Let Off Some Steam Bennett- Musings on the Action

Robin Hood

2010-11-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

Robin Hood 2010
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Brian Hegeland
Starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Eileen Atkins, Mark Addy, Matthew Macfayden, Kevin Durand and Scott Grimes
There have been many incarnations of Robin Hood and this version directed by Ridley Scott is the latest one. I was surprised by how much I liked this film. It has what I feel is Crowe’s best performance since Gladiator and the film has the feel of Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven but this time he gets it right. The action sequences are amazing and I loved the camaraderie scenes between Robin and his band that brought a nice feeling of levity to the film. The film has beautiful cinematography and the editing used is top notch as well. The film has a strong overall storyline that never felt bogged down and an excellent cast that really immersed itself into the role. This is a fine period action film with some great action sequences peppered throughout.
The plot basics are this, After King Richard’s (Huston) death during the crusades archer Robin Longstride (Crowe) along with his band of men return to England and stop a theft of the king’s crown by Godfrey (Strong) and Robin makes a vow to bring it back to Prince John (Isaac). Along with the sword of Robin of Locksley. When he brings the sword back to Locksley’s home he agrees to p[portray the deceased landowner to help the people keep their land. Robin soon finds that he must defend these people from Godfrey who has wormed his way into the side of Prince John and is now waylaying villages left and right. This forces Robin to make a stand and face Godfrey once and for all.
This is a rousing film. Scott’s direction is magnificent and very epic in its scope. He handles the action sequences very well. The opening and climactic battle scenes are prime examples of this. He also handles the small character moments very well. The script does a good job of humanizing Robin and really making you side with him. Also, the relationship with Marion slowly builds which makes it all the more believable. The cast is excellent in the film. Crowe portrays a very strong and resourceful Robin. Blanchett is a strong and indomitable Marian as well. Sydow as always is strong here too. Strong makes a implacably evil villain too. While Isaac makes a Prince John you are unsure about until the very end. The action sequences are astounding and I especially loved the climactic battle scene. The score by Mark Streitenfeld is epic in its scope and very fitting for the film. All in all, this is a solid action film and well worth checking out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Robin Hood

2010-11-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Friday Flashbacks: Escape From L.A.

2010-10-22T11:57:00.001-07:00

Escape From L.A. 1996
Director: John Carpenter
Writers: John Carpenter, Debra Hill and Kurt Russell
Starring Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Cliff Robertson, Valeria Golino, Stacy Keach, Pam Grier, Bruce Campbell, George Corraface, Michelle Forbes, A. J. Langer and Peter Jason
After 15 years Carpenter returns to one of his most popular creations with Escape From L.A. This is really more an understated remake than a sequel though. It has some outlandish sequences but Russell plays Plissken with the same panache he did in the original film. This film is much more a satire that the first film was and that really works to its benefit. The film is nicely paced with some great action sequences, though it does have some poor ones like the surfing sequence. The story is smart and witty and is held together by a solid cast of actors. The cinematography and set design of the film is pulled off tremendously well too. All in all this is a great science fiction satire film that ages very well I think.
The plot basics are this, the year is 2013 and Snake Plissken (Russell) is back. A earthquakes has separated Los Angeles from the New Moral America led by their new President (Robertson) who feels as if he speaks for God. His daughter (Langer) has absconded with a nuclear device to L.A. and united with the island’s de facto leader Cuervo Jones (Corraface). The President has injected Snake with a virus which will kill him in 9 hours and he will only get the antidote if he brings back his daughter and the device. The odds are stacked against Snake and he has little time to complete this mission. Will he be able to do it?
This is a fun and energetic film. Carpenter’s direction as always is solid. The chase sequences are really done very well. The sets look very authentic and you believe that this could be a downtrodden Los Angeles. The script is very witty and smart, I especially liked the Surgeon General of Beverly Hills part quite a bit. Snake is characterized very well and you root for him very easily. The cast is quite good too. Russell as Plissken gives a great sardonic and laconic performance. Buscemi gives a great comedic performance. I really enjoyed Keach playing the Van Cleef role in this film too. The brief cameo by Campbell is also quite a treat and a delight to watch. The SDX in the film can be somewhat cheesy but worjs in that the film is very campy. The score by Carpenter and Shirley Walker is reminiscent of the original film while still giving the film its own spin. This is a solidly entertaining SF action film and well worth a second look.
This one get 4 out of 5

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

2010-10-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 2010
Director: Mike Newell
Writers: Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Steve Toussaint, Toby Kebbell, Richard Coyle and Ronald Pickup
Prince of Persia is the latest in the video game to film adaptations and is definitely one of the ones that is more faithful to the games that it is based on. It is made by the same production company that makes the very popular Pirates of the Caribbean series and it has the epic feel of those films but seems to be a step down from those as well. The film has the feeling of the Sinbad films of old, just without the mythical creatures that inhabit those films. The film is fast and light and has a good lead hero in Gyllenhaal. The film really shines whenever Molina is onscreen, he really steals the movie. The action sequences are quite breathtaking and really keep you inside the moment. The film has a great sense of good and evil and does not try to over complicate things. This is definitely a summer popcorn flick and a fun one.
The plot basics are this, in the ancient empire of Persia we meet a young boy living on the streets, Dastan (Gyllenhaal) is adopted through an act of kindness by the King (Pickup). He grows up as a mighty warrior and a prince. He is at a battle encampment with his other brothers when a spy comes in to tell them that the city they are battling has a hidden cache of weapons. They use this news and attack the city becoming victorious and Dastan brings a cloak to his adopted father, the King, but it somehow kills him. So, he is now on the run for his life with a Princess from the beaten city (Arterton). Dastan now tries to clear his name with the princess in tow. Dastan finds the true meaning behind the city’s attack and how it could mean the end of all life and now must proceed on a perilous journey to right these wrongs and save the world.
This is a fun and action packed film. Newell’s direction is superbly done. The aerial movments of Dastan are photographed beautifully well. The chase scenes through the city are done very well. The small character moments between Dastan and Tammina are alos done with much flourish. The script is light and simple, something that is hard to do when you braoch the subject of time travel, but this one makes it work. The characters come to life very well and you care and sympathize with them. The cast is quite good. Gylennhaal is a solid hero and pulls off the heroics very well. Arterton is quite stunning and a joy to watch throughout the film as the heroine. Kingsley as always makes a great and nefarious villain. Molina as the snide and opportunistic con artist really steals the film and is a delight to watch every time he is on screen. The SFX and action sequences are done very well. This film has some of the best sword fighting sequences I have seen in a film in quite a while. The score by Harry Gregson Williams is sweeping and epic and really fits the film very well. This is by far one of the best video game adaptations I have seen and an enjoyably summer action film to boot.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Killers

2010-10-04T13:14:00.001-07:00

Killers 2010
Director: Robert Luketic
Writers: Bob DeRosa and Ted Griffin
Starring Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Hiegel, Tom Selleck, Catherine O’Hara, Rob Riggle and Martin Mull
I rented this one because I needed something to kill a few hours and it did that but not much else. The film is rather uninspired and is pretty much a bad rip off of a far better film, in this case it being Mr. and Mrs. Smith. That film the 2 leads had great chemistry together, whereas in this film the 2 leads are dead weights together. They really do not connect and they don’t make the story flow together too well either. The plot is pretty banal and the writing for the film does not help much either. The action sequences also seem sloppily put together. The only saving grace of the film I think is the performance by Tom Selleck, he does a great job with what he is left to work with. This film is basically a time waster and utterly forgettable.
The plot basics are this, Spencer Ames (Kutcher) is a undercover hitman for the government, but he meets Jen (Hiegel) during a mission and falls in love and decides right then and there to give up his profession and falls in love and marries her. Flash forward 3 years later and on hid 30th birthday Spencer gets a call from his old handler (Mull). It seems like he is getting pulled back into the business and he never told Jen about this. Not long after this he finds that he is the target of a multi million dollar contract on his life and he has to let Jen in on what he used to do and now she has to either stand by her man or cut herself loose from him.
This was at best a mediocre film. The direction by Lutekvic is haphazard at best. The action scenes seem rather clumsy and his character building scenes are just boring as hell to sit through. The script does not fare much better. You do not really sympathize with any of the main characters. The dynamics between the 2 leads just don’t work. It is just painful to sit through. The cast is not stellar either, both Kutcher and Hiegel seem very wooden in their performance. The only high point is the rather glib performance by Selleck in the film, he really makes his part worth watching. The action sequences are pretty humdrum, like the car chase scene which I have seen done far better in many other films. It just leaves a lot to be desired. The score by Rolfe Kent is very generic too and is really just a throwaway score and adds nothing to the film. All in all this is just a bad movie and really not worth much at all.
This one gets 2 out of 5

Machete

2010-09-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Machete 2010
Directors: Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis
Writers: Robert Rodriguez and Alvaro Rodriguez
Starring Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Lindsay Lohan
Machete was film I had been waiting to see since the trailer premiered in 2007’s Grindhouse. I wondered if a film could pay off on all the greatness that the trailer promised and this film did. Hell, so far this is the best film I have seen this year. This is a film that is so comic booky and over the top you can’t help but grin as you watch it. It has a great ensemble cast and it is great to see Trejo finally get his due and he really embodies a 70’s gritty action hero here. The script is outlandish and crazy but it works. The action is out there too and it’s hard to get move over the top than gutting someone and then using his intestines to rappel through a window. That made the film a hit right there. The use of immigration as a topic really made the film timely too. This is just a rollercoaster ride of a film and everyone should have a fun time with it.
The plot basics are this, Machete (Trejo) is a ex-federale who is betrayed on his last mission and he retires and becomes a day laborer in Texas. He is picked up by a business man (Fahey) who offers him 150 thousand dollars to assassinate a senator (De Niro). He accepts but is betrayed at the assassination and is now on the run from the men who hired him and who are now trying to kill him. They did not expect him to be a tough man to kill though. Soon, Machete teams up with a immigration agent (Alba) to take down the whole conspiracy he finds. Machete then goes on a revenge rampage that will leave anyone in his way dead.
This is an awesome action film. Rodriguez direction is tight and he does the exploitation feel even better here than he did in Planet Terror. The opening scene and the scene at the hospital are just 2 great examples of this. The script is pretty camp and I really think that works out well. I especially loved the badness of Seagal’s death scene and Alba’s supposedly rousing speech. The cast is excellent. Trejo makes a great hero and says a lot with very few words, you really believe he is the bad ass you see on the screen. De Niro gives his best performance since Stardust and it is always great to see Fahey working. Lohan surprisingly does a good job with her small role and I loved the little bits with Tom Savini. Rodriguez does a good job too and is very sexy in the role. Alba and Seagal are pretty bad but I think that is what Rodriguez was going for. The SFX and make up effects are done very well. The film is very bloody and it all looks quite real. The score by John Dabney is great and really makes the film feel like a lost 70’s exploitation film. This is a rousing and bombastic action film and is one I will definitely be seeing again.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Machete

2010-09-06T12:43:00.001-07:00

Repo Men

2010-08-31T12:34:00.001-07:00

Repo Men 2010
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Writers: Eric Garcia and Garrett Lerner
Starring Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Live Schrieber, Alice Braga, Carice van Houten, Chandler Canterbury, Joe Pingue and Liza Lapira
Repo Men is a film that held a lot of promise but did not have an original bone in its body. It is a dystopian future SF film that tries to be like both Logan’s Run and Blade Runner but fails miserably. The plot idea was also done far better in Repo the Genetic Opera. The film does pay off with the gore and it does have a excellent cast it is just that the story is really weak and been done before. The film does have some genuine good moments but those do not save the film and the weak ass ending really hurts the film too. It also seems to borrow a lot of stuff from Total Recall another far superior dystopian SF film. This is a vapid film that does not have much to say about anything and the best SF films always have something to stay. This is a film that is all style and no substance.
The plot basics are this, set in the near future it is set in a society that has people who have improved their bodies through transplants. The only problem with that is that if they get lax on their payments they may have these organs repossessed. If a person is late they send the Repo Men to take back these organs at the cost of your life. Remy (Law) is one of the best Repo Men in the business and work is good until he has a accident which has his heart replaced and he soon finds his heart not in his work. With his heart no longer in work it does not take long until he is behind on his payments and the president (Schreiber) of the company sends his coworker and best friend Jake (Whitaker) to hunt him down.
This is a stylized but ultimately hollow film. The direction is good during the action sequences but any scenes dealing with character development seem boring and bland. I did love the scene though when Remy’s kid tasered his bitch of a mom, that was classic. Those type of scenes were few and far between though. The sript is even worse off it is bland and seems to steal from every other good SF film without any oringal ideas of itself. The characters are poorly developed and the use of narration just seems like a copy of Blade Runner. Also, the ending seems like a total rip on the viewer’s investment and just leaves a sour taste in your mouth. The cast is one of the few good things about the movie. Law is a great lead and very capable as a dystopian hero. Whitaker is alos great as usual and a great humorous element in the film. Schrieber is a totally corrupt and unlikeable heel and he pulls that off very well. I also liked Braga though I think she did better work in Predators. The SFX and make up effects are great and add some flavor to the film. The score is another minus; the overuse of jazz music just falls flat in this film. This is a film that really falls flat on its ass and without the talent actors or the gore it wouldn’t be worth anything.
This one gets 2 out of 5

The Losers

2010-08-25T10:18:00.001-07:00

The Losers 2010
Director: Sylvain White
Writers: Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Oscar Jaenada, Jason Patric and Holt McCallany
The Losers is the latest in a long line of comic book to film adaptations and this is one of the few of them that I have not read the original source material. This film is a great throwback action film and it is very cinematic. It is not a film to take seriously, as it has a real comic book quality to the action and the story. It reminds me a lot of The A-Team and that is a good thing. The film is filled with some great acting; I especially liked Morgan Evans and Zaldana. The action sequences are absurd and over the top and it really works for the film. For example the climactic battle at the end that ends with a man flying into a jet engine is ludicrous but highly enjoyable. I wish the film had been more successful because they leave it open for a sequel and I would have loved to have seen the continuing adventures of this crew. This is a fun and bombastic action film and well worth a second look.
The plot basics are this, in Bolivia a special operations unit is on a mission to take out a drug dealer. The mission goes horribly wrong and the team is thought to have been killed off by the CIA. After this happens the team’s leader Clay (Morgan) meets Aisha (Zaldana) who has a way for him to get his team back to the states and to get the man responsible for their dishonor, Max (Patric). The team must remain undercover while they try to take down Max who looks as if he wants to start WWIII with some new tech nuclear bombs. It is up to Clay and his team to stop this while at the same time finding a way to clear their names.
This is a fun action film. White’s direction is top notch. I especially liked the way the opening action sequence was shot with the freeze frames of every shot that hits the bad guys. The use of the comic book art in the credits was top notch too and really brought that comic book flavor to the film. My favorite scene though had to be with Jensen in the office building that was hilarious. The script is good, with some nice twist and turns that really propel the story forward. The characterization of Clay was very good too, you really felt for his dilemma in the sotry. The cast was amazing. Morgan was a great lead and this was far different than his role in Watchmen. Saldana was quite good too, she really played the femme fatale very well and pulled off the action sequences admirably. The scene stealer in the film though is Evans, he steals every scene he is in and his scene in the office building is the highlight of the film. Patric makes a decent villain, but I think sometimes overplays his hand. The SFX and action sequences are pulled off quite well. I really liked the ending sequence with the jet, which was very cinematic and cool. The music in the film was picked well too, I especially loved the use of Journey during the office building scene, that just brought a smile to my face. This is a throwback action film and well worth a look.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Memoirs of an Invisible Man

2010-08-20T11:15:00.001-07:00

Memoirs of an Invisible Man 1992
Director: John Carpenter
Writers: Robert Collector, Dana Olsen and William Goldman
Starring Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill, Michael McKean, Stephen Tobolowsky, Jim Norton, Pat Skipper and Patricia Heaton
This in my opinion is one of Carpenter’s most underrated films. It works well as both a comedy and as a thriller. Chevy Chase gives one of his best performances in this film and you really sympathize with his character. It also has a great villain in the persona of Sam Neill, for me he is definitely the high point of the film. He is so oily evil you cannot help but like him. There are many films about invisibility from The Invisible Man to Hollow Man and this film is by far one of my favorites. The technical aspects of invisibility are pulled off very well and you are never disbelieving what you are watching. This is not a film that has many of the Carpenter touches but it is still a ably done film. This is a fun film from a genre master.
The plot basics are this, Nick Holloway (Chase) is a unassuming business executive who through a freak accident becomes invisible. This is discovered by Jenkins (Neill) a shady operative in the CIA and he wants to recruit Nick into the world of espionage but Nick just wants to get back to normal. Nick also meets Alice (Hannah) and Nick and her have to run from Jenkins because he will not take no for an answer. While Nick is escaping his pursuers he is also trying to find a cure before Jenkins finds him and forces him to do what he wants. He has to stay one step ahead of Jenkins if he wants to survive.
This is a fun and entertaining film. Caprenter’s direction as always is tight and he does the invisibility scenes with a real panache. The film also shows he has great comedic timing. The script is very good too; the voiceover of Holloway’s really carries the film and really makes you sympathize with the lead character. The cast is excellent. Chase is excellent as Holloway and really carries the movie. He uses his comedic edge well but is also able to pull off the action required in the film. Hannah as Alice is a great romantic lead and very fun to watch. Neill is really smarmy and slick as Jenkins and a pleasure to watch. He makes a great villain. The SFX effects are phenomenal, especially for the time the film was made the invisibility effects till look damn good. I actually think they are still better than the effects in Hollow Man. The score by Shirley Walker is beneficial to the film as well and sets the tone for the film and this is one of the few Carpenter films where he did not due the score himself. This is one of Carpenter’s underrated films and definitely worth a second look.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The Expendables

2010-08-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

The Expendables 2010
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writers: Dave Callaham and Sylvester Stallone
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, David Zayas, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Gary Daniels, Giselle Itle, Charisma Carpenter, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis
Films like this are why I do this blog, because they just deliver on every aspect of what a man wants out of a action film, lots of explosions witty one liners and a great charismatic cast. The Expendables is one of this films that really lives up to the hype. The explosions are huge; you cannot get much bigger and over the top than decimating a whole country. This is a film that works on every level; it even has some heart with the scene of Mickey Rourke that reminded me a lot of Robert Shaw’s speech in Jaws. The action is jaw dropping; my favorite scene had to be when Statham goes crazy on the basketball field. Stallone really amps up the action from Rambo, but while that was more visceral this is just plain fun and you can tell they had a hell of a fun time making the film. This is worth the price of admission for just having Stallone and Schwarzenegger in the same scene, if only briefly. This is a film that really delivers and makes me happy to be a action film fan.
The plot basics are this, Barney Ross (Stallone0 leads a group of mercenaries known as the Expendables. Barney is hired by a Mr. Church (Willis) to bring down an island dictator (Zayas) and soon discovers he is fronted by a ex CIA agent (Roberts) who is supplying him with drugs. At first he is hesitant to get involved because it looks to be to big of a quagmire but when the Dictator’s daughter (Itle) is captured and tortured he decides to break in with his team and save her and to topple the government with as much explosives and fire power than he can muster.
This is an awesome action film. The direction by Stallone is perfect, he sets up the action sequences flawlessly and they are quite easy to follow. I especially liked the fight scenes between Lundgren and Li and between Couture and Austin. The character moments in the film were beautifully done too like the melancholy speech by Rourke. The script is tight as well, it is very simple but still seems like a fresh approach to the action genre. It really feels as if this is a lost action film from the 80’s. The cast is superb. Stallone as usual is a great lead and he really carries the film. Statham is a great 2nd lead and him and Stallone really hit their marks well. Roberts as always is a great heavy and plays the role with relish. I loved Rourke in this film and liked him better in this than in Iron Man 2. Austin was also a great heavy and really commanded the screen. Lundgren did some of his best work here and had some great one liners. Li was sparsely used but to great benefit. Crews and Couture were also a great addition to this film and shined whenever they were the focus. The SFX and the action sequences were amazing, though I would have preferred practical blood over CGI blood. The score and the music in the film were also used to the best of its ability. The fist pumping type of music really fits this film well. This was an outstanding action film and one of the best I have seen in a long while.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Kick-Ass

2010-08-14T10:42:00.001-07:00

Kick-Ass 2010
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writers: Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn
Starring Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Xander Berkeley, Lyndsey Fonseca and Evan Peters
The super hero genre of action films has been burgeoning ever since Blade came on the scene, and so it was only a mater of time before it was satirized. Kick-Ass is not the first satire, but it is by far the best. It really plays with the possibility of someone being crazy enough to want to be a superhero in real life. The film has a smart and funny script to work with and brilliant actors all around the project. It shows that there is still life in this genre, you just have to search around for it. The action in the film is fast, furious and brutal, just as it would be in real life. Every action has repercussions, just as the way it would if this happened in real life. The situations the characters get in really make you feel for them and you wonder how they will survive it. Matthew Vaughn is a great director and he has a fine flair for the dramatic with this film. He really brings the comic book that this is based on to life, in bloody detail.
The plot basics are this, Dave Lizweski (Johnson) is a invisible high school student who is obsessed with comic books and he gets it in his head to put on a costume and become a super hero, and calls himself Kick-Ass. At first he fails miserably and ends up in the hospital, but he gets better and meets other wanna be heroes like The Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse), Big Daddy (Cage) and Hit Girl (Moretz) and soon they are under fire by a vindictive mob boss (Strong) who wants them all dead. It will be up to Kick-Ass to save the day but only if he is actually up to it.
This is a visceral thrill ride. Vaughn’s direction is tight, he shoots the action sequences flawlessly. For example, the scene that introduces Hit Girl is bloody and brutal but also a hell of a lot of fun to watch. He also films the character moments very well like the training scenes with Big Daddy and Hit Girl or Dave’s scenes with Katie. The script is witty and smart. Though, the script changes some things from the graphic novel, these changes work and are not a detriment to the film. It has a lot of knowing comic book references for the die hard fans, while still being accessible to the casual viewer. The character of Dave Lizewski is written very well and you are with him every step of the way. The cast is phenomenal. Johnson is a great heroic lead that reminds me a lot of Tobey MacGuire in the Spider-Man movies. The film really belongs too Moretz and Cage though. Moretz in particular steals every scene she is in. Cage you can tell really relished his role in this film and really hams it up. Strong also plays a great heavy and is a treat to watch as he becomes more erratic and insane with each passing scene. Mintz-Plasse brings a great comedic element to the film and is also fun as hell to watch. The SFX and action sequences are amazing. I especially liked the climactic battle which really pulled out all the stops. The score for the film is fitting too, as it feels right at home in a super hero film and has the right use of epic scope for the film. This is a fun and bloody film that any self respecting comic book fan needs to see.
This one gets 5 out of 5

