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48 Hrs. (1982) – Review

December 8, 2011 in Action, Comedy, Reviews

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3 1/2 Stars

Walter Hill’s 48 Hrs. is a modern classic most fondly remembered for being the impressive film debut of Eddie Murphy. The comic genius of Murphy aside, this is a violent crime thriller with atmospheric cinematography by Ric Waite, a rousing score from James Horner and top notch direction from Hill. Many point to this as the beginning of the ‘Buddy Cop’ sub genre and even the ‘High Concept’ film; each are valid arguments. However unlike the hundreds of sub-par imitations and variations that followed in its wake, 48 Hrs. is well written and acted.
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Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) – Review

December 8, 2011 in Action, Family, Reviews

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3 1/2 Stars

Recently I reviewed the new release Batman: Year One and praised its handsome animation techniques and efficient adult level storytelling, in short I proclaimed it the best feature to ever come out of the DC Comics studio. My colleague Trevor Anderson urged me to take a look at Batman: Under the Red Hood before I made such a bold proclamation. So I did and he was correct in the recommendation. If Year One played in the similar territory established by the Nolan directed Batman films, than Under the Red Hood is inspired by the darkness of Burton’s take on the character and the wall to wall action and abundance of villains from the Schumacher chapters.
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Death Wish 2 (1982) – Review

December 1, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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1/2 Star

Vigilante Paul Kersey (returning star Charles Bronson in arguably his signature role) has moved out west only to find more trouble and scumbags that need eliminating in Los Angeles. After surviving the horrific events of the original film, Kersey and his daughter are attempting to repair their lives when another vicious attack, including the rape and murder of a helpless maid (the picture’s most sympathetic character), sets the lone wolf in action.
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Drive (2011) – Review

December 1, 2011 in Action, Drama, Reviews

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4 Stars

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive is one of the most intensely hypnotic films of this young decade. Don’t be deceived by the title that may suggest a rip-roaring motor mash-up in the vein of the Fast and Furious pictures. This is a far higher minded affair; Drive has more in common with Michael Mann classics than formulaic racing movies. In fact outside of a few sequences this is a slow moving film with little dialogue and scenes that sometimes go on for longer than necessary.
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Batman: Year One (2011) – Review

November 29, 2011 in Action, Family, Reviews

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4 Stars

After the dismal Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, DC Comics animated division is back with perhaps their greatest release to date. Taking its script from the seminal 1987 comic series penned by Frank Miller this very adult tale is the cartoon equivalent to Nolan’s Batman films. It’s a dark, somewhat nihilistic journey filled with brutality and moments of high drama. Some viewers may be disappointed in the lack of screen-time for the Dark Knight, but those familiar with the source material already know this is essentially a origins story of James Gordon not Bruce Wayne. I have no problem with Batman being sidelined for a gritty tale of police corruption in the Gotham police department. Gordon is a true bad-ass as he fights off dirty cops, a commissioner on the take and a town overrun with crime.
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The Reunion (2011) – Review

November 29, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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2 Stars

The Reunion contains so many labored attempts at referencing the classic television show Bonanza that after a while you want to throw your hands up in submission. A more recent inspiration may have been the Mark Whalberg film Four Brothers, which itself was a loose remake of the John Wayne film The Sons of Kitty Elder. Do you see how confusing this can all get? The Reunion closely resembles those films story-wise in that the leads are three brothers who all share a common father and not much else. It is a lively little affair and since WWE Studios is behind the production there is some action, though it is curiously cartoonish in matters of violence and sex. The entire time the movie played I kept picturing pre-production meetings with Vince McMahon reading the script envisioning a semi-sequel to The Rundown with his Dwayne Johnson proto-type John Cena.
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Last Kung Fu Monk (2010) – Review

November 17, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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3 Stars

Movie over Jet Li, look out Steven Seagal, watch your back Van Damme there’s a new action hero in town and his name is Li Zhang. I love this guy. Zhang carries the physical build of a rollypolly bug, mixed with delicate features that give his face a constant sad frown. He slightly resembles a living Pixar creation, albeit one who is capable of double back-flips and helicopter kicks. I’ve seen the future of B grade Kung Fu films and its name is Li Zhang.
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Fist 2 Fist (2011) – Review

November 16, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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1 1/2 Stars

Originally titled Hand 2 Hand, it appears that all of the fighters in Fist 2 Fist are performing their own stunts. Typically that’s commendable, but here the stunts and fight choreography are so piss poor it’s hard to be impressed. Much like the recently released Assassins’ Code this film suffers from the same problems imposed by a minimized budget. However both movies have a charismatic villain (played here by the bullish Bill Duff), and enough action to make each picture almost worthwhile viewing.
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Immortals (2011) – Review

November 15, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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3 Stars

