Movie picks: Criminal (NC16)

It's interesting that older actors are getting a new lease of life.

Kevin Costner is the latest to jump on the bandwagon, and he is surprisingly one good mean killing machine.

He plays Jericho, a nefarious career criminal who gets his brain implanted with the memories of Ryan Reynolds' recently-deceased CIA agent Bill.

The idea is for the CIA to use Jericho to stop an imminent cyber-terrorism plot that Bill was chasing before he got killed by the baddies.

With Bill in his head, the once emotionless Jericho starts to experience feelings, something he can't quite comprehend.

Criminal can get rather one-note, but Costner and the other stellar cast, including Reynolds, deliver fine performances that elevate the material.

THE BOSS (M18)

Photo: Warner Bros

Someone please tell Melissa McCarthy to stop working with her writer-director husband Ben Falcone.

Their earlier collaboration, Tammy (2014), was roadkill. The Boss is just as bad.

McCarthy is a comedic genius and when she has a great script to work with, the result is magical.

Here, the limp story just makes her look bad, cheap and ridiculous.

McCarthy is the boss, Michelle Darnell, a callous mogul who is incarcerated because of insider trading. When released, the bankrupt attempts to rebuild her empire.

Kristen Bell is her former secretary Claire, a doormat who sees the best in everyone. Both women try to do their best with the tissue-thin plot, but there is a limit to how much trash you can tolerate, especially when you know they deserve much better.

BUDDY COPS (NC16)

Photo: Clover Films

If you're a fan of odd-couple buddy cop movies in the vein of Rush Hour and Lethal Weapon, you'll love this new Hong Kong action comedy.

Two cops - brash, rough-talking Fei (Bosco Wong) and slightly effeminate Johnny (Taiwanese comedian King Kong) - are perpetually at loggerheads and cannot stand the sight of each other.

Both come from single-parent families and in a twist of fate, Fei's dad and Johnny's mum end up marrying each other and the two "brothers" are forced to live in the same house. The duo also find themselves investigating a murder case together.

While Buddy Cops' script is lacklustre at best, it is saved by excellent chemistry between Wong and King Kong.

This article was first published on April 27, 2016.
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