The Book of Eli

2010-08-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Book of Eli 2010
Directors: Albert and Alan Hughes
Writer: Gary White
Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals, Evan Jones, Joe Pingue, Michael Gambon, Tom Waits and Malcolm McDowell
Post apocalyptic films are one of my favorite genres of films, so I am always keen on seeing a new one. This one boasts a fine cast that is anchored by Washington and Oldman and it is a fresh take on the genre, though it reminds me a lot of A Boy and His Dog which is one of my favorites. The plot is strong and carries the film and the end has a twist that you really do not see coming unless you pay close attention to the film. The action sequences are fast and furious and it really sets the tone for the film. Washington is a badass with a blade and it shows in his performance. This was his best work in the action genre since Man On Fire. Oldman as always does a great job as the heavy. He is bad but you still feel some sympathy for him, which round out his character making it more believable. The film is set like a Mad Max type of film and that setting really works for the film. The only drawback is Mila Kunis, she looks just a little too perfect for a hard eged landscape such as this. Everything else falls into place and really works, though.
The plot basics are this, it is 30 years after a global war has decimated the world and the world is now a violent post apocalyptic wasteland. We meet Eli (Washington) a drifter who for the last 30 years has been traveling west and he is safeguarding a book that he believes is the last hope if mankind is to flourish. He ends up in a village ruled by Carnegie (Oldman) who is looking for this book. Eli is in the town for food and supplies and after taking out Carnegie’s men is offered a place in his army. Eli refuses and soon Carnegie discover that Eli has the book he so desires. But Eli will safeguard this book with his life, and so begins a battle for the survival of humankind.
This is a fast paced and frenetic film. The Hughes Brothers direction is tight. Their visuals are mesmerizing and they stage the action sequences beautifully. I especially like Eli’s fight in the bar, it was quick and brutal and you could see everything that happened. The scene on the road with the car crash and explosions were done very well too. The script is very thorough and intelligent too, this is not a film that dumbs you down but keeps you thinking. All the characters are well rounded and they all have a proper story arc. The cast is excellent. Washington is a great protagonist as Eli, he commands the viewers presence with every scene he is in. Oldman is also a great antagonist and he is very oily in the film, but still has hints of humanity that fleshes him out. Kunis does well with what she has to work with, though she is too perfect looking compared to all the other characters in this film. The SFX and action sequences are pulled off very well, they almost have a Michael Bay quality too their designs, which really puts this film above some other action films I have seen as of late. The score by Atticus Ross plays off the film well too; it is very haunting and hypnotic. This is a great addition to the genre of post apocalyptic films and well worth seeking out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

From Paris With Love

2010-08-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

From Paris With Love 2010
Director: Pierre Morel
Writer: Adi Hasak
Starring John Travolta, Jonathon Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden, Yin Bing, Amber Rose Revah, Eric Godon and Mostefa Stiti
Taken was one of the best action films of the past 10 years, so when I heard Morel was coming out with another one this time with John Travolta I was so there. While this is not on the level of Taken this is a great over the top action film. With what I believe is Travolta’s best performance since Face/Off. The film starts off rather leisurely but once Travolta is introduced it is a roller coaster until the very end. The action sequences are insane and never believable, but that is half the fun. The plot is pretty simple but with a few twists that work really well. Though anything that takes screen time away from Travolta hurts the film, but it always picks up momentum whenever Travolta is on screen. This is not the most original action film, but it puts you through its paces very well and you are never bored by it and that is all you can ask from an action film.
The plot basics are this, James Reece (Meyers) is a ambitious aide to the United States Ambassador to France and wants to be promoted into the intelligence area. On the evening him and his girlfriend Caroline become engaged he is asked to ferret around a operative, Charlie Wax (Travolta) through Paris during a covert mission. James is taken on a wild ride of danger with bullets flying and must steel himself for a betrayal he has never seen coming. It wall all lead to a double cross and James will have to do something he never though he could possibly do to survive the whole day.
This is a slam bang action film. Morel directs the action sequences with aplomb. The scene in the drug dealer’s apartment is fast and furious but you are able to follow every fluid move of Travolta’s. The script is simple and easy to follow, but does have some twists that surprise you. The slow character development of James helps you ease into the film, so when Wax shows up you are ready for it. The cast is great, with a big emphasis going to Travolta. He really steals the film and is very charismatic to watch. He really pulls off the fight sequences well too. Meyers is good as James and really becomes the viewer’s focal point as they experience the film. Smutniak is a great romantic lead as Caroline and has a big character arc in the story. She is very easy on the eyes and you easily sympathize with her. The SFX and action sequences are easy on the eyes too. I especially loved when Travolta took on the asian street gang, that was a phenomenal scene. The score by David Buckley also works in the film’s behalf it is loud and boisterous just like the film. This is a fun action film that plays on all cylinders.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Jonah Hex

2010-08-07T10:07:00.001-07:00

Jonah Hex 2010
Director: Jimmy Hayward
Writers: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, John Gallagher Jr., Tom Wopat, Michael Shannon, Wes Bentley, Aidan Quinn and Julia Jones
I am a self avowed comic book geek and one of my all time favorite characters is Jonah Hex. And a film on the character is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. This film came close to being a great comic book film, the main thing that sent it back is the horrible performance by Megan Fox. Josh Brolin really embodies Hex and is magnetic to watch any time he is onscreen. It is just the screechingly bad performance of Fox that holds it back. The casting people and the costume designers must never have seen a prostitute in other western films because they never look that good and polished. They usually look used up. Another problem is a lot of the story elements seem borrowed from other films like The Legend of the Lone Ranger and Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is a shame because I love the character of Hex so much and he gets relegated to a B movie.
The plot basics are this, Jonah Hex (Brolin) is a Lt. in Confederate army and decides to not go ahead and do an act and ends up having to kill his best friend. This enrages his father and his superior, Colonel Turnbull (Malkovich) and he enacts a revenge on Hex by torching his family and scarring his face for life. Hex then becomes a bounty hunter and searches the West for scum to bring down. It seems now though, that Turnbull plans on terrorizing the Union with a special weapon and the President (Quinn) asls for Hex’s aid in stopping Turnbull. Hex agrees so he can get his revenge on Turnbull and damn anyone who gets in his way.
This film has many good elements but somehow falls flat. The direction by Hayward is good. He sets up and pulls off the action sequences. I especially liked the Gatling gun scene which took me back to Django. He tried his best with the Fox character scenes but they just fell flat. The script has some decent elements but also cribs its ideas from other better films. The very ending seems like a carbon copy of the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The cast has its good and bad parts. Brolin really embodies Jonah Hex. He is magnetic every time he takes over the screen. Malkovich really overacts but it really fits the role. Fox on the other hand is just horrible. It is like she is reading her lines like she is reading a report. Quinn was also good as President Grant and I also like Wes Bentley as the conniving Lusk. The SFX and action sequences were done quite well. They really pulled off the look of Hex’s visage very well. Another thing I really dug was the animated sequence in the beginning of the film. The score is very dynamic and fitting for a Western film and really sets the tone for the film. This is a decent comic book film, with some glaring issues that keep it from achieving a great status. I would recommend it to both Western and comic fans though.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Iron Man 2

2010-08-04T12:35:00.001-07:00

Iron Man 2 2010
Director: Jon Favreau
Writer: Justin Theroux
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, John Slattery, Clark Gregg, Jon Favreau, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Leslie Bibb and Gerry Shandling
The first Iron man was one of the best modern crop of comic book films, so any sequel had a hard road to follow. This sequel amps up everything and is a stand out film in the series, but it does not out shine its predecessor. The first film was a flawless action film with a superb performance by Downey. In this sequel he brings forth all of his wit and charm and is captivating to watch. The action sequences are marvelous and Scarlett Johannsen really steals the film with all the scenes she is in. Some areas where this film shines is replacing Terence Howard with Don Cheadle, he is much more at ease in this role than Howard ever was and it shows. The action sequences are phenomenal and the story is a strong one that carries the film to its climactic ending. This is a solid film and it really shows the anchoring of the Marvel Universe on film that the studio is trying to develop.
The plot basics are this, it is six months after the first film and Tony Stark (Downey) is now facing the fact that his device is killing him and needs to find a cure fast. While in Russia Ivan Danko (Rourke) has a mad on for Stark and is preparing to revenge himself on him. Stark also has to defend the Iron Man tech to Congress who wants him to deliver it over to the military for their own applications. Stark also gets a new assistant (Johansson) who is more than she appears to be. While he has a competitor, Justin Hammer (Rockwell who is trying to steal his thunder and work with the government. After Danko’s attack on Stark, Hammer breaks Danko out of jail and recruits him to tweak his own technology, but Danko has ideas of his own and still wants to avenge himself on Stark. Stark must then bring his forces together with Rhodey (Cheadle) and defeat Danko and Hammer’s army of military drones.
This is a slam bang action film. Favreau’s direction is just as tight as it was in the original. I loved the look of the film and one of my favorite scenes was Drunk Tony in the Iron Man suit at his own birthday party. It was both hysterical and pathetic. The script is very tight, there is a lot of depth in characterization on both Tony and Rhodes and it really cements their connection in the film. It also juggles many subplots very well without the viewer ever feeling like there was too much going on. The cast is superb. Downey as always is funny and charming and makes a great protagonist. Rourke and Rockwell are both great villains. Rourke has a great intensity to his performance and Rockwell plays smarmy and cocky so very well. The shining star though is Johansson, she practically steals the film with her action sequence towards the end. Paltrow gives a solid performance as well, though she is not as used as well as she was in the first film. The SFX and and the action sequences are amazing. The fight between War Machine and Iron Man is a delight to watch and the climactic final battle is mesmerizing too. The score by John Debney and the music in the film really ups the bombastic scope of the film and really make you cheer for the film. This is a solid and entertaining sequel, just not quite as perfect as its predecessor.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Predators

2010-08-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

Predators 2010
Director: Nimrod Antal
Writers: Alex Litvak and Michael Finch
Starring Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Derek Mears
The Predator film series has a long career, but none of the following films have lived up to the legendary original. They all seemed to lack the machismo and the awesomeness of the original Predator. Predators is the first one to get it right. It really hit on something by returning it back to the jungle and bringing in a ensemble cast that really played well off of each other. The film feels so genuine that you actually think it is directed by John McTeirnan. The film is filled with machismo and great action sequences. It also showed us something we never saw in the original a awesome sword fight between man and Predator, that alone makes this film an awesome sequel that stands head held high as a superior sequel. The direction is very tight and the script is kept very simple, which really works on the films behalf. It has a great ensemble cast that plays off of each other very well. This is a film that is fun form start to finish and is really a man’s action movie, something we see far too few of nowadays.
The plot basics are this, a man (Brody) wakes up falling in midair into a jungle. He soon meets up with 6 other people who have ended up in this jungle the same way. It soon becomes clear that they are all deadly killers without a conscience and they were brought here for a reason. They are the game to be hunted by a alien race who brings people with their skills to this planet to sharpen their hunting skills. These 7 people will now have to pool their resources if they are to survive the traps and hunting practice of these alien predators. And they will be tested to the nth degree on all counts by these predators.
This is a pulse pounding action film and one of the best films I have seen this year. The direction by Antal is phenomenal, he really amps up the tension in every scene. My favorite scene had to be the samurai sword fight between the Predator and the Yakauza hitman. That was something I really wanted to see in the first Predator when Sonny Landham squared off against it, but instead they cut away. This time though, they showed all of the bloody fight. The script was kept simple and that really worked. There is not a lot of characterization but that really works for the tone of the film. That would just slow the action down and you don’t want that. The cast is excellent. Brody plays an excellent brooding hero type and really carries the film. Braga as the female lead is quite good too. The shining examples of the film for me though are Goggins and Fishburne. Goggins has all the best lines as a oily serial killer and Fishburne in his brief time on screen is captivating as the lunatic survivor who has seen to many sunrises on this planet. The SFX and effects are amazing. The Predators look amazing and the blood and guts really is let loose in this film, and that is something you definitely need in a Predator film. The score by John Debney is very epic and it is great how he uses the music form the original Predator during key scenes in the film. This is a great SF action film and a must see.
This one gets 5 out of 5

The A-Team

2010-07-31T12:16:00.001-07:00

The A-Team 2010
Director: Joe Carnahan
Writers: Joe Carnahan, Brian Bloom and Skip Woods
Starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Patrick Wilson, Gerald McRaney, Henry Czerny, Brian Bloom and Yul Vazques
The summer film season always calls for big action movies and The A-Team delivers on that front. This is a loud and boisterous action film that makes no bones about what it is trying to do, it is here to entertain you, not to make you think. This is the type of A-Team film you expect from the director of Smoking Aces. This film is loud and unbelievable at times and that is what makes it so damn entertaining. Carnahan rounds up a superb cast and they all pull their weight. The story is light, but heavy enough to propel the film forward and the action sequences are mind-blowing and mesmerizing to watch. This is everything a action fan will want to see in a summer film. When you take a property like The A-Team and make it into a big budget film you don’t over think it, you just blow shit up.
The plot basics are this, four American soldiers who are stationed in Iraq are sent on a covert mission to retrieve some counterfeit plates. It all goes horribly awry and the team is brought to trial and convicted of treason. 6 months later a CIA agent (Wilson) meets their team leader, Colonel Hannibal Smith (Neeson) in jail and wants him to get the plates for them, but they have to break themselves out. Smith knows who has the plates and knows they are brokering a deal, so he gets his team underground and sets a trap for the opposing team. It seems that all is not as clear as they think though as someone is playing them and Smith and company have to find a way to clear their names and still defeat their oppressors.
This is a slam bang action film. Carnahan’s direction is tight, he really knows how to set up a action sequence. I especially loved the flying tank sequence. He also directs the down moments well, so you are never bored while waiting for the next big action sequence. The script is tight as well. The plot is minimal, but for an action film like this you need a simple story and this script delivers on that. The characterization of the team is top notch too; I especially loved the interaction between Smith and Peck. The cast was exemplary. Neeson as Smith did a stupendous job and really carries and propels the story. Cooper as Face really steals the film for me though; he was really charming and funny. Copley and Jackson as Murdock and B.A. were great as well; they really played their parts to perfection. Wilson as the slimy CIA Agent had some of the best lines in the film and was a hoot to watch. The SFX and action sequences in the film were top notch too. The crowning achievement was the tank scene, that was just so unbelievable and out there that you could not take your eyes off of it. The score by Alan Silvestri is very bombastic and loud and suits the feel of the film really well. It really encapsulates the whole cinematic experience. If you love big explosions and pithy one liners, definitely check out The A-Team.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Avatar

2010-07-26T11:10:00.001-07:00

Avatar 2009
Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Joel Moore, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, CCH Pounder and Dileep Rao
A lot of hype was surrounding this film and when that happens I am always wary of seeing a film, fearing that it will not live up to all the hype. I am pleased to see that it fulfilled the promise of the hype and then some. This film is just a beautiful thing to experience. I do not think there has been such a groundbreaking film in the science fiction genre like this since The Matrix in 1999. This film really immerses you into its world and you forget about everything but what your eyes are revealing to you. It is beautifully shot and expertly acted. This was a film that is well worth paying the ticket price for. The action sequences are phenomenal; a perfect example of this is the mech battle at the climax of the film. The action keeps you riveted till the very end. The film takes it time setting the world up, but it is well worth it if you have the patience for it. It really transports you to another world, cinematically.
The plot basics are this, it is the future and paraplegic Jake Sully (Worthington) decides to take his deceased brother’s place in a special mission for the Marines on the distant world of Pandora. He learns that he will infiltrate in a cloned body of the alien race the Na’vi, that lives on the planet, the tribe and try to get them to move so the Marines can excavate for a precious mineral they need. He will do this and in favor Colonel Quaritch (Lang) will give him new legs. He goes about his mission but soon begins to feel for the Na’vi and falls in love with one of the women (Saldana). This causes Jake to take stand with the Na’vi and leads to an epic battle with the Colonel and his battalion. Jake must unite the Na’vi together with him if he has any chance of defeating them.
This is an exceptionally well done film. The way it is shot is utterly mesmerizing and the CGI he uses makes it feel totally real. The way the forest world of Pandora looks makes it looks like you could actually step into it. It was that real. His filming of the action sequences are amazing too, like Jake’s first night in the forest and the big mech battle at the end. The script is very well written. All the characters are fully fleshed out and realized. Even minor characters like the lab assistants on the avatar bodies have a real story arc to them. The cast does an excellent job. Worthington is a great lead and he brings areal pathos to the character. Saldana is quite good too, especially at playing a total CGI made character, somehow you still feel as if she is real. Weaver is superb and still carries a role with magnificent presence. Lang also makes a great heavy and you really understand his motivations for doing what he does. The SFX and CGI are phenomenally done and never seem arbitrary or put upon. That is a real achievement for a film like this. You actually believe that the Na’vi are a living and breathing life form. The score is another great example of what works in the film too. The score by James Horner is epic and operatic in its scope and that fits the film really well. This is one of the best SF films in the last 20 years and well worth seeing.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Clash of the Titans

2010-07-21T10:56:00.001-07:00

Clash of the Titans 2010
Director: Louis Leterrier
Writers: Travis Beacham, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi
Starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralp Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Alexa Davalos, Gemma Arterton, Polly Walker, Elizabeth McGovern and Pete Postlethwaite
There are certain films form your childhood that enchant you and stay with you and you always love revisiting them. The original Clash of the Titans is one of those and when I first heard that they were remaking it I thought “how could they”, as this is a venerable classic. But, the more I saw on the film the more intrigued I was by it and when I finally saw the film, I was pleasantly surprised. This is a film that really delivers; it makes a few missteps, but overall is a solid and satisfying fantasy film. Leterrier does a fine job directing and the story and action propels the film really well. Sam Worthington makes a much manlier Perseus than Harry Hamlin ever did. The only drawbacks are the non existent romance between Perseus and Andromeda and the staid score the film possesses. But with those complaints made this film is a resounding success to and improved.
The plot basics are this, it takes place in ancient Greece where a fisherman (Postlethwaite) finds a coffin adrift in the ocean. Inside it he discovers a bay, Perseus and his dead mother. He raises Perseus as his own. Once Perseues reaches adulthood tragedy strikes his adopted family. His family is killed by Hades (Fiennes) and Perseus is taken by soldiers to the king of the land and swears vengeance against Hades. He must save the princess Andromeda (Davalos) by finding the Gorgon Medusa and chopping off her head and use it to defeat the Kraken before she is sacrificed to it. He has many obstacles to overcome including the evil Calibos (Flemyng) to defeat but he has the help of his father Zeus (Neeson) in the upcoming battles.
This is a solid film. The direction by Leterrier is tight. He sets up the action sequences well and he films them all with precision. The best one is the hunt for Medusa, it is miles above the same scene in the original. The script is tight as well too, it moves the story through quickly and there is never a dull moment in the story. Though it is missing the romantic spark that Perseus and Andromeda should have had. The cast does an excellent job. Worthington is an uber macho Perseus which works really well. Neeson and Fiennes as Zeus and Hades are both phenomenal and have the right amount of gravitas to play the roles. Davalos is a fetching Andromeda and Postlethwaite does a fine job with the small amount of screen time he gets. The SFX and CGI effects in the film are great, I loved the Medusa and the Kraken was quite terrifying too, though I still prefer it from the original. The score by Ramin Djawadi was hollow and just was not as whimsical as the original. This is a fine modern retelling of the tale and well worth checking out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

2010-07-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ninja Assassin 2009
Director: James McTiegue
Writers: Michael Sand and J. Michael Straczyznski
Starring Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Rick Yune, Sho Kosugi, Randall Duk Kim and Sung Kim

Ninja films are a sub genre that only have a few sterling examples of good film storytelling, the prime example of this for me is Ninja 3: The Domination, a film that combined Flashdance with a kick ass Ninja> I had high hopes for Ninja Assassin, but it fell kind of flat. It seems that the storytellers did not have enough pride in the Ninja aspect of the story and had to fluff it with a nonsensical plot line about a Government investigation and a very weak romantic interest that kept bringing down the movie. If the film had relied on the ninja aspects more I would have enjoyed the film much more. It has some dynamic fight sequences but they are not big enough parts of the film and it really shows the strain of the plot and that weakens the whole foundation. Though Rain is a excellent hero and he has great screen presence, it is just not enough to carry the film. It seems I have to weight for the ultimate ninja film.
The plot basics are this, Raizo (Rain) has been trained since a child to be a cold blooded killer. He was trained to be a ninja assassin and he turns his back on his clan after they kill the love of his life. He is now seeking revenge upon all it's members. He soon teams up with a Europol agent (Harris), and she has been marked for death by the clan, so she decides to join him and helps him take down his clan. It all leads up to Raizo's final showdown with his sinister master (Kosugi).
This is a film with many missed opportunities. The direction by McTiegue is done very well, the opening scene really sets the stage for the film, but it is never able to fulfill that promise that the first few blood soaked moments promise. It is a shame cause McTiegue did such a phenomenal job on V For Vendetta. The script is another aspect that is rife with problems, the ninja sequences are amazing, but whenever there is downtime that involves the female lead the film suffers. It just shows that they should have stuck with the ninja aspect and built that up rather than dealing with the silly Europol plot line. The cast is a mixed bag, Rain does an excellent job and whenever he is fighting you are hypnotized to the screen. Kosugi as his evil master is excellent as always. The real weak link in the film is Naomie Harris, she acts horribly and you never believe in anything she does. It is a true detriment to the film that it is never able to recover from. The action sequences and the SFX are phenomenal and are the only thing that is perfect about the film. The opening sequence is a beauty of carnage and gore to behold and the film is worth watching for that scene alone. This is a must see for ninja fans but I would tell the general audience to avoid it.
This one gets 3 out of 5 Ninja Assassin

back after a long hiatus

2010-07-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

It has been awile, I have had some computer issues. But, I am back now and I will be pumping the reviews out again. My first one will be for Ninja Assassin. Sorry for the delay but it couldn't be helped.

