Few could have predicted that beneath Mark Wahlberg’s b-boy cap, which he wore while flaunting his physique and posing in underwear as Marky Mark, was the soul of an actor in the early 1990s while he was doing these things.
That’s no longer the case, though, as Wahlberg has racked up dozens of parts since making his world premiere in Danny DeVito’s 1994 comedy Renaissance Man and two Academy Award nominations.
He has diversified considerably, displaying a wrong talent moment to reflect on Mr. Wahlberg’s career.
Three Kings (1999)
Four American soldiers choose to grab a stash of Saddam Hussein’s buried gold shortly after the Gulf War comes to an end.
Under the cynical command of Sergeant Major Archie Gates (George Clooney), Insurgents help save three men. At the same time, Sergeant Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) is taken prisoner and tortured by Iraqi intelligence.
When Hussein’s Elite Guard is about to arrive, the Iraqi insurgents beg the American team to assist in the defense. The men consent to a fight in exchange for assistance in saving Troy.
The film Three Kings is very ambitious.
Aside from crafting an action-adventure loaded with explosive humor and a movie that investigates race, politics, war, the media, and US diplomacy in the Middle East, writer-director David O. Russell’s past works include the dark comedic Spanking the Monkey and Flirting With Disaster.
In large part, he accomplishes it with astounding ease.
Additionally, Warner Bros. has done an excellent job marketing and distributing films geared at men, like this Village Roadshow movie.
Three Kings, therefore, seemed destined for box office success.
Where to watch – ROW8, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, or Redbox
Boogie Nights (1997)
Eddie Adams (Mark Walberg), a teenage busboy in the San Fernando Valley in 1977, is Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds), a director of porn, finds him and turns him into the star of the adult film Dirk Diggler.
Dirk achieves all of his goals after being introduced to a supportive group of friends that includes actors Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), Rollergirl (Heather Graham), and Reed Rothchild are also in the film.
Still, a toxic combination of drugs and ego threatens to bring him back down.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s film was more than just window dressing in the mid-90s smattering of Hollywood dramas (Casino, Donnie Brasco) that celebrated the excesses of the 1970s – and the price paid for that excess in the early 1980s (or undressing – given its subject matter).
It’s the story of a young person taking a bus to Hollywood, hoping to fulfill their long-held dream of achieving fame and fortune, as is common in many films from the period.
But life in Los Angeles isn’t always glamorous for Eddie Adams, a high school dropout (Mark Wahlberg).
He survives by working as a waiter and dishwasher in a seedy nightclub until he meets Jack Horner one night.
Where to watch – Roku Channel, Spectrum TV, Showtime Anytime, Vudu, Redbox., Apple TV
The Departed (2006)
Along the way for, drama (Boogie Nights), humor (Ted), and action-packed blockbusters (Shooter, the Transformers franchise). Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who works as a South Boston cop, goes undercover to infiltrate gangland chief Frank Costello’s organization (Jack Nicholson).
As Billy gains the mobster’s confidence, a career criminal named Colin Sullivan ( played by Matt Damon) infiltrates the police force and reports to his syndicate bosses on its activities.
When both organizations discover that they have a mole among them, Billy and Colin have to figure out each other’s identities to save their own lives.
True, Scorsese’s additions give The Departed a messier heft and richness of texture in comparison to the leaner, cleaner Infernal Affairs.
However, it tends to crowd out the quieter, more reflective elements.
While Scorsese faithfully recreates almost every scene from the original, he omits perhaps the film’s
We are instructed to comprehend that she left him because she thought he was The undercover cop Leung’s touching encounter with an ex-girlfriend and her child while walking down the street, that the girl is his, and that he is an actual felon.
The scene captures what his job has cost him better than DiCaprio’s agonized brow-furrowing, pill-popping, and trying to fight with superiors.
Where to watch – HBO Max, Watch TNT, Watch TBS, Spectrum TV, truTV, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, or Redbox.
