The Secret of Secrets (2025) – Dan Brown

Dan Brown sends his hero Robert Langdon off on another adventure with his latest novel, The Secret of Secrets. And I’m divided. I like the research and the information Brown is putting forth, it opens up a number of avenues for questions and research, but, the story doesn’t have the same punch and push as…

The Hunt for Red October (1984) – Tom Clancy

I haven’t read this book since the mid-80s when my schoolmate and friend, Michael Hay suggested I might like it. I dug into it, and for awhile there, birthdays or Christmases would bring me the latest Tom Clancy hardcover. I’ve been itching to kind of go back and see I still enjoy the stories, and…

Gotcha! (1985) – Jeff Kanew

I remember greatly enjoying Gotcha! when I rented it on video back in the day. And though it’s always been floating round in the back of my mind, I haven’t watched it since… until now. And let me tell you, this one stands up. There’s a couple of things that don’t stand the test of…

2 Guns (2013) – Baltasar Kormakur

Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg star in 2 Guns, based on the comic series of the same name, a fun little actioner where everyone seems intent on betraying every one else over forty-three million dollars. Posing as buyers, Bobby (Washington) is actually a DEA agent, Stig (Wahlberg) is in the Office of Naval Intelligence, and…

The Gray Man (2022) – Joe and Anthony Russo

The Russo Brothers, who made an indelible print on the MCU, gather a fun cast to deliver a fast-paced action film that features fantastic kinetic camera work, but is held back by some cardboard characters. Six (Ryan Gosling) is a career criminal that gets recruited by a CIA handler, Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton). He’s incredibly…

Magnum P.I. (2019/2020) – Day I Met the Devil, and Desperate Measures

Magnum (Jay Hernandez) is reactivated by the Navy, and Greene (James Remar) gives him an assignment that sounds above-board, if a little dangerous. Greene denies him using Rick (Zachary Knighton) and T.C. (Stephen Hill) saying he has a CIA back-up team for an assignment that while sanctioned is off the books and will be denied…

Magnum P.I. (2019) – Blood in the Water, and The Day It All Came Together

The penultimate episode of season one of the reimagined Magnum P.I. was written by Gene Hong, and first debuted on 25 March, 2019. While T.C. (Stephen Hill) deals with the imminent arrival (and then non-appearance) by his father, with lots of needling from Rick (Zachary Kingston) and Shammy (Christopher Thornton), Magnum (Jay Hernandez) and Higgins…

Magnum P.I. (2019) – Day the Past Came Back, and Murder is Never Quiet

The series keeps that continuity running and introduces another legacy character, MacReynolds (Ammie Masterson) in Day the Past Came Back. Written by Peter M. Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim. It first debuted on 18 February, 2019. With callbacks to the series premiere, Magnum (Jay Hernandez) is kidnapped and taken back to the shipwreck of stolen Iraqi…

Atomic Blonde (2017) – David Leitch

Charlize Theron is here to kick ass in Atomic Blonde and she does, and does it well. Based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde is a spy-thriller that features some solid stunt and fight work, the majority of which Theron, much like Keanu Reeves for John Wick did as much of as…

Three Miles Down (2022) – Harry Turtledove

I hadn’t picked up a Turtledove book before. He’s made a name for himself telling tales of alternate histories, picking a historical event and letting it play out differently. I was never too worried about those things, though I do like a good alternate timeline. This time, however, I was intrigued as it set a…