Sherlock Holmes

2010-03-25T09:31:00.001-07:00

Sherlock Holmes 2009
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, Robert Maillet, Geraldine James and James Fox

When I first heard that Guy Ritchie was taking on Sherlock Holmes I was a bit hesitant. He really had not made a memorable film since Snatch and was worried that he would be able to pull a good story out of the world's greatest detective. Thankfully, Ritchie comes through and makes a solid film that reinvigorates Holmes while still retaining the core of the character. Downey is a perfect choice to play Holmes. He plays him with a zest and a sense of sardonic wit that really works. Law as Watson is a great foil and not played like a bumbling oaf as he is usually played on film. The story is imaginative and keeps you guessing and that is at the core of a good Sherlock Holmes story. The film is a rousing adventure with a great sense of humor and some rousing action sequences.
The plot basics are this, it is Victorian era London and Sherlock Holmes (Downey) and Doctor Watson (Law) have just caught murderer and occultist Blackwell (Strong). Blackwood is convicted and put to death, but somehow survives and begins a new reign of terror and goads Holmes into chasing him and discovering what he has planned. Holmes then runs into Irene Adler (McAdams) and finds that she is part of the nefarious plot and now must discover a way to thwart the plans of Blackwell which is far more insidious than they would have believed. It will only be through the quick wit of Holmes that this plot will be thwarted.
This is a rousing and fun action film. Ritchie's direction is fast paced and beautiful. The locale really feels like Victorian England. One of the best examples of this is the chase and fight through the wharf. Also, the street fight sequence with Holmes is another one that really shows the dirty and grimy side of London and that really comes through with the colors Ritchie uses in the film. The script is very smart. The constant one up man ship of Holmes and Watson is very sardonic and a joy to watch. The villain is quite nefarious and a great foil to Holmes. It is also great to see other points of Holmes history intersect in the film , such as the appearance of Irene Adler. The cast is phenomenal. Downey personifies Holmes to a T and is by far the best one since Jeremy Brett. Law as Watson is quite capable and really handles the wit and exasperation very well along with the requisite action scenes. McAdams is a great femme fatale as Adler and you are always questioning where her loyalties really lie. Strong is a very sleazy and nefarious villain and he really hams it up in every scene he is in. The action sequences are amazing and re peppered throughout the film. The wharf scene, as mentioned before and the final showdown between Holmes and Blackwell are rousing action sequences that will keep you riveted. The score by Hans Zimmer is another key ingredient in the film. It creates a bombastic feeling as you immerse yourself in the film. This is by far one of the best interpretations of Holmes and I look forward to many more films like this.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Outlander

2010-03-20T12:08:00.001-07:00

Outlander 2008
Director: Howard McCain
Writers: Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain
Starring Jim Caviezel, John Hurt, Ron Perlman, Sophia Myles, Jack Huston, Cliff Saunders, Patrick Stevenson, Aidan Devine and Bailey Maughan

This was a film I had been anticipating to see for quite some time, as the concept really intrigued me and really sounded like it could make an entertaining movie. I must say, it was definitely worth it. It is a film that effortlessly combines Conan the Barbarian with Predator. The film combines epic fantasy with a hard edged SF slant and it really makes for a rousing action film. The film has a great cast with a great story that really starts off with a bang and doesn't let go till the explosive finale. The film is also quite bloody and with a film like this the more blood that is sprayed around the better.This also has the feel of Beowulf with a SF slant. Caviezel makes a fine tragic hero who is trying to redeem himself by hunting down the creature that destroyed his family. The cinematography and effects in the film are beautiful and really push the envelope and really makes the film work. This is a original and exciting SF action film that we really need to see more of in this day and age of re imaginings and remakes.
The plot basics are this, it is 709 B.C., the Iron Age and a spacecraft crash lands in the Viking kingdom of Herot, Norway. There is only one survivor, Kaanan (Caviezel) and the creature he had captured and was transporting the Moorwen has escaped and now he must hunt it down. He discover the time and era he has landed in and immerses himself in the culture and goes on the hunt. As he hunts he finds a Viking village utterly destroyed by the creature and is discovered by Wulfric (Huston) and he is captured and taken back to the King (Hurt) who believes that Kanaan is behind the carnage. They interrogate him and do not believe his story until they see the creature's handiwork and then force him to assist them with the hunt. Once they discover what is hunting their people, they cut the bonds of Kanaan and allow him to lead the hunt. The ferocity and cleverness of the Moorwen will test the mettle of everyone and it will take every fiber of their inner strength to survive this ordeal.
This was a fantastic action film. The direction of McCain is amazing. He really shoots with an amazing visual palette and it really shows on the screen. The use of the wild really shows and it makes for a beautiful film. The action sequences are beautifully realized. A prime example of this is the battle between the two warring clans, the fight is fast and brutal and it really shows. The script is quite good too. The characterization of Kanaan really carries the film and makes you really feel for his plight. The characterization of the King is quite good too and is really pulled off marvelously by Hurt. The cast is excellent. Caviezel gives a great performance as Kanaan, you really feel his sadness and melancholy about the plight he has been through. hurt does a great job as the King, he is really regal but quite tragic too. Perlman has a nice brief role as the warring chieftain against the king and reminds me quite a bit of Thor. Myles makes a great romantic interest as Freya and you really can see her chemistry with Caviezel. The SFX and effects are astounding, the carnage of the Moorwen is astounding and very believable. Its lair and all the blood it strewn is palatable and reminds me a lot of the film Grizzly. This is a film that uses a high octane level of action and it really pays off. If you love fantasy and films with he same level of action like Predator, I highly recommend this film.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Gamer

2010-03-18T09:31:00.001-07:00

Gamer 2009
Directors: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Writers: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Amber Valetta, Kyra Sedgwick, Logan Lerman, Alison Lohman, Terry Crews, Ludacris, Aaron Yoo, Zoe Bell, John Leguizamo, Keith David and Lloyd Kaufman

The world of reality TV programming and video games come together in a kinetic and highly entertaining SF action film. This is a film by Neveldine/Taylor, the same creative minds that brought us the Crank films and the highly underrated horror film Pathology. The kinetic camera work that is their trademark is here too, especially during the battle scenes which look like something from a live version of Call of Duty. This is a film that has a message and a heart to it as well. It can be seen as a romance or even a cyberpunkish SF film with the use of actual human beings as avatars in a Sim like game. The action is fast and furious and the film also has some definite touches of black humor that work really well with the subject matter. The idea of the video game industry taking over the world is a thought that anyone can relate too, especially in the case how video games are becoming more real and life like than movies. The cast chosen for the film is outstanding. Butler is a solid action hero and Hall is a insidious villain that brings to shades of Gene Hackman's performance of Lex Luthor. This is a film that reminds me a lot of The Running Man, it is just much more fast paced, brutal and smart about what it is doing.
The plot basics are this, it is the near future and video games have really taken over as the main form of entertainment. The most popular one is called Slayers and it allows a player to use a convicted killer as a character and controls them to maim and kill to reach the next level. The leading player (Lehrman) controls Kable (Butler) who is 3 victories away from being the first Slayer to be granted his freedom. The creator of the game, Ken Castle (Hall) does not want this to happen, for reasons only he and Kable knows and so he makes plans to eradicate Kable before that can happen. Kable knows that he is gunning against him and decides to take an offer from a underground revolution band and plans his escape and to reunite with his family. Thing will not be that easy as Castle guns for him and he will need all his skill and expertise to survive.
This is a rousing and smart SF action film. The direction by Neveldine/Taylor is fast and frenetic especially during the battle scenes. It is almost like the next step in what Sam Raimi does with his camera work. One of the best examples of this is the fight Kable has with Cast;e's army of clones. The fight is fast and brutal and over before you know it. The way how the battle scenes are just like a video game with all the icons on the screen is done very well too and very believable. The script is very intelligent and it has a wry sense of humor too. Any of the scenes with Castle seem to have a wink to them and that makes the film all the more entertaining. Kable is a strong and vital protagonist and you really sympathize with him and want him to succeed against all the odds that are facing him. The cast is exceptional. Butler is amazing, with just his eyes he is able to convey his emotions without uttering a word. This film's best performance belongs to Hall though. He is just so grandiose and over the top in his performance. Especially in the dancing and singing scene and his homage to Bruce Lee during the climax. Amber Valetta was also good as Kable's wife who has to do many unsavory things just to keep going on. The small role that Alison Lohman plays is superb too, she really plays a street tough ably well. Kyra Sedgwick is another performer who plays her role over the top and it really pays off. Terry Crews plays a very creepy villain as Hackman and he definitely puts you on the edge whenever he is on screen. The SFX and effects of the film are outstanding. There is much grue sprayed throughout and it is done very realistically. The fight between Crews and Butler is a perfect example of this. The soundtrack is well suited for the film, the use of The Bloodhound Gang and Marilyn Manson is perfect for the kinetic and crazed feel of the film. This is definitely one of the best SF action films I have seen in awhile, it puts films like Terminator: Salvation to shame.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Fire Down Below

2010-03-17T11:14:00.001-07:00

Fire Down Below 1997
Director: Felix Enriguez Alcala
Writers: Jeb Stuart and Phillip Morton
Starring Steven Seagal, Marg Helgenberger, Stephen Lang, Kris Kristofferson, Harry Dean Stanton, Levon Helm, Mark Collie, Richard Masur, John Diehl and Ed Bruce

Fire Down Below is probably one of Seagal's last good action films. He plays pretty much the same archetype that he does in all his films, a man on the right side who is almost superhuman on what he can do. This is also another film in Seagal's canon that almost beats you over the head with it's views on environmentalism just like On Deadly Ground did. This film really shines in the action department though. When it gets past all the politics that Seagal is trying to pass through you are left with a highly entertaining action film with some really vile villains that you cannot wait to get their comeuppance. Seagal is his usual stiff self, but I have to say the best acting in the film is done by Helgenberger and Stanton. They are both extremely entertaining whenever they are on screen. Kristofferson makes a cocky and smarmy villain and that works really well against Seagal's holier than thou protagonist.
The plot basics are this, After FBI agent Jack Taggert (Seagal) hears about the mysterious death of a friend and colleague of his in a small Appalachian community he decides to go and investigate. His friend was investigating what he believed was illegal toxic dumping in the community's water reservoirs. Jack goes undercover as a carpenter and his investigation uncovers that a local company run The Hanner Coal Company, run by Orin Hanner (Kristofferson) is behind it all and is doing whatever it takes to keep their dumping going and also keeping the townsfolk quiet. They plan to stop Jack but he has his own plans up his sleeves once he discovers their nefarious plans.
This is a solid action film. Alcala's direction is solid and he has beautiful cinematography of the Appalachian region. He also does a superb shot of shooting the fight sequences of Seagal. The best example of this is the big fight and shoot out in the mine. That is a gripping and entertaining scene to watch. The script is mediocre at best. The characters are paper thin with little or no drive behind what they do other than that is what the writers want them to do. Also, the heavy handedness of the environmental message can make a viewer get frustrated, especially if they just want to see a rousing action film. The cast is decent. Seagal is his usual stiff self, but he still has phenomenal martial arts talents which is what makes him work in the action hero mold. Kristofferson as the smarmy and egotistical villain is a hoot and a delight to watch in this role. Helgenberger is very good as the dowdy and withdrawn romantic interest who is hiding a secret from Seagal. Stanton is also very good as a local bumpkin who aids Seagal in his quest. The action sequences are outstandingly done. The aforementioned coal mine scene is one and the bar fight toward the end is another great scene. Many bones are broken and plenty of teeth fly, for those who love that kind of carnage like me. The country soundtrack also works well for the locale and the down home feel of the film. This was probably one of Seagal's last A efforts and well worth seeking out for action and martial art film fans.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Executive Decision

2010-03-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

Executive Decision 1996
Director: Stuart Baird
Writers: Jim Thomas and John Thomas
Starring Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, B.D. Wong, Whip Hubley, Andreas Katsulas, J.T. Walsh and David Suchet

With the modern day fears of terrorist takeovers of commercial air liners, this is a film that I doubt would ever get made today. So, I am glad that back in 1996 this one was made as it is a tense and gripping action film that boasts some great performances by Kurt Russell and J.T. Walsh. This is a film you definitely wouldn't want to watch on a flight, but it is great escapist fare in the comfort of your own home. The action sequences are all quite intense and mesmerizing to watch, and the unexpected exit of what you believe is one of the lead heroes is quite a shock and really makes you feel that anything is up for grabs in this film. The film is long on suspense as each scene seems to be a more impossible task must be completed and it seems as if everything is working against our heroes. That's what makes the action so palatable in the film. It really grabs your attention and does not let go till the explosive finale. It is amazing too that how many similarities there are to this film and what has happened in recent years with terrorist activity, which makes the film even more relevant and scary. This is definitely one of the more intelligent and though provoking action films and one that is well worth a look again.
The plot basics are this, a Boeing 747 is on it's way to the United States from Athens Greece, when it is hijacked by a group of terrorists. The government thinks it is to free a terrorist leader (Katsulas) but, intelligence expert David Grant (Russell) thinks it is for another reason and advises them to not let it enter United States air space. An assault mission is planned and Grant is coerced into going. Through some snafus the assault team along with Grant end up on the plane with no escape plan and no way to contact anyone about their situation. They soon discover that Grant was right, the terrorists have an ulterior motive, a bomb that will go off as soon as the plane crashes. It is now up to Grant and the assault team to defuse the bomb and stop the terrorists without crashing the plane and before the government decides to blow the plane out of the sky.
This is a taut and suspenseful little action film. Baird has a great hand in directing the action, which is no surprise as he was a film editor for action classics like Lethal Weapon. HE balances the tenseness of the situation with brief scenes of levity that really balance the story well. Also, the shocking death of one of the heroes is quite astounding and really propels the film. The script is quite good too. The hero, David Grant is not your typical action hero, he does not goes forward with all guns a blazing and that's what sets this film apart from a lot of action films. You never know what he is going to do or how he will adapt to the situation and that makes for a much more entertaining film. The cast is uniformly excellent. Russell as always is in top form, he is a bit cocky but still unsure of himself. Seagal is also quite good in his brief performance. Walsh is very good as the senator on the plane who is looking to make a name for himself, but soon finds that he bit off more than he can chew. Berry as the flight attendant that helps Grant is very good too. Her strength in the role comes through very well/ Suchet as the head terrorist is quite good too. He is menacing and yet has a good nature about him that you actually like him as a character. The action sequences in the film are tense and pulled off effortlessly well. The final gun battles with the terrorists are a prime example of this. They are tense and unpredictable and you don't see where they are going. It is what makes the film work so well. This is a superior action film, that I feel is vastly underrated and well worth a second look.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Big Trouble In Little China

2010-03-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

Big Trouble In Little China 1986
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: W.D. Richter
Starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, Donald Li, Carter Wong, Peter Kwong, James Pax, Suzee Pai and Chao Li Chi

The collaboration of John Carpenter and Kurt Russell created some of the greatest genre films of the 80's and some of the most memorable characters in film history. Jack Burton tops all of their previous efforts, as they have made a character here that is unique, likable and funny as hell. This film is a hodgepodge of several genres and they never seem out of place. It is a supernatural, magical film, a comedy and a kung fu action flick all rolled up in one cornucopia of film watcher's delight. This is a film that moves at a rapid clip and because of that the viewer never has a chance to question the ludicrousness of the plot and the situations that the characters find themselves in. The film is also made with such a sly wink to the audience that you cannot help but be carried away by the whimsical nature of the film. This is a film brimming with crazy visuals and action sequences and characters you cannot help but become entrenched in and that is why this film still resonates with me even after seeing it over 20 times.
The plot basics are this, when trucker Jack Burton (Russell) agrees to help his friend, Wang Chi (Dun) pick up his fiancee (Pai) from the airport after arriving to get married from China, little does Jack know he will be thrust into the adventure of his life. It would seem that a ancient warlord by the name of Lo Pan (Hong) needs a girl with green eyes to become a man again and if he does so evil will have reign over the world. This dilemma puts jack in the middle of a battle between good and evil, while all he wants is to get his truck back. Lo Pan has the help of 3 mystical warriors entitled the 3 storms and Jack and Wang Chi must fight insurmountable odds to get the girl and the truck back. But how do you fight a enemy that has no physical body? Jack will need to find a way if he is to succeed.
This is a campy and fun movie. Carpenter's direction here is at top form. He is able to easily balance the comedy of the story with the high octane action sequences peppered throughout the film. A perfect example of this is the opening action sequence between the good and evil gangs. It bounces back and forth from Jack's sarcastic observations to the fist pummeling action with ease. The script is a delight. It is very funny and yet still action packed. The characters really come to life as well, with the stand out being Jack Burton. A wannabe hero who survives mainly through happenstance and luck and yet he still becomes endearing. The cast is excellent. Russell is a true standout and how he carries Burton with such a sense of bravado is amazing. His touch of giving him the mannerisms of John Wayne is a classic touch that really works well. Hong as the evil Lo Pan is very reminiscent of Fu Manchu and he really has fun with the character. Cattrall gives what I think is her best performance and is a great foil to Russell. Dun is very good as the true hero of the film, but is upstaged by the incredulity of Jack's. The actors who play the 3 Storms are great too, they rely more on presence than words and they are more than up for the challenge. Wong as Egg Shen is the other funny character in the film and he is hilarious to watch in action. The SFX and effects of the film is stupendous. The climactic battle between Dun and the storm in mid air is amazing to watch. And it is still a scene I have yet to see again. The score is another great one by Carpenter and the end credits song is a classic that I still hum as I think about the film. This is a masterpiece of action kung fu cinema and probably my favorite Kurt Russell performance.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Enter the Dragon

2010-03-02T09:18:00.001-08:00

Enter the Dragon 1973
Director: Robert Clouse
Writer: Michael Allin
Starring Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Kien Shih, Anna Capri, Angela Mao, Bob Wall, Bolo Yeung, Betty Chung and Geoffrey Weeks

There are few films that hit the mark as much as this film and that is probably why by far that it is my all time favorite film. Even the dated feeling of the film works in it's favor. This is a film that fires on all cylinders. It has a dynamic and charismatic hero, a cold blooded and memorable villain, exciting action sequences and sprinkles of humor throughout. This film still has some of the best martial arts sequences put on film. The immortal final battle between Lee and Han is legendary. When Lee does that lightning fast kick that the film needed to be slowed down for, you knew you were being treated to the work of a master. This film is close to 30 years old and is still as fresh and exciting as ever. For many this is the cardinal rule of Martial arts films and what they must follow. It is probably why the plot has been copied so many times for other films such as Bloodsport. This is a film I watch probably at least once a month and it never gets old. Right after viewing it I want to watch it again. That is the test of a great movie, how many times you can revisit it without ever getting sick of it.
The plot basics are this, Lee (Lee) is a martial arts expert who is recruited by a clandestine organization to infiltrate a island run by Han (Kien(, who has a ilsand fortress and every 3 years has a martial arts tournament. The organization believes that there are all kinds of nefarious things going on at this island. Lee has a ulterior motive to go as well, his sister (Mao) died due to some of the people from Han's island. Lee also meets a few other people there, Roper (Saxon) a gambler who always bets on himself and Williams (Kelly), a tough urbanite who has his own way of doing things. Lee investigates and discovers a huge opium ring and a drug testing facility underneath the island. IT all leads to a epic battle between Lee and Han in a hall of mirrors, and Lee will only win if he can defeat the illusions that Han is a master of.
This is a breathtaking film. Clouse's direction is tight and fast. The film is very quickly paced and it does not waste any time getting to the heart of the story. The action sequences are filmed effortlessly and it is very easy to follow everything, something that is lost on many action filmmakers of today. The script is very tight too. It gives just enough characterization to the 3 main characters to make you feel for them. If any character comes close to out shining Lee it would have to be Roper. He has a sarcastic wit about him that really works well within the story. The character of Han is a great villain as well, he is very cold blooded and merciless. Almost like a villain in a comic book and that works really well within the parameters of the film. The cast is great. Lee is dynamic and charismatic and this is definitely the role he will always be remembered for. His style is exquisite and his method of fighting is truly mesmerizing. Saxon as Roper is a delight too, he has all the best lines and is very self deprecating. Kelly in one of his first films is admirable too, and I wanted to see more of him, but that would have to wait for Black Belt Jones. Kien as Han is oily evil, and he makes one of the most memorable film villains ever. His beat down on Williams is so merciless and unemotional it is hypnotic to watch. The action sequences in the film are outstanding. A prime example of this is the final battle with the guards in the underground facility. Lee kicks major ass here and you cannot take your eyes off of it. The score by Lalo Schifrin is a rousing and bombastic score that really gets your blood pumping and gets you pumped for the action to come. It is also a score you hum to yourself long after you watch the film. This is the Citizen Kane of action and martial art films and any discerning action fan needs to see this film.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Robocop

2010-02-23T09:10:00.001-08:00

Robocop 1987
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Writers: Ed Neumier and Michael Miner
Starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Miguel Ferrer, Dan O'Herlihy, Kurtwood Smith, Ray Wise and Felton Perry

This is probably one of the best sci-fi films ever made and one that get better with each repeated viewing. IT has really aged gracefully and the use of media in the film is still really relevant today with the saturation of 24 hour news channels now. the anchors in the film you could easily see having their own show on Fox News. The film is ultra violent and gory which really works with the subject matter. The film is really a comic book come to life with the dynamic action sequences and the rousing score that makes you feel that you are in for a ass kicking time. This was the first of Verhoeven's many sci-fi films and still his best I believe. It has a smart script that really makes you sympathize with Robocop. The cast is solid as well, not a bad performance in the film. The film has a distinct visual style that is both campy and hard edged at the same time. The design of Robocop by Rob Bottin is genius and still looks great in the modern filmmaking world of CGI. The sense of satire in the intercut media scenes is a great deft touch too that really lightens the film and makes you grin as you watch it.
The plot basics are this, it is the near future and Detroit is crime ridden and in need of some extraordinary help to police this ongoing problem. There is a corporation that is running the city OCP and they created a huge police robot that develops a major glitch so they look into other options. When policeman Alex Murphy (Weller) is killed by a street gang they find their solution. They use what's left of his body and meld it with cybernetics and create the first robotic super cop, Robocop. He is a rousing success till he discovers that the had crime boss, Clarence Boddekker (Smith) is working for the vice president of OCP, Dick Jones (Cox). this doesn't sit well with Jones and soon the entire city is out for Robocop's blood. With the help of his ex partner (Allen), Robocop plans to bring down Smith and the gang that killed him in his first life.
This is a rousing and exciting sci-fi film. Verhoeven's direction is taut and intense. He really choreographed the action sequences well. He also has a great touch with the media scenes and the faux commercials. He also balances the humanity of the film well too, as Murphy tries to reconnect with his past self. The script is smart and fast paced. The story points really makes it feel like a comic book come to life, but it still gives great depth to the character of Rococo. the villains are very broadly drawn and really are caricatures of evil, but that really works in the film. The cast is exemplary. Weller really gives a great monotone performance as Robocop that really works very well. Allen is very good as his partner trying to help him reconnect with his lost humanity. Cox as always plays a great behind the scenes villains and his scene in the restroom with Ferrer is classic. Smith as the physical villain is great and has some of the most memorable lines from the film. Ferrer's role is small but very crucial and memorable. I especially loved the scene in his apartment. The SFX and effects in the film are outstanding. The ED-209 is an amazing stop motion effect and the blood and gore flies copiously throughout the film. My favorite example of this is the toxic waste scene, it is so grody but so much fun. The score by Basil Poliderous is great. long after you see the film the theme is still pounding in your head. This is one of the most influential sci-fi films and a must see for action and sci-fi fans.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Commando

