EVEREST [2015]

With an ensemble cast of this many well-known names, it's pretty obvious that director Baltasar Kormákur's true story survival thriller, Everest, was aiming for some serious attention come awards season.
A harrowing screen adaptation of the tragic 1996 expedition up Mount Everest that left eight dead, the film's greatest strength is the powerfully dizzying photography that begs to be seen on a proper IMAX screen for maximum effect.  It's biggest weakness is the large number of characters thinly spread throughout the narrative not leaving a whole lot of time for in depth introductions.  However the acting (particularly Clarke & Knightley) and key scenes are strong enough to let you bypass that and get back to the frightening battle of man against planet.
After the vertigos worn off, I can honestly say I have no interest in enduring such a task as experiencing this sort of torture to my mind, body and soul.

3½ flags out of 5

2 GUNS [2013]

Who would have thought that two actors with completely different acting styles, like Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg would have such awesome chemistry?
Apparently director Baltasar Kormákur knew when he cast them in his film adaptation of Steven Grant's graphic novel 2 Guns.
As a brainless buddy crime caper comedy it's a pretty solid effort but generally lacks in anything else original or praise-worthy.  It sticks to the formula to a tee, so if you're adverse to turning your brain off for mind-numbing violence and wise-cracks galore then seek out something else.  If not, then this is a guilt-free action film that is filled with some great laughs and action sequences for the Bad Boys fan in us all.

3 winks out of 5

CONTRABAND [2012]

Baltasar Kormákur directs Contraband, an adaptation of Reykjavík-Rotterdam the Icelandic film that he originally starred in.
It's a fairly paint by numbers heist thriller that is fast-paced enough to keep your attention from beginning to end.  Mark Wahlberg is put up to the challenge of playing the same he almost always does, the lower class white guy who used to be bad but struggles to stay good for the ones he loves.  While Ben Foster & Giovanni Ribisi steal any scenes they're in playing woefully underwritten characters.

3 $140 million dollar tarps out of 5