After months of speculation, it would appear that work on Top Gun 2 has finally begun, with producer Jerry Bruckheimer tweeting a picture of himself with Tom Cruise, the star of the iconic original movie, saying that they had met specifically to “discuss” the project.

The 72 year old production heavyweight seems to have at last confirmed that one of the most eagerly-anticipated sequels in movie history is actually a going concern, a full three decades after the first Top Gun came out in 1986.

Tom Cruise at the New York premiere of 'Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation'

Continue reading: Jerry Bruckheimer Tweets Photo With Tom Cruise - Is 'Top Gun 2' Under Way?

Has Val Kilmer Just Confirmed That 'Top Gun 2' Is Happening And Tom Cruise Is On Board?

By Stephanie Chase in Movies / TV / Theatre on 17 November 2015

Val Kilmer Tom Cruise Gene Hackman Francis Ford Coppola Tony Scott Jerry Bruckheimer

The actor has revealed some juicy ‘Top Gun 2’ details on his Facebook page.

Nearly 30 years after we were first introduced to Iceman and Maverick, it seems a sequel to Top Gun could finally be on its way, according to star Val Kilmer. In a Facebook status shared late on Monday night, the actor seemed to confirm not only his involvement in the sequel, but also that of Tom Cruise and director Francis Ford Coppola.

Val Kilmer seems to be onboard for Top Gun 2.

“I just got offered Top Gun 2 - not often you get to say "yes" without reading the script... "It's starring Gene Hackman…" "Yes" "The director is Francis Coppola..." “Yes!”,” the actor wrote.

Continue reading: Has Val Kilmer Just Confirmed That 'Top Gun 2' Is Happening And Tom Cruise Is On Board?

Disney's Ex-Chairman Suspended 'The Lone Ranger' Production Over Budget Fears

By Michael West in Movies / TV / Theatre on 08 July 2013

Johnny Depp Gore Verbinski Jerry Bruckheimer Armie Hammer

Disney is reeling after The Lone Ranger was thumped at the box-office

Disney's head honchos are reflecting on a "disappointing" and "frustrating" few days after its $250 million budget blockbuster The Lone Ranger took just $48 million over an extended five day weekend. The dismal performance marks a serious blunder for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Gore Verbinski and lead actor Johnny Depp.

"It's very disappointing," Disney executive vice-President of worldwide distribution Dave Hollis told the Hollywood Reporter, "Everything was perfect on paper, so today was incredibly frustrating." The reboot of the 1950s radio show, and 1950s television show, starring Armie Hammer as John Reid, rolled out in theaters on July 3 though Cowen & Co analyst Doug Cruetz predicted a $100 million write down for Disney - which will require explaining.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney stumped up a further $175 million for a worldwide marketing campaign - taking its total budget to $425 million, an incredible amount that will not be matched from box-office and DVD sales. Experts suggest it may earn $150 million for a worldwide total of $275 million.

Continue reading: Disney's Ex-Chairman Suspended 'The Lone Ranger' Production Over Budget Fears

Lone Ranger Gets Thorough Panning By Critics And Feels The Criticism At The Box Office

By Joe Wilde in Movies / TV / Theatre on 06 July 2013

Johnny Depp Armie Hammer Jerry Bruckheimer

The Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer-starring film has been routinely panned by critics, and it seems as though potential audiences are paying attention as box office takings remain low

There was a time when the mere mention of Johnny Depp was enough to get people through the turnstiles at cinemas, but like Will Smith, Tom Cruise and (to a lesser extent) Brad Pitt have all discovered with their 2013 releases, a name just isn't good enough for movie execs anymore as the Lone Ranger proves to be a disappointment in it's first weekend at the box office.