2010-02-21T09:08:00.001-08:00

Commando 1985
Director: Mark L. Lester
Writer: Steven E. de Souza
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells, James Olson, David Patrick Kelly, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Drew Snyder, Chelsea Field and Bill Paxton

If there was a picture to the definition of over the top action movie in the dictionary, Commando would be the prime example. This is a film that has everything, a great hero, a snide villain, great action sequences and classic one liners. This is a film that gets everything right. Arnold gives one of his best performances, John Matrix is a defining role for him that will pave the way for many of his other action roles in the coming years. The film also has one of the greatest film villains in the personifying acting of Vernon Wells. The film is quick and breezed by at a clip and never overstays it's welcome. The fight scenes are dramatic and action packed. With the final assault on the villains lair being the icing on the cake and is one action sequence I have yet to see topped. This is a film that is critic proof, no matter what critics say about the film it is still heralded as a action film classic and I totally agree with this sentiment. Sometimes you just need to shut off your brain and enjoy a good ass kicking and Commando delivers that.
The plot basics are this, John Matrix (Schwarzenegger) is a retired special agent for the United States Government and is enjoying a idyllic life with his young daughter Jenny (Milano). This life becomes interrupted when old members of Matrix's squads who are supposed to be living life in anonymity are being picked off one by one. The people hunting his squad down find him and kidnap his daughter and force him to overthrow a president in a Latin country for a old enemy of Matrix's Arius (Hedaya). He has 18 hours before he lands at his destination and they are expecting a call that he is there or they will kill Jenny. Matrix has 18 hours to rescue his daughter before they notice that he has escaped from the flight. With the help of a stewardess (Chong) Matrix swathes through a bloody trail of vengeance to find Jenny. This all leads to him finding Arius hidden island fortress where his old friend and now hated enemy Bennett (Wells) is holding Jenny as bait and is waiting for Matrix to show up.
This is just a entertaining and action packed movie. Lester has a great action style with his direction. His filming of the car chase between Sully and Matrix is heart quickening and the climax of the scene is timeless and classic and still gets a grin out of me every time I see it. He also does a good job at the beginning with the tender moments between Matrix and Jenny and it really makes you see that he will do anything to save her. The script is really very comic book influenced and that really works in it's favor. All the characters are pretty stereotypical but that really works in its favor. From Matrix as the stoic and flawless hero too Bennett as the sneering and malicious villain it all works. Another thing that really works in the film is all the one liners that really paved the way for most action films to follow. The cast does an exemplary job. Schwarzenegger as Matrix is a solid machismo hero and he hearkens back to the days of film heroes such as Steve Reeves. Wells as Bennett is amazing as well. He plays a great sneering villain and delivers his lines with a great sense of conviction. Chong is great as Matrix's partner in crime and at first she is a unwilling accomplice but soon comes around to his way of thinking. Hedaya is great as the sneering wannabe Tony Montana. Milano does a great job as Jenny, Matrix's daughter, she is weak at points but also at times has the same strength in character as her father. The film is rounded out by solid supporting roles by Kelly and Duke. They are great villain flunkies and carry their roles well. The SFX and effects in the film are amazingly well done and very cinematic. The best example of this is the tool shed fight scene toward the climax of the film. Great use of all the tools lying around and they spare no expense on bloodying up the screen during this carnage filled scene. This is just a solidly fun and entertaining action film that gets better with each viewing. It is a definite must see for fans of the action film genre.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Edge of Darkness

2010-02-15T12:59:00.001-08:00

Edge of Darkness 2010
Director: Martin Campbell
Writers: William Monahan and Andrew Bovell
Starring Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone, Bojana Novakovic, Shawn Roberts, David Aaron Baker, Jay O. Sanders, Denis O'Hare, Damian Young, Catarina Scorsone and Tom Kemp

Mel Gibson has been seen more behind the cameras than in front of them late. It is good to see him in a starring role again and this film is a good one for his talents. This is the best film he has starred in by my estimation since 1999's Payback. IT is basically a action revenge thriller. But it is more than that. It reminds me if they combined Taken with Silkwood. The film is very intense and does not shy away from showing the propensity for violence a film like this has. IT is anchored by very 3 strong character driven performances by Gibson, Huston and Winstone. The young actress that play's Gibson's daughter is amazingly good too. The film has a political conspiracy bent to the entire story that I was not expecting, but it worked within the parameters of the film very well. Gibson has lost none of his intensity when it comes to action films and this film is no different. The film also has a bittersweet melancholy flowing throughout the film too and I think that makes it a deeper and more hard hitting film.
The plot basics are this, Thomas Craven (Gibson) is a veteran homicide detective on the Boston Police force and his daughter Emma (Novakovic) has taken some time off from working as an intern to visit her father. It seems something is really upsetting her and she is quite sick. She finally decides to go to the hospital and as they leave his house, someone shoots Emma with a shotgun, killing her almost instantly. At first Thomas thinks it was someone with a vendetta against him, but as he begins to investigate he finds that there was more to her death and it had to do with her work. It seems that she found some rotten dealings going on by the CEO of her company, Jack Bennett (Huston) and she was silenced for that. With the help of a mysterious man, (Winstone) Craven is put on the right path and begins to learn the corruption that was going on a corporate and government level. He has many obstacles in his path, but nothing will prevent him from finding who killed Emma and why.
This was a intense and highly provocative film. The direction by Campbell is top notch. HE sets up the scenes of intensity very well and really makes the viewer jump out of his seat several times. The way he balances it with the bittersweet flashback scenes of Thomas and Emma is heart wrenching and very bittersweet. The script is very tight. You really get a feeling for Thomas and Emma, and even though Emma leaves the story quickly her presence is felt throughout the entire film. The main villain, which is personified in Jack Bennett is quite oily and malevolent, you really hate him from the first moment he appears. The character of Jedburgh is almost like a Obi-Wan type of character that pushes Thomas in the right direction. He also has some of the best lines in the film. The cast is exceptional. Gibson really commands this performance and you are really rooting for him to succeed and to find some peace for his daughter. He also, is still a very macho action presence that has only gotten better with age. Huston once again proves that he is the go to guy for villainy. He is oily and twisted in this film and you really want him to die horribly. Winstone is also phenomenal. He really steals the film in any scene he is in and his final scene in the film is outstanding. Novakovic is breathtaking as Emma, in the opening moments of the film, you become enraptured of her and begin to feel for her just as much as her father does. That is hard to do when the actor only has a limited screen presence. The SFX and effects of the film are outstanding. The blood flies copiously in many scenes that are peppered throughout the film. The gory detail of the shotgun blast is just one that will make everyone cringe. It is a relief to see that Mel Gibson, still has the chops for this kind of film, and I really hope he doesn't take 10 years to make another good movie again.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Starman

2010-02-05T10:45:00.001-08:00

Starman 1984
Director: John Carpenter
Writers: Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon
Starring Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Phalen, Tony Edwards, John Walter Davis, Ted White, Dirk Blocker, M.C. Gainey and George "Buck" Flowers

This film is probably John Carpenters most bittersweet and benign film. At it's heart the film is about lost and found love and the strength of the human heart to overcome the boundaries of species difference and language barriers. At it's simplest though, the film is a chase film and that is why it works so well. It can be a love story for the people who are into that aspect or it can be a rousing chase film for the viewers who are more into the more masculine aspects of the film. The film is cemented by a bravura performance by Jeff Bridges, who received a Oscar nomination for his outstanding work in this film, The film moves at a brisk pace and takes the viewer on a roller coaster ride till the heartfelt and somewhat tragic and yet still hopeful ending that it ends on. As I revisit this film it seems to me that it is Carpenter's answer to Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind. I think this is a superior film too, as it does not fall into the schmaltzy overtones that Spielberg has to hit you over the head with. This film is haunting and touching and it has a organic flow to it that many stories like this do not have and that is what makes it a all the more of a standout film.
The plot basics are this, due to the Voyager exploratory ships that were sent out to investigate outer space in the 70's, one of the ships comes in contact with a inhabited planet and after the denizens investigate they send a ambassador (Bridges) to Earth to meet them and start a dialog between the two worlds. He enters the Earth's atmosphere and he is shot down by Norad. The ship is damaged but he survives and he lands near a lake where a recently widowed woman, Jenny Hayden (Allen) lives. The visitor comes out and takes the guise of her recently deceased husband, which of course freaks her out. After her initial distress she comes to trust the Starman and decides to aid him in his quest. He only has 3 days to reach the crater in Arizona, so he can get back home before he dies on Earth. A government team is hot on his trail led by Mark Shermin (Smith) and they will stop at nothing to retrieve the Starman so they can experiment on him and learn all they can about his world. Along the way Jenny falls for the Starman and it all leads to a climactic showdown in Arizona.
This is a awesome film. The direction by Carpenter is flawless as always and he really shows that he can do a film that has no horrific elements in it. He still makes it readily watchable and gets the viewer well entrenched with the film from the beginning. His use of the landscape is very well done too. The final chase scenes through Arizona are breathtaking to watch. The script is another great addition to the film. The characters of Jenny and the Starman are very fully realized and never seem like they are cartoonish, but seem very organic and completely believable. The final twist at the end of the film really connects you with the characters too and that is one of the defining characteristics of the film. The cast is extraordinary. Bridges plays the Starman with a great sense of empathy and curiosity and does this mostly with body language. Allen as Jenny is great as well. The way she at first freaks and then gradually comes to terms with what is happening and begins to fall for him is a great example of a talented actress. Smith as the villain of the piece is great too and he has a certain charm to him that you never quite hate him as much as you should. The SFX and effects of the film are astounding too, I loved the transformation scene in the beginning, it was both eerie and beautiful. The score by Jack Nitzche has a very sentimental and evocative feel to it and really amps up the emotions that you witness during the film. This film was quite a change of pace for Carpenter and it shows that he is at home within any genre and this film is definitely a SF classic.
This film gets 5 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Escape From New York

2010-01-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Escape From New York 1981
Director: John Carpenter
Writers: Nick Castle and John Carpenter
Starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasance, Isaac Hayes, Season Hubley, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins and Charles Cyphers

The post apocalyptic film genre has a few stalwart classics, one of them being The Road Warrior and the other being this seminal John Carpenter film, Escape From New York. This is one of Carpenter's masterpieces that is riveting with great action sequences and brimming over with a dark sense of humor. It is anchored by a intelligent and witty script and a great cast that is spearheaded by the iconic performance of Kurt Russell as the ant hero Snake Plissken. A laconic protagonist that can only be compared to The Man With No Name with the way he plays the character. Plissken is a gruff no nonsense character that at times is still able to have moments of true humanity that shine through. The idea of turning New York into a prison city is a brilliant idea and Carpenter really mines the idea for all it's worth. This is a great dystopian SF film and it hits all the notes one wants to see in a story like this. From its jab at modern politics too Snake's utter disregard for any kind of authority this is a film that is a delight to watch from beginning to end.
The plot basics are this, it is the year 1998 and New York has become a huge prison due to increasing crime rates. The President (Pleasance) is on his way to a peace summit when terrorists take over Air Force One and the President escapes through an escape pod but ends up landing in New York and is taken hostage by the de facto ruler of New York, The Duke (Hayes). The Duke decides to keep the president and that is when the Government decides to give a new prisoner en route to the prison, Snake Plissken (Russell) a chance at freedom if he will go in and rescue the President. To ensure his going along with it they inject him with explosives that will go off if he doesn't succeed in rescuing the President within 24 hours. Snake goes into the city and proceeds to find the President dealing with any problems he runs into as harshly as possible. Soon he reacquaints himself with a old partner of his The Brain (Stanton) and uses him to get to the President and then Snake and his new found allies try to find a way off the island with the Duke and his army not far behind him. Will Snake win against all these odds and if he does what will his final gambit be to the Government that is trying to use him and screw him over?
This is a great film and one of the gems of the post apocalyptic genre. Carpenter's direction is solid. The way he films the entrance of Plissken really brings the viewer to mind the character of Leone's "The Man With No Name". The way he shoots all the action scenes there is never any doubt that Snake will prevail, because you can see he has disdain for everything and is just trying to survive and keep himself in one piece and the hell with what anyone else wants. The script is great too. It really has a spaghetti western feel to it and that really works in its favor. All the characters are really delights to watch and it is ingenious how it keeps most of Snake's motives secret, so the viewer is never sure exactly what he will do and why he is doing it. The time limit for the President's retrieval is another great idea that is used in the script. The fight scene in the ring is another example of a greatly written action scene that is pulled off flawlessly. The cast is phenomenal. Russell as Plissken is perfect and this was the film that really put him on the map and was one of the first of many partnerships he would have with Carpenter. He does so much with having to say very little. Pleasance is greatly over the top as the President and is a joy to watch. The finest example of this is when he goes crazy at the end, I truly love it when he yells "I am the Duke, A number One!" Barbeau as always is mesmerizing to watch and is a important component to the climax of the film. Hayes is a great villain as the Duke and the viewer just loves to hate him. Cleef as Snake's handler, Hawk is amazing and is another actor who brings everything to his performance. You can really feel the animosity that Snake and Hawk have with each other. The SFX and effects are great too, especially considering the time they were done. I especially liked Snake's flight into New York, as that is one of the best choreographed scenes in the film. The final piece of the puzzle is the score by Carpenter. As always the score really breathes life into the film and it also gives it the feel of a spaghetti western. The repeating of the same chord really makes the viewer fell that time is of the essence, which was something that really came into play in the story. This is one of the finest SF post apocalyptic films and any fan of those type of films should check this film out.
This gets 5 out of 5

The Tournament

2010-01-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Tournament 2009
Director: Scott Mann
Writers: Gary Young, Jonathon Frank and Rick Rowntree
Starring Robert Carlyle, Kelly Hu, Ving Rhames, Ian Somerhalder, Liam Cunningham, Sebastian Foucan, Craig Conway, John Lynch, Nick Rowntree, Rachel Grant, Andy Nyman, Iddo Goldberg and Scott Adkins

The Most Dangerous Game is a film that has been modeled after many times and it has made some excellent action films. Two of my personal favorites of this genre is Avenging Force and Hard Target. Now comes The Tournament, a film that combines that plot idea with the current fascination with reality programming and pay per view events. This is definitely one of the wildest action films I have seen in awhile and is really bloody as hell. It has a solid cast, with one of the finest English actors around now, Robert Carlyle. He is supported by the always delightful Kelly Hu and the intensity of Ving Rhames. The idea of having a all out kill or be killed tournament every 7 years for the honor of who is the greatest assassin is a great concept. This film runs with it well and each action sequence is more bloody and over the top than the last. The film really lets both the blood and the body parts fly around freely and it makes for a truly unforgettable cinematic experience.
The plot basics are this, every 7 years a tournament takes place in a undisclosed location where 30 of the worlds greatest assassins take on each other to discover who is the greatest assassin and they also take home a large sum of money. The last tournament's reigning champion, Joshua Harlow (Rhames) returns and it seems he has a vendetta to avenge, the assassination of his pregnant wife. All of the contestants have a tracking device implanted in their body and if their is no clear winner at the end of the 24 hours of the contest it is rigged to explode. One assassin digs out his tracker and a drunk Catholic priest, Father MacAvoy (Carlyle) accidentally ingests it and is now part of the equation. He teams up with a Chinese assassin, Lai Lai (Hu) who it seems may have something to do with Harlow and why he has rejoined the tournament. Lai Lai decides to help MacAvoy out and keep him alive until he can remove the tracking device from his body, while dispatching all the other assassins that are gunning for them. It soon becomes clear that Powers (Cunningham), the mastermind behind the Tournament has been the puppet master behind everything and it all comes to a head when Harlow discovers the true answer for all his problems.
This was an exceptional action film. The direction by Mann is superb, the film has the kinetic feel of a John Woo film with all the twists and turns of a conspiracy film and peppered throughout with dazzling chase sequences. He films the fight scenes expertly, with the scene in Lai Lai's hotel room being one of the best examples of this. It is also great how he juxtaposes the sadness of Father MacAvoy's situation with the killing that is going around him in his city. The script is smart and witty. The characters are all fully realized and sharply drawn. Lai Lai is probably my favorite character as she is a very strong central character who had a moment of weakness she now has to pay for. Harlow is a great vengeance seeking character and he really shines when he is almost killed in the bar scene. The cast really supports the fine story too. Carlyle is not someone you would think to see in a film like this, but he does an excellent job playing the stranger in a strange land persona here. Hu is dynamic as Lai Lai and has some of the best action sequences in the film. Rhames as always steals the show and the viewer cannot help but root for him and hope he gets the mind behind the machinations of his dilemma. Cunningham as the man behind the Tournament, Powers is delightfully sleazy, opportunistic and evil. Everything you want in the main villain of a action film. The SFX and effects in the film are intense and a delight to watch. My favorite bit has to be the shoot out in the bar where the assassins are blowing away anything in sight, be it their targets or a stripper that just gets in the way. It is very bloody and very exploitative and that is what I love about the film. It has no problem getting down and dirty and really revels in it. This is a action film that operates on the level of something like Smoking Aces and for that reason it gets my highest recommendation.
This one gets 5 out of 5

The Fifth Commandment

2010-01-13T13:05:00.001-08:00

The Fifth Commandment 2008
Director: Jesse V. Johnson
Writer: Rick Yune
Starring Rick Yune, Keith David, Bodeem Woodbine, Dania Ramirez and Roger Yuane

Rick Yune is probably best known as the main heavy fro the final Pierce Brosnan Bond film Die Another Day. He was one of the few shining points of that film and here he takes the lead and does a admirable job. The action is fast and fierce and the story moves by at a brisk pace, so there is not too much dwelling on the lesser exciting parts. The film is also helped by a fine supporting performance by the always entertaining Keith David. The climactic fight scene at the end is a real visual treat and one of the best fight scenes I have seen in awhile. The film is very stylized in a hyper realized comic book style that really works for the film. Also, the themes of brotherhood, loyalty and revenge are central to the film and they all end up relating to each other as the film progresses. The hero is very much of the anti hero style, but somehow the viewer still empathizes with him and stays with him till the end of his journey. The film is high octane action from beginning to end without trying to bog you down with too many confusing plot points and that is why the film is so enjoyable.
The plot basics are this, Chance (Yune) is a skilled assassin who watched his family brutally killed as a child and is reared by another assassin, the Jazzman (David), who raises and trains him in the art of killing. Years later, Chance is a highly proficient assassin and is offered a contract to kill a pop singer (Ramirez) but declines it when he finds that his half brother (Woodbine) is in charge of protecting her. He meets up with his brother and agrees to help him protect her form the swarm of assassins that will be coming out of the woodwork to kill her, including the same assassin that killed Chance's parents. Chance fails in stopping the killing of his brother, but is now on a mission to protect the girl and to finally decimate the killer of his family and he will do whatever it takes to see this job through.
This is a solid piece of action filmmaking. The direction by Johnson is very fluid. He sets up the fight scenes very well and shoots them beautifully. They are never to hard to grasp and always leave you wanting more. The gunplay scenes are very renascent of films by John Woo and Cory Yeun and those influences really make it a film worth watching. The script by Yune is very good, it gives you all the requisite characters and motivations you need in a film like this. The character of the Jazzman is by far the most memorable character in the film and the most enjoyable to watch. The cast is excellent too. Yune is a charismatic lead hero and pulls off the almost laconic hero role very well. Keith David is phenomenal as Jazzman and his performance really makes the film more than a standard B movie. Woodbine as Yune's half brother is very good too and I never knew he could pull off fight scenes so well. Yuane is a good heavy that you really love to hate as the film goes on and the final battle between him and Yune is a treat to watch, with a fire erupting around them as they battle to the death. Ramirez is a good damsel in distress, but is nothing exceptional. It seems any starlet could have pulled off that role. The action sequences in the film are quite volatile and at times bloody. The big rainy fight scene between Woodbine and all the assassins is one of the best ones in the film. If you enjoy Hong Kong action films I would definitely say seek this one out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Bangkok Dangerous 2008

2010-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Bangkok Dangerous 2008
Directors: The Pang Brothers
Writer: James Richman
Starring Nicolas Cage, Shahkrit Yamnarm, Charlie Yeung, Panward Hemmanee, Nirattisai Kaljaruek, Dom Hetrakul and Steve Baldocchi

The genre of Asian action Cinema has been widely popular for a long time, and in the forefront lately have been the action films coming from Thailand like Ong Bak. Bangkok Dangerous is the latest in the Thailand action films and is a remake of one that was made in 1999. It has by far the best action role since Face/Off. The film has some tremendous action sequences, but also has a heart behind all the action that is rather reminiscent of the Killer. The themes of the film also kind of remind me of the old boxing film, The Champ. The cast is anchored by a solid performance by Nicolas Cage. The rest of the cast is filled with Thailand actors and they help make it seem like the film is totally a foreign affair and that really is what makes the film work so well. The Pang brothers are some of the best directors out of Thailand, as they are behind the compelling and scary The Eye horror series. The way the set up the action along with the conflict that ends the film, is intriguing and really pulls the viewer deeply into the movie.
The plot basics are this, Joe (Cage) is a professional assassin who chooses someone off the street to do errands for him so no one ever knows his true identity and then kills that person when his target is eliminated. His next target takes him to Bangkok, where he then again hires a street kid, Kong (Yamnarm) to run his errands for him. But, after a close call where Kong almost gets killed and he finds out what Joe really is. He asks Joe to train him in the art of being a assassin and at first he is against it, but Kong is stubborn and Joe finally agrees to it. Joe also meets a deaf girl who works at a drugstore and begins courting her, breaking his cardinal rule of never getting involved and showing true feelings. While all this is going on, the people who hired him are breaking his number one rule of anonymity and trying to find out who he is, and this causes Joe to go on the offensive with them. The question is will Joe be able to cover his tracks and survive or is he doomed to die in a hail of gunfire?
This is a excellent action film. The direction by the Pang Brothers is fast and loose. There is a great fluidity to the action scenes. I especially enjoyed the scene on the boat and all the explosions and acrobatic gunplay they used. What also really works is how they slow the action down with the relationship between Joe and Kong and between Joe and the shop girl. It brings some much needed humanity to the film that most action filmmakers like Michael Bay are lacking. The script is solid too. The way it has Joe narrating the story works really well. That is a form of storytelling that always works well for me and it also seems to correlate this film with film noirs. Joe is at first a cipher but as the story progresses he gains some humanity and that is what makes the ending all the more tragic. The cast is excellent. Cage is the anchor of the film and the viewer is totally with him through the entire film. His burgeoning relationship with Kong really works too. You hope that Joe will survive this mission and be able to live a real life after all is said and done. Shahkrit Yamnarm is also great as Kong, the protege to Joe. He is at first very annoying and does not seem all that important to the story, but as the film progresses it becomes more and more apparent that he is a focal point of the film. The SFX and effects of the film are astounding too. Some of the kills are very bloody and are a delight to watch, like Joe's initial assassination in the opening moments of the film. This is a great action film and one of the best I have seen in awhile. For Asian cinema action fans, I highly recommend this one.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