Visionary filmmaker Tarsem Sing’s latest effort, Immortals, is another stunningly designed and photographed film filled with extreme violence while bursting at the seams with ingenuity. Unfortunately the storyline isn’t as compelling as the striking images that often raise this mediocre film into the realm of greatness if only for brief periods. Taking its cues from popular hits like 300 and Clash of the Titans, this tale of men and gods warring amongst themselves and one another is a sometimes inspired exercise that doesn’t quite add up to the sum of its outrageous parts.
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Big Trouble in Little China (1986) – Review

November 6, 2011 in Action, Comedy, Reviews, SciFi

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3 1/2 Stars

“You know what ol’ Jack Burton always says in a time like this?” Enjoy the camp. Kurt Russell is Jack Burton in John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China. Jack Burton is a truck driver that stops in San Francisco’s Chinatown and hooks up with his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun). The two men head off to pick up Wang’s fiancée at the airport, but things go terribly wrong. A Chinatown gang led by an ancient supernatural being, David Lo Pan (James Hong), kidnaps Wang’s fiancée. Burton is dragged into a supernatural war between good and evil. However, Burton doesn’t go into the fight alone, he has Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall) providing moral support and good-guy magician Egg Shen (Victor Wong) as back-up.
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Code of Silence (1985) – Review

November 4, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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3 Stars

The sun doesn’t set, Chuck Norris stares it down. Chuck Norris doesn’t need a gun, he simply pulls his finger. The moon doesn’t revolve around the Earth, the moon revolves around Chuck Norris. Much can be said (and has) about Chuck Norris. However, Chuck Norris says very little himself. This is no exception in Code of Silence starring Chuck Norris and Henry Silva.
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Tekken (2010) – Review

November 3, 2011 in Action, Reviews, SciFi

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3 Stars

Good casting and slick production values elevate this routine fight film to the level of Bloodsport and other notable pictures in the genre. Director Dwight Little is no stranger to this type of movie after having been the guiding force on the above average Brandon Lee flick Rapid Fire and the Jamaican themed Seagal starrer Marked for Death. In the future eight corporations have taken control of the world and the Tekken Corp. has seized American territories. Fascism is the rule of the day and people are forced to live in fear of illegal searches and no justice system.
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Time Again (2011) – Review

November 3, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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2 1/2 Stars

Time Again is a fun b-movie science fiction actioner about a girl who time travels to save the life of her sister. Marlo (Angela Rachelle) and her older sister Sam (Tara Smoker) do everything together, including work at the same diner. One day a tip is mistakenly left of several rare coins that allow their owner to control the world by the member of a gang of thieves. When the gang leader and his goons return for the coins, Marlo has stepped out and Sam is covering her shift. Sam disappears in the shuffle. Six months later Marlo still has hope that Sam is alive somewhere. Detective Lym (John T. Woods) saves Marlo as the gang tries to capture her and again retrieve their lost coins. He spikes her interest bringing her missing sister to the front of her mind. She decides to visit the old diner, and there runs into an old lady that sends her back to that fateful day giving Marlo a chance at saving her sister. Winding through the events three times Marlo makes adjustments learned from past mistakes, and together she and her sister change the past for the better.
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Quantum of Solace (2008) – Review

November 3, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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2 1/2 Stars

A marvelous pre-title car chase saves this by-the-numbers Bond film from being a total misfire. Picking up directly where Casino Royale left off Quantum is a direct sequel (a first in the longstanding history of the series). Daniel Craig is back for his second go around as her majesty’s secret agent 007. This time the action (or lack thereof) takes place in exotic locations such as Spain and Peru yet the movie has a dullness that it’s never able to shake.
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Avatar (2009) – Review

November 1, 2011 in Action, Family, Reviews, SciFi

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4 Stars

James Cameron’s first film in 12 years is a mesmerizing experience filled with some of the most visually brilliant images to have ever graced the big-screen. Riding in on a tidal wave of hype and expectations Avatar manages to meet and surpass any preconceived assumptions. Cameron single handily reinvigorated the 3D format in creating an immersive and stunning visual design, with a story that lends itself to indulgences in ‘showy’ sequences. The taming of a wild bird and the battle to save an ancient tree are just a few of the amazing set pieces in this long but briskly paced Sci-fi epic.
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Bunraku (2010) – Review

November 1, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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2 1/2 Stars

According to Wikipedia the art of Bunraku is a 400-year-old form of Japanese theater that uses 4-foot-tall puppets with highly detailed heads, each operated by several puppeteers who blend into the background wearing black robes and hoods. Bunraku the movie is a sometimes stunning film that has been over-stylized to the point of incomprehensibility. This visually striking movie merges samurai films, spaghetti westerns and Hollywood golden era musicals. This recipe proves a mixed result with some intriguing moments of originality but too often director Guy Moshe gets carried away with his outlandish artistic flourishes.
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Assassins’ Code (2011) – Review

