comedy about a political strategist attempting to help a Democratic candidate win a mayoral race in a small Wisconsin town. Next up for the red-hot Davis is a role in Terminator: Dark Fate, and she'll also star alongside Kristen Stewart in Happiest Season. [Deadline]

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Review: 'Instant Family' Starring Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, And Isabela Moner

With the holiday season getting into full effect we are starting to see all types of family movie fare out in these theaters. This week we have some counter-programming for the folks who don’t want to see a magic Johnny Depp face magic Doctor Who. We have the Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne-headlined Instant Family. This movie is by Sean Anders, who co-wrote and directed based partially on his own personal life. The movie opens with Wahlberg’s Pete and Byrne’s Ellie showing Ellie’s sister around a torn down home they intend to flip and resell. During their talk, it leads them to think about having a family but instead of doing it the old-fashioned way the married couple decides to look into adoption. They end up going through the process of becoming Foster Parents and then taking a liking to a snarky 15-year-old girl named Lizzie (Isabella Moner) who they then find out is a package deal with her two young siblings. From there, hijinks ensue along with slapstick all over the place.

I think what stands out in this is just how full of heart is in this. All the comedy and drama comes from a very heartfelt place. Pete and Ellie are really earnest in this, some real go-getters that have their hearts in the right place but get overwhelmed quickly, which leads to a ton of comedy in Wahlberg and Byrne's performances. They do feel like characters they have played before. Byrne’s Ellie does feel a bit like her character from those Neighbors movies and Wahlberg is playing the good guy, like he does in Ted, rather than the tough guy. It doesn’t get boring because the kid actors are great. The younger actors are great in selling that right amount of cuteness and showing how parenting can go from 0 to 100 real quick. Isabella comes into this with previous performing chemistry with Walhberg from that last super-terrible transformers movie, The Last Knight. She’s able to bring all the teenage angst the couple needs to deal with on screen and be completely bewildered through most of the movie. All the other co-stars come in and play their role for the right hits for laughs with Tig Notaro and Octavia Spencer being one of the standouts as a great comedy duo of two social workers who help people become foster parents. Spencer gets all the great lines while Notaro is a fantastic dry straight-woman.

Despite laughs from the occasional baseball to the face and bad shopping experiences, Instant Family really is selling adoption's best virtues, which is a good thing we don't often see in movies.  There are a ton of movies that have terrible product placement or overbearing messages guilting the viewer into something. While this does feel like it is pushing this issue on us, it does so lightly and very entertainingly. With that, it makes it really enjoyable, worth watching and funny enough for repeat viewing. It’s not an instant classic but it is good for a family.

3.5 out of 5

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'Instant Family' Trailer: Mark Wahlberg And Rose Byrne Are Unprepared For Instant Parenthood

Mark Wahlberg is in a weird place right now. A few years ago he was opening up a generic action flick like Contraband with $24M and nearly $100M overall. Now his action movies, like the already-forgotten Mile 22, can't catch a whiff of those numbers. But his generic family comedies? Like Daddy's Home 2 and the upcoming Instant Family? Well, the people love him in those, and fortunately for them the latter is right around the corner.

Directed by Daddy's Home helmer Sean Anders, Instant Family stars Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as foster parents wildly in over their heads when they take in three kids who are totally off the chain. Besides his reteaming with Anders, Wahlberg will get a chance to reunite with Transformers: The Last Knight co-star Isabela Moner, who has been busy lately with Sicario 2 and the Dora the Explorer movie. The rest of the cast includes Tig Notaro, Octavia Spencer, and Margo Martindale. Can't really complain about that, and it's at least interesting that Anders, who co-wrote the script, based the story on his own family.

Here's the synopsis: When a couple decides to start a family, they are inspired to pursue adoption through the foster care system. They feel like wonderful, altruistic people until they suddenly have three wild kids in their home. Now they must learn to love and parent children who have no interest in being parented in this heart-warming comedy.

Instant Family opens November 16th.

