Spy vs. Spy vs. Spy

If you love espionage then your Christmas holiday comes early this year. Right now, there are several enjoyable films about spies in theaters and your local video store. If the family starts to get a little restless during the upcoming holiday weekend, one of these fine films is sure to capture your attention.

24: Redemption

Jack Bauer: ex-special forces, ex-superhuman government agent, man on the run. On the lam from a federal subpoena, Bauer finds himself at a charity school in Africa searching for redemption. Without warning, his children face the threat of indentured servitude to a local warlord staging a government coup. Of course, Jack finds himself right in the middle of the action and the reluctant warrior is pressed back into service.

Back in the U.S., a new President is about to be sworn in and no viewer should be surprised to see a shady American businessman as the mystery man bankrolling the African warlord’s military campaign.

24: Redemption follows the 24 play-book step-by-step. In just 2 hours, you’re introduced to the upcoming season’s villains, their pawns, a shadowy cabal, conspiracies, slimy government agents, moles, victims and cowards ready to save their own necks at any cost.

It’s been a long time since 24 has been on the air and I’m ready for another improbable day of terrorist madness. Kiefer Sutherland is excellent as always and he quickly re-establishes Bauer’s plight by injecting heart, emotion and sensitivity into this complex character. Sutherland makes Bauer much more than an unstoppable killing machine and the show only benefits from his talent, despite some seriously ridiculous story-lines.

If you missed the Sunday broadcast, Fox has you covered with a quick DVD release. The DVD comes extended with 10 minutes worth of scenes not shown on television as well as a number of bonus features. The biggest is the first 17 minutes of the upcoming seventh season. There’s also a behind the scenes featurette and a look at the real life plight of child soldiers in Africa.

24’s sixth season was fairly disappointing after a great start. As much as I want to dump the show, I’m compelled to watch it every year. 24 Redemption is a solid if unspectacular prequel to season 7 and it’s impossible to tell which direction Bauer’s latest adventure will take. Nevertheless, the long absence does create a sense of excitement and true fans will want to check this out.

3 out of 5

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies

A mish-mash of classic James Bond and Austin Powers, OSS 117 is the story of French secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath and it’s a story played strictly for laughs. After learning of his best friend’s death, Hubert is sent to spy-infested Cairo to find out what happened. While there, the clueless, unpolitically correct and culturally insensitive agent must contend with a boatfull of missing Russian weapons, a burgeoning Muslim extremist group, Nazi’s and enough double dealings to shake even the most unflappably debonair cad.

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, OSS 117 perfectly captures the feel of a 1955 spy film. The art direction is impeccable, lending an authenticity to the time period without ever veering too far into the realm of camp. Star Jean Dujardin looks like a modern French version of Sean Connery and his masterful comedic touch helps support a script that’s often stretched a little too thin.

OSS 117 never fully reaches the level of hilarity seen in Austin Powers, the original Get Smart or even the Pink Panther movies, but you’ll have some great chuckles along the way. The slick action and lively story do make for a very good night of entertainment so take a look.

The film is presented in its original French language, so you’ll have to read subtitles. Normally this type of thing doesn’t matter to me, but some people just refuse to watch subtitled films so I feel compelled to warn you. The DVD also comes with a making of feature as well as deleted scenes and a gag reel.

3.5 out of 5
Not rated

Quantum of Solace (James Bond #22)

By Phil Badowski

Two years ago, the world eagerly awaited the arrival of a new actor to portray the beloved James Bond. With much controversy, Daniel Craig was chosen to play the British secret agent in a series spanning over 40 years and portrayed by five actors with varying degrees of popularity. The first actor to helm the roll was still considered the best. Sean Connery had the grit and charisma that resonated with viewers and popular thinking said that no one new could match his standards. Craig showed the world that not only could another actor "get it right" but that the franchise as a whole could be awakened with freshness and style.

Quantum of Solace opens right where Casino Royale left off, so you might want to watch Casino before heading out to the theater. The action picks up with the accelerator pressed to the floor in an opening car chase through the Italian Alps complete with automatic weapons-wielding villains. Repeating the extreme athleticism seen in Casino, Bond does not let up in the rooftop pursuit that soon follows. Driven by grief in his continued search for the organization behind Vesper’s betrayal, Bond’s personal vendetta propels the new films.

In the Bond tradition, 007 takes us to international locales spanning from Europe to South America. While in Haiti, he meets the sultry Camille (Ukrainian-French actress Olga Kurylenko) who, like Bond, seeks revenge. Craig continues to impress with his animal grace and sheer physicality. We’ve never seen Bond more ruthless or the violence more brutal. More assassin than spy, Bond kills far more people than he apprehends. For much of the movie, the impersonal Bond functions mainly as an unsympathetic killing machine; pitilessly cruel and callously efficient.

New Bond director Marc Forster, whose credits include non-mainstream projects such as Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland, doesn’t have the same knack for action or the clarity in the action sequences staged by Casino Royale director Martin Campbell. Forster is able to show his stylishness elsewhere.

The film also benefits from the returning writing team of Paul Haggis (Crash), Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. The detail, density and contemporary resonance in Quantum of Solace’s script surpasses most action films by leaps and bounds.

4 out of 5
Rated PG-13