Holiday movies always have an interesting irony in that they are made for a very specific time of year but can also move along and be timeless in a certain way. The judgment behind making "Red One" is sound. As a producer and star, Dwayne Johnson does understand the math but there is also a boundary which should or could be done.

"Monkey Man" in certain ways wants to be the second coming of "John Wick" but from an Indian point of view. While what star/director Dev Patel does is admirable and his heart is fully in it, the movie doesn't truly hit its stride until the last 1/4 of the film.

The aspect of the spy genre and what it means in reflection about the people who enjoy them is at the center of the whirlwind which is "Argylle", a new comedy/action film from Matthew Vaughn. Vaughn has always found interest in the quirky but then melding it with high concept action. His films are not straightforward and yet do speak to originality while also being derivative of everything before it.

The history of China in many ways like the US comes down to perspective. With "Noryang: Deadly Sea", the last in a supposed trilogy of Admiral Yi, most of the robustly beautiful and historical context may be lost on Western viewers but the immenity of the battles and the lengths many soldiers will go to in order to achieve honor is admirable.

The aspect of creating a good Jason Statham film is to almost take the Statham out of the equation. Though Statham has been established as an action genre all his own, he is always at his best when he is playing a character that has an extremity of quirks all his own. With "The Beekeeper" by having David Ayer at the helm and the always dependable Kurt Wimmer writing, it is about the mythology more than the man.

The basis for "The Equalizer" is in its name. The concept of quid pro quo despite an end game that is very finite. When we last saw McCall (literally in the middle of a storm), the idea was that the wolf will always be hunting. What is interesting in the forward plot of "The Equalizer 3" is the essence of human nature, including compassion, especially for a hit man in the time he finds himself.

The conceit of a new action franchise is dependent on the strength of the story involved. With "Heart Of Stone", premiering on Netflix,Gal Gadot flushes out an interesting character: a spy hiding in plain sight within the halls of espionage.

The movement of a film like "Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts" depends on context for the story and how it reflects in the lexicon. This entry does a smart move at its inset, setting up what is to come and the basis of the story before the audience ever gets to the main characters.

The context of a would be heist/spy thriller all reflects in the tone of a film. Guy Ritchie has always been great at balancing the aspect of bug budget with scrappy independent-feel pieces. With "Operation Fortune - Ruse De Guerre", he finds the best balance so far because the approach is both humorous, dynamic, fun and doesn't take itself too seriously.