Patriots Day (2016)

Very well executed

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

Immediately after the movie ended I went straight to user reviews expecting many sensible people who have noticed the ridiculousness of this movie regarding the extreme prejudice against Islam and Muslims, but unfortunately there were hardly a few.. It screams Islamophobia from beginning to end. Now let me get technical; as everyone noticed throughout the entire movie there were scenes where the two terrorist brothers spoke in "Arabic" but then I was like wait a freaking minute, "What's up with their weird non-Arab names!!?" so I went straight to Wikipedia to read abut the incident and as suspected they're Not ARABS for God sake, they're from freaking Kyrgyzstan!! which has nothing to do with the Arab world. So how the hell did they speak Arabic!!?? that's One... the second thing was when they showed the big brother's wife in ( Hijab ) the whole time she was at their home, real Muslim wives don't wear their Hijab at home when there're no freaking guests or strangers, and the younger brother is a kid, if he was older it would've made some sense... So there you have it, such malicious twists and a lot more were added just to add insult to injury, so all I have to say is God have mercy on us, those two criminals have nothing to do with Muslims and Islam is innocent from them and their shameful acts... The 3 stars are for the great acting especially from Mark Wahlberg who I love all his movies, plus the Love that was projected and shown between the people of Boston.. RIP for the two girls and 8 years old Martin. And Last but not least, shame on you Peter Berg.

For a film where the actors were obviously carefully selected for their resemblance to their real-life counterparts, (as is made clear by the introduction of the real participants near the end of the film), to pivot the action around an entirely fictitious character (Mark Wahlberg's ubiquitous police officer], surely had to be a mistake. I say ubiquitous because Wahlberg always seems to be Johnny-on-the-spot whenever anything significant happens in the action. There he is close by when the bombs go off, he's there just after the young Chinese boy is kidnapped and carjacked by the two bombers, he's also there at their shoot out with the cops and again when the authorities finally catch up with the fugitive younger brother. Once you know this (it becomes obvious when there's no real life equivalent introduced for him at the end), you realise you've been manipulated as a viewer and it just weakens the whole premise of the film. Surely there were enough brave citizens and emergency services in Boston on the day of the incident without the need for this imaginary person. Otherwise I couldn't say I was entirely gripped as I think I should have been by the depiction of proceedings as they were presented. Of course the story has to follow the real life sequence of events which I don't doubt it did, I just didn't think it was done in a very exciting or gripping way.Fine to celebrate the everyday heroism of ordinary average people when confronted by the unexpected, criminal and dangerous, but stretching it to a two hour movie didn't come off here.

Various people's lives cross path in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and its following manhunt. It is directed by Peter Berg and starring Boston native Mark Wahlberg.Originally, I feared Mark Wahlberg. He's not the greatest of actors although my bigger fear is that they would make the movie about him. That partly happened. Honestly, I cringed when he started yelling at Kevin Bacon and I rolled my eyes when he showed up to interview the Chinese guy. By placing him in the center of every aspect of the investigation, the movie loses a sense of reality. There is no need for him to be at every aspect of the manhunt. I do love the walk-thru with the security cameras. Otherwise, his role should be cut in half. This shouldn't be a vehicle for Mark.On the other hand, I am overjoyed with the other people's stories. I love the Chinese guy and MIT security guy. This could cut back Wahlberg mugging for the cameras and add work from the other cops. Give me more J.K. Simmons. This movie should not be an one-man story if it purports to show the events in its entirety.

Mark Wahlberg comes equipped with a strong, invested performance and the supporting actors to match. Not from Boston, or even America but watching the (for the most part - accurate) depiction of a city going through tragedy and turmoil but coming out with a sense of pride and togetherness to boost each other up and resist the fear and terror of the Boston Marathon Bombings was a remarkable thing to witness and it's a film that pays respect to the victims and their families in the most honorable way possible while still telling a cohesive story. Well done.