The Action Mutant…
is slated to direct “Tussle at the Docks”. God, I hope this isn’t a gay porno.
Rumble in the Bronx
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
I remember watching an episode of the TV news mag 20/20 back in 1995, with an upcoming story about “the most famous action star you never heard of”. Of course, my ears immediately perked up as the video piece of Jackie Chan came up on the screen. Within 12 minutes, it went through the basics: the worldwide box office success, the two failed American film vehicles, how he does all of his own stunts, etc. By the end of the piece, I felt bad for not knowing about this guy in the first place! Then again, most of America didn’t know him either. At the 1995 MTV Movie Awards, Quentin Tarantino offered to be on the show, only if he could give Jackie the “MTV Lifetime Achievement Award”. About 75% of the audience was clueless but it didn’t seem to matter. Everyone was intrigued by this easy going Asian action guy with the limited grasp on English. And he happened to have a movie coming out soon, which would be his 3rd try to break into the American film scene. And, once again, Quentin Tarantino saved Christmas! Now, if he could only get Spike Lee to shut up about him.
The Plot, as it was:
Jackie plays Keung. Keung goes to America to visit his uncle (Bill Tung) for his wedding. Uncle Bill sells his corner grocery store and Keung sticks around for a while until things are settled with new owner Elaine (Anita Mui). Local gang terrorizes store. Keung kicks ass. The gang kicks Keung’s ass. Gang leader’s girl (Francoise Yip) falls for Keung. Keung kicks more ass. Lather, rinse, repeat. Oh, and there are diamond thieves and an annoying crippled kid in there as well. Um…Keung!
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
I feel it’s fair to mention that Jackie Chan has enough charisma for 10 movies. It is fair to mention because this movie would most likely blow if anyone else was in the lead. Chan films are known for their lack of plot but Rumble in the Bronx hits low standards in plot, even for Chan. Not only that, there’s horrible dubbing, even more horrible editing and a goddamn “Scooby Doo ending” (you’ll see)! And there’s more: the film is set in New York but suspiciously looks like the skyline of Vancouver, British Columbia (as it was simply cheaper to film there, aside from a few NY interiors). The “story” is just an excuse for Chan to come to America and nearly kill himself for 90 minutes. Based on that logic, RitB does well by Chan’s fans. Since this was (most likely) Chan’s last chance at capturing the American audience’s attention, our hero throws in every jump, flip, stunt, chase and all around action set piece imaginable to grab us. It is pretty much wall to wall action, with very little let up or something that doesn’t make your jaw drop at least once. What made this work so well at the time was that Americans never saw anything like Jackie before. No one was used to seeing Van Damme or Arnold jumping off of roofs or nearly being unmanned by motorcycles because everyone knew a stuntman was in their place. Here, RitB goes out of its way for you to know that Chan is risking it all during every shot on screen. Sure, it’s more highlight reel than actual film but very rarely has an action movie guaranteed so much action and delivered.
Body Count/Violence: 5. An overly violent action spectacle was not in the works for Jackie to win over the Yanks. The deaths are few and not very graphic (four guys get blown up in their limos and one gang member get shoved head first into a wood chipper, though the results aren’t shown). The only other really violent scene is when Jackie is cut up by the liquor bottles. Everything else is pretty much Jackie’s crazy stunts (jumping off a parking garage roof onto a small balcony, riding a hovercraft, etc.) and insanely intricate fight scenes (the one at the gang’s quarters, where Chan uses all kinds of household appliances, is amazing). And don’t forget to stick around for the credits!
Sexuality/Nudity: Yip spends the majority of her screen time in some sort of skimpy outfit but nothing more than that. The gang member Angelo (Garvin Cross) moons Jackie, only to get spanked with a car antenna. By the way, Cross is so goofy as Angelo that I couldn’t help but to think he’d be a perfect fit as a ganger in Death Wish 3.
Language/Dialogue: It isn’t that strong, as it is actually overdubbed at times (“stuff” instead of “shit”, for example). There are three F bombs, which is enough for the R rating. Chan complained at the time that his films are meant for the family and that it shouldn’t have been rated R. Though I disagree in this instance, I can understand the confusion since so many PG-13 films are looked over by the MPAA to increase sales.
How bad was it?:
Most Chanophiles will admit this isn’t the film they would have picked to be Jackie’s breakthrough America film. Most critics were really kind to it though and if they weren’t, they still admitted Jackie was the sole aspect of the film to see. Ebert gave it ***/**** and pretty much informed everyone to sit back, enjoy the ride and not look for it to make sense.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
When Rumble in the Bronx left Hong Kong theaters (after debuting 1/21/95), it had grossed an insane $56.9 million, making it the top HK film of the year. An immense publicity campaign by New Line Cinema paid off, as it debuted in the U.S. on 2/23/96 with $9.9 million in the #1 spot that weekend. It lasted another month before being taken out, earning $32.4 million off of a $7.5 million budget and cementing Jackie Chan’s spot in American cinema.
Film: **1/2/*****
Entertainment value: ****1/2/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Robocop (Unrated Director's Cut)
The Action Mutant…
puts a foot in the ass of the innocent to protect them! Dumbass!
Robocop
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
Ah, the 1980s! Reagan was in full effect, which meant foreigners and drugs were the scourge of all existence and justice was obtained by any means necessary. Some argue not much has changed, only the names as Bon Jovi’s “Wanted: Dead or Alive” would say. However, while everyone and their mother have called out about how society is today, it wasn’t as apparent 20 years ago. Sure, Gordon Gekko had it right by saying “Greed is good!” but did anyone really care? Who knew that the ravings of a mad Dutchman and two guys fixated with robots would be relevant so many years later? And oh yeah, there’s enough blood spilled to make Peckinpah blush.