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Review: 'Mile 22', Not Enough Action To Go Around For Mark Wahlberg, Iko Uwais, And Ronda Rousey

With Ronda Rousey, Iko Uwais, Lauren Cohan, and Mark Wahlberg leading action flick Mile 22 there are no shortage of credible badasses to choose from. As a huge fan of both Rousey and Uwais, her for her time in MMA and the WWE, him for The Raid and its incredible sequel, this was a film high on my radar, and it didn't hurt that it was a continuation of the Mark Wahlberg/Peter Berg bromance. And while Mile 22 features Uwais doing what he does best, there simply isn't enough of it and there isn't much else to carry this film the distance.

This is the fourth collaboration between Wahlberg and Berg, the latter his director on Lone Survivor, Patriots Day, and Deepwater Horizon before this. Those were all action-dramas based on real events, but Mile 22 is pure fictional claptrap, about one of those ludicrous, black ops paramilitary units you only find in movies. This one is known as Overwatch, part of the CIA's ground branch, and they are the "last resort" when both diplomacy and the military have failed. We know all of this because Wahlberg's character, the misanthropic psycho James Silva, tells us frequently during interview cutscenes with an unknown interrogator. It's there that we see James' nihilistic view of just about everything. The guy is an angry, bipolar douche to just about everybody, including his partner and struggling divorcee Alice Kerr (Cohan), whose self-destructive personality he claims is a lot like his own.

After an intense firefight during a botched raid, Mile 22 slows down considerably as the script by Lea Carpenter tries to wring whatever tension it can from a barebones plot. Things begin to pick up when Uwais arrives on the scene as Li Noor, a low-level cop in the South Asian police. He arrives at the U.S. embassy asking for asylum and a one-way ticket to America. In exchange he'll give them access to a USB drive with information about an upcoming terror attack and the location of the lethal substance used to trigger it.  But there are outside forces that want Li dead, and will do anything to make that happen. It's up to James and his team to escort Li the 22 miles to an extraction point where a plane is waiting, but they'll have to get through a literal warzone to do it.

Bullets fly, rockets are launched, and Wahlberg talks tough as Mile 22 finally kicks into high gear. But that's pretty much all Wahlberg does is talk. James is a chatterbox, given to long monologues that ratchet up to scathing diatribes. He does it in interviews, quiet lunches, while staring down his enemies, and even in the midst of a fight. James is given a sob story past that paints him out to be some kind of hyper-intelligent super soldier but as one of the geeky tech analysts says, "He's just an asshole." 

Uwais fares better in the limited amount of ass-kicking he gets to do. He's always looked best when under the brilliant cinematic eye of The Raid director Gareth Evans, but Berg is no Evans. For all of his skill at choreographing a battlefield landscape, Berg is less skilled at shooting hand-to-hand combat. He can't resist the quick-cutting style that blurs Uwais' brutally precise technique, making his fights incomprehensible. Those familiar with him will see flashes of the lethal screen combatant they know and admire. There are only a couple of decent fight scenes for Uwais; the first one in a locked medical bay, being the best and most reminiscent of the work he did on The Raid.  I continue to be impressed by Rousey's growth as an actress, and have no doubt that her time in WWE is a big part of the reason why. It's a waste to not have her throwing people around more, but Rousey makes an impression in limited time. The same goes for Cohan, who is the only one who gets anything dramatic to contend with. While I don't think Alice's custody dispute with her ex (played by Berg) makes any kind of sense in this straight-arrow point A to point B story, Cohan is excellent in the role. At least she gets more to do than poor John Malkovich, who does little more than walk around in a pair of Chucks barking orders into a radio.

Visceral and exciting in spurts, Mile 22 could have made better use of its brisk 90-minute runtime. When you've got the physical talents of Wahlberg, Rousey, and Uwais the gameplan should be a no-brainer. Give them someone to hit, stand back and let it happen. With a twist ending that teases a greater conflict in an already-announced sequel, maybe they'll get the formula right the next time.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Final Action-Packed 'Mile 22' Trailer Has Mark Wahlberg And Iko Uwais Going The Distance

STX is in the final mile of their marketing for action flick Mile 22 because they've just released the last trailer. The latest teamup of director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg, the film has been high on my radar since day one because of the supporting cast. Ronda Rousey, The Raid's Iko Uwais, The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan, and John Malkovich co-star.