The Fighter (2010)
Boxing is a family affair for Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg). Dicky (Christian Bale), his half-brother and former promising boxer, is his untrustworthy trainer. His manager is his tough-as-nails mother.
Despite his efforts, Micky ends up almost losing, and when the latest fight almost kills him, he follows his girlfriend’s advice and leaves the family.
Then Micky becomes a world title contender, and he – and his family – are given a second chance.
Based on the real-life experiences of welterweight boxer Micky Ward in the 1990s and his insane ex-fighter brother Dicky, as played by Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg, and of course, concludes with a brief and slightly cocky video clip of the actual brothers.
The Fighter is a far more interesting film than the straightforward, even undemanding, drama we eventually get.
Micky, played by Wahlberg, is a brave and talented boxer who must bear a terrible burden: his brother-turned-trainer Dicky (Bale).
Dicky had previously knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard in the ring, making him a combat sports force to be reckoned with; He is now dependent to crack.
Where to watch – Paramount Plus, The Roku Channel, SHOWTIME, Spectrum TV, Showtime Anytime, Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox., ROW8, or Apple TV
All the Money in the World (2017)
Kidnappers demanded in 1973.
Despite the desperate pleas of his former daughter-in-law Gail and adviser Fletcher Chase, Getty refuses to pay the perpetrators a single penny.
With nowhere else to turn, Gail and Fletcher quickly become unlikely allies attempting to save the teen’s life in a race against time.
The drama surrounding this event is the inspiration for Ridley Scott’s film, based on the 1995 publication Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortune and Misfortunes of J. Paul Getty’s Heirs.
The film begins in 1973 in Rome when 16-year-old Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) is kidnapped.
His mother, Gail’s (Michelle Williams) claim that she does not have the ransom money is debunked.
The kidnappers want her to get it from her ex-husband. Gail’s attempts to contact Getty Sr. (Christopher Plummer), who lives alone in his English manor house, are futile.
Where to watch – Plex – Free Movies & TV, Fawe some, Canela.TV, Black Cinema & TV, Redbox., Spectrum TV, Prime Video, Vudu, or Apple TV
Ted (2012)
When John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) was a child, he wished for Ted (Seth MacFarlane), his beloved teddy bear.
Ted, who has been John’s buddy for thirty years, was annoyed when Lori, John’s girlfriend, was poorly spoken of by Ted (Mila Kunis). Lori is irritated by the duo’s ongoing use of marijuana and beer, but she isn’t the one who is John has me the utmost disappointed; it might require John’s childhood toy to help him grow up.
Ted is the tale of a man named John, who was given a large stuffed toy for Christmas as a lonely eight boy.
Ted, the plush toy, came to life and promised to be John’s lifelong friend.
After a brief period of fame (he was a chatting teddy bear, after all), Ted (voiced by MacFarlane) has spent the majority of the subsequent 27 years as John’s best friend, helping him grow in some ways but essentially anchoring him to childhood and validating his ongoing adolescent impulses.
Where to watch – Fubo TV, Netflix
Fear (1996)
Nicole Walker (Reese Witherspoon), 16, falls in love with David McCall (Mark Wahlberg), 23, at a Seattle nightclub.
David is exciting and charming, and despite their age difference, he wins Nicole’s family over – except for her workaholic father, Steven (William Petersen), who is suspicious of David from the start.
His fears are confirmed when David reveals himself as a violent sociopath who regards Nicole as his possession and her family home as a fortress to be invaded.
Male resentment of women is nothing new, not even in the 1990s when Fear was published. Today, it’s even more of a threat, as MRAs and other wastes of space are determined to rise in the face of a new wave of feminists, fueled by a (slight) societal shift in recent years toward believing women and genuinely listening to their stories.
Something that is sorely lacking – and which Fear brilliantly explores – is the discussion of how fathers can be just as jealous as lovers regarding girls and women.
