Support NeoGAF

[EviLore]

First image dropped.

"Criminal activists hijack gala, taking 300 hostages. One extremist plans mass murder as message to world. Ex-soldier turned window cleaner Ridley works to rescue the hostages."

Directed by Martin Campbell. Starring Daisy Ridley, Clive Owen.


Ex-soldier turned window cleaner. Seems more like something for Jason Statham to star in, and Daisy isn't much of an action hero. I'm a big Martin Campbell fan from his prime era but his output hasn't been great lately. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Hookshot]

The badass trying to have a normal life is a trope I'm not yet sick of. I do wonder what my breaking point will be.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Really feel sorry for her tbh. She's only just starting to get into good movies again.

 

[jason10mm]

Good grief, they are gonna float one of these to EVERY female in hollywood, aren't they?

Gunpowder Milkshake (Karen Gillian), Jolt (Kate BEckensdale), Peppermint (Jennifer Gardner), Red Sparrow (JLaw), Trigger Warning (Jessica Alba), The Mother (JLo), Ava (Jessica Chastaine)..it goes on and on, almost none of these do very well. Obviously, lots of guy action films come and go as well but I'd say the core male action movie roster is LIGHTYEARS ahead of these ladies. The only ones that are fun as the actual martial artists, usually asian actresses, but I'll throw Interceptor with Elsa Pataky (aka Mrs. Chris Hemsworth) as one of the few with enough sense of camp to be fun. TBF Jolt and Gunpowder were kinda good as well.

 

[Hookshot]

Really feel sorry for her tbh. She's only just starting to get into good movies again.

Has anyone come out of new star wars with a career bump?

 

[Billbofet]

Ooof.
I love some of Martin Campbell's work, but this has bomb written all over it.
Hope it ends up being good, but how much more proof is needed that Daisy Ridley can't carry/open a movie?

I'm calling it that the final scene takes place on a window washing davit (I had to look that equipment up), and she "cleans" up the baddies.

 

[Tertullian]

How dirty was she before?

 

[jason10mm]

Oh yeah, anyone see this? The new The Killer on....peacock? maybe? Just keep that streak going.....

 

[EviLore]

How dirty was she before?

 

[Hrk69]

Haven't seen Clive Owen in a minute. He's always good on screen

 

[jason10mm]

Ooof.
I love some of Martin Campbell's work, but this has bomb written all over it.
Hope it ends up being good, but how much more proof is needed that Daisy Ridley can't carry/open a movie?

I'm calling it that the final scene takes place on a window washing davit (I had to look that equipment up), and she "cleans" up the baddies.

To be fair to the script we did get major action films like...

which was basically "Die Hard in a hockey rink" so the premise of this film isn't that outlandish, but JCVD sold his film on his talent and charisma, ain't too many clamoring to see Daisey Ridley slowly punch bad guys in a bunch of split second edited scenes.

 

[newtypepilot]

probably wont help her shed her image of a mary sue, but work is work.

 

[poppabk]

Good grief, they are gonna float one of these to EVERY female in hollywood, aren't they?

Gunpowder Milkshake (Karen Gillian), Jolt (Kate BEckensdale), Peppermint (Jennifer Gardner), Red Sparrow (JLaw), Trigger Warning (Jessica Alba), The Mother (JLo), Ava (Jessica Chastaine)..it goes on and on, almost none of these do very well. Obviously, lots of guy action films come and go as well but I'd say the core male action movie roster is LIGHTYEARS ahead of these ladies. The only ones that are fun as the actual martial artists, usually asian actresses, but I'll throw Interceptor with Elsa Pataky (aka Mrs. Chris Hemsworth) as one of the few with enough sense of camp to be fun. TBF Jolt and Gunpowder were kinda good as well.

They did the same with older male stars after Taken (along with Liam Neeson doing scores of old guy action movies).

 

[AJUMP23]

movie staring a woman called cleaner seems like a set back.

