Change Your Image
Famas_GunSlinger
Reviews
Glass (2019)
A sad and disappointing third film in this trilogy.
From the marketing for the film I gathered that there were going to be quite a few fights in the film. Instead we saw one at the start and one at the end. Within the first 10 minutes of the film we are locked up with all the characters in one location. We stay there for what seems an eternity and I was just about going to give up on the film. My recommendation would be to watch the first 10 minutes of the movie and the last 15. Everything in between is truly awful.
The fights that were there were entertaining. They were not the best choreographed fights, but they fit the characters somewhat. And they had some interesting camera angles. Bruce Willis gets about as much screen time as the director's cameo.
Better to watch something more worth your while.
Punisher: War Zone (2008)
The definitive Punisher adaptation
I recently revisited the Punisher film from 2004, and decided to see this one as well for the first time. Although the story was a little underwhelming, the actions scenes were incredibly violent and excellently made.
This is Punisher the way fans have been wanting to see him for the longest time. The hard R rating really goes along way with helping this film as you get to see the titular character kill his enemies in a variety of brutal ways. Enemies are decapitated, blown to bits, crushed, impaled, shot at, and violently beaten to a pulp and you get to see very last drop of blood. Lexi Alexander is a huge fan of the material and it definitely shows, she is extremely talented in crafting these sequences together.
However, what did prevent me in fully enjoying this film is the completely lackluster story. The stuff with Frank Castle is great, but all the ancillary characters, much like the ones in the 2004 version, are extremely boring and completely forgettable. Even Micro is completely wasted in the movie.
Jigsaws plan really doesn't make much sense and he's not that big of a threat. We also spend a lot of time with him and his pack of baddies and it's never interesting. However, I must commend the crew for actually horribly disfiguring him like his comic book counterpart. His stylish scars in the Netflix adaptation were laughable.
I must admit that a small gripe I had is how you can barely see his iconic logo on his chest. It's not white, but more of an extremely faded gray. And since the movie is pretty dark, you barely get to see it at all in most shots.
In any case, if you're looking for an action packed and violent film featuring a fan favorite anti hero, you've got yourself a treat.
The Punisher (2004)
Not nearly enough punishing.
I watched this movie in theaters when it premiered and decided to give it another go on Blu ray.
While his origin story still holds up and the path to him becoming the Punisher is well done and entertaining, once he's become him the movie doesn't really know where to go.
There's a lot of meandering and the ancillary characters are incredibly uninteresting. Probably the most amusing part of the story is how closely it mimics Shakespeare's Othello in terms of one of it's subplots.
The movie seems more concerned with showing off Mr. Jane's ripped physique than anything else. His training is impressive, but having him shirtless in every other scene gets a little ridiculous.
Another gripe is just how little action the movie has. He really doesn't get much time to punish people and most of the action scenes are very short, forgettable, and completely toothless. Furthermore, he's barely in his costume in the movie.
So in sum, really great stuff up until he turns into the titular character, and the rest is pretty mediocre.
I, Robot (2004)
Morality and robots.
This film features some amazing CGI sequences with robots moving far quicker than I've ever seen. A future where robots are in almost every home (which isn't too far off in my opinion).
The most interesting parts of the movie besides the action are when we hear philosophical conversations about whether or not Robots have or should replace humans in certain aspects of life.
Even the robots have philosophical conversations with each other.
All in all this is a fantastic sci-fi action film and is up there with the Terminator films.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Look in the mirror
Perhaps the film's greatest accomplishment is the way it shows just how close ambition relates to insanity. The morbid nature of people is rarely presented in such a raw form. The news cycles of course know it all too well and take advantage of it. The film really shines in the creative ways the main character circumvents his way to acquiring what he needs. I'm rarely surprised by a film, but this is one of those movies where you really will not know what comes next. This is Jake's best performance ever, no doubt. I'd hate to spoil anything about the film, so go watch it now!
Collateral (2004)
Tom Cruise's best performance
I always think it must be fun for hero type actors to play villains every once and while. Tom Cruise sure does have fun with the role. From the moment he enters the cab with Jamie Fox the movie becomes an excellent philosphical thriller. The conversations the main characters have about life, death, and moral ambiguity are some of the best I've ever seen. Not to mention and incredibly realistic portrayal of Los Angeles. It doesn't show the glamour, or the hot sun, it shows the night life, full of crime, a coyote, and some pretty messed up neighborhoods. Performances are stellar, the few action scenes it has are also amazing. You can tell Tom Cruise was trained and trained well. My only gripe with the film and the reason it doesn't have a 10 is the ending. But watch it for yourself and see what you think. I for one love the atmosphere of the film and contrast of everyday night life with a hitman in the back of your cab.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
What just happened?
I'm being rather generous with three stars here. The film is the weakest of all the bond films with Daniel Craig. I actually got a headache watching the film. The first car chase scene is incomprehensible, it lacks any sort of sense of direction and I was completely lost. You get a sense of a car chase, but you in no way actually see a car chase. The plot is also a jumbled mess. I would completely skip this bond movie if possible and just go straight to Skyfall which is ten times better.
Arachnophobia (1990)
A final battle... with a spider
Spiders have always been a go to subject for horror films. It helps after all that most people are more scared of them than death itself. This movie is surprisingly comedic and had me laughing at several parts with the few jokes that are in there. The film is of course dated with a few robotic spiders looking and moving terribly slow. However, the film is well paced and builds up to a spectacular finale where we see a final battle with a spider, that is probably the best battle with a small creature I've ever seen. If you haven't seen it and you like creature movies, this one is for sure up there with the best of them.