Saginaw Grant, Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer Lone Ranger
Saginaw Grant [L], Johnny Depp [M] and Armie Hammer [R] haven't been able to save the film

See more photos from the Lone Ranger premiere

Continue reading: Lone Ranger Gets Thorough Panning By Critics And Feels The Criticism At The Box Office

Oh Lonesome Me: The Lone Ranger Crushed Early At Box Office

By Michael West in Movies / TV / Theatre on 04 July 2013

Johnny Depp Armie Hammer Gore Verbinski Jerry Bruckheimer Kristen Wiig Steve Carell Channing Tatum Jamie Foxx

Disney's The Lone Ranger may struggle to recoup its $250 million budget.

Disney's big-budget The Lone Ranger may only earn $50 million at the box-office this weekend after getting crushed by Universal's Despicable Me 2 in the opening few days of the box-office. The Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig voiced family flick is tracking for a $35 million Wednesday, whereas The Lone Ranger should only take around $11 million.

Johnny Depp [L] and Armie Hammer [R] As Tonto And The Lone Ranger.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Despicable Me 2 will prove to be a huge box office hit over the Fourth of July weekend, with strong reviews and the hugely popular Minions leading the promotional trail. Meanwhile, The Lone Ranger - with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer - is likely to take around $50 million, meaning it will need to do huge business internationally to recoup its mega budget of $250 million. Director Gore Verbinski and Depp reunited with Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Buckheimer, though the Hollywood A-lister's casting as Tonto appears to have been a misguided move and audiences appear underwhelmed with Hammer as the Ranger.

Continue reading: Oh Lonesome Me: The Lone Ranger Crushed Early At Box Office

Video - Tom Cruise And A Short-Haired Johnny Depp At Jerry Bruckheimer's Induction Onto The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

'Mission Impossible' star Tom Cruise arrives at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood where producer Jerry Bruckheimer was to be honoured with the 2,501st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is spotted briefly clutching a mystery woman to his side before entering the back of the building.

Continue: Video - Tom Cruise And A Short-Haired Johnny Depp At Jerry Bruckheimer's Induction Onto The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

China Anne McClain - The World Premiere of Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' 'The Lone Ranger' at Disney California Adventure Park - Arrivals - Anaheim, California, United States - Saturday 22nd June 2013

Jerry Bruckheimer and China Anne Mcclain

Johnny Depp's Lone Ranger Make-Up Made The Actor Almost Unrecognisable

By Joe Wilde in Movies / TV / Theatre on 21 June 2013

Johnny Depp Armie Hammer Jerry Bruckheimer William Fichtner

The world-recognized actor has discussed the time his long-time collaborator Jerry Bruckheimer was completely blindsided by his on-screen transformation

He's one of the most recognisable faces in the world and quite possibly the biggest movie-star of the moment, but when he put on his face-covering make-up for his role as Tonto in The Lone Ranger Johnny Depp was rendered unrecognisable to a number of people on the set of his new film, including some he's known for years.

The actor was speaking to MTV this week when he remembered that the first time make-up artist Joel Harlow transformed him into his next on-screen character that Jerry Bruckheimer, the movie's producer and the man who has worked with Depp throughout the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, didn't have the faintest idea that it was him behind all that make-up.

"Joel Harlow built the makeup and he came over and took some pictures," Depp said in his featurette for MTV, with Harlow adding, "I took those photographs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Johnny showed it to Jerry and Jerry said, 'This is great; who is this?'"

Continue reading: Johnny Depp's Lone Ranger Make-Up Made The Actor Almost Unrecognisable

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review

By Rich Cline

Very Good

Captain Jack Sparrow is back for another high seas romp and, despite the long running time, this is more freewheeling comedy than action adventure. And while it's hilarious fun, it's also so meandering that it's a bit dull.

In London, Jack (Depp) is brought before George II (Griffiths) so he can help the Brits beat the Spanish to the Fountain of Youth. But after an elaborate escape, Jack ends up in the crew of the ship captained by the evil Blackbeard (McShane) and his daughter Angelica (Cruz), with whom Jack has a past. So now Blackbeard, the Spanish and the British, led by Jack's old nemesis/pal Barbossa (Rush), are racing to the Caribbean to find the secret of immortality. And their first task is to capture a mermaid.