The Plot, as it was:
Peter Weller is Murphy, a cop who just got transferred to the crappiest precinct in Old Detroit. He and his new partner Lewis (Nancy Allen) get involved in a chase with a gang of bank robbers led by Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith). At their hangout, Murphy gets cornered by the gang and is literally blown apart by shotguns. Meanwhile, executive Dick Jones’ (Ronny Cox) robotic police project ED-209 has just failed miserably. Scathing yuppie Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer) picks up the ball and offers a solution: a robotic police officer with no memory or emotion that is only manufactured to serve and protect the public. All he needs is a dead body to volunteer his services. You guessed it…Murphy gets a promotion! But, can “Robocop” (as he’s dubbed) be the ultimate cop without things getting personal?
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
You read the plot outline and you’re immediately reminded that the 1980’s was “the cocaine decade”. All of that doesn’t matter, though. This film not only rocks in nearly every way possible but it’s not as dumb as the premise appears. Director Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Showgirls) wraps all of the blood n’ guts around the satire of writers Michael Miner and Ed Neumeier and the result is an action saga/societal cautionary tale. All of the commercials and fake news reports in the film seem to take a life of their own in today’s landscape (my favorite is the results of the President’s “Space Satellite Peace Platform”), as does one of the film’s many mantras (“Good business is where you can find it.”). And while the film is being darkly funny, it’s also jarring in its harshness. The sets are bathed in metallic blue and drab gray and the city (Dallas standing in place of Detroit) definitely conveys the dusty, almost neo-Western landscape (also punctuated by Basil Poledouris’ towering score). And Verhoeven makes it a point to never shy away from the brutality, which is conveyed by present day baddies multiplied in viciousness by 100. Cox has steel eyed reserve as Dick Jones, who’s almost like The Simpsons’ Mr. Burns…without the humor. Ferrer, who should carry around a stamp that says “slimeball” to stamp resumes with, is just deliciously snide as Morton and perfectly looks the part. Paul McCrane and Ray Wise are also nicely over the top as members of Boddicker’s gang. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, matches the complete aura of slime that Smith conveys as Boddicker. It’s almost a shame that most will remember him as patriarchal hard ass Red Forman on That 70’s Show because he is so giddily evil here! There’s not a single memorable line of his that doesn’t drip with anarchical disdain (“Bitches, LEAVE!”). Sadly, Weller shows more personality as Robo than as his human self but his time in the suit is a bravura show. His spot on robotic moves are a great compliment to Phil Tippet’s wonderful stop motion work on ED-209 (you know, before CGI and computers?). Who knew robots could have such an insanely good time?
Body Count/Violence: 30. For the uninformed lamenting “That’s not THAT violent!” well, they probably aren’t familiar with “The Mad Dutchman’s” work. Verhoeven gets a lot of “bang for his buck” with each scene and loads them up with enough blood for 10 films. In interviews, he likened Murphy/Robocop’s story to the death and resurrection of Jesus and you certainly get the sense of that with Murphy’s death. I’ve seen this film countless times and that is still one of the most disturbing and graphic deaths in film history. It is definitely “The Passion of the Murphy”. Once Robocop emerges, he immediately makes his mark, shooting foes every which way and location. He also has a metal spike that shoots out of his fist, which he uses on one memorable occasion. There are also the requisite explosions, window crashing, vehicular mayhem and toxic waste mutilation (?) that made the 80s so wicked fun. (Note: The 103 minute “Director’s Cut” is only a minute longer but really punctuates the scenes shortened by the MPAA. All of the main death pieces include more bloody bullet hits, including Murphy’s death in which his hand, arm and back of head are all blown off.)
Sexuality/Nudity: Aside from some pasty male ass and breasts in the police locker room, there’s nothing. Although, seeing Bob Morton snorting coke off of a call girl’s cleavage is fetching in a trashy way. And I’ll just leave “I’d buy THAT for a dollar!” to yourself.
Language/Dialogue: Pretty strong, though not constant.
How bad was it?:
Most critics actually praised it, citing the hybrid of action and satire. Some critics couldn’t get by the film’s outward appearance or just dismissed it as repulsive violence. Pussies.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
Orion Pictures released Robocop on 7/17/87, with it debuting at #1 with $8 million. It was #1 for its first two weeks and stuck around for a little over two months, never dropping out of the top 15. Its final tally was $53.4 million, which made Orion a tidy profit off of a $13 million budget. It’s amazing the film looks as great as it does with that budget because I’m sure it would probably cost $200 million to make today and wouldn’t come off nearly as good. And it would most likely be directed by Michael Bay.
Film: ***1/2/*****
Entertainment value: *****/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
puts a foot in the ass of the innocent to protect them! Dumbass!
Robocop
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
Ah, the 1980s! Reagan was in full effect, which meant foreigners and drugs were the scourge of all existence and justice was obtained by any means necessary. Some argue not much has changed, only the names as Bon Jovi’s “Wanted: Dead or Alive” would say. However, while everyone and their mother have called out about how society is today, it wasn’t as apparent 20 years ago. Sure, Gordon Gekko had it right by saying “Greed is good!” but did anyone really care? Who knew that the ravings of a mad Dutchman and two guys fixated with robots would be relevant so many years later? And oh yeah, there’s enough blood spilled to make Peckinpah blush.