Wahlberg stars as part of an elite CIA team that must escort a highly-prized asset (Uwais) to a secure location 22 dangerous miles away. The one thing I look for in an action movie is credibility and this cast is one of the most credible around. Plus, it's been a while since Berg has done a straight-up action flick like this, not since Battleship. He'll be itching to blow up as much as possible. I just hope he leaves enough time for Uwais to beat some people up.

Mile 22 opens August 17th.

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'Mile 22' Red Band Trailer: Iko Uwais Makes Everybody Look Like They're Standing Still

There's been a lot going on with Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg's action flick, Mile 22, and I'm guessing that's why STX Entertainment dropped a new red band trailer today. The release date was pushed back a few weeks to August 17th, and only days ago a sequel was put in motion.  Both movies suggest a ton of confidence the film will be a hit, probably banking on Wahlberg to put the most butts in seats. And maybe that's true, but the real reason to get pumped is Iko Uwais in his biggest American role yet.

Uwais is the breakout star of Gareth Evans' The Raid movies, and the dude is an absolute ass-kicking machine. The Indonesian actor has also had roles in sci-fi sequel Beyond Skyline and a little thing called Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In Mile 22 he plays a high-value foreign agent who must be escorted 22 miles to safety by an elite Black Ops squad that includes Wahlberg, Ronda Rousey, and Lauren Cohan of The Walking Dead.  John Malkovich co-stars as the team's boss or something. I don't know, he's a guy in a suit who looks like he's in charge.

The trailer is pretty generic, honestly, EXCEPT when Uwais shows off his fighting skills. He's truly a next level action star, and I think he's going to make Wahlberg look like he's standing in quicksand by comparison.

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Mark Wahlberg And Peter Berg Are Bringing 'Spenser: For Hire' To Netflix

The duo of Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg has been clicking through three movies already: Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day. It should be extended to four with next month's Mile 22, which we just learned already has a sequel in the works. Whether they come back for that one isn't clear yet, but it does look like the winning tag team will be together a while longer.

Berg and Wahlberg are headed to Netflix for a new crime thriller titled Wonderland. As usual it will be Berg behind the camera with Wahlberg starring. The film is based on the Spenser line of novels by author Robert B. Parker, centering on the titular Boston private detective as he's sucked into a criminal underworld and investigates a murder conspiracy. This particualar story was published in 2013 and written by Ace Atkins.

The Spenser character was spun off into a popular TV series titled Spenser: For Hire starring Robert Urich. That was then spun off into another show, A Man Called Hawk which starred Avery Brooks when he was super intimidating. Both shows were arguably my Dad's favorites (along with Magnum P.I.) so I watched a lot of them when I was younger.

All in all there have been over 40 Spenser novels so you know what that means! Franchise! Clearly that's what Netflix is hoping for here as they continue to expand into blockbuster territory. It doesn't get more "blockbuster" than Berg and Wahlberg, does it? [Variety]

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'Mile 22' Trailer: Mark Wahlberg, Ronda Rousey, And Iko Uwais Get Sh*t Done

Remember when Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell used to be a package deal? That ship has long since sailed and now Wahlberg is best bros with Peter Berg. Together they have made Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day together, all solid-to-great films in their own way. And now they've teamed up a fourth time on the action flick, Mile 22, which looks like a blast.

"Do you want to live in a world where everybody feels cozy, validated all the time? Or do you want to live in a world that works?" 

Yeah, Wahlberg is one of those guys. He plays an off-the-books agent for a top secret organization known as Overwatch, tasked with keeping a live an informant whose identity has been exposed. The buzz around this film has been pretty high because of its supporting cast which includes future WWE champion Ronda Rousey, soon-to-be ex star of The Walking Dead Lauren Cohan, and the best screen fighter in the business, Iko Uwais of The Raid movies.  John Malkovich also has a role, but it looks like most of the fun belongs to Uwais which is how it should be.

Here's the synopsis: In this heart-racing action thriller, a CIA agent stationed in Indonesia is tasked with transporting an informant whose identity has been discovered, from the center of the city to an awaiting getaway plane at an airport 22 miles away. While en route, they must battle corrupt police, criminal overlords and heavily-armed locals, all hell-bent on taking them out before they reach their plane.

