A film for connoisseurs of patriotic spy adventures based on the novel by Noah Boyd. Rennie Harlin is back on the big screen! The floodgates of muscular sadism were reopened by John Wick and Rennie, shaking the dust off the pop-up, bouncing cheerfully, flopping into the director's chair, nervously flipping 10 sheets of the script with shouts: "We'll finish writing it, we're not used to it!"
The history of this brilliant play tells about the duel of two heroes: a villain, with moral “zakidons”, and a brave master “master” who is no longer young, but still strong. And don’t confuse it with a beekeeper, but after all, what’s the difference?
Bullets fly, muzzle, explosions - a complete gentleman's kit.
The level of absurdity and exciting death bouts will entertain bored "baboons" scratching the back of the head of a man's dreamy self. The range of use of construction tools for injury is quite extensive. However, the Greek-Bulgarian style of filmmakers in this film impresses with its author’s zest and gypsy identity. This is a genre “cabbage” of spy intrigues and dizzying adventures, where almost every character is an agent of special services. The main character, bulletproof, unsinkable, unburnable stalactite exuberant testosterone fantasies. This is an entertaining circus of mutilations, where trained NPCs, in turn, trying not to interfere with each other, taste the sole of the soldiers' shoes of the great protagonist. They fly away - be healthy - from the callous fists of the movie hero. Dwayne Jones, watching closely from afar, cannot hide his envy, feeling lost time due to endless training. 'What, was it possible?' - indignantly raised questions in his head, and the director confidently claims: 'Yes, of course you can!', smiling finishing the greasy fist in each frame of the storyboard.
So get ready for an exciting dive into the world of hyperrealism, passion and flying daggers.
Steve Vale, nicknamed the Mason, is one of the best CIA agents who left the service in the past. But when an old friend of his organizes a series of murders in order to frame the Office, the authorities have to return Steve to the game. Now, together with the arrogant partner Kate Bannon, they must stop the most dangerous enemy before the entire world order is threatened.
I think few people will argue with the fact that nothing is frankly new in terms of script this film is not. Stories about how a former killer / operative and just a tough guy is forced back to cope with a threat from the past have been told a large number. In this regard, to guess about the possible turns of the plot when watching the tape is not difficult. Saves the situation perhaps only the archetypal characters and the overall light tone of the narrative, which allows you to watch the film even with your brains completely turned off.
It is not bad and Rennie Harlin, who has long fallen from the Hollywood Olympus and makes frankly bad films. In this case, the picture stands out among the other works of the director. Perhaps due to the fact that Harlin shot a purebred action movie straight from the 90s. Even with the prefix of the film category B. In connection with which, if the film was released in the 90s, it would definitely become a real hit of the video distribution. In this case, the film looks a little naive by the standards of modern blockbusters. However, adjusting for the format, as mentioned above, does not look bad. Willingly delighting the audience with an abundance of fights, shootouts, chases, explosions and destruction.
Gerard Butler was originally to play the lead role. However, in my opinion, his replacement with Aaron Eckhart looks quite worthy. Don't tell me Eckhart is playing a deep, dramatic game. But it looks pretty convincing in its image. The same can be said about Nina Dobrev, who tried her best to knock her character out of the notorious image of the girlfriend of the main character. Otherwise, with acting work just trouble and aggravate the situation deliberately secondary and simply stupid dialogues of their characters.
6 out of 10
The bricklayer is a pure-blooded action movie straight from the 90s and with some patterns of a category B film, which, if released in due time, would be a real hit. In this case, and against the background of modern action films looks a little naive. However, adjusted for its format, it does not look like a bad action movie with a diverse spectacle and charismatic main characters.
Steve Vale (Aaron Eckhart) is a stonemason. Yes, the one whose profession was put in the title of the picture. He likes the geometry of the material with which he works, he enjoys working with his hands and he likes to watch the fruits of his own labor.
However, Steve has a past - he is a former CIA agent and the past catches up with him one day. The moment his longtime friend Victor Radek (Clifton Collins Jr.) suddenly emerges from the shadows (or even emerges from his grave) and begins to murder European journalists.
There are no exes and Steve this too (like many other movie characters) will soon understand.