Continue reading: Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review

The Sorcerer's Apprentice Review

By Rich Cline

Good

It's not like we expect anything else from Bruckheimer: this is a loud, wacky, effects-laden extravaganza that's short on plot, characterisations and any real tension. But it's also rather mindless good fun.

One of Merlin's apprentices, Balthazar (Cage), has been searching for Merlin's heir for nearly three thousand years, finally locating him in New York City in physics geek Dave (Baruchel). Doubtful but intrigued, Dave learns that Balthazar's ex-colleague Horvath (Molina) is determined to resurrect the evil Morgana (Krige) to destroy humanity. But Dave is badly preoccupied by the fact that the girl (Palmer) he has loved since age 9 is suddenly showing him some interest. Can't this world-saving business wait?

Continue reading: The Sorcerer's Apprentice Review

Jerry Bruckheimer Monday 9th March 2009 Screening of 'Knowing' at AMC Loews Lincoln Square New York City, USA

Confessions Of A Shopaholic Review

By Bill Gibron

Good

Hollywood has found a new cash cow, though the use of the latter term might get more than a few supposedly chauvinistic critics in trouble. The modern woman, sick of the same old sloppy rom-com rationalizations, has decided to go gourmand. Like Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, she wants it all and she wants it now. Oh course, back in the '70s, said little girl was considered a brat. Today, she is the reigning glamour queen of conspicuous consumption.

A perfect example of this ideal is Rebecca Bloomwood. The heroine of P.J. Hogan's adaptation of Sophia Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic, this spunky career gal wants a cushy job, a suave boyfriend, an understanding best bud, and an unlimited credit line... and that's just for starters. Only problem is, Rebecca (played with real drive by Isla Fisher) is neck-deep in debt. She just can't stop spending. When her job as a writer for a gardening rag falls through, she applies at the nation's number one fashion magazine. Named after its editor, Alette Naylor (Kristin Scott Thomas), the job represents the completion of all our heroine's career goals. Sadly, she has to settle for a gig writing at Successful Saving, a financial magazine. Oh, irony! Luckily, it's managed by the humble British hunk Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy).

Continue reading: Confessions Of A Shopaholic Review

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets Review

By Bill Gibron

Weak

It used to be, audiences didn't care if an action movie was brainless, as long as it delivered the goods. Provide ample stuntwork, some mind-blowing special effects, and a linear narrative pitting good (or gallant) vs. evil (or Eastern European) and you have a semi-guarantee of success. But nowadays, thanks to the intellectualized approach taken by Bond and Bourne, audiences demand a little heft with their heroics. Sadly, there's not much cinematic substance to the growing National Treasure franchise. This Book of Secrets sequel to the surprise hit should be subtitled Thrillers for Dummies. It's nothing more than a series of ADD driven vignettes held together by the flimsiest of plots, helmed by the dude who made 3 Ninjas. 'Nuff said.

Since their last adventure, things have changed rather significantly for Team Ben Gates (a null set Nicolas Cage). Our hero is continuing his treasure-hunting ways, but he's broken up with gal pal Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger). Papa Gates (a lost Jon Voight) has been helping sonny boy over his rough relationship patch, while tech wiz sidekick Riley Poole (a far too-wisecracking Justin Bartha) has published a book and is deep in debt to the IRS. When a mysterious figure named Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) shows up, carrying a page out of John Wilkes Booth's diary implicating Gates' forefather in the assassination of Lincoln, the ancestors vow to clear his name. Turns out the long dead relative could have been trying to hide the location of the lost City of Gold -- Cibola -- from conspiring Confederate rebels. It's up to Gates to find the truth, and the vast wealth at the end of said quest.