2010-01-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li 2009
Director: Andrzjez Bartkowiak
Writer: Justin Marks
Starring Kristin Kreuk, Chris Klein, Neal McDonough, Robin Shou, Moon Bloodgood, Taboo and Michael Clarke Duncan

Many people have said this is the worst movie they saw in the past year, and I have to disagree with this opinion. I actually like this better than the 1994 version with Jean Claude Van Damme. It does have its weak points, the most obvious being the horrible acting from Chris Klein, but as far as a rousing martial arts action film, I believe this film really delivers. Kreuk does a great job as Chun-Li and really pulls off the fighting style ably well. The villains are quite good too, especially Duncan and McDonough. It was a real treat to see Shou doing a martial arts film again, though. This film really flies by briskly and does not overstay its welcome. Also, it is in no way shape or form the worst movie of 2009, that honor still goes to Halloween 2. It also has a good action director, who did a few good Jet Li films and the last good Steven Seagal film Exit Wounds. I can forgive him for directing Doom though as Street Fighter more than makes up for that dismal flop.
The plot basics are this, Chun-Li (Kreuk) is a young girl training to be a pianist when her father is accosted by a crime lord, M. Bison (McDonough) and is abducted and forced to work for him. This enrages Chun-Li and she sets upon a path to free her father and bring down the Shadaloo crime cartel, which is spearheaded by Bison. Chun-Li travels to Bangkok and meets up with Gen (Shou) who trains her in martial arts and advises her on what she must do to defeat Bison. Chun-Li finds her father and tries to rescue him, but Bison kills him and now she will not rest until Bison is dead. We then meet Nash (Klein), who is a federal agent trying to bring down Bison and his cartel. Soon, Chun-Li and Nash cross paths and discover they are after the same ultimate goal and decide to team up to bring Bison and his crew down. This leads to a dramatic final battle between Bison and Chun-Li, one from which only one of them will walk away alive.
This is a well shot film. The direction by Bartkowiak is done well. He stages the fight scenes well and they flow together very well. It is done like a standard action film, with no quick cuts that seem to be all the rage with films like the Bourne films nowadays. He lights the stage well and you never have a problem figuring out what is actually happening. The script is good, except for the character of Nash, he really did not seem as if he was warranted. The story could have flowed just as well with only Chun-Li and Gen. The best character in the script as far as lines go, would have to be Balrog. He really makes the film worth watching. The cast is good too, they all do fine except for the laughably bad performance by Klein. He makes Van Damme's Guile look like Lawrence Olivier in comparison. Kreuk is a great Chun-Li and is much more interesting than Ming Na's in the original. McDonough is a credible Bison, just not on the level of Raul Julia's performance. Duncan takes the cake as Balrog and brings us a delightfully cheesy and hammy performance that is worth the price of admission alone. It was great seeing Shou in action again, as I loved him as Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat. It is a shame I do not see him in more action films. The action sequences are pulled off flawlessly well, by far the best thing about the film and the climactic battle between Chun_Li and Bison is tremendous. I have a soft spot in my heart for video game adaptations, so I am probably kinder on this film than most. But, if you dig martial arts films with great fights and some cheesy dialogue and acting check this one out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Assault On Precinct 13 1976

2010-01-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

Assault On Precinct 13 1976
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: John Carpenter
Starring Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West, Tony Burton, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Loomis, Peter Bruni, John J. Fox and Frank Doubleday

John Carpenter is the master of the suspense and horror genre, and this is clearly in effect throughout Assault On Precinct 13. This film takes the siege formula, that Howard Hawks so excellently executed in Rio Bravo and boils it down to it's simplest theme and runs with it. The tension is palatable in the film and from the first moment when you see the roving street gangs, you know something horrible is going to happen. What makes the film so gripping to watch is how the unlikely heroes of the film come together and are able to withstand this siege on their well being. From the opening scene with that incessant score that Carpenter uses, you are completely pulled into the story and want to see the heroes get out of it in one piece. Though the action is gripping what really makes the film work is the chemistry between Joston and Stoker. They bounce great lines back and forth and Josten in this film is one of my favorite anti heroes ever captured on film. The film is quite shocking for its time too, there are not many movies that will purposefully kill a little girl so callously, but it is quite effective in this film. I think that is why this film stands the test of time.
The plot basics are this, the film opens with the police ambushing and killing many members of a Los Angeles street gang. After this happens all the gangs unite and make a plan to wage war on the police. Their choice is a soon to be abandoned precinct, which has a skeleton crew, which mainly consists of Bishop (Stoker) and Leigh (Zimmer). At first it seems to be a quiet night until a man who watched his daughter get gunned down by the gang, arrives with the gang not far behind. Also making a stop is a bus headed to prison which carries a convicted killer Napoleon (Joston). Soon, they are all besieged by the street gang and everyone must put aside their differences and morals and work together if they plan on surviving the night.
This is a great film and one that never gets old when you revisit it. Carpenter's direction is exceptional. It is very taut and stressful, especially the scene with the ice cream man and the little girl. You know something bad will happen but you do not expect what does happen. The script by Carpenter is great too, it has shades of both Rio Bravo and Night of the Living Dead, but really makes it into it's own. The characters are all fully realized, with the most exceptional being Leigh and Napoleon. Napoleon has some of the best lines ever uttered in a film. The cast is exceptional too. Joston as Napoleon has a swagger that is really palatable and you cannot help but like him. While Zimmer, seems to embody Lauren Bacall with her performance of Leigh. She is really quite mesmerizing to watch. Stoker is great as the straight hero who is in a impossible situation and is somehow able to adapt to his circumstances. The action sequences, specifically the climax of the film are breathtaking. They are scenes that really hold your attention with rapt fascination. The score by Carpenter is very simple but astonishingly effective. It is probably my favorite musical score of his after Halloween. It sets the tone of the film immediately and lets you know exactly what kind of film you are watching. This is one of Carpenter's best films and one well worth seeking out if you have not seen it yet.
This one gets 5 out of 5

12 Rounds

2009-12-30T11:20:00.001-08:00

12 Rounds 2009
Director: Renny Harlin
Writer: Daniel Kunka
Starring John Cena, Ashley Scott, Aidan Gillen, Steve Harris, Brian J. White, Gonzalo Menendez, Taylor Cole and Kyle Russell-Clements

Action films and wrestlers are a combination that do not work too often. For every film like They Live you get 5 films like Suburban Commando. I had really enjoyed John Cena's first film The Marine and I was hoping 12 Rounds would amp it up, but it did not. At it's best it is a poor mans version of Die Hard With A Vengeance and at it's worst it can sometimes be boring. The main problem with the film was the here spent too much time reacting and not enough time acting. There also, was not enough one on one action scenes, this film moved more like a disaster film, moving from disaster to disaster and not having each scene really connect with all the to hers. It was sort of like just a movie where a bunch of stuff happens. Though it was good to see Cena in action again and it also seems that Ashley Scott is the go to girl for the female lead in wrestler's action movies after both this and Walking Tall.
The plot basics are this, Danny Fisher (Cena) is a policeman who stops a terrorist, Miles Jackson (Gillen) and his girlfriend (Cole). The girl tries to make a run for it and is hit and instantly killed by a car. Miles swears revenge on Danny before he is carted off to jail. Flash forward a year later and Danny has a good life as a police detective, thanks to his collaring of Miles. But, Miles reappears and blows up Danny's house and abducts his wife and demands that Danny goes through a gauntlet of challenges, that will take 12 rounds and if he is lucky he may survive long enough to rescue his wife (Scott). As Danny gets more entrenched in the challenges it seems apparent that Miles is using revenge as a smoke screen and he has a very different conclusion in mind. This leads to a frenetic showdown on a helicopter and with his wife's life on the line, Danny will do whatever it takes to bring Miles run of terror to an end.
This is an entertaining film, though it does not add much new to the genre. Harlin's direction is good as always, but it seems he is just going through the motions. IT is pretty apparent that the film is basically a paint by the numbers action film, that is just having the hero going through the motions. Harlin does stage the action sequences well and they are exciting to watch. The script is adequate at best, most of the characters are stereotypical and they do not really try to add any depth to the characters, they just are what they are. Miles is really just a carbon copy of Simon from Die Hard With A Vengeance. The cast does a good job with what it has to work with. Cena is a commanding presence, though he does not have much to work with. Scott is a good damsel in distress and that is all that is required of her. Gillen, is very good as the smarmy villain, who has all the answers. Harris as the FBI agent tracking Miles is good and one of the bright spots of the film, because at first you do not know what side he is on and that actually makes you think for a bit, something this film doesn't ask much of the viewer. The action sequences are done dazzling well. Specifically the elevator scene and the scene on the bus is very gripping. Though , the bus scene was a bit too reminiscent of Speed. All in all, if you are not expecting much in your action films give this one a look, but if you want a good version of this idea watch Die Hard With A Vengeance instead.
This one gets 2 out of 5

The Last Starfighter

2009-12-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Last Starfighter 1984
Director: Nick Castle
Writer: Jonathon R. Beteul
Starring Lance Guest, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston, Dan O'Herlihy, Barbara Bosson, Norman Snow, Chris Hebert, John O'Leary and Vernon Washington

There are certain films you grow up watching that lose their luster as you get older, but there are some that get better as you get older. The Last Starfighter is one of the latter. It is just one of those films that make you feel good as you watch it, with its rousing score and exciting space dog fights, it is a film that just gets better with each viewing. It also has a tremendous cast for the film that really puts it head and shoulders above some of the other SF films of the time. IT was one of the first films to use computer generated effects well, and the SFX in the film still look good by today's exacting standards. It is funny I cannot stand the film Tron, but This film is one of my favorites and even though I just watched it I could put it on and watch it again. It is just amazing sometimes how you react toward a film, re watching it sometimes is like visiting a old friend.
The plot basics are this, Alex Rogan is a young man who seems to be stuck in a trailer park with his dreams of going to college and building a better life dashed. His only outlet seems to be a video game at the park that lets him air out his grievances. He beats this game and he soon finds out that the game is actually a test to recruit new fighters for a real intergalactic battle. Alex meets Centauri (Preston) the creator of the game and enlists him to fight the tyrannical Xur )Snow), but Alex is not ready for that. He makes Centauri return him to Earth, but soon sees that a alien bounty hunter is after him and after Centauri is gravely wounded he decides to go back and fight Xur and when he gets there he discovers he is the only Starfighter left, along with his pilot Grig (O'Herlihy). They face overwhelming odds, but with the skill of Alex they may have a chance to beat Xur and his armada.
This is a entertaining and bravo inducing film. The direction by Castle is done expertly. The film has a light and deft touch to it, but also has great action sequences along with some emotional heartwarming moments. Castle balances all of these varied themes very well. The script is great too, the characters are very much alive and you really sympathize with Alex and Maggie's characters, and you hope to see them make it together at the end. The finest point of the script though, is the character of Centauri, he really steals the show in the film and is one of the most memorable things about the film. The cast is exceptional. Guest is great as Alex and really makes a sympathetic hero that you can empathize with. Stewart as Maggie is very good too, as the love interest who does not know what to make of all the strange goings on's. O'Herlihy as Grig is very boisterous and amusing and is a great addition to the cast. Preston as Centauri really steals the show as the slick salesman for the Alliance, and every scene he is in he really lightens up the screen. The SFX and effects are done very well, for this early stage of computer effects though somewhat rudimentary is done really well here. The space ship battles are riveting and a hell of a lot of fun to watch. The score by Craig Safari is the final ingredient in this film that really makes it soar. It is rousing and bombastic and you cannot help but hum it after the film is finished. This is a great SF adventure and highly recommended for fans of this type of space opera.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Command Performance

2009-12-20T17:28:00.001-08:00

Command Performance 2009
Director: Dolph Lundgren
Writers: Steve Latshaw and Dolph Lundgren
Starring Dolph Lundgren, Melissa Ann Smith, Hristo Shopov, Dave Legeno, Zahary Baharov, Clement von Franckenstein, Ivaylo Geraskov, Shelly Varod, Kataryzna Wolejnio, Ida Lundgren, Robin Dobson, Raicho Vasilev, Slavi Slavov and James Chalke

Dolph Lundgren has always been one of my favorite action stars and I think one of the most underutilized and ignored ones. My fave films of his are I Come In Peace and Showdown in Little Tokyo. It had been a long while since I had seen any of his recent films and I saw a trailer for this one and it looked like it could be a good one. And thankfully, it really was. This had a very 80's throwback style to it and some of the best one liners in a action movie sine The Last Boy Scout. The action is pretty brutal and the story flows fast so you never have much time to rethink the film, just to enjoy the carnage that is thrust upon you. From the first kill by Lundgren in the bathroom, you are hooked until the final throw down between Lundgren and the heavy. This is a man's action movie and it makes no qualms about it.
The plot basics are this, in Moscow a charity concert is being thrown that will have the Russian President Petrov (Shopov) and his daughters in attendance. The main attraction is American pop sensation Venus (Smith). There is also a smaller rock band that has a drummer, Joe (Lundgren) with a dark past. Everything starts off well till armed extortionists take control of the stadium and hold the Russian President and Venus captive. This causes Joe to team up with a young F.S.B. agent to try to take control of the situation. Everything is not as black and white as it appears though, as the lead hostage taker (Legeno) has a bloody past with the President and will stop at nothing to get his payment in blood. It will all come down to a stand off between Joe and the vengeance seeking terrorist, but who will prevail?
This is a excellent action film. The direction by Lundgren is expertly done. He sets the mood of the film early on with a flashback sequence and then thrusts you full steam ahead into the action. The fight scenes are cut fast and quick but without being too distracting. The script is good, it gives the viewer just enough cause to root for Joe and his dilemma and I especially liked how they used the characters aversion to guns to get more creative with the terrorist take down scenes. The buddy cop relationship between Joe and the agent was very matter of fact and fun to watch progress as well. The cast is very good, Lundgren as always does a great job of playing the flawed hero, who has issues but is till able to make the right decision. Legeno was very good as the heavy, you really got to hate him and could not wait till Lundgren took him out. Smith was very able and sexy as the American pop star, and you hoped she would survive the experience. The action sequences are done very well, and are never lasting too long, but just long enough to get it done. The best one was the fight in the bathroom, I saw that scene and said "Hell, Yeah!" That is when I knew I would dig this movie. For fans of old school 80's action, I would highly recommend this one.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The Taking of Pelham 123 2009

2009-11-24T13:45:00.001-08:00

The Taking of Pelham 123 2009
Director: Tony Scott
Writer: Brian Hegeland
Starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, Victor Gojcaj, John Turturro, James Gandolfini and Michael Rispoli

Tony Scott is one of the best modern action film directors today, so whenever he has a new film I always see it. I had heard of the original version of this film but had never seen it. I will definitely seek it out after seeing this version. This was a solid action film with some very tense scenes in it and a great interplay between Washington and Travolta. I always have liked Travolta more when he plays the heavy, such as his great performances in John Woo's Face Off and Broken Arrow. This is a fast paced and expertly executed crime film and all the lead actors do an excellent job. The only fault I have with the film is that it doesn't bring anything new or exciting to the action film genre. But it is still a enjoyable and gripping film to watch.
The plot basics are this, four amred men hijack a subway train one afternoon in Manhattan. They stop and decouple the first car and then begin their plan too blackmail money out of the city by holding the people on the train hostage. The leader of the terrorists is Ryder (Travolta) and he gets in contact with dispatcher, Walter Garber (Washington), who has been recently demoted due to being investigated for taking a bribe. He makes aconnection with Ryder and he refuses to deal with anyone but Garber. Ryder demands ten million within a hour or for every minute the payoff is late he will eliminate a hostage. The Mayor (Gandolfini) okays the deal, but it seems the payoff is putting the stock market through the wringer and the negotiator in charge (Turturro) is wondering if Ryder only wants the money or is making a stock broking gambit with it too make himself obscenely rich. As the time limit comes and goes Garber has to meet Ryder with the money and what follows is a tense face off and a game of cat and mouse, and who knows who will come out on top in this gambit?
This is a good film. Scott's direction is great as always. His style of fast cutting and quick edits is not for everyone, but I always enjoys what he does with the camera. The film is violent too and never skirts away from showing it. The way he sets up the SWAT sniper's attacks is tense and when everything goes wrong it comes together perfectly. Hegeland's script is tightly woven and he really breathes life into both Ryder and Garber's characters. The cast is good too, Washington and Travolta have great chemistry together and as usual Travolta hams it up and it suits the film well. Turturro is also good as the negotiator trying to get to the bottom of what is happening here. I also really enjoyed Gandolfini as the mayor, he brought a much needed comedic element to the film and with all the tense face offs in the film it is much needed for the viewer to catch his breath from time to time. The action sequences in the film are very good, I especially liked the sniper attack, that was the most memorable one in my book. This was a tense and exciting film, but in my final estimation it does not add anything great to this type of crime film. I think the thing that makes this film the most enjoyable was Travolta's performance.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Dragonball: Evolution

2009-11-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

Dragonball: Evolution 2009
Director: James Wong
Writer: Ben Ramsey
Starring Justin Chatwin, Chow Yun Fat, Emmy Rossum, Jamie Chung, James Marsters and Ernie Hudson

Let me say something right up front before I review this film. I never got into the popular anime series that this film is based on, I have seen a few episodes and the series just never grabbed me. So, my review of this will be of a novice and not a fan of the series. I will be judging the film on its own merit and not the connection to the anime. That being said, I really enjoyed this, it was a light and fun action packed kung fu film with a great hammy performance by Chow Yun Fat. The choreography in the film is very good, though it could have used more fight scenes and less comedy and set up. It really helped that they picked a great actor to play the head villain, James Marsters, anything he does he brings a higher level of style and class with it than most actors can ever muster.
The plot basics are this, we meet Goku (Chatwin) who is being trained in martial arts by his grandfather. He has issues at school though, cause his grandfather will not allow him to fight back. This all changes when his grandfather is attacked by some people who are looking for something called the Dragonballs. Before his grandfather dies Goku promises him to find the great Master Roshi (Fat) and to find and protect all 7 of the Dragonballs for the evil lord Piccolo (Marsters) who wants to use them to destroy the world. He finds Roshi and teams up with other like minded fighters to put an end too the tyranny of Piccolo, but he does not know the full story and will he be able to man up enough in the end to beat him or is he doomed to failure.
This is a fun and enjoyable film. Wong's direction is light and frothy , which is a perfect match for the subject material. He never lets it get too bogged own in seriousness for its own good. The script is pretty simplistic and that works in its favor. You get enough characterization to feel for the characters but never too much that it slows the plot down. Because first and foremost this is a plot driven film. The cast is very good, with a great performance by Fat, he is very funny and as always charismatic. Marsters as the main bad guy Piccolo is great too and he chews his scenes with relish. Chatwin is a decent protagonist but he is overshadowed by these 2 actors. The action sequence and the SFX are done very well. The fight scenes are fast and furious but you never get the sense that the characters are ever in any real danger. That is good for the kids that this film is aimed at, but it may leave more adult viewers wanting more. This is a fun family friendly kung fu film, but if you are expecting anything more, you will be sorely disappointed.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Grimy British Crime

2009-11-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

The Crew 2008
Director: Adrian Vitoria
Writers: Ian Brady and Adrian Vitoria
Starring Scot Williams, Kenny Doughty, Rory McCann, Stephen Graham, Neil Bell, Cordelia Bugela, Alison Cain and Paul Lee

British crime Films are some of my favorites in the action genre. Films like Snatch, Get Carter (the original, not the aborted Stallone version) and the Limey are some of my favorite examples from this genre. The Crew is not as exemplary as those films but it is constructed very well with a lively cast of characters that you become roped into as you are drawn into the story. It tries to be misleading like The Usual Suspects, but it is not in that films caliber. The pace is very brisk and you are always intrigued by what is happening on screen and you wonder if all the characters will remain in one piece when it is over. It can be very violent at times, as well as immersing itself deeply into sexual depravity. Definitely a film that does not pull any punches and for that I applaud it.
The plot basics are this, a crew of hardened criminals are looking for that one last big heist that will pay them huge dividends and allow them to retire from their shady practices. Ged (Williams) and Ratter (Doughty) are brothers who have big plans for the crew. They have opposite viewpoints though, Ged wants out while Ratter wants to branch out into the drug trade. Ratter needs Ged to complete this final heist, but he works angles behind his back as they grow closer to the date of the crime. Things begin to spiral out of control and it will take all of Ged's savvy to survive intact at the end of the day.
This is a gripping and exciting film. The direction by Vitoria is frenetic and paced very well. The way he films some of the scenes are really amazing. I especially liked the one where it switches back and forth between Moby having sex with a prostitute while Ratter and a cohort beat the crap out of some drug addicts. It is jarring and mesmerizing at the same time. The action sequences are handled ably well too. The script is very good too. It has many twists and turns, and the only complaint I would make is that I saw them all coming too easily. The motivations and what all the characters did was not surprising in the least. The cast is very strong. Williams as Ged always has the main viewpoint, so you side with him for most of the film and you want him to succeed. Doughty as Ratter, plays him as a unrepentant, opportunistic douchebag and that plays out well. I also loved McCann as Moby. He stole every scene he was in, as Ratter's enforcer who is more obsessed with online porn and sex, he is a delight to watch. The SFX and the action sequences were great. The film gets really bloody at times and really wallows in it. While, the gun fights and chase scenes are pulled off very well and I hope to see more by Vitoria in the action genre. If you dig seedy British crime films that really tap into the underbelly of this genre, seek this one out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Bulletproof Monk

2009-11-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Bulletproof Monk 2003
Director: Paul Hunter
Writers: Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris
Starring Chow Yun Fat, Seann William Scott, Jamie King, Karel Roden, Victoria Smurfit, Mako and Marcus Jean Pirae