Mile 22 opens July 20th.

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Mel Gibson Wants His Pal Mark Wahlberg For WWII Film, 'Destroyer'

There may be some quid pro quo going on between Mel Gibson and Mark Wahlberg. Just yesterday we learned of Gibson's next directing gig, the WWII Naval film Destroyer. But in that story was also news that his Daddy's Home 2 co-star had pushed for Gibson to be added to The Six Billion Dollar Man cast. Now Gibson is returning the favor.

The Wrap says Gibson wants Wahlberg to star in Destroyer, which centers on the 1945 Battle of Okinawa and the USS Laffey, which withstood the most devastating kamikaze attack in military history, earning it the nickname "The Ship That Would Not Die."  Gibson's friend Rosalind Ross wrote the script, adapted from John Wukovits' book Hell From the Heavens: The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II’s Greatest Kamikaze Attack.

After being a pariah in Hollywood for years I guess it's good to see Gibson making friends again? The Six Billion Dollar Man would be first up as it's due to open on May 31st 2019.

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Mel Gibson To Direct WWII Naval Thriller 'Destroyer', Eyes 'Six Billion Dollar Man' Role

If you think Mel Gibson still has some atoning to do for the epic racist rant that nearly ended his career over a decade ago, well that's too bad. The comeback has been complete for a long time now, beginning with his last directorial effort Hacksaw Ridge earning a Best Picture and Best Director nomination. Now Gibson has decided on his next turn behind the camera, and now, it's not a sequel to The Passion of the Christ. 

Gibson will direct WWII thriller Destroyer, based on John Wukovits’s book Hell from the Heavens: The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II’s Greatest Kamikaze Attack. Rosalind Ross, a TV writer who also happens to be Gibson's girlfriend (Hey, I don't give a shit but it's in the report by THR) has penned the screenplay. The story is based on the famous "Ship That Wouldn't Die", the USS Laffey which on D-Day and battle at Okinawa withstood the most aggressive kamikaze attacks in military history. 

Shooting is expected to start in the fall, but it depends on if Gibson decides to rejoin Daddy's Home 2 co-star Mark Wahlberg for The Six Billion Dollar Man.  The updated take on the 1970s TV series The Six Million Dollar Man is also planned to shoot in the fall so Gibson may have to put Destroyer off a few months. Wahlberg apparently put in a good based for Gibson to Warner Bros. and that has to count for something. Doubtful Gibson passes on this.

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Final Trailer For Ridley Scott's Recast 'All The Money In The World'

It's my belief that some of the insanely wealthy, the ones for which there is never enough money, are little more than hoarders with a psychological problem. Maybe I'm the only one who feels that way, but if ever forced to provide evidence the first person I will point to is oil tycoon John Paul Getty Sr., who wouldn't spare a nickel to save his own flesh and blood from murderous kidnappers. And that is why a movie like All the Money in the World exists.

I think it's time to move beyond Ridley Scott's feat, replacing Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer and reshooting his scenes in a matter of days. Tremendous, yes, but the film needs to hold up no matter who was in the role, and I had some issues with the portrayal of Getty Sr. Plummer plays the penny-pinching billionaire, with Michelle Williams doing terrific work as his former daughter-in-law who pleads with him to help rescue her boy, his grandson.

Here is the official synopsis: “All The Money In The World” follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom. When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

The film is inspired by historical events. Some scenes, characters and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.

Also starring Mark Wahlberg, Charlie Plummer, and Romain Duris, All the Money in the World opens Christmas Day.

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Review: Ridley Scott's Businesslike 'All The Money In The World'

Props to Ridley Scott, who at the ripe old age of 80 is still one of the fastest, most reliable directors around. Earlier this year he delivered on his latest Alien film, and jumped immediately into the potential Oscar-contending drama, All the Money in the World. Up until about a month ago we were expecting the kidnapping film to feature Kevin Spacey, but after allegations of sexual misconduct arose, Scott leapt back into action like a filmmaker half his age, erased the former Lex Luthor from every scene in the film (except one), replaced him with screen legend Christopher Plummer (his original choice for the role) and re-edited it in time for the awards season.

