Captain America: The First Avenger Review

Captain America, 2011
Reviewed by: Dan S.
Directed By: Joe Johnston
Written By: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci, and Tommy Lee Jones.
Language: English

The Plot: Vertically challenged patriot undergoes a risky experiment to join the war effort against the Nazis.

Smooth and glossy, Captain America has a dreamy nostalgic look with an effective mixture of subtle realistic CGI effects and obvious cheesy ones. The score sets the serial throwback mood with delicious heroic cheese. Set during one giant unbroken flashback, the film excels as a touching period drama and sincere low key romance. The athletic Evans brings vulnerability and sympathy to the title character while the warm Atwell steals the film with a convincing heart breaking performance that may just leave you in tears. Surprisingly, the movie completely fails as an action film during its rushed blur of a final act, struggling to produce any kind of suspense or sustained excitement. As the villian, Weaving spends most of his limited screen time grinning madly and reciting laughably over the top evil monologues with a crappy German accent; such a waste. The ancient Tommy Lee Jones gets some laughs with his usual grumpy old badass routine, and Stanley Tucci brings some real heart to his small role. This movie may be the very defintion of flawed masterpiece.

Rating: ***

Limitless Review

Limitless, 2011
Reviewed By: Dan S.
Directed By: Neil Burger
Written By: Leslie Dixon
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Andrew Howard, and Robert De Niro.

Plot: A struggling writer becomes addicted to an experimetnal drug that unlocks the full potential of the human brain.

Review: Despite being high concept with a fairly complex plot, the highly original "Limitless" is an incredibly easy movie to digest with its purposeful narration and focused well rounded storytelling. The most successful aspect of the movie is the way director Neil Burger uses creative digital effects and kinetic pacing to take the viewer on the same mind blowing journey as the protagonist; effectively imposing his emotions and thoughts upon you as he travels from jubliant highs to uncomfortable lows and even a trippy time skipping freak out. The film takes an unexpected gritty violent turn during its final act with some smart low key action and cringy suspense. Unforunately, the film's all too neat wrap up is not nearly as profound as you would expect. Not letting the visuals carry the story, the acting is solid all around with the charismatic Cooper dominating the movie as an empathetic and likable lead you can't help but root for despite a fairly immoral character. De Niro is thankfully kept in check and Howard steals his every scene as a brutal Russian gangster.

Rating: ****

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain Review

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain, 1983
Reviewed By; Dan S.
Directed By: Tsui Hark
Written By: Yuet Shui Chung, Szeto Cheuk-hon
Starring: Adam Cheng, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Hoi Mang, Moon Lee, and Brigitte Lin.
Language: Cantonese (English dubs available)

Plot: Set in medieval China, a young army scout stumbles his way into the middle of a secret war between magic kung fu weirdos and all powerful demons that look like flying sheets.

Review: As exciting as it is disorientating, the utterly bizzare "Zu Warriors" sprints through its epic plot, gigantic cast,and escalting horror/fantasy elments without ever slowing down or stopping to explain itself. Needless to say you aren't going to have an easy time following this fever dream of a movie. Thankfully, the film is very playful in tone and doesn't take itself too seriously, freely mixing physical comedy and even ironic self-aware humor into the increasingly surreal action. The highly creative and unsual kung fu fights are frequent and complex with weird cartoonish special effects and wire work. The effects are somewhat dated in places and you can even see "wires" occasionally, however this is all part of the movie's campy appeal. All the performers appear to be having a ton of fun, providing the movie with boundless energy and charm. And while the film does show its age and budget, the ideas and visuals are so wild and imaginative, you are still going to have your mind blown.

Rating: ****

Full Contact Review

Full Contact, 1992
Reviewed By: Dan S.
Directed By; Ringo Lam
Written By: Nam Yin.
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Anthony Wong, Simon Yam, Anne Bridgewater, Bonnie Fu.
Language: Cantonese

Director Ringo Lam skillfully utilizes dramatic camera work that evokes the work of his contemporary John Woo. However, his emphasis on surreal colors, bloody exit wounds, and jaw dropping early bullet time effects set him apart as a far more "over the top" visionary. Highlighted by exaggerated performances, goofy dialogue/one liners, and a rocking 80s metal soundtrack this is some deliciously cheesy fun. The non-stop action is fairly large scale and diverse with strip club shoot outs, freeway chases in muscle cars, exploding cars, bank heists, and brawls. In the rare event the film does slow down, the character and story development is limited to goofy but entertaining melodrama that is certainly anything but dull.