October 31, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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1 1/2 Stars

Assassins’ Code continues the recent trend of casting known actors in films that resemble student thesis projects rather than professional filmmaking. Shot on practical locations at what appear to be friends’ houses the production was obviously lensed on a short schedule and very low budget. Within those limitations, director Lawrence Riggins has fashioned a sometimes interesting but mostly shoddy wannabe action flick. Riggins is also credited as co-screenwriter on the overly complicated screenplay that involves many cover-ups, double crosses and various shadow government agencies. The writers seem to be stretching for something in the vein of early Seagal films like Above the Law and Hard to Kill. I can appreciate that but those pictures had a solid leading man and in Assassins’ Code we are left with three uncharismatic leads and a few recognizable faces that should know better than to appear in something at this level.
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A Good Day for It (2011) – Review

October 26, 2011 in Action, Drama, Reviews

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1 1/2 Stars

A Good Day For It is a talky, plodding overwrought melodrama that hints at becoming a better film yet never makes the leap. Robert Patrick is Lucas Gaines, a man on the lam for the past 15 years. On one particular day Gaines meets up with his estranged teenage daughter at a roadside cafe. As luck would have it a trio of hit-men are in town to finish a job; stopping at the diner the killers spot Gaines and tensions from the past resurface. This results in a showdown between Gaines and the head of the criminal organization, Lyle Tyrus (Lance Henriksen).
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3 Musketeers (2011) – Review

October 25, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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3 Stars

This frantic and frequently entertaining reincarnation of the Three Musketeers seem more akin to Charlie’s Angeles and Jason Bourne than anything Alexander Dumas ever envisioned. As presented here, the Musketeers are the best of the best from all branches of the US military. After a mission in North Korea ends with a double cross, the trio makes it out alive and seeks revenge on those that set them up. This typically low-budget Asylum production is surprisingly watchable.
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Octopussy (1983) – Review

October 22, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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3 1/2 Stars

This is one of the finest Bond films of the Roger Moore era complete with all the glossiness, humor, and formula that audiences have come to expect. In the amusingly titled Octopussy the creative forces behind the project have taken full advantage of a well versed recipe and managed to add a complaining story, original henchmen and a stunning femme fatale. It’s classic bond fodder. I firmly believe had this same script been filmed during the Connery years purists would hail it a classic. Unfortunately this most rousing adventure tale gets a bum rap from a lot of long time fans of the series. The knock being that Moore is too old for the role (I disagree) and the moments of comedy are silly (agreed). However this outing is nowhere as peculiar as previous Moore entries. The voodoo mysticism of Live and Let Die or the space station battles of Moonraker are far more absurd than anything found here.
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No Retreat No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987) – Review

October 22, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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2 Stars

In name only sequel to the film that is best known for showcasing a young Jean Claude Van Damme. Overly familiar plot manages to ripoff Rambo and Norris’s Missing in Action movies. American kickboxer Scott Wyle is on holiday in Thailand to reunite with his college sweetheart. Before the two have a chance to consummate their relationship she is kidnapped by evil henchmen in an effort to blackmail her father. A corrupt businessman targeted by gangsters and the Russian/Vietnamese armies for his vast wealth. On the run from authorities Scott seeks out an old friend and ex-pat living the pleasurable life in the slums of Bangkok. Mac Jarvis is a retired military man who runs guns and ammunition as a means of survival in the forbidden city.
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Freerunner (2011) – Review

October 19, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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3 Stars

Freerunner is Fast and Furious without the cars (more like Tokyo Drift). A straightforward actioner with little twists or turns and absolutely no fat (well there is one guy). A group of freerunners compete in races where one contestant must cross the finish line carrying three flags in order to win. Bets are placed on a website and viewers watch over the Internet and on phones. All completely illegal of course, and running from the cops is a usual part of the race. Ryan has been competing for awhile, and needs a win to pull his life together. His idea is to cheat and bet on himself. Other runners don’t make it easy though, as elbows and jump-kicks often fly on the raceway. These guys aren’t just masters of parkour, they’re freaking ninjas!
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Hellbound (1994) – Review

October 16, 2011 in Action, Horror, Reviews

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1 1/2 Stars

Hellbound plays like a greatest hits collection of familiar Chuck Norris motifs while simultaneously ripping off better films. It is the kind of sloppy movie that features an awakened evil in human form roaming present day Chicago with complete understanding of culture, slang and technology that wouldn’t come into existence until thousands of years after his entombment. If the filmmakers have that level of contempt for their audience it’s hard to derive much pleasure from the proceedings. Norris turns in a welcomed relaxed performance in a picture that looks cheap on every level. Cannon films’ name is attached as distributor but Hellbound looks like a CBS TV Movie of the Week.
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Transporter 2 (2005) – Review

