revenge – Movie Scene Queen

Liam Neeson in Taken (2008), Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Faster (2010), Nicholas Cage in Stolen (2012), Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014), and now, Keanu Reeves stars as a retired killing machine in the action-packed film, John Wick. Like many other revenge-based films, John Wick sets a high-level violent agenda to murder dozens of people.

In the movie, many former colleagues feared the news of his return after some Russian gangsters ransacked the Wick residence. John Wick also stars Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Ian McShane, Willem Dafoe and my favorite former drag queen, John Leguizamo (To Wong Foo).

But, John Wick Director Chad Stahelaki must have known that this storyline was very similar to that of The Equalizer. Both men uses retaliation as the fuel to start an all-out war on foreign enemies. Both men have leave their comfortable retirement to finish their vendettas. And both men, despite their age, use their physical states to kick butt.

Not to mention, both movies have corny endings. No Spoilers! No Shade!

The plots are almost identical. So similar that I have coined John Wick as the White Equalizer. While The Equalizer is multidimensional (and features the cutest minor, John Wick has ten times more action, killing, and overall brutality.

In addition to the murderous décor, John Wick holds about five big hilarious moments. While there’s nothing funny about dozens of casualties, the infrequent laughter is refreshing and appreciated. I have a queer sense of humor so don’t be alarmed if you don’t laugh as much.

If I had to choose a winner, it would be The Equalizer. But, the White Equalizer comes in at a very close second place.

3 Stars: With the release date and movie plot, John Wick was frightfully too close to The Equalizer. I could pull the race card and say Denzel Washington cannot have one single moment of “glory” but I see this as an opportunity to recognize that everybody cannot be Denzel!

While the holiday season is typically filled with family-friendly movies about Christmas and miracles, Relativity Media took an entirely different route with Scott Cooper’s Out of the Furnace. “It’s not an uplifting holiday movie but it wasn’t meant to be,” said Braddock Mayor John Fetterman, 44.

Produced by Ridley Scott and Leonardo DiCaprio, Out of the Furnace brings life to the Braddock, Pennsylvania area.

Set in the Pittsburgh suburb, steel mill worker Russell Blaze (Bale) is hit with several personal and domestic setbacks. Russell’s ailing father is on the brink of death and his younger brother, Rodney (Affleck) suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving a tour in Afghanistan. Rodney gets caught up with an illegal ring of bare-knuckles fighting led by rough neck Harlan DeGroat (Harrelson).

Out of the Furnace was Taken (2009) without the fancy trimmings of technology and supreme martial arts skills. Christian Bale’s character takes matters into his own hands to preserve and avenge his depleting family. The movie is authentic and genuine, capitalizing on the life struggles of blue collar working people.

Fetterman said Out of the Furnace is “incredibly powerful and beautifully acted, particularly Casey Affleck. I thought he did an amazing job.”

Woody Harrelson also provides a stellar performance as a tough New Jersey underground fighting ring leader. Nothing like the clean-urban, hip look in White Man Can’t Jump (1992), Harrelson’s character dominates a drug filled, careless life attitude. He masters the role from beginning to end.

Many locals, including my son, Zaire, took on small, extra roles to contribute to the hometown feeling while maximizing on what’s left of the steel mill industry. In the movie, Braddock Avenue, which is Braddock’s Main Street, looks great. As the street runs through the entire city, the movie displays Braddock Avenue as the Mecca, or meeting place, for all Braddock residents.

Similar to Detroit and the automobile industry, Mayor Fetterman sees the “economic set back” due to the de-industrialization process with the area’s steel mills as a relevant topic within the movie. Out of the Furnace makes several references to the dying steel mill industry in Braddock, more specifically, the limited job resources if the steel mills completely shut down and outsource. Fetterman refers to the famous saying about the economically strapped cites, “the rich get socialism and the poor gets capitalism.”

Despite Braddock’s economic drought, abandoned buildings and population decline since the 1920s, its residents, community leaders, politicians, including Mayor Fetterman are rejoicing at the national exposure from the movie.

3.5 STARS: Most of my biased excitement merely sat on the foundation of seeing my only son on the big screen. But, Out of the Furnace, has a semi-gruesome tale of one man’s journey for societal redemption and family-invoked revenge. Ultimately, the movie’s uncovering of Braddock further helps the revitalization efforts to restore the historical city limits of 15104.

My son, Zaire, on set of Out of the Furnace with Zoe Saldana