Consider all the strange loyalty ceremonies that young girls are coerced into by their families, pledging to their fathers that they will not lose their virginity until they marry.
Where to watch – Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox. or Apple TV
Invincible (2006)
Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), a lifelong football fan, joins the Philadelphia Eagles.
NFL’s oldest rookie who never played football in college. The 30-year-old becomes the kicker for the team, save for special teams. While teaching, he sees the fulfillment of his fondest dreams, a chance to test out for his favorite team at his alma mater in Pennsylvania.
As Papale, Mark Wahlberg is fantastic.
He embodies not only the man but also the era, the sensibilities, the neighborhood, the hype and hoopla, Papale’s unwavering enthusiasm and faith in himself, and Philadelphia. (Philadelphians are a distinct breed.)
Wahlberg’s performance is defined by his conviction that he must be genuine. He needed to know how to play the game and handle the ball.
Given this, He put in a lot of effort to prepare mentally and physically for the role. Wahlberg ran through the streets of Philadelphia like Rocky Balboa, determined to be the best Papale he could be.
He practiced his South Philly accent with Papale and some drivers.
Where to watch – Disney Plus, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, or Redbox
Deepwater Horizon (2016)
The Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf drilling rig blew up on April 20, 2010, igniting a massive fireball that killed several crew members.
Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg), chief electronics technician, and his colleagues are fighting for their lives as the heat and flames become suffocating and overwhelming.
Coworkers must band together and use their wits to survive during the chaos.
Deepwater Horizon emphasizes the demise of the oil rig and the workers’ battle for survival rather than the environmental aftermath of the disaster.
It’s an incredible action film that also pays
The 11 guys who perished in the fires are remembered.
The technical jargon that dominates the film’s dialogue is difficult to follow, but you don’t have to be an engineer to understand what’s at stake for these men and women.
Many factors are probable
to have aided in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon. The film makes it clear that it all comes down to greed.
The BP executives prioritized profit over the safety of the rig workers and cut corners on safety.
Where to watch – Redbox., Prime Video, Vudu, or Apple TV.
The Italian Job (2003)
Following a heist in Venice, Steve (Edward Norton) turns on his criminal partners, killing safecracker John Travis (Donald Sutherland) and keeping all the gold for himself.
The rest of the team, led by Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg), includes driver Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), explosives expert Left Ear (Mos Def), and tech geek Lyle (Seth Green). They enlist the assistance of Bridger’s daughter Stella (Charlize Theron) to retrieve the gold from Steve’s Los Angeles mansion.
The Italian Job is a 2003 action film starring Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron in which they plot a gold heist against a former ally who betrays them.
Characters are shot and killed using machine guns, and there are frequent gun battles, boat chases, and car chases – including pursuits that take pedestrians through sidewalks.
There are numerous references to one of the characters’ abilities to seduce women and an off-color joke about a woman’s breasts. There is some cursing, including the word “fucking” and the middle-finger gesture.
Characters consume alcohol and smoke cigars and cigarettes.
The film contains potentially perplexing messages about lying and stealing; some children may be perplexed that the “good” can be the thief.
Where to watch – Kanopy, Prime Video, Vudu, or Apple TV
Patriots Day (2016)
In April 2013, tragedy struck when two bombs detonated during the Boston Marathon. Following the attack, police Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg), FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon), and Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman) join a race against time to find the offenders and bring them to justice; brave survivors, emergency personnel, and other investigators are engaged.
Director Peter Berg shows Jessica Kensky (Rachel Brosnahan) waking up early on April 15 to greet her husband, Patrick Downes (Christopher O’Shea), in the early scenes of Patriots Day, a detailed recreation of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Berg pans over the couple’s legs and lingers there as they roll around in their bedsheets, drenched in the idyllic morning light.
And as Jessica walks by, she runs her hand over Patrick’s foot. Jessica loses both her legs during the bombing, and Patrick loses his left leg.