Sporting sleeveless vests and a ridiculous hair cut, the soft looking Fat has never looked more uncomfortable in his own skin as the motorcycle riding anti-hero, but his physical presence and natural likability overcome his awkwardness. Cast against type, Anthony Wong hilariously overacts as a cowardly geek turned badass turned crybaby. As the memorable gay villain an outrageously dressed Simon Yam, produces weapons from thin air with magic tricks, cuddles young boys, and makes amusing offensive taunts. Evil babe Bonnie Fu provides some serious sleaze as an apparent nympho who is constantly moaning and grinding on every guy in the movie except Yam of course. Cute good babe Anne Bridgewater doesn’t have much to do except some weird arty striptease performances that curiously recall Flashdance.

Rating:

The Mechanic (2011) Review

The Mechanic, 2011
Reviewed by: Dan S.
Directed By: Simon West
Written By: Richard Wenk
Starring: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland
Language: English

Dropping the brooding existential themes and rich character development of its source material, The Mechanic ends up being a preposterous predictable tale of betryal and retribution. Clearly lacking in creative story ideas, the appeal of this film is in its shameless sleeze. The dialogue is needlessly profane, the characters are trashy with more than a few offensive stereotypes, the sex scenes are sweaty and nude, and the constant bloody violence is shockingly impactful. The fight scenes are most memorable; all being incredibly primitive and brutal with lots of painful enviroment interaction that will have you cringing. Even the gun play has more "umph" than usual, the bullets slamming into their targets like sledge hammers.

Unforunately, director Simon West is pretty unreliable when people aren't beating the crap out of each other or blowing their brains out. Working with a huge budget, he piles on the contemporary action cliches of loud music, fast editing, close ups, and shaky camera work....which wouldn't be bad if he wasn't so damn sloppy. Some high concept stunts and car trashing end up being forgettable blurs of color and sound. And sadly, Statham really can't be his lovable self in this one. Straddled with a more serious silent character, he can't wisecrack during the action and his few moments of thoughtful downtime involve him sitting around and looking dumb. Vertically challenged, chain smoking, over actor Ben Foster is bratty and annoying...as usual. Some great unintentional comedy as he struts around his house listening to an ipod, dancing and having some sort of fit. In a brief but memorable performance, the ancient wheelchair bound Donald Sutherland is surprisingly touching.

Rating: 3 Gernades out of 5

The Mechanic (1972), Review

The Mechanic, 1972
Reviewed by: Dan S.
Directed by: Michael Winner
Written by: Lewis John Carlino
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vincet.
Language: English

The Mechanic excels when it's at its most thoughtful and methodical. The long wordless sequences of a cerebral Bronson tediously plotting and staging smooth complex hits are fascinating and rewarding for the patient viewer. Set to Fielding's quiet spooky piano score and natural sounds, Winner uses mature camera work, beautiful moody lighting, and some creative flash editing to draw you into the unspoken existential crisis of this stoic aging assassin as he spends his lonely free time between jobs enjoying the finest wines, staring at morbid paintings, and in one of the film's more painful depressing scenes....paying prostitutes to read detached love letters to him.

Unfortunately the tense movie seems to draw towards its inevitable climax far too soon while the more elaborate gunplay and bomb throwing action attempts that dominate the final act are blandly shot, cheap looking, and ultimately dated despite beautiful Italian locations. Set mostly in fashionable but dreary 70s mansions, the rugged street wise Bronson looks out of place at points, but maybe that's the point, he's ultimately a caveman confused and lost in the solitary gentleman charade of his own creation. This might be his finest acting, his weary pained expressions conveying a terrible dread and internal conflict he simply can't bring himself to face. He's compellingly ambiguous, never letting us know what's really on his mind. As Bronson's sociopathic understudy and only other major character, the youthful Jan Michael Vincent is painfully wooden and unconvincing, but given his character, it oddly works.

Rating:

Harry Brown Review

Harry Brown, 2009
Reviewed by: Dan S.
Directed by: Daniel Barber
Written by: Gary Young
Starring: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, and Doug Bradley.
Language: English

Bleeding its average running time for all its worth, Harry Brown is a moody slow burner that builds and builds with sickening dread before ambushing the viewer with jubilant righteous violence and gritty tough guy action. Impressive debut director Daniel Barber establishes a paranoid detailed atmosphere of gloomy urban decay where threatening graffiti covers every wall, heavy shadows conceal unthinkable menace, and savage gang beatings leave random victims bloody messes on the pavement. The few uncompromising glimpses of harsh street life the film offers are more than enough as they are incredibly uncomfortable to watch. The mostly piano based ambient score is, not surprisingly, the unnerving atonal sound of a horror film. The action sequences that dominate the fast-paced second act are limited to brief bursts of realistic gun play that may lack flash, but are uncommonly intelligent and suspenseful.