Soul Hunters (2019)
A unique story with great fight scenes
I really didn't expect much when I started watching the movie but I was pleasantly surprised. The action scenes really pack a punch and I haven't seen that kind of choreography in a long time. You get to see everything that's going on and they don't feel jarring or disorienting. There were a couple fight scenes in there that reminded me of movies like The Raid or Undisputed 2. The music in those scenes is awesome too.
I liked the characters, especially the lead and the angel, and the story has a surprising depth to it. It's got a unique concept going for it and I wanted to see more of this world.
The visual effects look very real too. But like the story, I wish there were more of them.
There's a couple scenes that just look plain empty, and the set design is really inconsistent. But considering that the movie had such a low budget, these were probably business related choices and not necessarily artistic ones.
All in all, I found the movie entertaining and I hope they get a chance to expand this world with a sequel.
Men in Black (1997)
One of the best films of the 90's, an instant classic
Movies like this don't exist anymore. Movies that try to break new ground, entertain you and leave you wanting more. The two leads are amazing and the humor that unfolds with their conflicting personalities goes beyond the usual "buddy cop" sort of stuff you tend to get sick of. This had some groundbreaking VFX back in the day and you gotta love the premise of the film. I loved this movie years ago and still love it today. One of the best movies I have ever seen hands down.
Serbuan maut (2011)
One of the best action films of all time
Sometimes a movie comes along that just changes the way martial arts sequences are shot. And that movie is The Raid.
I remember seeing this on launch day at the Arclight and being blown away at just how masterfully executed the fight scenes were. And they are so numerous and so well choreographed and varied that you never get sick of them.
The core martial art on display here is Silat, and the lead does an excellent job of keeping the film moving at a brisk pace.
I've rewatched the film several times on blu ray and I always find something new to appreciate.
The story of the movie is extremely straightforward and fairly entertaining on it's own as well. It plays to the actors strengths and never really has a lull at all.
Gods of Egypt (2016)
Not the best acting or story here, but the action scenes are worth a look.
The person who had the most fun making this movie was probably Gerard Butler. He loves playing the villain. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to have a good time making the movie. The movie is only really worth it to see the first 10 minutes and the last 10 minutes. Otherwise you are better off skipping the rest. Those 20 minutes of the movie though have some pretty imaginative battles with the Gods being shape-shifters. The VFX are composited well sometimes and other time they simply drop the ball. There are some very awkward shots with the giant gods and tiny humans side by side, it just looks terrible compared to something like Lord of the Rings which was made long before this film.
Interstellar (2014)
A movie in space that actually makes scientific sense
I am no fan of Christopher Nolan. In fact I hate most of his movies. However, his work on this film is exceptional. The twists and turns throughout the movie are thrilling. The VFX are not only amazing, but in many ways groundbreaking. I began watching this movie expecting to hate it and by the end I thought it was brilliant. There are many unanswered questions at the end, and a few stretches of what is plausible and what isn't, but when you are dealing with black holes, do we really know what is and isn't possible?
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
One of the best action films in the last two decades without question
I can't believe this movie never made it into theaters. It's got two incredible lead performances from both Michael Jai White and Scott Adkins, a great plot that moves along quickly, and the fight sequences are out of this world.
Scott Adkins was born to play Boyka, and he is absolutely amazing to watch in action. Michael Jai White is also in tip top form in this movie and although he does have to reign in his kicking skills (he's just a boxer in this film), he still shines right alongside Adkins.
A brilliant martial arts film and one of my all time favorites. Excellent work all around. Isaac Florentine is one of the best action directors in the market and I'm so glad everything just gelled so well in this movie.
Tom yum goong (2005)
A solidly entertaining martial arts movie
Back when this came out it was my go to martial arts film.
It's got incredible setpieces and to this day the one take stairwell sequence remains pretty much unsurpassed as far as one take fight scenes go.
For martial arts enthusiasts, you get to see a wealth of different Muay Thai techniques on display. Truly exceptional stuff.
As a film it's a bit slow at times, and we spend a little too much time with him and his elephant, but overall, a fun movie.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
The worst of the whole saga
I love Episode 1 and 3, but 2 has always been one of the most terrible Star Wars movies. There is still a lot to love about it though. It has some amazing action sequences, great lightsaber battles, imaginative locations, etc. The biggest problem with the movie is when the plot is split in half and we check in every once in a while with Annakin. We just check in to see him moping and talking about sand. Every time we check in with Obi-wan, it is amazing. But when we check back to Annakin... not so much. The romance is odd because the guy was a kid when he met her, it just doesn't make any sense why she would view him as anything other than a kid.
However, the last part of the film is amazing. We get to see Yoda finally fight with a lightsaber, which a lot of us always wanted to get a glimpse of. It was amazing to watch, and to this day is mezmerizing. What a fight!
The Shepherd (2008)
Decent Van Damme vehicle. Scott Adkins is wasted.
Scott Adkins is one of the most talented martial artists of this generation, and is unfortunately wasted in this Van Damme action vehicle.
The story is nothing to write home about, but does move along quickly and doesn't get too bogged down in it's seriousness.
I just wish that Adkins had a bigger role in this. The fight scene between him and Van Damme is extremely underwhelming, and I sincerely hoped to see much more between these two martial arts powerhouses.
If you ever catch it on Netflix or Cable, it's worth a watch though.