The Plot, as it was:
Peter Weller is Murphy, a cop who just got transferred to the crappiest precinct in Old Detroit. He and his new partner Lewis (Nancy Allen) get involved in a chase with a gang of bank robbers led by Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith). At their hangout, Murphy gets cornered by the gang and is literally blown apart by shotguns. Meanwhile, executive Dick Jones’ (Ronny Cox) robotic police project ED-209 has just failed miserably. Scathing yuppie Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer) picks up the ball and offers a solution: a robotic police officer with no memory or emotion that is only manufactured to serve and protect the public. All he needs is a dead body to volunteer his services. You guessed it…Murphy gets a promotion! But, can “Robocop” (as he’s dubbed) be the ultimate cop without things getting personal?
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
You read the plot outline and you’re immediately reminded that the 1980’s was “the cocaine decade”. All of that doesn’t matter, though. This film not only rocks in nearly every way possible but it’s not as dumb as the premise appears. Director Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Showgirls) wraps all of the blood n’ guts around the satire of writers Michael Miner and Ed Neumeier and the result is an action saga/societal cautionary tale. All of the commercials and fake news reports in the film seem to take a life of their own in today’s landscape (my favorite is the results of the President’s “Space Satellite Peace Platform”), as does one of the film’s many mantras (“Good business is where you can find it.”). And while the film is being darkly funny, it’s also jarring in its harshness. The sets are bathed in metallic blue and drab gray and the city (Dallas standing in place of Detroit) definitely conveys the dusty, almost neo-Western landscape (also punctuated by Basil Poledouris’ towering score). And Verhoeven makes it a point to never shy away from the brutality, which is conveyed by present day baddies multiplied in viciousness by 100. Cox has steel eyed reserve as Dick Jones, who’s almost like The Simpsons’ Mr. Burns…without the humor. Ferrer, who should carry around a stamp that says “slimeball” to stamp resumes with, is just deliciously snide as Morton and perfectly looks the part. Paul McCrane and Ray Wise are also nicely over the top as members of Boddicker’s gang. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, matches the complete aura of slime that Smith conveys as Boddicker. It’s almost a shame that most will remember him as patriarchal hard ass Red Forman on That 70’s Show because he is so giddily evil here! There’s not a single memorable line of his that doesn’t drip with anarchical disdain (“Bitches, LEAVE!”). Sadly, Weller shows more personality as Robo than as his human self but his time in the suit is a bravura show. His spot on robotic moves are a great compliment to Phil Tippet’s wonderful stop motion work on ED-209 (you know, before CGI and computers?). Who knew robots could have such an insanely good time?
Body Count/Violence: 30. For the uninformed lamenting “That’s not THAT violent!” well, they probably aren’t familiar with “The Mad Dutchman’s” work. Verhoeven gets a lot of “bang for his buck” with each scene and loads them up with enough blood for 10 films. In interviews, he likened Murphy/Robocop’s story to the death and resurrection of Jesus and you certainly get the sense of that with Murphy’s death. I’ve seen this film countless times and that is still one of the most disturbing and graphic deaths in film history. It is definitely “The Passion of the Murphy”. Once Robocop emerges, he immediately makes his mark, shooting foes every which way and location. He also has a metal spike that shoots out of his fist, which he uses on one memorable occasion. There are also the requisite explosions, window crashing, vehicular mayhem and toxic waste mutilation (?) that made the 80s so wicked fun. (Note: The 103 minute “Director’s Cut” is only a minute longer but really punctuates the scenes shortened by the MPAA. All of the main death pieces include more bloody bullet hits, including Murphy’s death in which his hand, arm and back of head are all blown off.)
Sexuality/Nudity: Aside from some pasty male ass and breasts in the police locker room, there’s nothing. Although, seeing Bob Morton snorting coke off of a call girl’s cleavage is fetching in a trashy way. And I’ll just leave “I’d buy THAT for a dollar!” to yourself.
Language/Dialogue: Pretty strong, though not constant.
How bad was it?:
Most critics actually praised it, citing the hybrid of action and satire. Some critics couldn’t get by the film’s outward appearance or just dismissed it as repulsive violence. Pussies.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
Orion Pictures released Robocop on 7/17/87, with it debuting at #1 with $8 million. It was #1 for its first two weeks and stuck around for a little over two months, never dropping out of the top 15. Its final tally was $53.4 million, which made Orion a tidy profit off of a $13 million budget. It’s amazing the film looks as great as it does with that budget because I’m sure it would probably cost $200 million to make today and wouldn’t come off nearly as good. And it would most likely be directed by Michael Bay.
Film: ***1/2/*****
Entertainment value: *****/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
Return of the Street Fighter (Unrated version)
The Action Mutant…
would never point out that Sonny’s last name is slang for “marijuana”.
Return of the Street Fighter
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
No need to repeat things, here. This is the second of the three Street Fighter films, which were all actually made within one year (1974). We won’t ever see that again, I suppose.
The Plot, as it was:
Terry Tsurugi is back, this time trying to silence the Mob and a martial arts master who are in conjunction to rip off other martial arts instructors of their money and feed it into their pipelines. Meanwhile, a cop (Zulu Yachi) is after Tsurugi for taking out an informant of his. And then there’s…
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
Though nowhere nearly as bloody or sleazy as the original, Return of…is still a fun enough sequel to get your kicks off of. It’s basically the same as the first film, only with a few storyline ties being resolved for good measure. It also tends to be much like the first film in the sense that too many flashbacks from the first film is shown. And I’m not talking about 10 to 15 second clips; I mean full scenes being flashed back to! Still, Chiba brings the same intensity to the table and shows that Tsurugi hasn’t lightened up in the meantime. The film manages to saddle Terry with another loopy sidekick named Kitty (Yoko Ichiji), a Hello Kitty-esque runaway that speaks in so much 70s slang that it tends to grate on the viewer’s nerves. The first half of the film lacks the same fire as the first and tends to be a little talky at times, as you will probably find yourself thinking like Millhouse when Poochie debuted on Itchy & Scratchy (“When are they going to get to the fireworks factory?”). Don’t worry, the last 20 minutes is that “fireworks factory”, where Tsurugi lays waste to everything and loads up the corpses like old times. Throw in a few welcome surprises before hand and you have a more than competent sequel in Return of the Street Fighter.
