CHICAGO – There is no better time to take in a stage play that is based in U.S. history, depicting the battle between fact and religion. The old theater chestnut – first mounted in 1955 – is “Inherit the Wind,” now at the Goodman Theatre, completing it’s short run through October 20th. For tickets and more information, click INHERIT.
Film Review: ‘The Protege’ Understood the Assignment and Studied Up On Action Films Past
CHICAGO – I’ve always felt that the line between being a spy or an assassin has always been blade-thin. Both kill people based on the orders of someone else. They are always highly trained in fighting and gun-fu. There is a great chance that they will be absolutely charming and unusually attractive because the job demands it.
Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
Hell, they might even be prone to age-inappropriate relationships that stem from mommy or daddy issues. The true deciding factor on your future path will depend on who picks you to be your mentor, and here is where we find the origin of The Protégé.
There are few genres as forgiving as the action genre. Here you’ll find that the plot is the least important element as long as the leads are charismatic enough, and the fight choreography is on point. There is so much more than that to love in The Protégé that you’re more than willing to not look too closely at the stitching binding all of these rehashed elements together and just enjoy the product as a whole. Writer Richard Wenk weaves familiar vengeance-driven storylines into this film, bringing back popular elements from his previous films like The Equalizer and The Expendables. There’s a gruff, brutal demeanor that guides this tale, but there is also a playful part that helps develop an emotional core amongst the carnage. Genre-blending can be an especially difficult thing to achieve, especially when procedural action films don’t lean into the absurdism they oftentimes deliver. That is a non-issue here, especially when the back and forth exchanges are so full of humor, fun flirting, and punchlines that usually end with actual punches.
Photo credit: Lionsgate