Continue reading: National Treasure: Book Of Secrets Review

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End Review

By Chris Barsanti

Good

An honest-to-God, brawling, hooting, big ball of popcorn spectacle of a movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End fully embraces its ludicrous sense of summer season overkill without succumbing to the bloated tedium that afflicted its disappointing predecessor Dead Man's Chest. Clocking in at just under three hours, it's definitely longer than necessary, but given the number of unresolved plot strands that the last film left strewn about like so much tangled rigging, it's actually amazing the filmmakers are able to tie everything up quite as nicely as they do.

Starting with its unlikely origin as an amusement park ride, the Pirates series quickly mushroomed into a sort of meta-pirate film, a vast and whirligig universe unto itself that drew in every possible nautical cliché and legend possible. Thus the first film concentrated on yo-ho-ho-ing, rum-drinking, and general pirate-y scalawaggery. The second roped in Davy Jones and The Flying Dutchman -- not to mention an excess of secondary characters and familial drama. For the third (but not necessarily last, given the teaser it ends with) entry, the bursting-at-the-seams script tosses in a raging maelstrom, an actual trip to Davy Jones' Locker, and even the sea goddess Calypso. Dead Man's Chest showed that more is not always better, with excess just leading to more excess and a general sense of lethargy -- they were just setting us up for the conclusion and marking time until then. At World's End, however, shows that Hollywood excess, when combined with the right combination of actors and an occasionally smart script, can work out quite nicely, thank you very much.

Continue reading: Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End Review

Black Hawk Down Review

By Jeremiah Kipp

Terrible

"It's about the facelessness of war!" exclaimed a colleague. "The compositions are stunning, with action going on in the foreground and background. It's a dynamic and apocalyptic visual experience!" This, to me, is madness. Black Hawk Down has been mistaken, in its bloated self-importance, for being cinematically and politically relevant. Take away its timely guise of patriotism, and it's a real horror show, more about murder than military prowess. Without the morally repellant "kill 'em all" subtext (young white boys mowing down the savages), you're left with something merely incoherent.

Two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters go down in the mazelike streets of Mogadishu during a routine search-and-capture mission, leaving 100 G.I.'s stumbling around enemy territory with limited resources until the rescue Rangers show up. It's been oft-compared to having almost two full hours of Steven Spielberg's masterful 30-minute Omaha Beach sequence in Saving Private Ryan, which sounds good on paper only because Ryan suffered by following up its amazing visual prologue with a glut of character-driven monologues to invest personality within each soldier before he get killed. But Spielberg understood the basic precepts of documentary filmmaking: no matter how chaotic things got, we always understood where the soldiers were, and where they were going. Black Hawk Down, by removing exposition and cohesion, couldn't care less.

Continue reading: Black Hawk Down Review

Con Air Review

By Jesse Hassenger

Excellent

It wasn't necessarily obvious (or even possible to know) at the time of its 1997 release, but Jerry Bruckheimer's Con Air would represent his finest hour. Bruckheimer isn't the director, of course, but rather the rare movie producer who would claim possessive credit on almost any of his projects. Bruckheimer branches into cheesy thrillers, cheesy inspirational dramas, cheesy inspirational sports dramas, and cheesy television procedurals, but Con Air finds the super-producer munching on his bread and butter: a loaf of action movie, with melted cheese on top.

Not only that, but it's assembled using all of Bruckheimer's tried and tested techniques: Mix movie stars and indie heroes into an eclectic, slumming cast and have them act in a ludicrously high-concept scenario. (Here it is: The worst criminals in the country team up to hijack their prison transport plane! And it's up to one man to stop them!) Then spend lots of money but indulge in a cynical jokiness, and hire a director who will shoot the whole thing like it's a music video or a commercial (preferably for itself).

Continue reading: Con Air Review

Pearl Harbor Review

By Christopher Null

There's a point in Pearl Harbor when Cuba Gooding Jr. leaps into a battleship's gun turret and starts shooting down Japanese planes while hell rages around him. It's a dramatic moment... until you realize that it's that "Show me the money!" guy from Jerry Maguire, shooting CGI bullets at a CGI plane... and you are reminded once again just how phony everything you've seen in Pearl Harbor has been.