Sparing us not even a single wrinkle, thinning white hair, or dry cough, Caine looks his years and then some. The helplessness he expresses during the initial stages of the movie is absolutely heart wrenching, but despite his frailties, he gives the impression of someone holding back a terrible darkness within himself. Even after he gradually regains the intimidating posture and icy stare of his classic gangster roles, great pains are taken to make him a credible threat, while still constantly reminding the viewer of his physical limitations and vulnerabilities. The supporting cast is top catch, a memorable rogues gallery of villains that range from pathetic junkie hustlers to cocky punks, and a terrifying drug dealer that looks like the bastard child of Charles Manson and Scott Wieland. The great David Bradley provides some powerful moments in a small, sympathetic part while the compassionate Emily Mortimer offers welcomed breaks from the harsh masculine brutality that dominates the film.

Rating:

Centurion Review

Centurion, 2010
Reviewed by: Dan S.

Director: Neil Marshall

Written By: Neil Marshall
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Olga Kurylenko.

Language: English

Centurion is a quick and dirty historical chase movie featuring great looking costumes, brutal battlefield gore effects, and the very real grueling elements of Northern Scotland. These majestic but desolate ancient locations dominate the movie, often rendering the actors tiny ants in the distance. On the rare occasions we get intimate with the cast, the frostbite visible on their skin is no special effect and their shivering certainly isn't acting, this is some hardcore guerilla filmmaking from rising genre director Neil Marshall. Framed with complex jump editing and shaky camera work, the violent multi-weapon action that dominates the movie is hard hitting and authentic feeling.

As the central antagonist Olga Kurylenko's gives an intense silent performance, her startling stare conveying both rage and tragedy. Unforunately, the rest of the cast fails to make much of an impression with even some of the cliché stock characters blurring together. Leading man Michael Fassbender is terribly dry, and even with sporadic "stating the obvious" mood killing narration you can't really connect with the guy. While the film is exciting when it's rolling the narrative is lurching on fumes by the closing act, and the precious few slow scenes feel like painful abrupt stops rather than welcomed breathers. The unique spectacle of the movie is worth seeing but it isn't a very satisfying film experience overall.

Rating:

The Expendables Review

The Expendables, 2010

Reviewed By: Dan S.

Directed By: Sylvester Stallone

Written By: Sylvester Stallone and David Callaham

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, David Zayas, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Mickey Rourke.

Language: English

Keeping thiis mini-epic limited to cliché warehouses and exotic islands, writer/director Sylvester Stallone keeps The Expendables lean and lite while masterfully juggling a giant ensemble cast of convincing middle aged tough guys. While the focus is primarily on the amusing macho banter between Stallone and Statham, everyone is cast to their strengths and at least gets one moment to do their thing and do it well. In more limited roles, Rourke delivers a soulful rambling monologue like only he can while Bruce Willis drops a bunch of F bombs like only he can. As can be expected, Arnold's cameo is short but sweet. Lundgren gets a surprising amount of screen time in a memorable weird performance while Eric Roberts threatens to steal the movie as the arrogant wise cracking villain.

Much like the story, the action is brutish and simple. Don't expect too many complex emotional twists or turns, just the bad guys being dicks, and the heroes blowing them to pieces with large guns in retort. Of course Stallone uses every opportunity to pour on the gore, but it should be noted that while the violence is graphic it is not nearly as mean and nasty as the violence in his last Rambo outing; it's all in good fun this time out. There are also plenty of well staged fight sequences cast to the strengths of the performers; Li and Lundgren work a smart kung fu fight, Statham beats up a gang of obnoxious punks, UFC star Raynd Couture breaks limbs with mixed marital arts holds, while the aging Stallone gets his "ass kicked." Charisma Carpenter has a small well acted part but no 80s throwback nudity this time around.

Rating:

Year of the Dragon Review

Year of the Dragon, 1985
Reviewed by: Daniel S.
Directed by: Michael Cimino
Written By: Oliver Stone, Michael Cimino
Starring: Mickey Rourke, John Lone, Ariane Koizumi, Dennis Dun.