Chow Yun Fat in a martial arts centric film makes it a given that I will see it. I was a little wary of this one though, since I don't connect martial arts action with Seann William Scott. Thankfully though, this film combines high octane fights with some great comedic elements, and they could not have got anyone better than Scott for this kind of role. The film is fast paced, but has just the right amounts of down time that a action film like this needs. Fat is a great mentor to the burgeoning talent of Scott's character and it is a hoot to watch their interactions. The plot is something reminiscent of the likes of Indiana Jones and it fits really well in the fantastic world of this film. This is a film that meshes all its ingredients together well and at the end you have a fun as hell action film.
The plot basics are this. the film opens at the end of World War II where a Tibetan monk (Fat) has passed the final tests to guard a ancient scroll that can either help or hinder mankind. Suddenly, the temple is attacked by a group of Nazis led by Strucker (Roden). The monk escapes and is adept at evading the Nazi for 60 years. Flash forward to the present day, where the monk is till being chased by the Nazi and his goons and he runs into Karl (Scott) a pickpocket that the monk sees much potential in and he decides to stick with him and see how he develops. This leads to Karl allying himself up with another street person, Jade (King). It all leads to the Monk being captured by Strucker and getting superpowers and youth from the scrolls, and now it is up to the Monk and Karl to put a stop to Strucker once and for all, but will Karl be up to the task?
This is a damn good action film. The direction by Hunter is very fast paced and frenetic, which really works in tandem with the story. Hunter's past work is in music videos and that really works to his benefit on this film. The script is good too, very funny when needed and moving the plot quickly as needed too. The characterization of the 3 main characters is quite believable. The cast is great too, Fat as the monk is very believable and charming. Scott as Karl, the flawed hero, does a expert job, balancing humor and action very deftly. King as the romantic interest is very good too and she holds her own in the fight scenes as well. Roden, as the Nazi heavy is quite despicable and very fun to watch. The action sequences in the film are great, my personal favorite was Karl's fight with Mr. Funktastic, was very well staged and a delight to watch. This is definitely recommended to martial arts fans and specifically to fans of Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung, as the film is very similar to some of their more comedic films.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Law Abiding Citizen

2009-10-22T11:28:00.001-07:00

Law Abiding Citizen 2009
Director: F. Gary Gray
Writer: Kurt Wimmer
Starring Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb, Gregory Itzin and Regina Hall

Gerard Butler is on a roll lately with some solid action roles, films like Gamer, which I have heard nothing but good things about, and his latest Law Abiding Citizen. This seemed like a excellent idea for a movie and the final product is a great thriller, that is tense and suspenseful and at times as bloody as any recent horror film. In a nutshell the film is like Saw meets Batman. If Batman was retired and married and his family was killed and it drives him over the edge and takes his meticulously planned revenge on everyone involved with screwing up the righteous justice he feels he is due and he plans to collect. The setup in the film is set up quickly and it ratches up quickly and does not lessen till the end credits roll.
The plot basics are this, A tinkerer, Clyde Shelton (Butler) has a happy life with his wife and daughter when his house is besieged by a couple of thieves and his wife is brutally raped and murdered and his daughter is killed as well. The perpetrators are caught, but the one that actually did the killing pleas out and a up and coming District Attorney, Nick Rice (Foxx) takes the deal and this does not sit well for Clyde. We flash forward 10 years later, and the criminal that got the death penalty is executed but it goes horribly awry. The Nick believes it is the one who pleaded out and hunt him down but he has help via a phone call and escapes. But the one who helps him is Clyde and he then tortures and dismembers him, while he is fully aware. Soon, Clyde is picked up, but it seems he wants to be caught. And soon, everyone involved with screwing up the case of his family's murderers is picked off one by one and they cannot seem to figure it out. Soon Clyde has the entire city in a grip of terror as he is much more than he appears to be and this begs the question to Nick can he change and be a just man or is he doomed to die for his moral failings?
This was a dynamic thriller. Gray's direction is taut and suspenseful. He uses the setting of Philadelphia very well. The action scenes are set up nicely with lots of explosions peppered throughout the film. The script by Wimmer is great, it really makes the view question the moral ambiguity of the law and how justice sometimes is not just. The characters are all well rounded too, you really empathize with Clyde and actually want him to succeed. The cast is great, Butler commands your attention with every moment he is on screen. Foxx does a good job too and I usually do not like him, but he portrays the man with a moral quandary very well here. I really liked Bibb as Foxx's co worker too, her best role yet. Finally, it is always good to see Meaney and it seems he is playing a continuation of his character from Con Air and he plays it with relish. The SFX in the film are phenomenal, the kills are very bloody and seem more in line with a horror film than a thriller, but it works well. It is really a combination of a vigilante film and the type of horror films like the Saw films. There are a few moments in the film that are real WTF moments and I really appreciated them. The film also keeps you guessing till the ending. If I had one complaint, I would say that the ending is a bit anticlimactic. I was hoping for more of a bang, but it is still a great film.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Black Mask

2009-10-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Black Mask 1996
Director: Daniel Lee
Writers: Tsui Hark, Koan Hui, Teddy Chan and Joe Ma
Starring Jet Li, Ching Wan Lau, Karen Mok, Francoise Yip and Kong Lung

Jet Li is one of the premier names in the modern martial arts films toady and I think he is only eclipsed by Tony Jaa. Black Mask was the first Li film I had seen after his American debut in Lethal Weapon 4 and I was mesmerized by the way he moved in that, that I went looking for other films of his and the first 2 I found were this and Fist of Legend. Everyone should know Fist of Legend is a masterpiece, but I also have a special place in my heart for this one. It is a film with some great action scenes and is also very funny and witty. The characters of Li and Lau really make this film. The banter these two convey to each other is priceless. The fight scenes were choreographed by the same man who did the fight sequences for the Matrix films, Woo-ping Yuen. The film has a very comic book superhero feel to it and that really works to its advantage.
The plot basics are this, Michael (Li) was a test subject of a secret program to create super soldiers and after the program was scrapped he went into hiding and is now working as a librarian, making no waves and is friends with a hard nosed cop, Rock (Lau). Everything is nice and quiet for Michael until, a vicious string of gangland murders have the tale tell signs of his former comrades in the program. Michael decides to take action, but does so in disguise wearing a black mask, and the papers dub him "The Black Mask". Soon his former compatriots discover he is around and want to bring him back into the fold. Michael will have none of this, so the Commander (Lung) sets a trap for him using his friend Rock and it is now up to Michael to save him and put an end once and for all to his sadistic comrades.
This is a great action film that starts heavily charged and doesn't slow down till the end credits roll. Lee's directions is great, he has a eye for great action scenes and stages them well. He also is very good with the character scenes, even when there is no action you are rooted to the screen. The script is very good as well, it uses all the standard devices of the super hero genre very well. Though it also use the characters very well and you actually empathize with them, not always a easy thing to do in a action film. The cast is great, Li and Lau have great chemistry and I especially love the scene in the bathroom where Lau tries to get Li to fight. Mok was very funny as the romantic lead for Li too and Lung is very despicable as the main heavy of the story. The action and fight scenes are staged flawlessly and you are mesmerized with every move that hits your eyes. It is a shame that Li never did another film for this series, as I would have loaded to have seen more. I think the best action scene in the film is where he is both fighting his ex lover and trying to save his new romantic interest at the same time. It was amazing how well choreographed that sequence was. I highly recommend this for martial arts fans and fans of films in the super hero genre.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Push

2009-10-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Push 2009
Director: Paul McGuigan
Writer: David Bourla
Starring Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou, Camilla Belle, Ming-Na and Maggie Siff

This film is yet another addition in the long line of super hero based films and thankfully, it is not another trite addition to this overflowing genre. I was worried at first, because this film seemed very similar to Jumper. But, this film did not make any of the missteps that film did. First and foremost, it did not try to overtly set up a sequel and actually had a solid ending to the story. It also had a much better lead hero than Jumper did, Evans is much more likeable and enjoyable to watch than Hayden Christianson could ever aspire to be. The action in the film is intense and nail biting, you never know which way the action is going to turn, if the good guys will prevail or the bad guys will pull a win out and I found that refreshing. This is one of the more pleasing and entertaining original super hero films I have seen of recent times.
The plot basics are this, there are people with certain telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities and many of these people are being used and controlled by a shadowy government agency called the Division. Nick (Evans) is living in Hong Kong hiding out from the agency when Cassie (Fanning) finds him enlisting him in helping her find Claire (Belle) who has something that the agency wants and is enlisting any cutthroats they can find to hunt her and the package down. Nick comes to find strength in his power and soon comes to realize that not everything is as it seems. He then comes up with a plan to defeat Division and it will only be through his ingenuity and wiles that he will remain intact.
This was a great action film. McGuigan's direction is tight, he really choreographs the action scenes superbly and he does well with the more dramatic scenes as well. The script is very good too, some of the things reminds me of films like The Fury and Firestarter but, This story is creative enough that you see everything in a fresh light. The characters are very well developed and you feel for all of them even the villains. The cast is great, Evans is a very likeable and adept hero with some great chemistry with Fanning. I definitely think this is her best role to date. Hounsou is a great villain who is very charismatic. I also really enjoyed the small part that Ming-Na played in the film, always a pleasure to see her and she is used well in this film. The SFX and the action sequences are pulled off well, especially liked the final showdown in the construction area, it really kept me glued to the screen to find out what the final outcome would be. The ending is pulled off well, it concludes the story arc while still setting it up for future adventures if need be. This was really a hell of a ride and one I will watch again.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Knowing

2009-10-10T10:38:00.001-07:00

Knowing 2009
Director: Alex Proyas
Writers: Ryan Douglas Pearson, Juliet Snowden and Stiles White
Starring Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne, Lara Robinson, D.G. Maloney, Nadia Townsend and Alan Hopgood

When I first saw the trailers to this film, I thought it looked like another botched abortion like Next. But, then I saw it was directed by Alex Proyas, a director who I have always enjoyed. So, when it hit DVD I thought I would give it a chance. And, I am glad I did this was a smart, end of the world type of science fiction film. Cage is very good in this and doesn't go into his hammy overacting he tends to do in some cases (and yes Wicker Man I am talking about you). He is anchored by a solid cast and a great story that keeps you enthralled to the ending. The ending too is not a copout like the horrendous ending of Next was. It is both hopeful and bleak and it is one of those that makes you think about the film for a while after you watch it. A nice difference compared to the usual explosion driven science fiction of Roland Emmerich and Michael Bay.
The plot basics are this, it is the fall of 1959 and a school is getting ready to bury a time capsule for 50 years, but there is this girl in the school who is having strange visions. Before it is dropped into the ground the teacher of this little girls class wants all the children to draw a picture of what they think the earth will be like then and the little girl just seems to be writing down numbers frantically. They entomb the capsule but the girl is missing and the teacher finds her hidden in the cellar writing numbers on the wall in blood soaked fingers. We flash forward 50 years and the capsule is being unearthed. We meet John Koestler (Cage) a teacher who is a widower with his son Caleb (Canterbury). When the capsule is unearthed Caleb gets the paper that the little girl is writing and now he begins to hear thins and see strange people. His father takes a look at the page and figures out that all the numbers relate to disasters that have happened in the last 50 years and sees that it is predicting future imminent disasters and now John is trying to warn people of these while trying to ensure the safety of his son.
This was a really good film. Proyas direction as always is great, he really sets up the tension during the disaster scenes and the way he tells the story you never know what will be happening next. The script is very smart, one of the smartest science fiction stories I have seen since Gattaca. The ideas in the film is brought forth soundly and really challenge your thought processes as you experience the film. The ending of the film is at the same time both bleak and hopeful. Never an easy thing to pull off. The cast is great, Cage does a great job as a struggling single father and a distraught widower. Byrne is also very good as the potential love interest. I also thought Canterbury was great as Cage's son, he was never annoying and pulled off what he needed too very well. The SFX were great in the film, I especially loved the plane crash that really made me jump when that happened/ This is a film that challenges your brains while still entertaining you like a good science fiction film should.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The Running Man

2009-09-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Running Man 1987
Director: Paul Michael Glaser
Writer: Steven E. de Souza
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonzo, Richard Dawson, Yahet Kotto, Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura, Mick Fleetwood, Marvin J. McIntyre and Sven-Ole Thorsen

I sort of got in the mood to revisit this Arnie classic after seeing the trailers for Gamer. This is one of my favorite of Arnie's films and still entertains me endlessly whenever I re watch it. IT is a great action film the combines Solid Gold with American Gladiators. The film is very 80's but still very enjoyable. The only complaint I have with the film is that it has by far, the worst one liners in any Arnie film. For me, the most glaring example of this is "Sub Zero. now plain zero." Ugh, I still cringe whenever I hear that line. But, other than moments like that this is really a captivating dystopian SF film.
The plot basics are this, it is the near future, 2017 and the world is run by Corporations. We meet Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) who is a SWAT helicopter pilot and he refuses to shoot at innocent people during a food riot and is brought up on phoney charges and sent to a work camp. He meets up with some freedom fighters in the camp and works with them to break out and then heads to what was his brother's apartment, which is now rented by a young woman, Amber Mendez (Alonso). He uses her to get away from the heat but is captured by Killian (Dawson), the enigmatic host of the most popular game show in the world, the Running Man. It is a show gives criminals a chance at a new life if they can survive being hunted by the Stalkers. His partners in the break out are enlisted as well as Amber and now its a battle of wits to survive this most dangerous game.
This is still a hell of a great action film to watch. The direction by Glaser is very tight, he has a great feel for the action scenes and plays out the humorous scenes expertly. The script by de Souza is very tight too, now fans of the Stephen King book will find it dramatically transformed. But for me, it is a change for the better. The scenes flow well and all the characters are very colorful. The acting is quite good, Schwarzenegger really inhabits the character of Richards and any scene that Dawson is in he just steals the whole film. The SFX are good for the time, but compared to what we are shown today are pretty cheesy, but this just makes the film more endearing to me. The musical score by Harold Faltermeyer is the final piece of the puzzle, it is catchy and captivating. I can hear just a few chords and I immediately think of this film. For action fans this is a classic and if you have not seen it yet, you should.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Angel of Death

2009-09-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Angel of Death 2009
Director: Paul Etheredge
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Starring Zoe Bell, Jake Abel, Vail Bloom, Justin Huen, Doug Jones, Lucy Lawless, Brian Poth and Ted Raimi

I sought this one out because I have been a huge Zoe Bell fan since I saw Death Proof and it sounded like a great role for her. And it being written by comic book writer Ed Brubaker, who writes some of the best comics out there, too good to pass up. I have to say it exceeded my expectations. IT was violent as hell, with some great action sequences and some killer characters that you wanted to keep following long after the film was over. This was originally a web series, and it has now finally been collected on DVD and I highly recommend any high octane action fan to pick this one up.
The plot revolves around Eve (Bell) who is a assassin for a secret organization. She is in bed with her handler, Graham (Poth). She is sent on a mission with a rookie, Franklin (Huen) and is sent to kill a man but there are complications and she ends up with a 8 inch knife stuck in her skull and killing a 12 year old girl. She is repaired by a under the books doctor, Rankin (Jones) and seems to be recovering well, until she starts to see visions of the girl she has killed that propel her to go after her handler's and exact bloody revenge. She goes after Cameron Downes (Able) who ordered the hits and she leaves a bloody trail behind her. While Graham, is working a angle with the police to get himself out of this life. This all leads to a very blood climax, with lots of carnage.
This film grabs you by the neck and doesn't let go till the pulse pounding ending. The direction is tight and done in a very comic book style, where the transition scenes turn into comic book panels. The action and fighting scenes are brutal and bloody and never are a clean thing. The script by Brubaker is engaging, you really feel for Eve and all the shit she is going through. He really makes you cheer for her as she gets deeper and deeper into what is behind all the killings. The actors are great, Bell is awesome as the wickedly proficient protagonist. Special props go to Doug Jones as the shady doctor, and it is good to see him without all the makeup or CGI that his roles usually entail. Lucy Lawless as Eve's neighbor, Vera is a hoot to watch too and you wish there was more of her in the film. The action sequences are great, I really loved the opening gambit where as Eve gets a knife imbedded in her skull and yet she till kicks ass. If you love action films like Shoot 'Em Up or the Crank films definitely seek this one out.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Dollman

2009-09-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Dollman 1991
Director: Albert Pyun
Writers: David Pabian and Chris Roghair
Starring Tim Thomerson, Jackie Earle Haley, Kamala Lopez, Humberto Ortiz, Nicolas Guest, Judd Omen and Michael Halsey

Full Moon films were always some of my favorites during my college days, so I thought I would revisit a few of them from time to time. Dollman is one of my personal favorites. It has Tim Thomerson and he plays a great bad ass in this film. What is funny is the main heavy is played by Jackie Earle Haley, who recently has had a great year, playing Rorscach in Watchmen and soon to be seen as the new Freddy Krueger in the remake of Nightmare On Elm Street. He is quite good in this film. The film also has a very New Jack feel to the urban backdrop of the story, which is not surprising, remembering the time frame the film was released. Another thing I loved was Thomerson's one liners. He has some memorable ones in this film.
The plot basics are this, On the far off planet Arturos, we meet renegade cop Brick Bardo (Thomerson), someone who shoots first and asks questions later. He rescues some hostages during a laundromat hold up. He is then kidnapped from his house to meet up with a old nemesis who plans on blowing a dimensional rift in the planet and taking Brick out in the process. He foils his plan and gives chase, as the villain escapes to space and they both end up on Earth where they are both 6 inches tall. The villain makes an alliance with a local drug dealer, Braxton (Haley). While Brick saves a woman in distress, Debi (Lopez), who has a history with Braxton. He takes Brick home while Braxton is looking to take him out. It all leads to a brutal showdown that ends badly for one of them.
This is a fun little B movie, like most of the Full Moon films. Pyun's direction is very good, he sets up some great action sequences and pulls them off superbly. The script is both funny and edgy, with a great character in Brick Bardo. The acting is quite good, With Thomerson being the shining example of the film. He is the shining star of the film. Though, Haley is really a delight in the film as well. He is very sleazy and scummy and portrays those traits superbly well. The SFX are pretty cheesy, but that is to be expected and appreciated in a Full Moon film. The gore effects are done really well, it is a extremely gory film. If you enjoy violent and blood filled action films, seek this film out.
This one gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Captain America

2009-09-13T16:58:00.001-07:00

Captain America 1990
Director: Albert Pyun
Writers: Stephen Tolkin and Lawerence J. Block
Starring Matt Salenger, Scott Paulin, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty, Michael Nouri, Kim Gillingham, Francesca Neri and Melinda Dillon

Only compared to Batman and Robin is this a better comic book movie. If that film didn't exist this would be the Plan 9 From Outer Space of super hero films. This film is really a pile of steaming shit on the comic book fan in general and especially towards the diehard Captain America fan. The biggest insult this film makes is turning the Red Skull into a Italian. That is just the beginning though, Salenger is just too wooden as Captain America and his suit looks like it was made from Glad trash bags. Really the only thing it has going for it is Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty. These two actors really are the shining stars in this film.
The plot basics are this, It is before WWII and a young boy in Italy is taken by the Nazis and is experimented on and is transformed into the Red Skull (Paulin), the scourge of the Axis. The Doctor who created him, escapes to America and help the Army creates their own super soldier, they pick a frail young man, Steve Roger (Salenger). They inject him and it is a success but there is a traitor within their midst who kills the doctor before Steve stops him. Then Steve is soon garbed into his uniform and dubbed Captain America and is sent to stop a missile launch by the Red Skull and aimed at the White House. He infiltrates their base and is captured and strapped to the missile and he is able to detour it and he ends up crashing in Antarctica and going in suspended animation for 50 years. He is awakened and finds out the Skull is still in action and he hijacks the President (Cox) and plans on brainwashing him to do his bidding. This leads to a dramatic showdown at the Skull's lair.
I had not seen this film for almost 20 years and I was hoping it wasn't as horrible but it was. Pyun's direction is not as good as his usual work and I think this is his worst film after Adrenalin: Feel the Rush. The action scenes were pulled off haphazardly and the tones of the scene were just all wrong. The script is really weak, I still cannot understand why they made the Red Skull Italian and it baffles me. The acting is pretty much substandard except for Cox and Beatty. Salenger is just way too stiff. Paulin is a really pathetically contrived super villain too. The SFX is laughable at best and horrid at worst. The Red skull looks like someone with dried spaghetti on his face. This film fails on pretty much every level and is only surpassed in it's horribleness by Schumacher's Batman and Robin.
This one gets 2 out of 5

Inglorious Basterds

2009-09-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Inglorious Basterds 2009
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger, Mike Myers and Daniel Bruhl

This was one of the films I had anticipating the most this year and I am happy to say it exceeded my expectations. It is a multi layered story like much of Tarantino's films and in my estimation his best one since Pulp Fiction. He balances very well all the characters and their objectives and the film also has several facets to it. It is parts tragedy, humor and violence and they all mesh together to make a great film going experience. To people who just know of this film from the trailers do not be fooled it is much more about the violence, that only takes up a brief part of the film. The film is really about the characters and the situation they find themselves in. This is definitely the best film I have seen this year.
The plot basics are this, first we meet SS Office Hans Lander (Waltz), known as the Jew hunter as he is searching a farmhouse for a Jewish dairy farming family. Next we meet Lt. Aldo Raine (Pitt), who has recruited 8 Jewish American soldiers to be dropped into France and spread fear and intimidation to the Nazis by killing and scalping as many as they can. Then we meet Shosanna (Laurent), who earlier escaped from Landers and is now running a cinema and she meets a Nazi war hero (Bruhl), who is shepherded by Goebbels and wants to have a special screening of his film. Soon it is discovered that all of the Nazi High Command will be there and it is a perfect opportunity to take them all out. Both Shosanna and Raine have their own plans working to destroy the theater and it all leads to a conclusion with many twists and turns along the way.
This was an amazing film from beginning to end. Tarantino's direction is crisp and tight as always. He sets up and executes the scenes perfectly. My personal favorite scene is the one in the bar, it is both tense and amusing at the same time. The script is great and balances all the characters very well. I felt like I wanted even more with all of them. The acting is outstanding. Laurent and Waltz are great and I can see them both getting awards in the near future. Pitt gives his best performance since Tyler Durden Fight Club. Kruger was great as the German actress too, but the one I wanted more of was Schweiger as Stiglitz, he was a delight to watch. The action scenes and the SFX were awesome Nicotero did a great job on the scalpings. Finally, I cannot talk about a Tarantino film without mentioning the soundtrack, it was phenomenal as usual, the score was very spaghetti western like and the use of David Bowie was amazing. This was a tremendous film and one of the best I have seen in a long time. I highly recommend this one.
This one gets 5 out of 5 scalps.