Ironically, this incident, where ship's cook Dorie Miller took charge and shot back during America's worst hour on December 7, 1941, is just about the only true event to be found in the entire, oppressive three-hour film. (And our producers are quick to remind us of just how ripped-from-history this little vignette is. Never mind that Gooding has a pitiful excuse for a role with maybe five minutes of screen time.)

Continue reading: Pearl Harbor Review

Top Gun Review

By Christopher Null

Very Good

Anyone fondly remembering Top Gun as a prototypical action-packed Jerry Bruckheimer 'nad-fest probably hasn't seen it in awhile. Newly released as a mega-deluxe DVD, it's time to remember what Top Gun really is: From "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" to "Take My Breath Away," it's mushy love story first, fighter-pilots-in-training movie second.

Ironically, the early 1990s would bring to light the fact that carousing was what naval pilots seemed to do best: The 1986 Tailhook scandal occured during the same year Top Gun was released.

Continue reading: Top Gun Review

Beverly Hills Cop Review

By Christopher Null

Excellent

Boy, looking back at Berverly Hills Cop, almost 20 years after its original release, it's easy to see why people fell in love with the movie, earning a then unheard-of of $316 million worldwide (the highest grossing R-rated movie ever) and propelling Eddie Murphy from a funny ensemble player in films like Trading Places and 48 HRS. to a megastar.

Beverly Hills Cop is actually a bit of a nutty idea -- combine a standard cop actioner with a fish out of water tale. Who would've thought that would be any good? But it works, and how, with Murphy turning in perhaps his funniest performance ever -- mocking the supporting cast at every turn (favorite targets: gay men, uptight men, and gay/uptight men) and tossing off one-liners like he's got a wad of them stuffed in his pocket. His Axel Foley, one of the most widely impersonated characters in film (remember the popularity of the "Mumford Phys. Ed." sweatshirt?), heads from rough-and-tumble Detroit to prim-and-proper Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his best friend, uncovering a much bigger plot, of course.

Continue reading: Beverly Hills Cop Review

The Rock Review

By Christopher Null

Excellent

Long touted as the low-budget (in action movie terms) alternative to this summer's Hollywood blockbusters, The Rock has been something of a question mark among movie forecasters. It doesn't have any real special effects like Twister or Independence Day. It doesn't build on a 40 year-old history like Mission: Impossible. It doesn't even have any big name action stars.

What it does have is some of the best actors working in film today (Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, and Ed Harris), seasoned producers Jerry Bruckheimer and the late Don Simpson (Top Gun, for starters), Bad Boys director Michael Bay, and some relatively unknown screenwriters (David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook, and Mark Rosner), who all pull together to tell one hell of a story -- and hands-down the best action flick of the year-to-date.

Continue reading: The Rock Review

Coyote Ugly Review

By Christopher Null

Weak

To understand the horror of Coyote Ugly is to understand how it was made.

It's 1993. Some Hollywood bigshot reads an article in GQ magazine about a nutty bar called the Coyote Ugly in Manhattan. They only have women bartenders, see, and they, like, dance on the bar with fire and stuff! And they don't serve water. If someone orders water they hose down the crowd! Holy mackerel, what a nutty place!

Continue reading: Coyote Ugly Review

King Arthur Review

By Eric Meyerson

Good

It seemed doomed to fail. Schlock-master Jerry Bruckheimer had thrown a talented but mildly-experienced director at a costume picture, launching it in the heart of the hyper-competitive summer movie season. Surprise! The super-fun Pirates of Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl grossed $300 million, polished Johnny Depp's star, and introduced the world to barely-legal corset goddess Keira Knightley.

Fast forward 12 months. Bruckheimer brings back the costumes, the swordplay, another talented but mildly-experienced director, and his discovery Knightley, this time in a leather S&M get-up. Add the writer of Gladiator. Can the formula work again?

Continue reading: King Arthur Review

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