It is unlikely that Rennie Harlin will return to the world of big cinema with this project, especially since after the Asian part of his career he shot a frankly weak “Gentleman Robbery” in 2021, and 3 years later “The Mason” came out.
To be honest, this is a one-time movie. If some of Harlin’s earlier works can be revised, such as Mindhunters, Rock climber, Deep Blue Sea and, naturally, the second part of Die Hard, then Stonemason is not exactly in this row.
The film is passing and quite weak in terms of plot. It is stuffed with clichés and hackneyed situations typical of both spy paintings and those projects in which the main character is trying to arrange a “new life”.
Yes, the cast is generally not bad. It is nice to see Aaron Eckhart, who, although he has been acting in recent years in passing films, still looks decent in the frame and works his fee accurately. With Collins, Rennie Harlin worked together in Mindhunters, so his appearance in The Mason should not be surprising.
Nina Dobrev and Tim Blake Nelson did not spoil the picture, but their characters turned out to be too straightforward and mundane. As well as the characters of Eckhart and Collins.
The attempt to dilute the spy theme with an element of humor is too weak. To be fair, “The Mason” is not “Spy” with Stetham, McCarthy and Lowe from Paul Fig, and therefore, for example, a joke about a car sharing machine looks extremely strange.
The plot of the “Mason” is not the one in which jokes would be appropriate. Of course, it is silly to compare, but the “Mason” rather “looks” towards Jason Bourne, because there is a conflict reeking of international showdowns, there is a topic of revenge, there is a topic of revenge. And humor in this context seems completely inappropriate.
What is presented as action – in places looks good, like a fight on a rainy night on the roof of a building. And the location, and the shooting itself, and the fight in the dark against the background of a neon red sign – the creators approached this scene with a sense. However, many other episodes look too simple.
Of course, Harlin has long lost his grip and expect from him something like “Die Hard 2” or “Climb climber” is definitely not worth it (and large companies will not have to deal with him after “Island of Thugs” and other NOT profitable pictures), but more recently John Wu’s “Silent Fury” came out. Who knows, maybe Harlin will continue to master the category B and soon the Finnish director will present another action movie, which will try to remind the viewer of himself.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.
Before that, we had already seen a carrier, a mechanic, a professional, and now we were shown another profession called a mason. Of course, everyone understands what films I mean and everyone knows who was in these films. In general, I like Jaso Statham and I do not miss films with his participation, besides, he is very suitable for such roles, he has proven himself very well in them. And Stonemason is a film starring Aaron Eckhart, and it was directed by Rennie Harlin, who directed one of my favorite movies, Deep Blue Sea. (Harlin also directed ‘12 Rounds’, ‘Climb climber’, ‘Die Hard 2’, ‘Raceman’).
I love Aaron Eckhart as an actor, and I still remember him playing great in The Dark Knight as Harvey Dent and as Two-Face, and I recently watched 2 movies with him. And apparently he decided to follow in the footsteps of his colleague and star in passing action films, and it is a pity, since Eckhart is a talented and diverse actor.
Aaron played the role of Steve Whale, nicknamed "The Mason", he is a CIA pro agent who left the service. But when management is threatened, as someone close to him orchestrates a series of assassinations, the CIA wants Steve back in the game, but he is not eager. And in his partners - a young agent Kate (the role was played by Bulgarian actress Nina Dobrev).
I think Hollywood has run out of ideas because we’re always fed the same ideas. These are the thoughts I had when I watched this creation, because everything is very typical, banal and predictable. Aaron Eckhart such roles are not very suitable, he is suitable for the role of a type in the film “Smoking Here”, or in the film “Taste of Life”, in the same film he looks a bit pathetic and played, the film is very reeks of American patriotism. Fighting and shooting in the spirit of Statham's films, which are much more suited to such films. Nina Dobrev was also not quite fitting, a beautiful young actress was a kind of background for a tired and battered former operative Whale.
As a result, The Mason is a very typical and one-time action movie.
A spy fighter. Is it possible to find a genre-friendly movie? Where else do heroes hide their true calling under the guise of boring, prosaic professions? Where else, after a short, clichéd, uninteresting foreplay, is the crazy slap? Where else, the plot is secondary, unimportant, and all attention is focused on the action?