Oh! My Zombie Mermaid

2009-09-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Oh! My Zombie Mermaid 2004
Directors: Naoki Kudo and Terry Ito
Writers: Izo Hashimoto and Naoki Kudo
Starring Shinya Hashimoto, Sonim, Shiro Sano, Nicholas Pettas, Urara Awata and April Hunter

I came across this film while checking out netflix and the premise sounded too out there too pass up. A wrestling version of Game of Death meets the Running Man. It sounded too un believable to work but surprisingly it fires on all cylinders and is a delight to watch from beginning to end. The unbelievable aspects work in tandem with he great fight sequences and the heart wrenching sad moments in the hospital with the hero's rapidly mutating love. This is definitely the most out there Japanese film I have watched since Tokyo Gore Police and that is saying a lot. It goes from one outlandish scene to another and you are kept drawn into it till the amazing conclusion.
The plot basics are this, Kouta (Hashimoto) is a very successful and popular wrestler and is having a housewarming party when someone uninvited shows up, saying that he killed his brother, soon a all out battle royale erupts that causes the house to explode with his wife Asami (Sano) still in the house. She is taken to the hospital and awakens from a coma but they soon discover she is mutating into a mermaid. Kouta then decides to put all his money into rebuilding her house but he uses up all his resources when a TV producer comes up to him and says that his organization DDD will pay for everything if he agrees to do a death match to take place in a Pagoda with the most brutal underground fighters imaginable. He agrees and his team of wrestlers go in to beat them all and save his marriage. Each fight is more brutal than the next till Kouta is face to face with the one who caused all this for one winner takes all match.
This film was amazingly over the top and fun, a real guilty pleasure type of film. The direction is at times light and at others serious and it balances this dichotomy very well. The script is very polished and you could actually see this as a movie in the United States with a WWE Superstar. I think that is why I liked it so much. The acting is great, Hashimoto reminds me a lot of Sammo Hung and Sonim reminds me a lot of Sue Shiomi. They have great martial arts and wrestling skills that really propel the story forward. The SFX is good, I really like how they did the mermaid as it doesn't look cheesy at all. The set design is really great too and reminds me a lot of the look from the Running Man. For fans of wrestling and action films this is a definite must see.
This one gets 4 out of 5.

Mutant Chronicles

2009-09-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

Mutant Chronicles 2008
Director: Simon Hunter
Writer: Phillip Eisner
Starring: Thomas Jane, Ron Perlman, Devon Aoki, Sean Pertwee and John Malkovich

This is a film I had been waiting for awhile to see. as I love all the cast in the film and the concept sounded cool as hell. So, once the dvd hit store, I rushed out and got it and I am happy to say it exceeded my expectations. Any chance I can see Thomas Jane kicking ass I will take. He is bad ass in this film and his character reminds me a lot of Snake Plissken. He is rounded out by a great cast which includes the always awesome Ron Perlman and the badassery that is Devon Aoki. The creatures in it are pretty cool too and the film is dark but that works in it's favor. If I would compare the film to anything it would be to the Dirty Dozen. Just think of it as a Post apocalyptic Sci-Fi version of that idea. It works with that idea wonderfully and I was really pulled into the film right away.
The plot basics are this, the year is 2707 and Mitch Hunter (Jane) is a soldier for Capitol a corporation that is warring with other corporations as that is what the world is run by now. He is battle weary and wants to be done with it, and plans on it until he gets a offer from a religious order. He is approached at a bar by a priest, Samuel, (Perlman), he is the leader of the Brotherhood and he believes that he is destined to go underground to destroy this thing called "The Machine" which will stop all the monstrosities that are attacking everyone. He will get a ticket off world if he helps Samuel with his mission. Samuel collects other ragtag soldiers and gives them the same offer. Once he has his motley crew they head underground and face many uphill battles to reach their objective. It all leads to Mitch almost being turned into one of the mutants and he has to wage a battle for all mankind against Samuel who has been mutated and seems to have taken over as their leader.
This was a rip roaring good sci-fi action yarn. The direction by Hunter is tight, he really pulls off the action sequences well, especially the big battle with all the mutants near the climax with Aoki doing her martial arts stuff. The writing is good and moves the storyline at a clip and Jane has great one liners throughout the film. All of the characters are fully realized and you never feel that any of them are just filler. The cast is great, Jane is a great hero as always, and he is helped along with Perlman and Aoki, who are great in anything they do. The SFX is great, with some nice gore in the film and the set design for the film is superbly done. I know the film was made cheap, but it never looks that way. This is a solid sci-fi action film and one of the best of it's kind I have seen since Starship Troopers. I highly recommend this one for both action and sci-fi fans.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Judgement Night

2009-09-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Judgement Night 1993
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Writer: Lewis Colick
Starring Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr., Denis Leary, Jeremy Piven, Stephen Dorff and Peter Greene

While I was on vacation I saw this again on cable and I had not seen this since it was first in theaters in 1993 and I remember enjoying it, but I think I enjoyed it much more than when I first viewed it. This was probably Estevez's last good movie till he fell into Mighty Ducks territory. The film has a great cast and especially a great heavy personified by Denis Leary. IT is a great addition to the chase formula of action movies. Which never lets up till the pulse pounding finale. It is quite bloody too and some of the deaths are quite dramatic. The film also reminds me of another action film that came out around the same time, Walter Hill's Trespass which was also about people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is different enough to be its own film though.
The plot basics are this, Frank (Estevez) is going with a bunch of his buddies to see a boxing match and his one friend (Piven) brings a RV and they head out. There is a traffic jam and they decide to take a shortcut but they end in a seedy part of town and they help a person out that they accidentally hit with their RV but someone comes looking for him and they grab him and kill him as Frank and his buddies watch. The leader is a drug lord (Leary) and he wants them dead so Frank and his buddies begin to run and thus begins a high octane chase film, that has many twists and turns throughout that ends with a great action filled climax.
This is a great action film. The direction by Hopkins is great, very deftly paced and the use of the locations is photographed very well. Hopkins has always been a good director, I loved his films Lost In Space and Ghost in the Darkness. The script is very good, the characterizations are well thought out and you actually feel for all the characters. The acting is great, especially Estevez, Piven and Leary. Estevez is a great hero who is wary at first but then becomes a true hero. Piven is great as the slimy, opportunistic friend who causes more trouble as the night progresses. Leary is a phenomenal villain and it is one of my favorite film performances by him, he is both funny and diabolically evil. The action scenes are pulled off great and I especially loved the scene on the rooftop with Piven and Leary that is my favorite part of the film. If you are a fan of urban action thrillers, you should definitely check this one out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Watchmen Director's Cut

2009-09-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

Watchmen Director's Cut 2009

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: David Hayter and Alex Tse
Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Billy Cruddup, Malin Akerman, Matthew Goode, Patrick Wilson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Carla Gugino

Watchmen is the holy grail to most comic book fans, and I like many other fans, awaited this film with both excitement and trepidation. I am happy to say that it exceeded my expectations. And the Director's Cut adds even more depth to the story. The film still propels forward at a frenetic pace and it has added scenes that really give added depth and gravitas towards the story. I think the best added scene is the death of Hollis Mason, one of the defining moments in the comic, and brought to bloody life in the film. This is a film that the more I watch the more new things I discover about it, and that is the best thing you can ask from a film.
The plot basics are this, It is 1985 on a alternate Earth where Nixon is still President and the world is on the brink of nuclear war. We meet the Comedian (Morgan) who is relaxing in his apartment and is brutally attacked and killed. This leads to a costumed vigilante, Rorschach (Haley) to investigate, as the Comedian was part of a defunct super hero group called the Watchmen. He believes that all of his teammates are under attack. As he digs deeper he finds that it is part of a larger conspiracy and he and his fellow teammates are shocked by what they discover. It leads to a intense and shocking climax in Antarctica.
This is just a phenomenal movie. The direction by Snyder is flawless and he moves the story along effortlessly with no drag time. The script hits all the major notes of the graphic novel and also hits some of the little bits that all us comic fans love to see in these films. The cast is perfect, especially Haley and Morgan as Rorschach and the Comedian. Those two really steal the film, as they command your attention every moment they are on screen. The SFX and CGI are flawless and you never felt like you are taken out of the film by shoddy work. I especially loved the stuff on Mars wit Doctor Manhattan and his fortress, that was just breathtaking to watch. This is a film that is one of the masterpieces of the superhero genre and will be watched again and again over the years.
This one gets 5 out of 5

G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-09-01T16:37:00.001-07:00

G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Director: Stephen Sommers
Writers: Stuart Beattie, David Elliot and Paul Lovett
Starring Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccelston, Ray Park and Arnold Vosloo

It has been about 6 weeks since I have reviewed anything, because I was visiting some family for that time. But now I am back and the reviewing machine is going full blast again. This was the last film I have seen in theaters and this is one I had been anticipating for awhile. I was worried it would get dumbed down and be a lesser film like Sommer's last, Van Helsing. But luckily, this film exceeded all my expectations. It was a adrenaline charged ride from beginning to end and I was unable to catch my breath till the end credits rolled. This was a film that really captured the feel of both the cartoon and the comic book series.
The plot basics are this, Duke (Tatum) and Ripcord (Wayans) are transporting a highly volatile weapon created by MARS corporation which is run by Scottish arms developer, McCullen (Eccelston). They are attacked by a squad of terrorists who are led by a old flame of Duke's, the Baroness (Miller). Duke stops them and then is brought to a underground base led by General Hawk (Quaid) who runs a special peacekeeping force that works with all governments to stop all terrorist activity. Duke and Ripcord are trained and then are put to the test, as the weapon is stolen from the PITT and it is a race against time to get it back before McCullen uses it to take over the world.
This was a great summer action film. Sommers direction was great, he did not miss a beat going from one intense action scene to the next. The script is tight as well, it is not overly complicated and balances all the characters very well. The actors are great, I loved Eccleston and Miller as Destro and the Baroness, but my favorite had to be Vosloo as Zartan, which you can tell is being set up to be a major villain for the sequel. The SFX are great and the CGI is all pulled off flawlessly and you never get taken out of the film by any superficiality of the effects. This was a great summer action popcorn movie and one I will be revisiting numerous times when it hits dvd.
This one gets 5 out of 5

A Glimmer of a Good Movie

2009-07-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Glimmer Man 1996
Director: John Gray
Writer: Kevin Brodbin
Starring Steven Seagal, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Bob Gunton, Brian Cox, Michelle Johnson, John M. Jackson and Stephen Tobolowsky

Another old school Seagal film was my latest viewing pleasure. I had not watched this one since it first came out and didn't remember too much about it.. I will admit it is one of his weaker efforts, just a tad better than On Deadly Ground. Seagal as always is good, but the whole story is rather pedestrian and the direction is standard. It does help that is anchored by a solid supporting cast which includes Bob Gunton and Brain Cox. The action scenes are nice and brutal, but the whole serial killer angle is way too reminiscent of Se7en and it suffers by that comparison. It is just a action film by the numbers in many respects.
The plot basics are this, we open to a murder in a hotel room, and then we quickly cut to a police station and we meet Jack Cole (Seagal) a policemen who has been brought in to help with "the Family Man" serial killings, he meets his new partner, Jim Campbell (Wayans). The investigate and on the way back Cole stops a teen from killing a classroom and afterwards he is thanked by his stepfather (Gunton), but Cole suspects something not right about him and it is confirmed when his associate (Jackson) visits him and confirms it by trying to bribe him. Soon, Cole's ex wife is killed to make it look like the serial killer and this just makes Cole more persistent in his solving of the crime. It is discovered that Deverell (Gunton) is working with an old coworker of Cole, Mr. Smith (Cox), who worked with him when he was a assassin in the CIA. Soon both Cole and Jim are being hunted by them and they take the offensive and set up a trap for Deverell and his cronies and that's when the blood starts flying.
This is pretty much a mindless action movie and performs it's job very well. The direction by Gray is good, has a TV feel to it which is not surprising as he is primarily a TV director. The script is serviceable and decent, but nothing that is going to redefine the action film. The cast is good, Seagal as always great and he plays off well with Wayans. Gunton and Cox are perfect as the heavies of the film. The action sequences are good with some great fight sequences with Seagal. I would say if you like Seagal films, you should check this film out.
This one gets 3 out of 5

48 Hours 1982

2009-07-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

48 hours 1982
Director: Walter Hill
Writers: Roger Spottiswoode, Walter Hill, Larry Gross and Steven E. de Zousa
Starring Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O/Toole, James Remar, Sonny Landham, Denise Crosby and David Patrick Kelly

Walter Hill is one of my favorite action film directors and I cannot think of a film of his I have not liked. This is one I have not watched in at least 10 years. It is still as funny and fresh as when I first saw it and still one of my favorite Eddie Murphy performances. This film is action packed and funny. With some great villains played with perfection by James Remar and Sonny Landham. IT is a film that flies by and has many memorable moments, 2 that come immediately to mind are the scene in the country western bar and the alley fight between Nolte and Murphy. It is a shame you don't see buddy action films like this anymore.
The plot basics are this, we open up at some convicts working on a road. Their is an escape by one, Gans (Remar) with the help of his partner Billy Bear (Landham), they kill 2 guards and are on the run. Then we meet Jack Cates (Nolte) a gruff cop with his own rules and he is helping some other cops and there is a shootout and the 2 are left dead, shot down by Gans and Jack finds out who he is and digs up one of his ex partners in jail, Reggie Hammond (Murphy). He gets him out for 48 hours and they begin to look for Gans and it is discovered that Gans is looking for some money that Hammond had tucked away until he got out. Many escapades happen and it leads to a intense shootout at the end.
This is one of the gems of the action films of the 80's. Hill's direction is great, it has a great balance between action and comedy. The shootouts are brutal and exciting to watch. The script is fun and the characterization of the main characters is very well defined, you actually care about the characters. The cast is great, Nolte is great as the gruff and tired no nonsense cop and Murphy is great as his wisecracking sidekick who has his own methods. The supporting cast is great too, I always love Landham and Remar in anything and the film has a early role by Denise Crosby. The film also has plenty of gratuitous nudity, which is always a plus. This is a film that any self respecting action buff should see.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Chuck Rules!!

2009-07-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

Force of One 1979
Director: Paul Aaron
Writer: Ernest Tidyman
Starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Clu Gulager, Bill Wallace, James Whitmore Jr., Ron O'Neal and Charles Cyphers

Chuck Norris is one of my faves of both the action genre and the martial arts genre. Force of One is one I have seen numerous times, I remember first seeing it at the drive inn when I was 8 years old. It was his second starring role I had seen, the first one was Good Guys Wear Black, still one of my favorites of his. This one is another classic with a great villain played by Bill "Superfoot" Wallace. It has a great supporting cast too, with stalwarts like Clu Gulager, Ron O'Neill and Charles Cyphers. And as always Chuck is the man. He kicks some major ass in this one. The fight scenes are great and it also has some great touches of humor in it. This film really showed me that Chuck was going to be making some great films.
The plot basics are this, we open with 2 cops following a drug courier and he makes a delivery in a sporting good store and they wait till nightfall, so they can investigate it. They find the drugs but are attacked and killed by a masked martial artist. When their bodies are fished out of the river their Captain (Gulager) decides that all of his team needs Karate training. That is when he talks to Mat Logan (Norris) a Kung Fu expert who is training for a big match to keep his title as the best fighter. At first he is wary of doing it but he is reminded of his past and agrees to do it. Soon more cops are dying and as his match grows closer things begin to happen and he feels that one of his fellow martial artists is committing these crimes. Soon his adopted son is killed and he goes on the rampage and it seems as if the man he has to defend his title from (Wallace) is behind it all. It leads to a dramatic showdown that will have you cheering.
This is a fun action film. The direction by Aaron is good, it has a very late 70's feel to the film and it works very well. The script by Tidyman is good nothing amazing but serviceable for this type of film. The cast is great, I especially loved Norris and Wallace. Wallace just excludes sleazy and evil with every frame of film he is in. Norris is great and I especially loved his training scenes where it keeps flashing back to things he has seen that have enraged him. The fight scenes are great, specifically the final battle between Norris and Wallace. This is just a damn fun film and well worth seeking out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Seagal Whooping some ass!!

2009-07-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Exit Wounds 2001
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Writers: Ed Horowitz and Richard D'Ovidio
Starring Steven Seagal, DMX, Jill Hennessey, Anthony Anderson, Isaiah Washington, Tom Arnold, Michael Jai White, Bill Dukes, Bruce McGill and Eva Mendes

I have always been a big fan of Steven Seagal, after Bruce lee and Chuck Norris he is my favorite Martial arts action star. Exit Wounds is for me, his last great action flick before he was relegated to the direct to video fare. It was produced by Joel Silver who has always made fun and entertaining action films. Seagal is in top form of this film, he has some great one liners and his fight scenes have the level of viciousness and brutality you expect in his films. He also has a great foil in the persona of Michael Jai White, one of my favorite from the modern era of action films. There is also great comedy relief in the form of Tom Arnold and Anthony Anderson. I had not watched this one since it had first came out and I think I enjoyed it more than I did the first time I saw it.
The plot basics are this, Orin (Seagal) is a cop who follows his own rules and he saves the vice president from terrorist attack and instead of getting commended he is sent to a bad precinct to try to show him some discipline by his Superior (Dukes). He already starts butting heads when he gets there and is assigned to traffic cop duty. The Captain (Hennessey) gives him another chance and pairs him up with Clark (Washington). Soon he discovers that there are dirty cops and they are making a drug deal with who seems to be an up and coming dealer, Latrell Walker (DMX). Soon he finds that the corruption is deeper than he thought and that Walker is trying to catch them in the act so he can get enough dirt on them to free his brother from prison, who they pinned for some heroin possession which they planted on him. This all leads to a big showdown at a warehouse in the end with lots of explosions and blood flying.
This is another great Seagal action film, the action is fast and furious with some nice deft touches of humor sprinkled throughout. The direction by Bartkowiak is good, he has a great sense of staging a good action sequence and pulling it off flawlessly. The script is good as well it has all the ingredients I look for in a good action film, extreme violence, great car chases and a enjoyable villain. The acting is good Seagal pulls off the role as ably as he always does and DMX gives a great performance too. I also have to give props to Anderson as the comic foil and to Jai White as a great heavy. He has a great final battle with Seagal that is heart pounding. I also really enjoyed Hennessey and wished she had played a more vital role in the film. It is also always good to see Dukes in a bad ass role. This is one I highly recommend for Seagal fans and action films in general.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Mandroid Rocks!!

2009-07-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Eliminators 1986
Director: Peter Manoogian
Writers: Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo
Starring Denise Crosby, Roy Dotrice, Andrew Prine, Patrick Reynolds, Conan Lee, Peter Schrum and Peggy Mannix

When I was a kid in the 80's I was pretty much brought up with films from Empire Pictures, films like Trancers, Zone Troopers and Terrorvision are important memories of my childhood. One that is one of my favorite memories is Eliminators. This is a film that I have not seen for about 20 years now and I wondered if it still held up to my memories of it. So, I watched it again last night and I am happy to say this film is still loads of fun. It is a pastiche of the Terminator and the Dirty Dozen. It is light on logic but you do not watch films with characters like Mandroid for their internal logic. You watch these films for the sense of fun they instill into you.
The plot basics are this, it is the near future and we find ourselves in a secret laboratory run by a crippled old man, Reeves (Dotrice). He has just completed a experiment with a machine and his colleague opens the machine and we see a cyborg, Mandroid (Reynolds). It seems that Reeves is using him to time travel, he gets the results he needed and so he asks his colleague to dismantle Mandroid. He has a conscience though and helps Mandroid escape at the cost of his life. Mandroid then leaves to find allies to help him bring down Reeves. He first meets Nora Hunter (Crosby) who worked with Reeves and finds that he is exploiting her creations. They leave together and find a grizzled con man as a guide, Harry Fontana (Prine). There are many travails and then they meet up with a ninja (Lee) who is the son of the man who helped Mandroid escape. They all come together and assault Reeve's lair and it ends with a big battle and a fitting ending for the evil Reeves.
This was a fun as hell movie, it moves at a frenetic pace with nary a second of down time. The direction is nice and breezy, just what you like to see in a fun B movie like this. The script is funny and exciting, I especially liked the character of Fontana he had sort of the same feeling as Indiana Jones without feeling forced. The cast is great I loved Prine as Fontana, he had all the best lines and he also had some great moments of action. Crosby is great too she was a macho woman but still sexy. I also think Dotrice as Reeves was especially maniacal, he plays a superb villain. The SFX are good I think the mech effects are Mandroid are especially good for a low budget film. This film is one of my favorite 80's B movies I put it up there with Ghoulies.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Ultra-Violence at it's Best

2009-07-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Smoking Aces 2006
Director: Joe Carnahan
Writer Joe Carnahan
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Alicia Keys, Jeremy Piven, Joseph Ruskin, Andy Garcia and Common

The ultra violent crime film is a type of film that has really been built up since the release of Pulp Fiction. These are films that revel in their violence and have razor sharp dialogue. Smoking Aces is a combination of Pulp Fiction and True Romance. It is a film that is smart, sexy and funny. With some wildly over the top action scenes that I have not seen since the likes of the Crank films and Shoot 'em Up. It carries an ensemble cast and nobody really is a lead, it is all about the story and the characters. It is very bloody and almost reaches the blood level of a gory horror film. This is a film I had been meaning to see for awhile and now that I have seen it I am kicking myself for not seeing it sooner.
The plot basics are this, a second rate magician, Buddy Israel (Piven) has been playing the mob and is now trying to get a deal from the FBI. The FBI hears from their wiretapping of the mob that a hit is put on Israel for a million dollars and they want his heart cut out. It soon becomes a race when the hit gets taken by all different kinds of players. They all converge at the hotel in a effort to get to Israel first. The FBI show up and a major shootout occurs and blood is flowing freely everywhere. The deputy director (Garcia) shows up and takes Israel into custody. The film ends with the truth being revealed and how everything ended up turning into shit.
This movie was fucking awesome, it blew me the fuck away. Carnahan who did the great Crime film Narc made an even superior film. The action is fast and furious and the dialogue is crisp and funny and you never expect some of the shit that happens. The script is awesome and memorable it is a film that I will be remembering and quoting for many years to come. The ensemble cast is great with standout performances by Piven, Keys and Common. Reynolds and Liotta also do a great job as always. The action in the film is intense and very bloody, it really reminds me of Pulp Fiction with it's viciousness. Another great thing about the film is the music, I especially loved the spaghetti western music that was played when the Tremor Brothers were introduced. This is a film that should be spoken with the same reverence as Pulp Fiction, True Romance and GoodFellas.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Keep The Snake In Your Pants!!