Body Count/Violence: 45. Despite its lack of blood for about ¾ of the film, Chiba still has the badass chops to make for an engaging show. Tsurugi finishes off his foes by stabbing and popping out eyes, electrocution, cracking skulls, breaking necks, eye and throat gouging, etc. A particularly memorable sequence has Terry walloping about 10 guys in a sauna and leaving them in there with the pressure at full blast.
Sexuality/Nudity: A very brief tit shot from a female assassin (Katsuya Yamashita) who gets Terry in the sack.
Language/Dialogue: You guessed it. Bastard.
How bad was it?:
Most martial arts critics agree that it’s a step down from the original but not entirely disposable. No real mainstream reviews for it, though.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
N/A of the box office figures but the film took a little while longer to get released in the U.S., as New Line released it on 12/3/75. Many home video companies will carry it.
Film: **1/2/*****
Entertainment value: ***1/2/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
would never point out that Sonny’s last name is slang for “marijuana”.
Return of the Street Fighter
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
No need to repeat things, here. This is the second of the three Street Fighter films, which were all actually made within one year (1974). We won’t ever see that again, I suppose.
The Plot, as it was:
Terry Tsurugi is back, this time trying to silence the Mob and a martial arts master who are in conjunction to rip off other martial arts instructors of their money and feed it into their pipelines. Meanwhile, a cop (Zulu Yachi) is after Tsurugi for taking out an informant of his. And then there’s…
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
Though nowhere nearly as bloody or sleazy as the original, Return of…is still a fun enough sequel to get your kicks off of. It’s basically the same as the first film, only with a few storyline ties being resolved for good measure. It also tends to be much like the first film in the sense that too many flashbacks from the first film is shown. And I’m not talking about 10 to 15 second clips; I mean full scenes being flashed back to! Still, Chiba brings the same intensity to the table and shows that Tsurugi hasn’t lightened up in the meantime. The film manages to saddle Terry with another loopy sidekick named Kitty (Yoko Ichiji), a Hello Kitty-esque runaway that speaks in so much 70s slang that it tends to grate on the viewer’s nerves. The first half of the film lacks the same fire as the first and tends to be a little talky at times, as you will probably find yourself thinking like Millhouse when Poochie debuted on Itchy & Scratchy (“When are they going to get to the fireworks factory?”). Don’t worry, the last 20 minutes is that “fireworks factory”, where Tsurugi lays waste to everything and loads up the corpses like old times. Throw in a few welcome surprises before hand and you have a more than competent sequel in Return of the Street Fighter.
Body Count/Violence: 45. Despite its lack of blood for about ¾ of the film, Chiba still has the badass chops to make for an engaging show. Tsurugi finishes off his foes by stabbing and popping out eyes, electrocution, cracking skulls, breaking necks, eye and throat gouging, etc. A particularly memorable sequence has Terry walloping about 10 guys in a sauna and leaving them in there with the pressure at full blast.
Sexuality/Nudity: A very brief tit shot from a female assassin (Katsuya Yamashita) who gets Terry in the sack.
Language/Dialogue: You guessed it. Bastard.
How bad was it?:
Most martial arts critics agree that it’s a step down from the original but not entirely disposable. No real mainstream reviews for it, though.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
N/A of the box office figures but the film took a little while longer to get released in the U.S., as New Line released it on 12/3/75. Many home video companies will carry it.
Film: **1/2/*****
Entertainment value: ***1/2/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
Rapid Fire
The Action Mutant…
has never seen Laser Mission…how odd.
Rapid Fire
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
I won’t go on the predictable Brandon Lee obituary route yet. Besides, I haven’t reviewed The Crow yet. THAT would be the predictable route. All I’ll say is that it’s a shame that several more of his projects were never made to be reviewed here.
The Plot, as it was:
Brandon plays Jake Lo, an art student trying get past the memories of his dad being killed at the Tienanmen Square massacre. He gets invited to a posh party, only to accidentally see mob boss Tony Serrano (Nick Mancuso) commit a murder. Caught in a drug war between Serrano and crime lord Tau (Tzi Ma), the only ones Jake can trust are grizzled cop Mace Ryan (Powers Boothe) and his inquisitive partner Karla (Kate Hodge) as they have been trying to capture both drug lords for years.
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
Much like his legendary father Bruce, Brandon Lee was rarely (if ever) given the proper venue to showcase his martial artistry. Unfortunately, Rapid Fire is probably to closest he got to do so in his very short career. As a film, it’s nothing that hasn’t been seen before, right down to the familiar dialogue and tired “drug” plot (reminds me of a comment Roger Ebert once made, saying something to the effect that there must be more interesting things to smuggle than drugs). It’s one of those tired premises that makes you think you must have already seen this film when you haven’t, only you have…just with different actors. The attempt to add some social conscience to the film at the beginning is just that; an attempt. Nonetheless, Lee manages to make it credible with his earnestness and likable nature. For the moments he gets to display hand-to-hand combat, Lee injects Fire with some life and convinces you this would be worth watching if there were a few more moments like them. Boothe has fun as the old salt of a cop who lends credibility to the proceedings and Mancuso steals the scenes he’s in as the showy mob boss. If only they were in a better film…
Character/Supporting Actor Sighting!:
- Richard Schiff (The West Wing) is the art teacher at the college.
