Mature heroes in action, despite the creaks

They might be creaky, but they keep on kicking. By Frank Masi, Lionsgate
Young at heart: Sylvester Stallone, 66, and Dolph Lundgren, 54, star in 'The Expendables 2.'
By Frank Masi, Lionsgate
Young at heart: Sylvester Stallone, 66, and Dolph Lundgren, 54, star in 'The Expendables 2.'
In The Expendables 2, the high-octane drama is served up by men of a certain age: Jean-Claude Van Damme, 51, and Chuck Norris, 72, join a team headed by Sylvester Stallone, 66, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 65, and Bruce Willis, 57.The caper, opening Friday, is one of several films highlighting mature action heroes.The filmmakers behind The Avengers could have gone in any age direction when recasting Dr. Bruce Banner, but they went with salt-and-pepper-haired Mark Ruffalo, 44, as the Hulk's world-weary alter ego, joining Robert Downey Jr., 47 (Tony Stark/Iron Man).And Liam Neeson, 60, who has found new career life as an action star, kicks his way on-screen in Taken 2 (Oct. 5.)"The cycle has come around again from the time when all the leading men were 16 to 24," says Expendables 2 director Simon West (who is just past the half-century mark himself). "People are loving that we have these guys on the other side of 40 doing it all now. The Expendables is sort of the epiphany. You couldn't get more mature heroes than that."A big reason behind the success: Audiences react positively to vulnerability, a topic the film explores amidst the nostalgic bravado."Age is something that affects everybody, and it makes the guy even more of a hero that he's on his back foot and might not make it," says West. "Yet they are still slugging it out."In Taken 2, Neeson's retired CIA agent looks like "the guy next door who can help fix the roof," says director Olivier Megaton, 47. "But this just gives the surprise to the audience when he reacts like an action hero."The key advantage for the characters with hard years behind them: experience."I'd be more worried if a 50-year-old guy was after me rather than a 25-year-old," says The Expendables' Dolph Lundgren, 54. "You know a 50-year-old is smarter, will wait and will get you."Especially if he has some moves left. Van Damme wears reading glasses and happily list his ailments ("my knees, my hips, my back"), but he's still doing his own spin kicks. "The lungs are not as good. But I train so hard," says Van Damme. "Doing this is like drinking a glass of water."For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
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Kirk Douglas is 'Spartacus,' in more ways than one

''I've seen it,'' Kirk Douglas told the crowd before the screening of 'Spartacus.' ''It's a good picture.''Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty ImagesBEVERLY HILLS – There is only one Spartacus. Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images
Kirk Douglas was honored at Monday's screening of 'Spartacus' at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.
Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images
Kirk Douglas was honored at Monday's screening of 'Spartacus' at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.
But at Monday night's screening of this 1960 historical epic, the entire sold-out Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences audience jumped to its feet as the film's star and executive producer, Kirk Douglas, took the stage.Many raised their fists in the air, shouting the iconic line from the film: "I am Spartacus."Douglas, 95, who played the slave who led a revolt against the corrupt Roman Empire in the Oscar-winning film, said he had never seen a greeting like that before. "But I like it," he said, beaming.The academy event, part of "The Last 70mm Film Festival," was centered on a new print of the Stanley Kubrick-directed film, which also starred Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis and Peter Ustinov.But when Douglas sauntered onto the stage under his own power wearing a casual suit and Vans sneakers, the event turned into a tribute to the legendary actor."When you're 95, you don't look forward," said Douglas, still a nimble interview despite the speech effects of a severe stroke in 1996. "You look backward and take inventory."Most of the inventory Douglas covered on Monday — and during a lively interview at his Beverly Hills home before the event — concerned the making of the film covered in his 10th book, I Am Spartacus: Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist (Open Road, 2012).Douglas, who owned his own movie production company at the time, worked with Dalton Trumbo, a writer who had spent a year in jail and had been blacklisted during the McCarthy era. At first, Trumbo wrote by his stage name, Sam Jackson.But Douglas and the filmmakers ensured that Trumbo received a screenwriting credit for his role in the movie."I was young enough to be impulsive, so I used his name on the credits," Douglas said. "The sky didn't fall, but the blacklist was over.""The blacklist was a terrible time," he added. "It wrecked the lives of so many people."Though critics have said Douglas' role in Trumbo's return from the blacklist was overstated, it earned him a special award from the Writers Guild of America in 1991. More recently, George Clooney praised the actor in the foreword to Douglas' book."Kirk Douglas is many things," Clooney wrote. "But he is, first and foremost, a man of extraordinary character. The kind that's formed when the stakes are high."Douglas warned that the McCarthy days are not too far gone."It was more divisive during that time," he said. "Fear is a terrible thing. It makes you do awful things. Now it's not communists, but fear of terrorists."But on Monday, he was able to laugh about some of the old times, even how studio executives were concerned about the length of the loincloths in the movie. He also laughed about asking his son Michael Douglas to help out with his latest book."When I asked Michael to do the audio version, he said, 'You mean you couldn't get George Clooney?' "Douglas left before the movie started to catch a celebratory dinner with Michael and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones. "I've seen it," Kirk Douglas told the crowd. "It's a good picture."For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
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DVD Extra: Get up to speed with NBC series 'Grimm'

Homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) always seemed more intuitive than usual, even for a cop. As it turns out, the title character of the NBC series Grimm has the inherited ability to see mythical creatures, hiding in plain sight and, often, committing crimes among humans. Scott Green, NBC
Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), left, and partner Hank Green (Russell Hornsby) investigate paranomal crimes in 'Grimm.'
Scott Green, NBC
Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), left, and partner Hank Green (Russell Hornsby) investigate paranomal crimes in 'Grimm.'
The second season premieres Monday at 10 p.m. ET, and the five-disc Grimm: Season One (2011-12, Universal, not rated, $60; Blu-ray, $70) is out on home video just in time to catch up on his story so far. Burkhardt comes from a long line of Grimms, who are tasked with keeping the multitude of supernatural beings collectively known as Wesen in check. Nick gets help from his partner, Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby), who, like Nick's girlfriend, Juliette Silverton (Bitsie Tulloch), is unaware of his true calling.He also gets assistance from good friend Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), a reformed creature with insight into the supernatural community. Among other prominent characters are Capt. Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz), Nick's boss and, secretly, a powerful Wesen; Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee), a colleague of Nick and Hank's; and Rosalee Calvert (Bree Turner), who runs a Wesen spice shop.Nick's Aunt Marie (Kate Burton), who revealed to him his heritage, left him a trailer crammed with all manner of ancient weapons, devices and artifacts to aid him in keeping the evil beasts at bay. The creatures take a variety of forms with a wide range of traits and powers. For example, some use powerful pheromones to seduce victims, while others emit fatal ear-splitting sounds. There are some that harvest human organs from still-living victims, and there's a black-widow type that maintains their vitality by sucking the life out of young men.The eerie show, from the producers of Buffy the VampireSlayer and Angel, draws inspiration for both stories and creatures primarily from the Brothers Grimm (Wilhelm and Jacob), who published more than 200 German folk tales in the early 1800s. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Nightingale, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and The Pied Piper are among the stories given scary, modern twists. The 22 episodes also draw upon British, American, Japanese and Latin fables.Grimm, which is filmed on location in and around Portland, Ore., earned its first Emmy nomination (outstanding stunt coordination) with the season-closing episode The Woman in Black. Bonus features include deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, a guide to the fantasy world of Grimm, a behind-the-scenes look at the makeup and special effects, audition tapes and Grimm collector cards. The Blu-ray set also has an interactive book with information about various creatures on the show.On Monday's premiere episode, titled Bad Teeth, Nick has to deal with the unexpected arrival of his believed-to-be-dead mother and find a way to wake Juliette from her coma.For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
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Gallery: This week at the movies

Plot: Eight years have elapsed since Gotham has seen the caped crusader. His alter ego, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), has become a recluse, mired in sadness and loss. But he is drawn out of his self-imposed exile by a cagey cat burglar and a masked terrorist who threatens Gotham’s safety.
PG-13; 2 hours, 45 minutes
Upside: What stands out most, particularly on IMAX screens, is the film’s gorgeous cinematography. Plus, Ann Hathaway offers a charmingly fresh take on Catwoman — less feline (no purring, thankfully) and more acrobatic, playful and assertive than previous incarnations.
Downside: The number of characters is excessive.