Language: English

Scripted by Oliver Stone, Year of the Dragon is a dark, edgy, and complex action film rich in weighty character study and politically incorrect social issues. Working with a huge budget, award winning director Michael Cimino suavely glides his camera through gorgeous detailed sets that range from elaborate urban settings to drab suburban trappings and even exotic global locations. Despite the early 80s setting and a few dated hair cuts, the film is strangely timeless, drawing heavily from the gritty look of classic gangster films. The shoot outs and chase sequences are small scale and spacious but bloody and shocking when they erupt at unexpected moments, escalating in brutality and emotional impact as the film progresses. There's also some impressive real car wreckage you just don't see in modern films.

Already world weary and battle scarred, Mickey Rourke dominates the movie as its morally ambiguous protagonist, delivering a charismatic but layered performance that demands the audience understand him even if they don’t completely like everything about him. He comes across as racist, sexist, and selfish but also genuinely tragic and heroic. The physicality he brings to the role is also impressive; his crude realistic punches putting the decade’s bigger action stars to shame. The soft spoken John Lone is as classy and unusual as villains get, ruthless but cool and oddly likable. Tall husky voiced, Ariane Koizumi gives a strong supporting performance as Rourke’s reluctant lover, their anti-cliche romance seeming geniune despite an emotional distance on the surface. Dennis Dun also shines in a brief but sympathetic role.

Rating:

District 13 Review

District 13, 2004
Reviewed by Daniel S.
Directed by: Pierre Morel
Written By: Luc Besson, Bibi Naceri
Staring: David Belle, Cyril Raffaelli, Dany Verissimo.
Language: French

An understudy of French super auteur Luc Besson, director Pierre Morel's gritty debut is a blur of an action movie that blitzes through its short running time with a non-stop barrage of shaky camera work, kinetic editing, and dance club beats. Producer/writer Luc Besson's script is effectively simple and straightforward, merely establishing motivation and urgency for District's 13 tightly chained action sequences. Blessed with incredibly talented and innovative martial artists, Morel boldly turns his performers loose without the use of CGI or wires, making for a truly unique action experience.

Performing more stunts than dialogue, colorful French martial artist David Belle steals the movie with his innovative “Parkour” stunts in lengthy foot chases up and down stairs, across roof tops, and even the narrow hallways of apartment buildings. His work is unique and jaw dropping not so much for the risks but the athletic creativity he demonstrates. Having a bit more screen time and dialogue, the stoic Cyril Raffaelli handles the much more traditional martial art fight sequences as an undercover cop, though he is no less creative, incorporating unusual props such as car stirring wheels into his brawls. In supporting roles, late character actor Tony D-Amario is memorable as a bumbling henchman, youthful looking adult film actress Dany Verissimo is surprisingly sympathetic as the babe in peril, and Bibi Naceri is convincing as the sleazy villain.

Rating:

Invisible Target Review

Invisible Target, 2007

Reviewed by Dan S.

Directed by: Benny Chan

Written by: Benny Chan, Rams Ling, and Melody Lui

Starring: Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Wu-Jing, Jaycee Chan

Language: Cantonese, Mandarian.

Liberally lifting ideas and scenes from such genre classics as Hard Boiled, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Ong Bak, and The Matrix to name a view…Benny Chan’s buddy cop yarn Invisible Target is a two plus hour marathon of action movie clichés. Seemingly on a tight budget, the movie has a cheaper look than its Hong Kong contemporaries and is mostly located in abandoned low budget standbys that wouldn’t be out of place in an Amercian direct to video production. While Chan does manage to string together a couple of fun downtown chase sequences its nothing you haven’t seen before, and done much better.

Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue share leading man duties but the script doesn’t really give either actor much to do except chase bad guys and beat them up. Despite this emphasis on action, both men prove to be lackluster martial artists, showing little personality and relying heavily on wire assisted kicks. As the villainous gang leader Wu Jing is the film’s most experienced martial artist, staging and carrying the film’s better fight scenes. As a rookie cop living with his grandmother, the youthful awkwardness of Jaycee Chan gives the movie its only emotional pull, providing some good laughs and touching moments. Seemingly aware of these two performers’ value, Chan is smart enough to give his supporting talents a most unusual amount of screen time, elevating an otherwise average production as a result….but one wanders why he just didn’t trim out the unnecessary fat all together and focus the movie on them.

Two Fists Out of Five