Body Count/Violence: 35. Everyone gets a bit of everything here, as Lee proves his boyish looks don’t mean he is any less vicious. Aside from the requisite explosions and gunplay, Lee dispatches villains by breaking necks and arms, stabbing with kitchen utensils, electrocution, causing them to be run over by trains and other various weapons. In a cool nod, Lee (who was a Jackie Chan fan) incorporates some of his sequences into the mix (most notably those involving a rolling shirt hanger and Lee sliding underneath an end table and kicking it at someone). There’s also action mainstay Al Leong, who takes out at least one character with ninja stars.
Sexuality/Nudity: Lee and Hodge have a sex scene where his ass and her breasts are visible in quick cuts. Unfortunately, the song playing during the scene is called “I Can’t Find my Way”, an irony that was pointed out in a review by Leonard Maltin of all people! That’s both sad and frightening. There’s also quick nudity from a female nude model in the art class (though it’s mostly a long shot).
Language/Dialogue: Fairly strong, with Boothe having ownership to most of it.
How bad was it?:
Most critics agree that this was a “by the numbers” vehicle that didn’t do much for Lee’s career. Some did take the approach that Lee strengthened the proceedings with his presence but those were few and far in between.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
Rapid Fire opened for 20th Century Fox on 8/21/92 and finished 3rd, behind Unforgiven and Single White Female. It slowly dropped from there, finally pulling in $14.4 million by the end of its run. Though the budget was never made known, the studio must have been pleased by the results, as talks of a sequel with Lee starring were in the works before his death.
Film: **1/2/*****
Entertainment value: ***1/2/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
has never seen Laser Mission…how odd.
Rapid Fire
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
I won’t go on the predictable Brandon Lee obituary route yet. Besides, I haven’t reviewed The Crow yet. THAT would be the predictable route. All I’ll say is that it’s a shame that several more of his projects were never made to be reviewed here.
The Plot, as it was:
Brandon plays Jake Lo, an art student trying get past the memories of his dad being killed at the Tienanmen Square massacre. He gets invited to a posh party, only to accidentally see mob boss Tony Serrano (Nick Mancuso) commit a murder. Caught in a drug war between Serrano and crime lord Tau (Tzi Ma), the only ones Jake can trust are grizzled cop Mace Ryan (Powers Boothe) and his inquisitive partner Karla (Kate Hodge) as they have been trying to capture both drug lords for years.
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
Much like his legendary father Bruce, Brandon Lee was rarely (if ever) given the proper venue to showcase his martial artistry. Unfortunately, Rapid Fire is probably to closest he got to do so in his very short career. As a film, it’s nothing that hasn’t been seen before, right down to the familiar dialogue and tired “drug” plot (reminds me of a comment Roger Ebert once made, saying something to the effect that there must be more interesting things to smuggle than drugs). It’s one of those tired premises that makes you think you must have already seen this film when you haven’t, only you have…just with different actors. The attempt to add some social conscience to the film at the beginning is just that; an attempt. Nonetheless, Lee manages to make it credible with his earnestness and likable nature. For the moments he gets to display hand-to-hand combat, Lee injects Fire with some life and convinces you this would be worth watching if there were a few more moments like them. Boothe has fun as the old salt of a cop who lends credibility to the proceedings and Mancuso steals the scenes he’s in as the showy mob boss. If only they were in a better film…
Character/Supporting Actor Sighting!:
- Richard Schiff (The West Wing) is the art teacher at the college.
Body Count/Violence: 35. Everyone gets a bit of everything here, as Lee proves his boyish looks don’t mean he is any less vicious. Aside from the requisite explosions and gunplay, Lee dispatches villains by breaking necks and arms, stabbing with kitchen utensils, electrocution, causing them to be run over by trains and other various weapons. In a cool nod, Lee (who was a Jackie Chan fan) incorporates some of his sequences into the mix (most notably those involving a rolling shirt hanger and Lee sliding underneath an end table and kicking it at someone). There’s also action mainstay Al Leong, who takes out at least one character with ninja stars.
Sexuality/Nudity: Lee and Hodge have a sex scene where his ass and her breasts are visible in quick cuts. Unfortunately, the song playing during the scene is called “I Can’t Find my Way”, an irony that was pointed out in a review by Leonard Maltin of all people! That’s both sad and frightening. There’s also quick nudity from a female nude model in the art class (though it’s mostly a long shot).
Language/Dialogue: Fairly strong, with Boothe having ownership to most of it.
How bad was it?:
Most critics agree that this was a “by the numbers” vehicle that didn’t do much for Lee’s career. Some did take the approach that Lee strengthened the proceedings with his presence but those were few and far in between.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
Rapid Fire opened for 20th Century Fox on 8/21/92 and finished 3rd, behind Unforgiven and Single White Female. It slowly dropped from there, finally pulling in $14.4 million by the end of its run. Though the budget was never made known, the studio must have been pleased by the results, as talks of a sequel with Lee starring were in the works before his death.
Film: **1/2/*****
Entertainment value: ***1/2/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
Rage to Kill
The Action Mutant…
knows Ollie Reed’s not dead…he’s just pickled.
