Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
What constitutes a good action movie? Is it jaw-dropping action sequences? Comical lead(s)? Perhaps twists and turns which keep you on the edge of your seat? Perhaps the Marvel standard maybe becoming jaded over time, but at least they are still entertaining. An adjective I can’t use for Sleepless at all.
Noted Actor(s)
Vincent Downs (Jamie Foxx) | Sean Cass (T.I.) | Thomas (Octavius J. Johnson) | Dena (Gabrielle Union) | Stanley Rubino (Dermot Mulroney) | Rob Novak (Scoot McNairy) | Jennifer Bryant (Michelle Monaghan)
Characters & Storyline
It isn’t clear is Vincent Downs and partner Sean Cass are dirty cops. However, that isn’t stopping Jennifer Bryant from investigating them. But her timing couldn’t be worse for Downs. For with a major drug deal between Stanley Rubino, a big time casino owner, and Rob Novak, the son of a local drug kingpin, going down that night, the last thing Downs needs is Internal Affairs breathing down his neck. Though what makes things worse is his son Thomas is involved and, because of that, his ex-Dena gets involved as well. Leaving you to wonder as bullets fly and bodies drop, who maybe left standing?
Highlights
It’s Occasional Funny
Though not often. There is the use of dry humor here and there which helps show the charisma which has taken Jamie Foxx this far. However, with him trying to suppress his charm to be this quiet, misunderstood cop, there are only speckles of good moments amongst a bunch which make you shake your head.
Criticism
Too Much Stupidity/ Things That Make No Sense
I’m sorry, but I have to use spoilers to explain this movie’s nonsense. First and foremost, Vincent gets stabbed in the side, likely under his rib, yet throughout the movie all he ever has is some gauze and tape covering the wound. Despite this, Vincent has drawn out fights, is able to walk with a quick pace, and somehow doesn’t bleed out. Hell, people punch him where he is injured and he only moves just a tad bit slower.
Next thing, Thomas. The boy gets captured in order for Rubino to get the drugs Downs stole. Now, despite seeing what they could do to him, despite these people kidnapping him and having guns, he decides to talk back and insult them. This 16-year-old kid who has no fighting experience, though multiple times in the movie he tries to hit bodyguard-sized men or at least jump on them, and yet he wants to talk smack like he could do something. Making it where when his hand only gets slammed once with a fire extinguisher, you almost want to ask: “Is that it?” Though here comes the next thing to criticize, despite all the work that was put into getting Thomas, then getting him again when Downs delivers sugar instead of cocaine, they leave the door open for him to escape. On top of that, conveniently, Rubino and his thug are nowhere to be seen, there is a cell phone in an empty security office which is unlocked and usable, and I could go on and on.
Though perhaps one thing, towards the end, which really bugged me was when Dena was upgraded from worrying mother to action hero. She goes from being a nurse calling Vincent every 20 minutes to showing up at the garage in the casino where Vincent is for 80% of the movie, hearing gun shots but deciding not to leave the garage, or even hide. No, like Vincent, she has a gun in her glove box and she is going to join the fun. Making it so when her good timing saves Vincent and Thomas, you want to roll your eyes so hard it could slow down the Earth’s rotation.
Oh, and before I forget Vincent’s damn phone. If CinemaSins ever uses this movie, I bet you that their bonus round will deal with how many times Vincent answers the phone, when he seemingly doesn’t know who the hell is calling him, or the phone gives away his position.
Overall: Negative (Skip It)
As many know, January is pretty much the month for Oscar nominees, or potential nominees, to go wide and when movies which would flounder if released in the summer or fall are given the chance to premiere. Often times the movies are what you see this weekend. Action movies which could never compete with the summer blockbusters or horror movies which remind you how weak that genre has become. But you know, Sleepless is a strange title for this movie. For if, there is one thing this movie maybe good for, is background noise for a nap.
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Regularly. Which is why I almost always try to find a positive (though sometimes I fail). I try to be honest about my opinion and to support my reasoning but I also have to acknowledge that the anime or movie or whatever was made for a particular audience so I try to think what they might take from it. Still come up with nothing sometimes.
Question: do you ever feel bad about giving negative reviews in which you can hardly say anything positive?
Well that sounds pretty dreadful. Thanks for the heads up.