Day 3 - Favorite Action/Adventure Movie

Ok...this is a hard one because I love action movies. In fact, they're probably my favorite kind of movie. However, I'd probably have to say my favorite Action/Adventure movie is The Bourne Identity. There's hand-to-hand combat, jumping off buildings, shooting, spying, driving cars in a fast way, and a little romance. What's not to love? Plus, Matt Damon is amazing as the tough but still sweet Jason Bourne, who's completely lost his memory. This, and it's two sequels, is a thoroughly enjoyable movie, all the way through. I am extremely excited to see the new Bourne movie, coming out in August, starring Jeremy Renner.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, and Simon Pegg
Directed by: Brad Bird
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Grade: A++

I have always loved the Mission: Impossible movies. The first movie is strictly an espionage movie, the second is just bad, and the third is more of an action movie. This one is much more like the third. Although I always like Tom Cruise and Ethan Hunt, the addition of Jeremy Renner as Brandt makes the movie even more exciting. The movie starts with Benji (Pegg) breaking Ethan Hunt (Cruise) out of jail in Russia. The other member of the team, Jane (Paula Patton), informs Hunt that she and Benji's original partner, Hanaway (Josh Holloway), was killed during a seemingly routine op by an assassin. This same assassin plans to sell the documents that she stole to an unstable terrorist. Hunt's team is given the mission (should they choose to accept it) to invade the Kremlin and find the file on this terrorist. But, during their escape, the Kremlin is blown up, which is blamed on not only Hunt but the entire IMF. The secretary of defense picks up Hunt and tells him that the president has initiated Ghost Protocol and the IMF has been disavowed. After their car is hit, Hunt narrowly escapes with the secretary's chief analyst, Brandt (Renner). As they try to get to the assassin before she sells the documents, it becomes clear that there is more to Brandt than meets the eye. Overall, great movie, my favorite M:I so far. I'm excited to see what will happen with Brandt if they make more movies.

The Town

The Town (2010)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, and Jon Hamm
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Oscar Nominations: Jeremy Renner - Best Supporting Actor
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Grade: A++

I had heard negative things about this movie from some friends, so we didn't see it until we were bored one night decided to watch it. And I loved it! I loved it so much, I bought it the next day. It's about Doug (Affleck) and his three friends, Jem (Renner), Gloansy, and Desmond. They rob banks in Charlestown, the place of the most bank robberies in America. (Why anyone would open a bank there, I don't know.) Things start to get difficult after their latest robbery because impulsive Jem takes a hostage, named Claire (Rebecca Hall). To make sure she doesn't go to the FBI, Doug follows Claire. When Doug begins to fall in love with Claire, he decides to leave the robbery life behind, for good. But when The Florist, a imfamous gangster, decides Doug needs one more score, this one his biggest yet, he doesn't know if he'll make it out alive. Jeremy Renner deserved his Oscar nomination, but I think Ben Affleck deserved one for acting and directing. This movie was extremely well acted (even by Blake Lively) and beautifully directed.

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker (2008)
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Tagline: You don't have to be a hero to do this job. But it helps.
Grade: A++

Every Iraq war movie I've ever seen is very liberal, saying how we shouldn't be in this war...blah blah blah. But this one is very different. It focuses on the soldiers in the war, instead of the war itself. It focuses on a bomb disposal unit, one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. When a new sergeant, James (Renner), takes over one of these units, he surprises the other two men in the unit. While he is extremly skilled in disposing of the bombs, he puts their lives in danger with his recklessness every day. While he is dedicated to protecting them, he lives as if he will not die. This puts everyone under his command in danger.