Rage to Kill
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
You know, I’m always hearing about how much of a “bad boy” Colin Farrell is. About how much he drinks and how many women he fucks. And I always come to one conclusion: Oliver Reed could fuck up Colin Farrell any day of the year! Before his untimely death in 1999, Reed had an insane reputation for both women and libation. His final day pretty much says it all about the man. On the day of his death, he drank three bottles of Captain Morgan's Jamaica rum, eight bottles of German beer and various double shots of Famous Grouse whiskey…while beating five much younger sailors in arm wrestling! And AFTER THAT, he dies of a heart attack. What a way to go out! In a blaze of excess and craziness, well beyond his years. Colin’s manliness couldn’t equal up to one of Ollie Reed’s testicles! There’s still time, Blarney. There’s still time.
The Plot, as it was:
Reed plays General Turner, a maniacal militarist that leads his army in a bloody coup of a South African city. They slaughter everyone except for a college that contains American students because American kids naturally make the best bargaining chips. One of the student’s brother is Blaine Striker (James Ryan) a Marine/race car driver (!) and he’s ready for some retaliation. With the aid of a band of rebels led by local hero Wally Arn (Henry Cele, aka Shaka Zulu), Striker and the students start blasting anything with a military uniform on until Turner is the only one left.
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
I think “borderline mindless” doesn’t begin to describe how dumb and ridiculous this movie is. Its Toy Soldiers meets Rambo but with none of the style. It has grade Z production values and cheesy performances from everyone involved. Reed hams it up beyond all cure and can’t seem to go through the majority of the film without some sort of drink in his hand (ah, life imitates art!). It at least seems like he’s having fun, which cannot be said for the rest of the cast. Ryan may be ripped (and he takes every opportunity to let u know that, especially in the torture sequences) but he’s about as intimidating as your local gymnastics coach. And Cameron Mitchell (Space Mutiny…by the way, where was MST3K for this one?) seems to zone in and out as a covert CIA agent but when he’s on, he hams it up too. It is mindless fun at times but the endless gun battles become repetitive and there’s nothing else to help you along. Add the anti-climactic ending and you have an action piece with very little in redeeming value.
Body Count/Violence: 190! Son of a bitch, this movie’s violent! In an era where a high body count was a given, this certainly lives up to the task. 34 people buy it in the first 15 minutes alone and it just keeps building and building from there, with some hilariously falling over without being hit with bullets yet! Most are blown away by guns and grenades but there’s some neck breaking, electro-torture, clubbing, spear throwing, dart blowing and other stuff that doesn’t rhyme. However, the majority of the film cannot match the nastiness of the first 10 minutes, when the coup takes place. After mowing down several resort goers with bloody gunfire, Turner watches as one of his minions shoots the prime minister’s little kid. Turner develops a temporary conscience and explains to him that they don’t kill children. He then shoots the prick in the leg (with bloody close up of the wound) and backs his helicopter into him, slicing into him with the back propeller! The rest is a cakewalk compared to that!
Sexuality/Nudity: Ryan and Maxine John have the obligatory From Here to Eternity rip-off sex scene, complete with her showing her breasts. There are also some sorority girls in unbuttoned shirts and skimpy panties in one scene.
Language/Dialogue: Mild for the most part. It was funny to see Propeller guy screaming (Austin Powers-style) “God Damn You!” at Turner while the helicopter slowly backs up.
How bad was it?:
Again, there are no reviews like most A.I.P. releases. However, feedback on IMDB pretty much designates it as hollow dreck.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
No box office records here. I’m sure Ollie Reed’s bar tab was the highest expense in the budget, just slightly ahead of the bullets.
Film: */*****
Entertainment value: **1/2/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
knows Ollie Reed’s not dead…he’s just pickled.
Rage to Kill
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
You know, I’m always hearing about how much of a “bad boy” Colin Farrell is. About how much he drinks and how many women he fucks. And I always come to one conclusion: Oliver Reed could fuck up Colin Farrell any day of the year! Before his untimely death in 1999, Reed had an insane reputation for both women and libation. His final day pretty much says it all about the man. On the day of his death, he drank three bottles of Captain Morgan's Jamaica rum, eight bottles of German beer and various double shots of Famous Grouse whiskey…while beating five much younger sailors in arm wrestling! And AFTER THAT, he dies of a heart attack. What a way to go out! In a blaze of excess and craziness, well beyond his years. Colin’s manliness couldn’t equal up to one of Ollie Reed’s testicles! There’s still time, Blarney. There’s still time.
The Plot, as it was:
Reed plays General Turner, a maniacal militarist that leads his army in a bloody coup of a South African city. They slaughter everyone except for a college that contains American students because American kids naturally make the best bargaining chips. One of the student’s brother is Blaine Striker (James Ryan) a Marine/race car driver (!) and he’s ready for some retaliation. With the aid of a band of rebels led by local hero Wally Arn (Henry Cele, aka Shaka Zulu), Striker and the students start blasting anything with a military uniform on until Turner is the only one left.
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
I think “borderline mindless” doesn’t begin to describe how dumb and ridiculous this movie is. Its Toy Soldiers meets Rambo but with none of the style. It has grade Z production values and cheesy performances from everyone involved. Reed hams it up beyond all cure and can’t seem to go through the majority of the film without some sort of drink in his hand (ah, life imitates art!). It at least seems like he’s having fun, which cannot be said for the rest of the cast. Ryan may be ripped (and he takes every opportunity to let u know that, especially in the torture sequences) but he’s about as intimidating as your local gymnastics coach. And Cameron Mitchell (Space Mutiny…by the way, where was MST3K for this one?) seems to zone in and out as a covert CIA agent but when he’s on, he hams it up too. It is mindless fun at times but the endless gun battles become repetitive and there’s nothing else to help you along. Add the anti-climactic ending and you have an action piece with very little in redeeming value.