 

[Puscifer]

I mean it's something. Star Wars ruined her entire career and damaged others

The ones who got out scott free act like it doesn't exist (looking at you Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac)

 

[jason10mm]

They did the same with older male stars after Taken (along with Liam Neeson doing scores of old guy action movies).

Yeah, fair enough, a bit of playing against type (Odenkirk in Nobody) or a final hurrah of a 70+ year old guy cashing out in his career. I certainly tune in whenever Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, or Jason Statham crap out a middling budgeted formulaic actioner but at least they are fun to watch. Most of these female fronted ones try too hard to make her "grim and serious, like really serious, come on guys, she's TOTALLY serious!" and they are just dull. Plus the women, for whatever reason, tend not to cross genres much so we don't get sci-fi, horror, or fantasy twists to the formula which were so instrumental in getting the classic action guys some really great films.

 

[Billbofet]

To be fair to the script we did get major action films like...

which was basically "Die Hard in a hockey rink" so the premise of this film isn't that outlandish, but JCVD sold his film on his talent and charisma, ain't too many clamoring to see Daisey Ridley slowly punch bad guys in a bunch of split second edited scenes.

Agreed, but JCVD was an action star at that point, and I'm not dogging the concept. That's actually the most interesting part about it next to Campbell directing.
I think Hollywood just ran out of 90 lbs. women that already made a movie like this in the last three years.

 

[Kamina]

Sounds more like a plot for Danzel Washington or Liam Neeson.

 

[EviLore]

Think it's time to load up The Beekeeper on Prime.

 

[calistan]

Good grief, they are gonna float one of these to EVERY female in hollywood, aren't they?

Gunpowder Milkshake (Karen Gillian), Jolt (Kate BEckensdale), Peppermint (Jennifer Gardner), Red Sparrow (JLaw), Trigger Warning (Jessica Alba), The Mother (JLo), Ava (Jessica Chastaine)..it goes on and on, almost none of these do very well. Obviously, lots of guy action films come and go as well but I'd say the core male action movie roster is LIGHTYEARS ahead of these ladies. The only ones that are fun as the actual martial artists, usually asian actresses, but I'll throw Interceptor with Elsa Pataky (aka Mrs. Chris Hemsworth) as one of the few with enough sense of camp to be fun. TBF Jolt and Gunpowder were kinda good as well.

I liked Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Kate, aka the female version of Crank.

 

[PendekarRajawali]

This is a template if you want to produce a Hollywood movie:
A retired assassin who works normal daily job
One crime mastermind who wants to destroy the world
Ass hole government agent who needs his/her help
The assassin destroys the bad guys
The asshole agent asks our beloved assassin to join his forces.
The assassin says "Not a chance!"

Don't forget to give me credit.

 

[Pejo]

Think it's time to load up The Beekeeper on Prime.

I was just about to say, sounds like a female Beekeeper.

I'm a sucker for revenge action movies, so I gave Beekeeper a pass even though it was objectively shit and full of plot holes. A lot of that hinged on Statham fitting the part of ex-assassin. Not sure how much Ridley screams deadly killing machine (other than that image because she's definitely giving it her best), but I'll watch this if it hits a streaming platform I'm currently subscribed to and see it on the "New" banner.

 

[Doom85]

Has anyone come out of new star wars with a career bump?

I don’t know what qualifies as a career bump, but Oscar Issac definitely is in plenty I saw since TFA.

X-men Apocalypse
Annihilation (also ex Machina though that came out before Star Wars TFA)
Dune
Across the Spider-verse
Moon Knight

 

[Dural]

Good grief, they are gonna float one of these to EVERY female in hollywood, aren't they?