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'Bourne' rises as 'Dark Knight' falls

The Bourne Legacy raced to an easy win at theaters this weekend, dethroning Batman and defeating two comedic presidential candidates — all without Jason Bourne showing up. Mary Cybulski, AP
Jeremy Renner takes over from Matt Damon in the successful series.
Mary Cybulski, AP
Jeremy Renner takes over from Matt Damon in the successful series.
The reboot of the Matt Damon spy franchise collected a better-than-expected $40.3 million, according to Hollywood.com.Analysts projected the film, starring Jeremy Renner as the government's newest super soldier, to make approximately $30 million.While the opening doesn't compete with Damon's last spy entry — his Bourne Ultimatum opened to $69.3 million in 2007 — the debut could be enough to warrant another film with Renner as the anchor."Given that Jeremy Renner is just starting his career as an action hero, there is plenty of room for growth here," says David Mumpower, analyst for Boxofficeprophets.com.Fans and critics were mixed on the movie, which featured multiple references to Jason Bourne but not a cameo by Damon. About 53% of critics gave it a thumbs-up, while 64% of audiences liked it, say pollsters Rottentomatoes.com. The movie scored a B with audiences, says survey firm CinemaScore.Reviewers were a little kinder to the Will Ferrell-Zach Galifianakis political comedy The Campaign, which took second place with a strong $27.4 million, about $2 million above projections. Roughly 67% of critics recommended the movie, compared with 64% of fans, Rottentomatoes says."As we have seen with Ted, popular comedies have a tendency to excel indefinitely," Mumpower says. "The timeliness of The Campaign during this election season could lead to its lingering in the minds of consumers over the next couple of months."The Dark Knight Rises fell from the top spot for the first time in three weeks, taking third place with $19.5 million. The movie should pass $400 million by next weekend.The romantic comedy Hope Springs, starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, opened in fourth place with $15.6 million, meeting most analysts' projections.Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days rounded out the top 5 with $8.2 million.Final figures are due today. Ticket sales remain 4% ahead of last year's pace, while attendance is up 2%, Hollywood.com says.For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
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With 'Copper,' BBC America lands Stateside

BBC America's first original scripted series tackles a decidedly un-British subject: Civil War-era Manhattan. BBC AMERICA/Cineflix
Toppers: Bordello madam Eva Heissen (Franka Potente) and Det. Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones).
BBC AMERICA/Cineflix
Toppers: Bordello madam Eva Heissen (Franka Potente) and Det. Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones).
Copper, from producers Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson (Homicide: Life on the Streets), is due Aug. 19 (10 ET/PT). The 10-episode first season, set in 1864, stars Tom Weston-Jones as Kevin Corcoran, an Irish immigrant detective (and war veteran) in New York's sketchy Five Points neighborhood, whose daughter has been killed and wife has gone missing.As he battles crime and solves the mystery of what became of his family, he relies on connections to two fellow veterans from the Union Army: Matthew Freeman (Ato Essandoh), an African-American doctor in an emerging northern Manhattan, and Robert Morehouse (Kyle Schmid), the son of a wealthy industrialist on the already fashionable East side. All share a secret from their war days.Also anchoring early episodes are Eva Heissen (Franka Potente), the madam of a bordello, and Annie Reilly (Kiara Glasco), a young girl forced into prostitution."The scale of it is what kind of daunted me at first," says Weston-Jones, a Welsh-British actor raised in Dubai and playing an Irish immigrant in 19th-century America. "It can be a little bit scary to go into something when you're a little bit of an outsider. I found it nothing but a challenge, but I like challenges." The subject appealed to Fontana, a longtime New Yorker, because of its "parallels to where we are now: racism, the whole question of immigration — in this case it's the Irish and Germans instead of Latinos and Asians — the poverty, the misuse of children, when you look at what happened at Penn State."The season ends with President Lincoln's re-election, but in the last stretch of the war, "you get a sense of how the city was struggling after the draft riots to re-emerge," he says. "And I think we went through that after September 11."But if there are parallels to modern-day themes, the police work harkens instead to lawless Westerns. "It is the anti-CSI in the sense of there is no DNA, there's no machines," Fontana says. "It's all about the detectives having to use their minds and really assess the situation. There wasn't even a morgue in Manhattan at that point."The doctor's untested methods seemed, to the cops, "scientific nonsense. So it's fun to have to be able to do the detective stuff without relying on any of the current information we have."Corcoran, a prototypical John Wayne, isn't averse to shooting suspects point-blank, striking a familiar theme for producers of such material as Oz and Homicide. "With my shows, it's always about that moral conflict and that moral confusion," Fontana says.Copper was first developed at AMC several years ago, but "a show that's about the quintessential immigrant experience of the melting pot of New York … felt like such appropriate material" for BBC America's first original drama, says general manager Perry Simon. "It still embodies everything BBC stands for but still has an American voice."Even if it's filmed in Toronto.For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
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