Body Count/Violence: 190! Son of a bitch, this movie’s violent! In an era where a high body count was a given, this certainly lives up to the task. 34 people buy it in the first 15 minutes alone and it just keeps building and building from there, with some hilariously falling over without being hit with bullets yet! Most are blown away by guns and grenades but there’s some neck breaking, electro-torture, clubbing, spear throwing, dart blowing and other stuff that doesn’t rhyme. However, the majority of the film cannot match the nastiness of the first 10 minutes, when the coup takes place. After mowing down several resort goers with bloody gunfire, Turner watches as one of his minions shoots the prime minister’s little kid. Turner develops a temporary conscience and explains to him that they don’t kill children. He then shoots the prick in the leg (with bloody close up of the wound) and backs his helicopter into him, slicing into him with the back propeller! The rest is a cakewalk compared to that!
Sexuality/Nudity: Ryan and Maxine John have the obligatory From Here to Eternity rip-off sex scene, complete with her showing her breasts. There are also some sorority girls in unbuttoned shirts and skimpy panties in one scene.
Language/Dialogue: Mild for the most part. It was funny to see Propeller guy screaming (Austin Powers-style) “God Damn You!” at Turner while the helicopter slowly backs up.
How bad was it?:
Again, there are no reviews like most A.I.P. releases. However, feedback on IMDB pretty much designates it as hollow dreck.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
No box office records here. I’m sure Ollie Reed’s bar tab was the highest expense in the budget, just slightly ahead of the bullets.
Film: */*****
Entertainment value: **1/2/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
Point of No Return
The Action Mutant…
may not be smarter than a 5th grader, but can the kid go through Bronson’s filmography?
Point of No Return
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
Ok, here’s a fact that will probably get me kicked out of the Action Union: I have never seen the 1990 film La Femme Nikita in its entirety. Worse yet…I’ve seen its American remake Point of No Return a good five times! And I liked it! Well, strip me naked and tie me to a flagpole (no, really…don’t)! For some reason, film elitists will automatically term a remake (especially an American remake of a foreign film) to be totally devoid of any quality, no matter what film it is. Funny, I don’t remember anyone shitting on The Ring, despite the fact the Japanese Ringu is supposedly superior. While American cinema is known for some amazing foreign remake atrocities (Breathless, Get Carter, Swept Away…though Guy Ritchie’s technically British but lets face it, he was under some influence), who’s to say that a blind squirrel can’t find his nuts every once in a while. Despite the fact that I do disdain the fact that filmmakers tend to remake films that were near perfect to begin with, that notion will simply never change in a filmmaker’s constant pursuit for perfection. Oh, and if foreign is always better, how does that explain Uwe Boll? Checkmate.
The Plot, as it was:
Bridget Fonda (Kiss of the Dragon) stars as Maggie, a punkish junkie who kills a cop during a robbery and is put to death. Only, in the next scene, Maggie awakes in a white room and sees a mysterious man named Bob (Gabriel Byrne). Turns out Maggie’s death was faked and she was spared by a secret government agency that Bob’s a part of. After some martial arts and firearms training (and some etiquette lessons from Anne Bancroft), abrasive Maggie is rechristened as glamorous Claudia and let back into normal society. The End. Well, that would be a suck-ass Action film, right? Anyway, Claudia is soon forced into the life of a hit(wo)man by the agency, with Bob readily insisting that she can be terminated at any time if she does not comply. This proves to be a real bummer for Claudia, who is in love with Californian photographer J.P. (Dermot Mulroney), who is becoming incredibly wary of his lady’s secretive nature. Will Claudia keep her double life intact or will she end up getting paid a visit from The Cleaner (Harvey Keitel). Trust me; you don’t fuck with The Cleaner.
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
Fixation for Ms. Fonda aside (what? she’s friggin’ hot! What do you want from me?), Point of No Return is actually a very capable Action film that is not the irreparable mess that people seem to make it out to be. Certainly, it’s not perfect by any stretch, as there are plot questions that needlessly rack the brain (Does Claudia actually think that when Bob sends her someplace, she WON’T be doing a hit? If J.P. hasn’t found out anything about Claudia in the four months they’ve been dating, why is he still around? I’ll chalk that one up to her being dynamite in bed). And the transformation from Maggie to Claudia may be a bit too uniform, as if the guttural, emo-ish Maggie goes from a Before to After shot without much substance to be shown in the process. But as an action thriller, it delivers a few tight sequences and the majority of the cast is credible with such a wholly improbable tale. Fonda shows off telling emotional range for an Action saga and really gets over the undercurrent of Maggie’s vague past the way expository dialogue would not (and the use of Nina Simone’s music tells the story in even more volumes). Byrne is just his usual cool best (as The Arrow would say, he is “The Byrne”!) and Miguel Ferrer dials it up to about 0.7 on the Bob Morton scale as the head of the agency. Mulroney’s a mixed bag and it’s not so much about his performance as it is about his character. The writers have changed this character to be more confrontational with Claudia but Robert Getchell & Alexandra Seros can’t seem to decide whether he’s a concerned boyfriend, a douche or just a plain moron. It’s a case where the character seems actually overwritten, if that’s possible. One performance I wish was longer is that of Keitel’s Cleaner. His ten minutes of screen time brings a sense of menace to the film after the Claudia/J.P. dynamic tires. I almost wish the writers had made him more of a source of conflict than what was presented, as it would have almost been like Claudia’s cold past as Maggie coming back in The Cleaner’s cold, ghostly form. In the end, Point of No Return is great, rainy day entertainment, remake or not. Pfft, Uwe Boll.