In practical terms, the move probably doesn't have much of a noticeable impact except we don't have to endure Spacey in atrocious, heavy age makeup. The role of billionaire oil tycoon John Paul Getty is small but pivotal, and ultimately the reason why All the Money in the World doesn't work as well as it could. And that would have been the case no matter who was playing him. The film is based on the real-life events behind the kidnapping of Getty's grandson, John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer), and his steadfast refusal to pay a single penny to save him.

I'm paraphrasing, but there's a quote that basically says "If family isn't there to help, then what are you keeping them around for?" In the case of Getty Sr., family are little more than assets to be acquired and dropped depending on their immediate value. Moments after his grandson is taken right off Rome's darkened streets by van full of organized criminals, the boy's mother Gail (Michelle Williams) makes an impassioned phone call to the Getty palatial estate asking for help. But she is, rather comically, refused by Getty who is busy looking at stock trades roll in on the ticker. Instead, Getty allows for one of his top aides, a former CIA spy Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), to keep Gail in line while negotiating the cheapest way possible to free Getty III. And by "cheapest way possible" that means "free." No money will be made available.

It's ludicrous, right? While based on true events the actions taken by Getty are simply too unbelievable, especially as he's seen spending money like a fiend on one expensive trinket after another. We're only able to understand the depth of his fiscal madness through flashback, which shows him to be a ruthless business who doesn't like being beaten on any deal, and Gail, in her efforts to divorce from Getty's drug-addict son, got one over on him. What she won isn't what you think, but to Getty it didn't matter. Balancing the books is all that matters.

Plummer's performance as Getty has already earned him a Golden Globe nomination, so in that regard Scott's risky maneuver has paid off. I feel pretty sure that Spacey's version had a bit more smarm to it, while Plummer's is more like Grandpa Simpson telling the onion belt story on an endless loop. We're disgusted by Getty, but we're also too busy laughing to hate him, and that causes real problems as David Scarpa's screenplay tries to get across how serious Getty III's predicament is. Even as he's sold off to a more brutal crime family willing to literally "cut" their losses, Getty III never seems like he's in any real danger, and even has a guardian angel among the kidnappers (played by Romain Duris) who does his best to look after the boy.

I expected more outrage and histrionics from Williams' performance as the frustrated Gail, who both despises and needs the Getty fortune if her son is to survive. But Williams keeps it on simmer for the most part, with a couple of small outbursts. It's a smart move because Plummer is loopy enough as is, and she works well opposite Wahlberg who also plays it cool. Working for the second time this year with DP Dariusz Wolski, Scott captures the beauty and inherent danger of Italy when one looks past all of the old relics and crumbling buildings, with some shots comparing favorably to the great recent Italian crime film, Gomorrah.

In a matter of weeks Danny Boyle will tell his own take on the Getty kidnapping in the FX series, Trust. Another reason for Scott to speed All the Money in the World into reality despite all of the hurdles. It's a solidly successful crime film that shows Scott's remarkable professionalism and willingness to move mountains to do what was ultimately the right thing in removing Spacey. When all is said and done, the film may be best remembered for what it almost was rather than what it actually is.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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'All The Money In The World' Trailer: Now With 100% Less Kevin Spacey

It's kind of amazing that on a day that has seen multiple celebrities canned from their jobs due to misconduct allegations, and the arrival of the long-awaited Avengers: Infinity War trailer, that Ridley Scott has been able to command as much attention as he has. He deserves it for the quick turnaround on All the Money in the World, which he recast with Christopher Plummer after Kevin Spacey was shit-canned less than a month ago.

Today has seen Scott speaking out about the reshoots, which cost an estimated $10M, and the reveal of Plummer in some brand new TV spots. And now we have an all new trailer in which your usual cup of Kevin Spacey has been replaced by Christopher Plummer crystals. 

Plummer takes over the role of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, who steadfastly refuses to pay the random to save his kidnapped grandson.  It'll be interesting to see whether Plummer, Michelle Williams, or Mark Wahlberg earns any acting nominations out of this. And will all of Scott's efforts possible lead him to a Best Director nod?   Here's the official synopsis:

All the Money in the World follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom. When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

All the Money in the World looks on schedule to open December 22nd.