Berg treats several bombing victims with similar touches of dramatic irony, each more glaringly unsubtle than the last.
Such scenes are meant to be poetic and tragic, but their overtness detracts from the director’s latest work.
Where to watch – Amazon.com
Traveler (1997)
One joy of “Traveller” is figuring out how the scams work. Some are simple, such as the scam in which they sell worthless crankcase oil to homeowners as driveway sealant or farmers as roofing tar.
But the final scam involving two teams of con men dealing in counterfeit money—is so twisted that you only realize it after the movie ends.
The film’s title refers to con men of Irish descent who belong to a close-knit clan based in the American South and travel the highways looking for easy targets.
As the film begins, a young man named Pat (Mark Wahlberg) returns with his father’s body for burial after his father marries outside the clan.
Jack Green, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of many Clint Eastwood films (including “Twister,” on which he collaborated with Paxton), makes his directorial debut with this film.
The screenplay by Jim McGlynn, which plays like something Eastwood might have written, is subtle and observant; there aren’t many significant plot points, but there are plenty of small ones, and the plot allows us to enjoy the thrill of figuring out the scams.
Unfortunately, the ending is a surprisingly violent confrontation, which is the norm nowadays. The film should have ended as slyly as it began.
Where to watch – Roku Channel, Tubi – Free Movies & TV, Pluto TV – Its Free TV, Vudu, Plex – Free Movies & TV
Lone Survivor (2013)
Navy SEALs Matthew “Axe” Axelson (Ben Foster), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch), Michael Murphy (Mark Wahlberg), and Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch) deploy to Afghanistan in 2005 on a surveillance mission to assassinate Taliban leader Ahmad Shah.
Despite being observedLuttrell and his group decides against killing the goatherds.
However, one of the Afghans alerts a few Taliban combatants to the intruders, resulting in a terrible battle in which the SEALs are hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned.
Adapted from Marcus Luttrell’s first-hand account of a disastrous 2005 US Navy Seals mission in Afghanistan (the title says it all), this grueling war film follows four Americans pinned down near the Pakistan border while looking for a Taliban militia leader.
Tobias Schliessler’s visceral cinematography places the viewer in an oppressive huddle of random gunfire, broken bones, and pierced skin, each gut-wrenching wound dramatized with explosive squibs and fleshy sound effects.
As the soldiers fight for their lives, they tumble down rocky inclines, desperately clinging to rocks and twigs, their threatening injuries worsening by the minute.
Where to watch – Amazon prime video, Hungama play, Apple I tunes, Airtel movies
Date Night (2010)
Tina Fey and Steve Carell’s suburbanites Claire and Phil try to save their marriage by eating at a hip Manhattan eatery.
When they are mistaken for each other, they are thrown into a fantastic journey involving corrupt police, a crime leader, and an insane cab driver.
A knockabout comedy is ideal for Steve Carell and Tina Fey, two of US TV’s funniest performers.
The Fosters are a couple of stressed-out New York parents out on a “date night” who snag a restaurant reservation when another couple, the Tripplehorn’s, fails to show up.
The real Tripplehorns are in trouble with the mob, so when heavies arrive demanding a USB flash drive, the Fosters flee, hoping to find the mysterious flash drive and win their freedom.
Although it is an overly complicated concept, the scenario of mistaken identity is initially amusing.
Mark Wahlberg makes a funny, if over-the-top, cameo as a shirtless security expert.
Where to watch – Prime Video, Vudu, or Redbox
The Yards (2000)
Leo wants to get his life back on track after serving J. Paul Getty, a billionaire who offered his grandson’s release in exchange for $17 million, So he goes home to the one place he believes is safe.
He takes a new job with his well-connected and influential uncle there. But in the yards, where his uncle is now in charge, being safe is not an option.
He finds himself unwittingly drawn into sabotage, high-stakes payoffs, and murder.