Gunpowder Milkshake (Karen Gillian), Jolt (Kate BEckensdale), Peppermint (Jennifer Gardner), Red Sparrow (JLaw), Trigger Warning (Jessica Alba), The Mother (JLo), Ava (Jessica Chastaine)..it goes on and on, almost none of these do very well. Obviously, lots of guy action films come and go as well but I'd say the core male action movie roster is LIGHTYEARS ahead of these ladies. The only ones that are fun as the actual martial artists, usually asian actresses, but I'll throw Interceptor with Elsa Pataky (aka Mrs. Chris Hemsworth) as one of the few with enough sense of camp to be fun. TBF Jolt and Gunpowder were kinda good as well.

There really are an endless supply of them, but I did enjoy Jolt and Peppermint. Atomic Blonde is my favorite of them, Charlize Theron is just ridiculously hot.

 

[Sleepwalker]

The badass trying to have a normal life is a trope I'm not yet sick of. I do wonder what my breaking point will be.

Never for me. I'm always into this type of movies.

 

[Richard Packer]

I'd let her clean it if you know what I'm saying.

 

[poppabk]

I'd let her clean it if you know what I'm saying.

Your windows? Kinky.

 

[Richard Packer]

Your windows? Kinky.

 

[EverydayBeast]

The daisy ridley star wars movie reactions were aggressive, and I'm not endorsing Daisy Ridley but those star wars films are good.

 

[YCoCg]

The badass trying to have a normal life is a trope I'm not yet sick of. I do wonder what my breaking point will be.

I still think Nobody would've been better without it, I always liked that it should've gone down the modern day "Falling Down" path because the initial plot about the robbery and such is just dropped after like 20 minutes in favour of ex-Hitman Soldier taking down Russian criminal organisation on his own.

 

[Madflavor]

You know what, I'm just happy she's getting work outside of Star Wars. Seems like a decent gal. Even when interviewers bait her to shit on fans who complain about Star Wars, she never takes the bait.

 

[Chiggs]

The badass trying to have a normal life is a trope I'm not yet sick of. I do wonder what my breaking point will be.

Mine was Hawkeye in Avengers: Age of Ultron....one of the worst superhero movies ever made and far shittier than some of the whipping boy DCEU movies, like Batman vs Superman, which was endlessly mocked because two characters have mothers named Martha. Oh boy...what a hoot!

Joss Whedon was rumored to have fought very hard for the 20 or 30 nauseating minutes of "Life on Hawkeye's Farm," which makes him a complete fucking idiot. And given that both Infinity War and Endgame were bigger hits and better received critically, it's clear that he was also the shittiest Avengers director.

Runner up, but first to the party in terms of timing (2006) is JJ Abrams having Ethan Hunt whine to his buddy Luther about how much better life was "before all of this," insinuating that his exciting spy job is just too much to deal with.

 

[Lord Panda]

movie staring a woman called cleaner seems like a set back.

Can't wait for the The Sandwich Maker.

 

[ZehDon]

Martin Campbell's made enough unmitigated classics that he's got a golden ticket from me. Star Wars did Ridley dirty, so hopefully this lands a heck of a lot better.

 

[March Climber]

This is a template if you want to produce a Hollywood movie:
A retired assassin who works normal daily job
One crime mastermind who wants to destroy the world
Ass hole government agent who needs his/her help
The assassin destroys the bad guys
The asshole agent asks our beloved assassin to join his forces.
The assassin says "Not a chance!"

Good grief, they are gonna float one of these to EVERY female in hollywood, aren't they?

Gunpowder Milkshake (Karen Gillian), Jolt (Kate BEckensdale), Peppermint (Jennifer Gardner), Red Sparrow (JLaw), Trigger Warning (Jessica Alba), The Mother (JLo), Ava (Jessica Chastaine)..it goes on and on, almost none of these do very well. Obviously, lots of guy action films come and go as well but I'd say the core male action movie roster is LIGHTYEARS ahead of these ladies. The only ones that are fun as the actual martial artists, usually asian actresses, but I'll throw Interceptor with Elsa Pataky (aka Mrs. Chris Hemsworth) as one of the few with enough sense of camp to be fun. TBF Jolt and Gunpowder were kinda good as well.