October 15, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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3 1/2 Stars

Transporter 2 is an absurdly entertaining film overflowing with invention and energy. There may not be a brain in its head but it’s slick, glossy, well produced and acted with a particularly appealing cast that sometimes resembles those animated characters in a Japanese comic strip. The second film in the Transporter trilogy plays like a cross between a Bond picture and one of those driving video game simulators. There takes a certain level of suspension of disbelief to truly enjoy this outing. The characters and vehicles seem to occupy a reality in which gravity and the laws of physics can be altered to accomplish feats of unbelievable action.
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Pinching Penny (2011) – Review

October 14, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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1 1/2 Stars

Pinching Penny is a low-budget film that looks and plays like a student project. The beginning of the movie is somewhat light hearted and whimsical in its absurdity. Two best friends, Alex and Murphy, a Brit and a Scot respectively, find themselves in the midwest of the United States with no money. Alex has a shopping addiction and so the two decide to rob some houses to get some cash. Their first attempt ends in disaster, and the second no better when they burst in on Teddi, a seductive female who sets her eyes on Murphy. She assumes control of the two and leads them into a life of crime. She gets Alex, who never touches drugs, a job giving clean urine to a group of radical drug dealers run by The King and The Queen. They trio also take a girl, Penny (hence the title), hostage and try to extort money from her parents for her safe return. Soon all these tangled webs trip them up and when the cops get involved, Alex and Murphy’s troubles get far too serious.
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Arena (2011) – Review

October 11, 2011 in Action, Reviews, SciFi

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3 Stars

Arena knows what it wants to accomplish and does so with professionalism, style and a fair amount of ingenuity. Although the film plays like Saw meets Gladiator, it also owes more than a little to films like Cube and Fortress. Twilight bruiser Kellan Lutz is David Lord, a rugby playing Denver fire fighter who loses his pregnant wife in a terrible car accident. Despondent and severely drunk he winds up in a Mexico bar with the intention of drinking himself to death. While flashing a wallet full of cash he attracts the attention of a corrupt bouncer who attempts a robbery in the bathroom. After making quick work of the hulking attacker, David is drugged and kidnapped only to awaken a prisoner and unwilling contestant in an underground fighting tournament.
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TC 2000 (1993) – Review

October 10, 2011 in Action, Reviews, SciFi

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1 1/2 Stars

In a future where the streets are controlled by violent gangs, civilized folks have moved underground and are protected by a fascist police force known as ‘The Trackers’. TC 2000 is the kind of early 1990s relic that features cheap set design, over-dramtaic lighting, bad fight choreography and outlandish wardrobe choices. In fact the futuristic headsets equipped with camera and microphone that every officer wears is nothing more than a standard Century brand kickboxing headgear. It would be humorous if the whole thing weren’t so derivative and depressing. This is a film that trots out the likes of Bolo Yeung and Matthias Hues yet would rather focus on Billy Blanks and the far less charismatic Jalal Merhi.
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Prayer of the Rollerboys (1990) – Review

October 7, 2011 in Action, Reviews, SciFi

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2 1/2 Stars

In the not too distant future the children of an economic crash have risen and formed a nazi-ish gang known as the Rollerboys. They dress like Clockwork Orange wannabes and they travel in packs on rollerblades. The leader of the group (an arian poster child) is a charismatic kid that preaches strength through unity and sobriety but his posse makes a profit selling the designer drug known as Myst.
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Warrior (2011) – Review

October 5, 2011 in Action, Drama, Reviews

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4 Stars

Now this is how you make a ‘fight’ movie. Warrior is exactly the kind of film I expected to see when I sat down to watch The Fighter last winter. My gripings about weak characterizations and a dulled impact were met with responses comparing the true story to Rocky. I called bullshit then and I point to Warrior as a stunning example of the gold standard for these type of films. There are three outstanding performances in Warrior by Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte. Each is Oscar worthy and comparable to Christian Bale’s admittedly fascinating portrayal of the drug addled Dickie Eklund.
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Setup (2011) – Review

October 4, 2011 in Action, Reviews

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2 1/2 Stars

Setup is a low-key thriller with lots of energy and a willing cast but the entire film is brought down a notch by a plodding second act that nearly derails the entire enterprise. When a heist goes bad there is no one to blame but each other. That’s the basic theme of this routinely made crime film. The story is about three young men that have grown up together. Each are struggling to make money outside of criminal endeavors. Unable to make ends meet in legitimate jobs the posse end up in over their heads after a botched robbery. These low level hoods attempt a risky diamond heist in the first act that is handled well (think The Town-lite) and generates a fair amount of suspense and excitement. After a successful getaway Vince (Phillipe) betrays and murders two accomplices including Sonny (Jackson).
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