This slow-paced drama from director James Gray depicts the chaos that ensues after a company shakedown goes wrong, as rookie Leo Handler (Mark Wahlberg) tries to find himself the target of a city-wide search by both cops and his former associates.
Joaquin Phoenix co-stars as a childhood friend-turned-pursuer, and James Caan portrays Leo’s increasingly frail boss.
Gray and cinematographer Harris Savides have instilled a palpable sense of style in The Yards that is ultimately irresistible.
There’s little doubt that the director’s use of dark visuals effectively matches the storyline’s gloomy, almost operatic tone.
This mood is mirrored in the uniformly somber productions, with Wahlberg and company successfully bringing their respective complex characters to life.
Where to watch – Prime video, Disney plus, paramount plus
I Heart Huckabees (2004)
Albert (Jason Schwartzman), an environmentalist, enlists the help of prison for taking the blame on behalf of a number of his friends, “existential detectives” Bernard (Dustin Hoffman) and Vivian (Lily Tomlin), to figure out the significance of a series of strange coincidences.
The investigators conclude that Albert’s angst stems from the backstabbing Brad (Jude Law), a public relations supervisor at big-box retailer Huckabees.
On the other hand, Brad attempts to turn the tables by hiring the philosophic duo for his nefarious purposes.
Where to watch – HBO Max, Spectrum TV, The Roku Channel, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, or Redbox
We Own The Night (2007)
Police in New York launched a full-scale war on drugs in 1988, killing both guilty and innocent people.
Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix), the manager of a nightclub frequented by gangsters, tries to remain neutral but conceals a potentially fatal secret: His brother (Mark Wahlberg) and father (Robert Duvall) are both cops.
Bobby can no longer remain neutral after his brother is wounded in an assassination attempt.
He joins forces with his brother in an all-out assault on the mob.
Where to watch – Vudu, Prime Video, Redbox. or Apple TV
Four Brothers (2005)
When an inner-city Detroit foster mom (Fionnula Flanagan) is killed in a botched holdup, four of her adopted children suspect it was not a random killing.
While being pursued by the local beat cops, Hunters for local criminal lord Victor Sweet include up-and-coming singer Jack (Garrett Hedlund), ex-Marine Angel (Tyrese Gibson), irate hockey player Bobby (Mark Wahlberg), and settled husband and father Jeremiah (André Benjamin) (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
Where to watch – Pluto TV – It’s Free TV, Paramount Plus, The Roku Channel, Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox. or Apple TV on your Roku device.
Rock Star (2001)
“Rock Star,” a comedy based in the 1980s rock and roll scene, follows an office supplies salesman who doubles up whose existence includes playing in a tribute band and forever changed when he is unexpectedly chosen to take the place of Steel Dragon’s lead singer, his all-time favorite band.
Parents should be aware that this film is rated R for powerful language, nakedness, graphic sexual scenarios (including threesomes and bisexual encounters), and drug and alcohol abuse (even hotel room furniture).
Many characters give the thumbs up. There is an apparent similarity of a very unsanitary nipple-piercing. A gay character is verbally abused and fired from his job.
Overall, the message is that the intimate relations lifestyle is empty and counterproductive but unappealing, at least for a short time.
There is some speculation that it is a cynical marketing technique, but this appears to be rationalization. Chris has parents who are caring and supportive of him, which is a refreshing departure from the typical format for this type of film.
Where to watch – Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox. or Apple TV
Contraband (2012)
Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg), an ex-smuggler, gave up his criminal ways long ago. However, he is compelled to reenter the fray when his brother-in-law Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) fumbles over a drug deal for a crime boss (Giovanni Ribisi), leaving Chris to pay the price.
Chris assembles a team with the help of his best friend (Ben Foster) to flee to Panama in search of a fortune in counterfeit bills.
When things go wrong, Chris must rely on his rusty skills to finish the job before his family suffers the consequences.
Where to watch – Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Vudu, and iTunes
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