2009-07-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

Dreamscape 1984
Director: Joseph Ruben
Writers: David Loughery, Chuck Russell and Joseph Ruben
Starring Dennis Quaid, Kate Capshaw, Max Von Sydow, David Patrick Kelly, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert and Larry Gelman

This is one of those films that I constantly watched growing up and was always one of my childhood favorites. I think it has been at least 20 years since I last watched it and was wondering if it still held up to my memories. I am happy to say that it still does and that I still have a blast watching this film. As far as childhood favorites this goes right up there for me with classics like the Last Starfighter, Cloak and Dagger and Night of the Comet. Ones that never lose their appeal for me. This is a solid fantasy adventure film with a great hero personified by Quiad and a truly loathsome villain by Kelly. The effects are somewhat cheesy by today standards but I still find that they work effectively well. If you were a child of the 80's as I was this is probably one of your favorites.
The plot basics are this, we open with the President of the U.S.A. (Albert) having nightmares of nuclear annihilation which he has caused. Then we meet Dr. Paul Novotny (Sydow) who is running a secret Government experiment that is working on getting people who are psychically attuned to enter peoples dreams and help them. The program is overseen by Bob Blair (Plummer) who wants a gifted psychic that Novotny had once worked with, Alex Gardner (Quaid) he recruits him and soon he becomes quite adept at helping people and he meets the other psychic a deranged nut job Tommy Ray (Kelly). Soon, Alex figures out that Blair is using the project to try and take over the country and wants Tommy Ray to kill the president in his dream so he can usurp his power. Alex then plans to put a stop to this by meeting up in the President's dream and battling Tommy Ray for the fate of the President.
I really love this film, its exciting, scary and funny. Ruben's direction is great and this is just shy of being his best film, but The Stepfather beats out this film. His direction is fun when it needs to be and suspenseful when the need arises as well. The script is very clear and tight, there is never any confusion about what is going on, which can happen with films about dreams. The acting is great too Quaid is great as the hero and is very quick witted in the film. Both Plummer and Kelly as the villains really stand out, you really hate them. Capshaw does a fine job as the love interest but really doesn't add much more than that. Sydow is great too as the mentor to Quaid's character, The effects while cheesy by today's standards work in the film really well. I especially love the snake monster, that thing still creeps me out. I also enjoyed the music to the film it had a real Tangerine Dream quality to it. If you are fantasy and horror film fans I would highly recommend this film.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Statham Back Kicking Ass!!

2009-06-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Transporter 3 2008
Director: Olivier Megaton
Writers: Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen
Starring Jason Statham, Natalya Rudakova, Robert Knepper, Francois Berleand, Jeroen Krabbe and David Atrakchi

After seeing the last Transporter film I have very low expectations of this one. The last film was just a bad film way too over the top and had no sense of reality whatsoever. Luckily, this one goes back to what worked in the first film, frenzied fight scenes and crazy and intense care chases. Statham as always is as fun as hell to watch and he is truly the modern day action hero. The villain in the film is much more memorable than the one in the last one which I cannot even remember that much of. This film was a blast from beginning to end and that is all I ask for in my high octane action films.
The plot basics are this, Frank (Statham) is enjoying his down time, fishing with his friend Inspector Tarconi (Berleand) and everything is nice and peaceful till a friend crashes into his house who is also a transporter and he is hurt and Frank calls for help. He soon discovers though that his friend was transporting something and that he was linked to his car by an explosive and he explodes when he gets too far from the car. Soon Frank is attacked by some thugs and beats them but then is cold cocked. When he wakes up he is laying on a bed with a bracelet on his wrist. He meets his attacker, Johnson (Knepper) who wants him to transport something for him but will only give him piece by piece details of the trip. He now knows if he gets 75 feet away from the car he will explode. He also has a passenger (Rudakova) who doesn't say much. Once the trip begins then the fun begins with lots of fights and car chases that ends with a great battle on a moving train.
I really enjoyed this film. It made up for the inconsistencies that I found in Transporter 2. The direction by Megaton was fast and frenetic and the film never slowed down. The fight scenes were amazing too and reminded me of the first film. The writing was solid and engaging. You really felt what was happening and never felt pulled out of the story by contrivances. the acting was great, Statham as usual was magnetic and he is a great fighter. Knepper mad a great villain that you really loved to hate and could not wait till he got his just deserts. Rudakova was a delight to watch she was very sexy and I loved the way she delivered her lines especially when she was drunk. The action sequences were tight and you couldn't wait to see how they ended. My favorites was the shimmy between the 2 semis and the final battle between Knepper and Statham. For fans of fun action films this is a must see.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Autobots, Roll Out!!

2009-06-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 2009
Director: Michael Bay
Writers: Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Starring Shia Le Beouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving and Tony Todd

People do not go to see a film called Transformers for high art. These films are not Lawrence Of Arabia but the summer event film honed down to its simplest form. This is giant robots beating the shit out of each other and explosions galore and if you go in expecting that you are going to get what you came to see. It seems most of the reviewers just like to tear it down and insult anyone who actually likes these films. I loved the original and wasn't sure if they could top it and they certainly did. This film is a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. The film at its heart is a chase film and I think Shiga carries it well. This really cements him as one of today's modern action stars. This film flies by at a rapid pace and is exciting and funny and I said Holy Shit several times while watching it.
The plot basics are this, it opens in Shanghai where Optimus (Cullen) and his Autobots along with a group of U.S. soldiers have formed a search and destroy team ferreting out Decepticons. They hunt down a few and before he decimates them they warn him that the Fallen is coming. Then we are reintroduced to Sam (Le Beouf) and Mekayla (Fox). Sam is going to college and he is trying to keep a long distance relationship going with her. Suddenly, he drops a shard of something and it transforms all the appliances in his house into rampaging robots but not before coming into contact with him and imprinting symbols on his brain. The Decepticons grab the shard the government is holding and awakens Megatron (Weaving) and then they capture Sam to get the images off his brain as they will lead them to a machine that will destroy the sun so they can convert the energy to energon. Optimus saves him but he is taken down and now it is a race against time between Sam and the Decepticons to find the machine and the Matrix of Leadership.
This was a fun ass movie. It had tons of great explosions and chase scenes, and with great moments of robots tearing the shit out of each other. Bay knows how to make exciting action sequences like no one else. Some of the scenes just seem to explode off the screen. The script is good, it is a film about giant robots so, how can realistic can it be. But, it moves quickly and the exposition dialogue is kept to a minimum, The acting is good, Shia really carries the film well on his shoulders. Fox is not the greatest actress, but she is there to look hot and for her breasts to jiggle as she runs and that works just fine. Out of all the actors I think Turturro steals every scene he is in he is hilarious and charismatic. The SFX is awesome, I never felt at any point that anything looked fake. The effects were handled flawlessly. The scene with the transformer in the college and the final battle was amazing. The film has a lot of nods to anime too. This is a fun film for SF fans and fans of the classic cartoon as well. For instance, they keep the relationship that Megatron and Starscream had in the cartoon and that pleased me beyond words. I highly recommend this film.
This one gets 5 out of

Max Payne 2008

2009-06-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Max Payne 2008
Director: John Moore
Writer: Beau Thorne
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Donal Logue, Beau Bridges, Chris O'Donnell, Kate Burton, Olga Kuryenko and Ludacris

Video game adaptations are a tricky thing to pull of well. For every Resident evil we get 10 Double Dragons. Max Payne I was expecting to be a horrible piece of shit, but I was pleasantly surprised. The one note acting of Wahlberg fit this character well and the visual style of the film was very reminiscent of Sin City. It also has a solid cast filling out the rest of the roles of the film. Beau Bridges is great and Mila Kunis was quite sexy and kick ass in the film as well. The film flies by at a rapid pace and plays out just like the video game, with some great hallucinatory scenes.
The plot basics are this Max Payne (Wahlberg) works in the cold case files of the police department, ever since his wife and baby were brutally killed over 3 years ago. He still looks for the killers and ends up at a nightclub and meets a girl Natasha (Kuryenko) who is drugged out and wears a tattoo on her arm of a wing. He picks her up but changes his mind when he gets her home and throws her out and she steals his wallet and she is quickly killed by what looks like a giant bird man. His ex partner Alex (Logue) finds his wallet by the body and brings Max along, and starts investigating and finds a connection between the girl and his family's death and he calls Max to his apartment and Max gets there and Alex is dead and something attacks Max that beats the shit out of him. Soon, Max is on the run while trying to put the pieces together with Natasha's sister, Mona (Kunis). It all leads to a conspiracy and huge gun battle that blows away all the secrets of his family's death.
This was a great crime action flick. Moore's direction was great and the visual style was very renascent of the game and Sin City. It is a nice comeback to the crap that was The Omen remake. The writing was good, and moved the story at a brisk pace. The actors all were great, and Wahlberg actually just had to do was speak gruffly occasionally and glare at people, which he is quite good at. Bridges and Kunis are also great, she is very sexy and capable in the action films and Bridges plays his friend who may or may not be hiding something. The action scenes are great and reminded me a lot of playing the video game. It is one of those films where you go hell yeah, quite a few times.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Regurgitated Scifi Crap

2009-06-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Babylon A.D. 2008
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Writer: Eric Besnard
Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry, Gerard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling, Mark Strong and Lambert Wilson

I had been looking forward to seeing this film for awhile, as I am a big Vin Diesel fan, when it comes to his action films. I think The Chronicles of Riddick is one of the best science fiction and action films of the last ten years. I had heard mixed reviews about this but many people hate Diesel. I am sorry to say that this is a bad film and really only save by the casting of Diesel and Yeoh. Iater was like they decided to rip off every SF film that was made in the last 30 years. This film rips everything off from Blade Runner to Johnny Mnemonic. The script is a mess and there are way too few action scenes with Diesel and Yeoh. This actually makes me yearn for crap like A Man Apart.
The plot basics are this, It is the near future and the world is war torn. We are introduced to Toorop (Diesel), a down on his luck mercenary. He is approached violently at his hovel bytes men sent by a arms dealer, Gorsky (Depardieu) and he needs him to deliver a young girl to New York and will pay him one million dollars to do so. He meets up with Aurora (Thierry) and Sister Rebekka (Yeoh) her nun protector and proceeds to protect and usher them to New York. There are many hardships they face and it is soon discovered that Aurora has powers like empathy and she can blow up buildings if she is upset. They find out that she may be a viral agent carrier, but it is something much more amazing than that. It leads to a blow out climax in New York and with everything on the line Toorop must choose his side.
This was a poorly made and executed film, it is hard to know where to start. The direction by Kassovits was lazy and uninspired, many scenes felt cribbed by other films. One example is the snow jet chase scene which reminded me a lot of For Your Eyes Only. The script isn't much better at best it is mediocre and pedestrian, and at worst just pure crap. Diesel and Yeoh are the only saving grace of the film and are never utilized the way they should be. The CGI is really badly done, the worst since I Am Legend. This film is a mess from beginning to end. The girl they are protecting Thierry, are seems like a rip off of River from Serenity and the girl from Minority Report. I would say skip this film, as it is not worth any sf film fan's time.
This one gets 2 out of 5

Deathsport 1978 Review

2009-06-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

Deathsport 1978
Directors: Allan Arkush, Nicholas Niciphor and Roger Corman
Writers: Donald Stewart and Nicholas Niciphor
Starring David Carradine, Claudia Jennings, Richard Lynch and Jesse Vint

It's kind of ironic that this was the next action flick I planned to watch, especially considering the tragic death of Carradine. It has been one I have been wanting to see for awhile, as other than Carradine it has the sexy Claudia Jennings and one of the greatest heavy's of all time, Richard Lynch. This was a fun film and Carradine's portrayal reminded me a lot of his film A Circle Of Iron as he portrays sort of the same character as he does in that film. The action scenes are great and Claudia gets naked a lot, which is always good. This is to many considered a pseudo-sequel to Deathrace 2000 though it is dissimilar in content and few;;ing.
The plot basics are this, It is the far future, where nuclear war has decimated most of the world and most people live in fortified cities. The ones who live in these cities are known as Statesman and they are a spoiled and elitist bunch. While, out in the wilds there are nomadic people known as Range Guides who survive on their wits and their strength alone. Kaz (Carradine) is a Range Guide who is attacked by the Statesmen who want to capture him so they can put him in a arena battle in the city called Deathsport. The Statesmen are lead by Ankar (Lynch). Kaz is caught along with a female guide, Deneer (Jennings). They are put into the Deathsport fighting the Statesmen in vehicles called Death Machines. They team up and fight together and escape and Ankar follows them to kill them and he has a back history with Kaz as he killed his mother. It all leads to a epic sword fight between Kaz and Ankar.
This was a great B-action film. The direction was fun and it did not try to take itself too seriously. It probably helped that Corman worked on it, I think. The writing was very philosophical, especially with Carradine and Jennings characters. The acting was good as well, Carradine was great as usual, playing the character with his usual understated method. Lynch is magnetic whenever he appears onscreen, as usual. Claudia Jennings is great as well, sexy as hell , as usual and my favorite performance of hers after Gator Bait. The effects are rather cheesy and laughable, especially the disintegrations, but that is to be expected from a Corman film, and that's part of its charm. This is a fun companion piece to Deathrace 2000 and worth seeking out if you are a fan of the 3 lead actors.
This one gets 4 death machines out of 5

Punisher War Zone 2008

2009-06-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

Punisher War zone 2008
Director: Lexi Alexander
Writers: Nick Santora and Art Marcum
Starring Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Wayne Knight, Doug Hutchinson and Colin Salmon

The Punisher has had many different times up at bat as a film. War Zone is the third try at the character and I believe it is the one that finally got it right. 1989's The Punisher, wasn't a very faithful adaptation, but as an 80's action film it was excellent. 2004's The Punisher, I thought was ably done, though Jane is a great actor, he did not have the dark and grim depression that you need when portraying Frank Castle. War Zone has gotten everything right, from the grimness of Stevenson's portrayal and to the gallows humor that is always such a important part of Garth Ennis work on the character. The over the top violence was great too, it was made to feel like a grindhouse film and it serves the story very well.
The plot basics are this Frank Castle, the Punisher (Stevenson) hits a mob meeting and then gets Intel of a mob delivery at a bottling plant which is orchestrated by Billy Russoti (West) and he lays waste to everyone and drops Billy into a glass grinding machine which rips him apart. But Castle accidentally kills a FBI deep cover man and he feels guilty about that and tries to look after his widow (Benz) and her children. Billy comes back as a disfigured thug and names himself Jigsaw and gets his brother out of a mental institution and attacks the widow and Castle tries to protect them with the help of a FBI agent (Hutchinson). But, Jigsaw and his gang grabs the widow and his friend (Knight) and it brings Frank too make a choice and what happens will leave your mouth gaping as you watch the blood soaked finale.
This was a balls to the walls action film and the best representation of the Punisher on screen yet. The direction by Alexander was down and dirty and she had no qualms about showing you the sleazy stuff. The writing was quick and fast, with some nice deft touches of black humor sprinkled throughout. The acting was solid all around, Stevenson as Castle was phenomenal, he never said much but he never had too. Also, West as Jigsaw was appropriately over the top. The effects were bloody and over the top too and they fit the film perfectly well. My favorite bit had to be when after Castle saves the widow and her children, the FBI guy wants to arrest one of the guys Castle just blows his face off with a shotgun, classic stuff. This is a action film fans dream and also anyone who is a lifelong fan of the Punisher will finally see the character done as he should be. This film is highly recommended.
This one gets 5 shotgun blasts out of 5

Farcry 2008 Review

2009-06-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

Farcry 2008
Director: Uwe Boll
Writers: Masaji Takei and Michael Roesch
Starring Til Schweiger, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Ralf Moeller, Udo Kier, Michael Pare and Natalie Avelon

Uwe Boll gets a lot of grief for his films, and I believe he doesn't get a fair shake, I believe his movies are always fun to watch, and I think each of his films get better. I especially have really enjoyed Postal and Seed. Farcry goes along with those 2 in another of his stronger films. It is a combination of Commando meets Universal Soldier. It has some great action sequences, and a very strong hero in the film. It also helps that it has a very strong heavy as the main bad guy, the always fun to watch Udo Kier. The film flew by at a frenetic pace and was a blast to watch.
The plot basics are such, Valerie (Vaugier) is a reporter for a paper that is investigating a secret government project on a secluded island that her Uncle Max (Moeller) works for and he is feeding her information on Doctor Krieger's (Kier) experiments on making a super soldier. Max gets caught and is turned into one of Krieger's soldiers. This happens as Val is on her way to the island to meet him, and she charters a boat piloted by Jack (Schwieger) who happens to be an old military buddy of Max's. He takes her to the island and she gets caught and his boat is blown up and he comes to her rescue and the rest of the story is a cat and mouse story filled with blood and explosions.
This was really a good action film, and something that was missing from many of the big budget action films of late. It is fun, and over the top and flies by quickly. Boll really seems to have an eye for great action sequences, and I hope he continues on this road. The writing is funny, with great one liners and some great action sequences. The acting is good, Kier and Schweiger really anchor the film. Schwieger reminds me a lot of Arnold in his prime. I also loved Vaugier, who is always fun to watch and Avelon as Kier's main henchman, you really hate her and cannot wait for her to get hers. The action scenes are taut and explosive, and there are quite a few good bloody effects in the film too. Any action film fan should definitely check this one out. This one gets 4 out of 5

Conspiracy Theory 1997 Review

2009-05-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Conspiracy Theory 1997
Director: Richard Donner
Writer: Brian Hegeland
Starring Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts and Patrick Stewart

The collaboration of Donner and Gibson always brings you enjoyable results. Conspiracy Theory is another one of those films. It is probably the weakest of their collaborations, but still an enjoyable one. And it has Julia Roberts giving a performance that doesn't make me want to vomit. It also has a really strong heavy in the way of Patrick Stewart. The film is a little too long for its own good, but I still find it one worth revisiting.
The plot basics are this Jerry (Gibson) is a cab driver who is a conspiracy nut freak who published his own newsletter. He has a fixation on Alice Sutton (Roberts who works in the Justice Department. He always makes a fool of himself when he talks to her, but soon it seems he has hit a sore spot, with one of his theories and is abducted by some men and asked who he has talked too. He escapes and tire S to tell Alice, but she finds him unbelievable, and he is arrested and soon she meets Dr. Jonas (Stewart) who says he is just trying to help Jerry, but it soon becomes clear that is not the case. What follows is a search for the truth and to stay one step ahead of the bad guys.
This was a fun film but it was not without its faults. Basically the entire plot is a spin on the Manchurian Candidate, it just seems like its dumbed down. Donner's direction is great as always, he really knows how to stage an action scene and really make it worth watching. The script is good but it does present some problems. Jerry seems to fluctuate between crazy and ineffectual too battle savvy and brilliant at times. It doesn't gel with the story they are trying to tell. Also the final battle at the end is rather anti climactic. The acting though is good, Gibson is great, and for once Roberts did not make me sick watching her. Stewart is great as the villain too, he bounces back and forth between what he is and what you think he is, and he plays both sides admirably. Overall, I enjoy this film but it is not in the same category as the Lethal Weapon movies, but what is.
I give this one 3 out of 5

Killshot 2008 Review

2009-05-29T11:08:00.001-07:00

Killshot 2008 Director: John Madden Writer: Hossein Aminini Starring Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Thomas Jane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Rosario Dawson Elmore Leonard is a name that is well known to the fan of action films, from films like Get Shorty, Hombre and 52 Pick up. This is a film that had been held back for awhile was originally supposed to have been released in 2008. The witty dialogue and the tense action are all elements that are the strongpoints of Leonard's work. This one was fun as hell, and very tense. The performance by Rourke really Linchpins the work and really amkes the story work. The rest of the cast is great too, especially Gordon-Levitt, I am really see how he does with Cobra Commander in G. I. Joe now. The plot basics are such, Bird (Rourke) is a hit man for the mafia, and is of Blackfoot descent. The film opens with him killing someone at a hospital, and then shooting his brother cause he stuck around too long. He soon gets a call from the Mafia to take out the head Don (Holbrook) and he aslo takes out his girlfriend who was in the shower. That was a big mistake as the Don's son liked her, so now they are hunting him down. He is on the run, but runs into a small time crook (Gordon-Levitt) and decides to team up with him, as he plans on bribing a real estate salesman. They get to the Real Estate office and mistake a man looking for a job (Jane) as the boss. They pull a gun on him and He pulls out a lead pipe from his trucks and beats them down but before they leave A woman (Lane) sees Bird's face, and he decides that she cannot live because he saw her face. Jane and Lane are maried but having difficulties and they have to marshall together too escape and outwits these killers. This was a really tight little action film. The direction by Madden was tight and suspenseful. The writing was quite good, with great characterization of Rourke's character, and as the story progressed you actually felt for him. The acting was great all around, evn Dawson with her limited role was great. The film was funny and violent, a great combination. Jane aslo excelles here in another action role, which he proves he does so well. Lane is also quite good, vulnerable but still fromidbale, and still sexy as hell. The final confrontation in the film is nailbiting and well worth watching. THis was a great little action film. This one gets 4 out of 5.

Driven To Kill aka My First Review

2009-05-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

Driven To Kill 2009

Director: Jeff King

Starring Steven Seagal, Laura Mennell, Dan Payne, Holly Eglington and Igor Jijikine

Welcome to my first review in the world of action films. This one I rented from Netflix and watched it this evening, and what better way to start with a Seagal film. For me there is no other way to start, as I watch every flick he comes out with be it good or bad. Lately, his films have been getting much better. I have yet to see Against The Dark, But I thought Pistol Whipped was a solid action film and was hoping this one would be so too. I am pleased to say I was not disappointed. This was a fun as shit action film that had everything I want in a Seagal film. A tough as nails hero, a bad guy you could really hate and great action sequences with some wonderful hand to hand fight scenes with Seagal.

The Plot basics are this, Ruslan (Seagal) is a crime novel writer who uses his time in the Russian Maia, to propel his stories. He gets a call from his exwife that his daughter (Mennell) is getting married, but to a gangster's son who is his nemesis. He comes for th wedding to watch his daughter and hopes that there are no problems. Not long after he gets there his ex wife is murdered and his daughter is brutally beaten and stabbed, she is critical but stable, so he asks the cops to say she is dead, so he can find the people who tried to do this. He enlists her fiance and finds out that his father (Jijikine) is behind it all. There is now a cat an mouse game between Ruslan and his father, and it is up to Ruslan to stay one step ahead of them.

This was a brutally enjoyable action film. The Director really knew how to film the action scenes they were brutal and quick but not too quick. The writing was decent but nothing special, but you don't need that in a Seagal film, you just need him to break bones and kill people in unusual ways. The acting was passable, Seagla gave a fine performance, he even did a not half bad Russian accent. Jijikine was great as the villain, most people will mainly remember him as the thuggish Russian in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and he does a great job as the villain here. The fights are well staged, especially loved Seagal's Saw like trap that he devised toward the end and his final fight with Jijikine, it was brutal with a eye opening finale. This is a fun action flick and old school action fans will really dig this one. This one gets 4 out of 5

Welcome to the World of Ass Kickery!!

2009-05-27T19:17:00.001-07:00

Welcome one and all to my love letter to the action film. I will discuss the classics from Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis hear as well as every new action film I have watched. This is my second blog and the first one deals only with Horror films, but since I love action films so much, I felt I needed a place to talk about them as well. You can check out My Horror site herehttp://http//explodingheads-jonahhex.blogspot.com/?zx=eed9cb51562aab91 if you are interested. I hope to see many people there, just watch out for the flying body parts.