Proud Mary showcases Taraji P. Henson

Movie Title:      Proud Mary

Grade:   C

Rating: R, 1 hour 29 minutes

In a Nutshell: Who doesn’t love Taraji P. Henson?  I thought she was great in Hidden Figures, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  She is equally competent on TV, such as in Empire Season 1 and Person of Interest: Season 1.  

I expected great things from her in this film and wasn’t disappointed.  She’s much more talented than this script and is the only reason worth seeing this movie.

                                                         

Tips for parents: 

• Violence, murder
• Several people beat up a young boy.
• F-bombs and other profanity.
• Bloody deaths.

Uplifting theme: 

• Family
• Second chances, redemption

 Things I liked:

• Danny Glover still has it, although he's so lovable that it's hard to take him seriously as a hard-core hit-man boss.
•  I was waiting for that famous Tina Turner moment when the Proud Mary song would play while Taraji kicked butt.  You have to wait a long time, but it's fun when it finally happens.

Things I didn’t like:

• The blonde wig doesn’t quite work for Taraji like it did for Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde, but we get the point.
•  Cliched Russians.
• Not a single cop to be found, despite all of the violence and shooting in the neighborhood.
• That last shoot 'em up scene was ridiculous.
• No advance screenings for the media or critics to preview the film.  Haven't the producers heard of marketing?

                                                 

                                         @trinaboice