A safe return for Zemeckis, but not a very compelling one.
"Martin Scorsese [the legendary filmmaker] zero Oscars - Three 6 Mafia, one!" The implication of Jon Stewart's words during the 2006 Oscars stamped a red hot exclamation point onto the thoughts of many moviegoers. Hopefully, with this recent offering returning to a gritty crime-drama, the Academy will finally recognize Scorsese's talent.
The Departed is a witty, highly original story about a State Trooper named Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) who goes into deep cover to infiltrate Boston organized crime led by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), an aging, teflon crime lord. Billy has a dark past and many connections with unsavory types, so he's a shoo-in to get close to Frank. As a fresh plot element, one of Frank's henchmen, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), goes into deep cover as a State Trooper. Here Damon treats us once again to his Boston accent that sounded so natural in Good Will Hunting. Once Billy and Colin discover the existence of one another, it's up to them to smoke each other out. It is in these moments where the movie truly shines. The most tense scene is probably the film's most subtle, with Billy and Colin on opposite ends of a silent phone call, waiting for the other to speak and betray their identity to the other.
Not quite epic, but definitely a special satisfaction.
Kevin James shows that he has the comedic chops to carry a film, but the comedy is hit and miss.
Light on comedy, but heavy on excellent acting, direction and presentation, this is one of Jack Black's best roles.
This film is strictly for the fans. Luckily, it’s easy to become one by watching the entire series.
Not the best version of the film, but still a delightful and sobering experience that shouldn't be missed.
Releasing two movies with near-identical plots in the same year is like two girls showing up to the prom wearing the exact same outfit. I'm talking about Deep Impact and Armageddon. These movies are so similar in plot and story that when I saw the trailers aired separately on TV, I thought Deep Impact was a subtitle to Armageddon. Regrettably, Deep Impact is the lesser version of the same story in almost every way.
The plot is simple: A giant meteor is on a course to collide with Earth. The rest is all human drama surrounding several unrelated people. Téa Leoni is a reporter, building her career on the meteor story. Morgan Freeman is the President of the United States who guides the audience in his fatherly way, explaining what's being done to counter the meteor and precautions in case the attempts fail. Robert Duvall is an astronaut leading a team to land on the meteor, drill into it and plant nuclear warheads inside it. And Elijah Wood is the teenager who first discovers the meteor.