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Review: ‘Daddy’s Home 2’ Starring Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, John Lithgow, and Mel Gibson

It’s clear Mark Wahlberg and Will Farrell like working together.  Farrell always plays, well, Farrell, which works well opposite the hard-edged Wahlberg.  Their first film together was The Other Guys, where they played two JV cops tasked with stepping up to the big leagues to help solve a crime of gigantic proportions.  The duo seemed to like working well together, so they teamed up again for Daddy’s Home, which proved to be Farrell’s highest grossing live-action film, making more than $242 million worldwide.  In the first film, Brad Whitaker (Farrell) played step-dad to his wife Sara’s (Linda Cardellini) two children.  Things seem to be going well for the new family, until Sara’s ex-husband Dusty (Wahlberg) comes back into the picture, forcing Brad to engage in a who’s a better daddy/dick-measuring contest for the children’s attention and affection.  The film did have its moments of hilariousness thanks to the two leads working well off of each other.  By the end, an understanding was made, and the two decide to be co-dads and help raise the children as a blended family.

Now as a step-dad myself, stuff like this are always interesting and fascinating to watch.  The first film dialed it up to 11 with Farrell doing Farrell the whole movie, so it’s no surprise that a sequel would be commissioned.  However, would the sequel, Daddy’s Home 2 get a case of “sequelitis” (as most comedy sequels do) and be as bland and forgettable as The Hangover 2 by not bringing anything new to the table?

Well… yes, and no.

Brad and Dusty start off a well-oiled machine and are both up to the task of being “co-dads” for the children.  They coordinate not only drop-offs and pickups for the children, but they work collectively on homework, PTA meetings and all the stuff dads do.  They seem to have some harmony working together, much like Wahlberg and Farrell seem to do in real life.  They try their hardest to accommodate each other and they come up with the idea of a blended family Christmas.  Guess who else is going to be joining them?  Their own dads.

Brad’s father Don (John Lithgow) is a spitting image of him.  He’s easy going, conflict-free (except when it comes to the thermostat), and he and Brad endlessly plant kisses on each other’s lips in ways that make even the most lovingly close family feel creepy.  He’s just full of a lot of love I guess.  Dusty’s father Don (Mel Gibson), is the exact opposite.  Don’s an ex-astronaut alpha male, who is clearly a lady killer and borderline a psychological terrorist to his son, and doesn’t mind speaking his mind in colorful language, even if it’s to his grandkids.  Both Lithgow and Gibson perfectly play their archetypes.  Gibson, who has apparently completely rehabbed himself in the eyes of Hollywood, looks to be thoroughly enjoying himself in this role.  If Marvel ever decides to retire Tom Hiddleston from the role of Loki (and decided to age the character up a little), Gibson would play the trickster God perfectly based on his performance in this movie as he perfectly pits Brad and Dusty against each other as he’s disgusted with the idea of co-dads.

Don joining the holiday was a surprise to everyone, so they decide to rent an Air B&B (who knew you could book one so quickly?) and get a house out in the snowy mountains to spend Christmas together.  Even though they have a big house, it gets crowded quickly with everyone going at each other’s throats soon enough.  As stated, Gibson does a good job sowing the seeds of discontent and peels the layers off the facade of a happy blended family.

Much of the hijinks this time around is an even more physical comedy as there are snowball fights, tubing violently down a mountain, and even an accidental shooting.  While the film focuses on the four guys, it does it at the detriment of the ladies in the film.  Cardellini doesn’t have much to do except try and work off of Farrell and Wahlberg.  Dusty’s wife Karen (Alessandra Ambrosio) has even less to do as she spends much of the movie simply writing in her book, which doesn’t have a great payoff once you see why as it feels forced and unearned.  Karen’s ex-husband Roger (John Cena, who should get more roles than he has as his comedic timing is great) returns as well and works will for his brief role towards the end of the film.  While the film has its moments of hilarity thanks to the foursome, the ending feels extremely forced and completely unearned.  It could have gone another way but once it tries to resolve things, it places emphasis on trying to wrap things up in a nice, neat Christmas bow, which causes the film to come to a complete screeching halt.  There’s bound to be a sequel for this.  Let’s just pick a different holiday next time.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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