This is why I just need good camerawork and good stuntwork and I’m in.

Hong Kong action cinema, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, etc. and including Tony Jaa and The Raid guys with their movies, are all slowly becoming relics of the past. So the fact that Hollywood is even trying anything at all and sometimes comes up with amazing stuff like Extraction, works for me

If they want to put women through the ringer and make them perform stuntwork, gun fu, and kung fu along with the guys, then so be it.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Someone help me out here

Fuckin Roseanne sci fi

 

[jufonuk]

First image dropped.

"Criminal activists hijack gala, taking 300 hostages. One extremist plans mass murder as message to world. Ex-soldier turned window cleaner Ridley works to rescue the hostages."

Directed by Martin Campbell. Starring Daisy Ridley, Clive Owen.


Ex-soldier turned window cleaner. Seems more like something for Jason Statham to star in, and Daisy isn't much of an action hero. I'm a big Martin Campbell fan from his prime era but his output hasn't been great lately. We'll see how it goes.

She better be jacked for this. I ain’t excepting it if she is just her normal self.

But there use it’s just some frail English lady somehow defeating guy a lot larger than her.

 

[GnomeChimpsky]

They did the same with older male stars after Taken (along with Liam Neeson doing scores of old guy action movies).

There's one important difference here lol. Most of the guys completely sold their roles while the women were almost always unconvincing.

 

[jufonuk]

This is a template if you want to produce a Hollywood movie:
A retired assassin who works normal daily job
One crime mastermind who wants to destroy the world
Ass hole government agent who needs his/her help
The assassin destroys the bad guys
The asshole agent asks our beloved assassin to join his forces.
The assassin says "Not a chance!"

Don't forget to give me credit.

Missed : a tragic backstory/event which forces the retirement, but is also used as “not on my watch” motivation to break retirement.

 

[cormack12]

This looks like it came from a David Cage game

 

[CGNoire]

Haven't seen Clive Owen in a minute. He's always good on screen

Last I saw him in was Valerian and he was Obese just like Jean Reno got. :/

 

[CGNoire]

They did the same with older male stars after Taken (along with Liam Neeson doing scores of old guy action movies).

GeriAction films

 

[ahtlas7]

Clive Owen is back …for this?

 

[Trilobit]

She has the looks for a role in Alien akin to Ripley. I never minded her in Star Wars, it was the character that sucked, not her.

 

[SJRB]

80 pound girls beating up trained mercenaries will never not be funny.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

The (window cleaning) Force is female!

 

[BadBurger]

They should have used a more sympathetic target than an energy company.

Aside from that it was a pretty boring image to choose for early marketing.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Haven't seen Clive Owen in a minute.

How him or Henry Cavill haven't been Bond is beyond ludicrous and just reinforces my view that we slipped onto some kind of weird CERN made timeline..

 

[Thaedolus]

She cute. But this sounds like a try hard Die Hard. I’d rather watch a John Wick movie

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Good grief, they are gonna float one of these to EVERY female in hollywood, aren't they?

Gunpowder Milkshake (Karen Gillian), Jolt (Kate BEckensdale), Peppermint (Jennifer Gardner), Red Sparrow (JLaw), Trigger Warning (Jessica Alba), The Mother (JLo), Ava (Jessica Chastaine)..it goes on and on

To be fair you're covering a 6 year period there, it's not like we're swimming in these films.

Also, I have seen none of them and hadn't even heard of most of them, so while I don't think that I'm cinema's arbiter, I think a fair amount of these might be b-movies too - Kate Beckinsale at least is synonymous with straight to dvd (I guess streaming now). I imagine she's probably got a similar profile to Daisy Ridley at this point so I won't be surprised if this skips theatres.

I kinda wonder how difficult it is to do a film like this well, irrespective of the star. I think over the last 30/40 years there's like Die Hard, Taken, but even absolute dirge like Under Siege got people's attention.