You're right, absolutely right. The adult film industry has long proved that there is no more erotic profession in the world than a plumber (electrician, monter, mason). Long ago dispelled the stereotype that the utility worker is a wrinkled uncle in a smelly robe, exuding a unique mixture of fragrances: from overcooking to the magical smell of clogged sewers. Nope. Housing and communal services are muscular handsome people in a tightly-fitting form, playfully waving with vintages, and erotically calling cables for cleaning pipes.
When I saw the name of Rennie Harlin’s new creation, I knew it was it! A movie of my magical dreams! The Mason! Great New Year's gift! The plot is simple. The housewife discovers that her load-bearing wall is thin, and calls the mason. And then, He comes, and... (let the imagination complete the picture).
My expectations were not met. Harlin shot (to continue the analogy with adult films) cheap, low-budget, retired eroticism. The plot is hammered out. A former CIA agent goes against his service, kills people, makes delusional demands, and threatens all progressive humanity. Who can stop a crazy agent? That's right. His former partner. Screaming when walking, and bobbing at the slightest effort, a pensioner named Mason. Once again, I admire the richness of the writers’ imagination. There were already mechanics, sellers ("great equalizer"), soon there will be a "Beekeeper", and we should admire the talents of the "Mason".
Then you know everything. Grandpa will sluggishly refuse, he will also be sluggishly persuaded - "Democracy is in danger," "Homeland will not forget you," "We guarantee you mustard and a pool of kefir." The old man will shake up, cheerfully knock hooves, thick smoke will fall from his nostrils. In the end, everyone will be bad, and good will be good.
There are no known A-class stars in the film. The role of budget Bond went to Eckhart. Aaron Eckhart is overflowing and splashing civil pathos. Oh, how he hates terrorists, careerists and bribe-takers! The heroic squint threatens enemies with a painful death, a strong-willed, lipsless mouth speaks of courage and purposefulness, the phallic chin radiates sexuality. He speaks in short, chopped phrases, each of which could decorate the page of some dermatologist (or endocrinologist) in social networks. "Some wounds are better not to brush." "Don't cry, tears are death, and we're still alive!" Very, very cool. A little spoils the image of the hero withered, wrinkled neck, ridiculous haircut, and frightenedly stared eyes. All in all, he looks like a man trying to sell you a stolen frying pan, and he's terrified of his own insolence. Eckhart is good in the role of imposing, cynical scoundrels, but the image of a knight of justice does not suit him. Therefore, you have to grin menacingly, squint, strain the decrepit muscles of the neck, and emit bellicose screams.
The protagonist is Clifton Colins Jr. JL specializes in supporting villains roles (Three Nine). A kind of used Mr. Evil. Since both actors (Eckhart and Jl) are retired, their fight resembles a fight between nursing home patients in line for a compote.
The role of the girl of the grandfather - Bond went to a Bulgarian aboriginal named Dobrev (an excellent surname for a killer - a special agent). The film is claimed as a co-production of the powerful film powers of Bulgaria and Greece. The role played by BLM in American films went to the Bulgarian. Dobrev is needed in order to favorably shade the flabby masculinity of the hero, get confused under his feet, and listen to his harsh philosophy of life (tears are death!). Death!) with a mouth wide open.
What I like about this film is the screenwriters’ pinkish, naive belief that the whole world loves America, and only the disclosure of esoteric information about well-meaning murders by CIA agents (we are on the side of good and good kills in good) will spoil the country’s image. The CIA looks like a human rights organization whose employees will give a head start to Mother Teresa and Gandhi on issues of humanity. Yes, on the healthy body of the agency there are pustules (a couple), but honest agents (the Mason) ruthlessly fight them.
If you like applied with senile aspiration, sluggish blows to the faces of stuntmen, ridiculous shootouts in which a hero armed with a pistol easily lays down a horde of opponents with grenade launchers, chases on cars rattling with old age, universal conspiracy theories, patriotic burping of coke, and other attributes of a class 'b' militant, this is the movie for you.
Enjoy it!
Oh, I almost forgot. Bonus. Konstantin Agayev in the role of a boxing bag, on which, a stonemason who grunts from the strain, works out the methods of laying bricks.