Body Count/Violence: 34. Surprising what a petite woman can do, no? Not only is Maggie/Claudia proficient with using a pencil and a shard of glass as a stabbing apparatus, she also kicks ass with martial arts. Nevertheless, most are done in by some bloody shooting (both point blank and sniper style), vehicular rundown and explosions (including sweet rocket launcher use!). The Cleaner uses acid to erase the victim’s identities and even though nothing is seen, you get the gist.
Sexuality/Nudity: Did I mention Bridget Fonda was in this? Needless to say, she spends a few scenes in some form of undress and/or hot outfit (gray CK underwear, black panties and open shirt, black dress and pantyhose, doing a hit in a t-shirt and skimpy panties, red leather thigh high boots…should I continue?) There’s a sex scene with her and Mulroney where a glimpse of nipple may be visible, as well as her breasts being cupped (though it’s a close up, which usually screams “body double”). There’s also a guy and gal mooning and flashing their ass & titties at Mardi Gras, respectively.
Language/Dialogue: Fairly strong, especially when Claudia reverts to her past attitude.
How bad was it?:
Most critics were only too quick to point at the deficiencies the remake had as opposed to the original. Ebert gave it *** but did mention that the changes made weren’t for the better though he did like the Pygmalion element just fine.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
Warner Bros. released Point of No Return on 3/19/93, as it finished 2nd its first weekend to the third Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. It slowly fell out of the top 10 after a month or so and finished its run with a $30 million gross (against no budget figures released). I don’t know why the budget was never made public but my guess is that the film was a modest bomb.
Film: ***/*****
Entertainment value: ****/*****
Copyright 2008 The Action Mutant.
may not be smarter than a 5th grader, but can the kid go through Bronson’s filmography?
Point of No Return
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
Ok, here’s a fact that will probably get me kicked out of the Action Union: I have never seen the 1990 film La Femme Nikita in its entirety. Worse yet…I’ve seen its American remake Point of No Return a good five times! And I liked it! Well, strip me naked and tie me to a flagpole (no, really…don’t)! For some reason, film elitists will automatically term a remake (especially an American remake of a foreign film) to be totally devoid of any quality, no matter what film it is. Funny, I don’t remember anyone shitting on The Ring, despite the fact the Japanese Ringu is supposedly superior. While American cinema is known for some amazing foreign remake atrocities (Breathless, Get Carter, Swept Away…though Guy Ritchie’s technically British but lets face it, he was under some influence), who’s to say that a blind squirrel can’t find his nuts every once in a while. Despite the fact that I do disdain the fact that filmmakers tend to remake films that were near perfect to begin with, that notion will simply never change in a filmmaker’s constant pursuit for perfection. Oh, and if foreign is always better, how does that explain Uwe Boll? Checkmate.
The Plot, as it was:
Bridget Fonda (Kiss of the Dragon) stars as Maggie, a punkish junkie who kills a cop during a robbery and is put to death. Only, in the next scene, Maggie awakes in a white room and sees a mysterious man named Bob (Gabriel Byrne). Turns out Maggie’s death was faked and she was spared by a secret government agency that Bob’s a part of. After some martial arts and firearms training (and some etiquette lessons from Anne Bancroft), abrasive Maggie is rechristened as glamorous Claudia and let back into normal society. The End. Well, that would be a suck-ass Action film, right? Anyway, Claudia is soon forced into the life of a hit(wo)man by the agency, with Bob readily insisting that she can be terminated at any time if she does not comply. This proves to be a real bummer for Claudia, who is in love with Californian photographer J.P. (Dermot Mulroney), who is becoming incredibly wary of his lady’s secretive nature. Will Claudia keep her double life intact or will she end up getting paid a visit from The Cleaner (Harvey Keitel). Trust me; you don’t fuck with The Cleaner.
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
Fixation for Ms. Fonda aside (what? she’s friggin’ hot! What do you want from me?), Point of No Return is actually a very capable Action film that is not the irreparable mess that people seem to make it out to be. Certainly, it’s not perfect by any stretch, as there are plot questions that needlessly rack the brain (Does Claudia actually think that when Bob sends her someplace, she WON’T be doing a hit? If J.P. hasn’t found out anything about Claudia in the four months they’ve been dating, why is he still around? I’ll chalk that one up to her being dynamite in bed). And the transformation from Maggie to Claudia may be a bit too uniform, as if the guttural, emo-ish Maggie goes from a Before to After shot without much substance to be shown in the process. But as an action thriller, it delivers a few tight sequences and the majority of the cast is credible with such a wholly improbable tale. Fonda shows off telling emotional range for an Action saga and really gets over the undercurrent of Maggie’s vague past the way expository dialogue would not (and the use of Nina Simone’s music tells the story in even more volumes). Byrne is just his usual cool best (as The Arrow would say, he is “The Byrne”!) and Miguel Ferrer dials it up to about 0.7 on the Bob Morton scale as the head of the agency. Mulroney’s a mixed bag and it’s not so much about his performance as it is about his character. The writers have changed this character to be more confrontational with Claudia but Robert Getchell & Alexandra Seros can’t seem to decide whether he’s a concerned boyfriend, a douche or just a plain moron. It’s a case where the character seems actually overwritten, if that’s possible. One performance I wish was longer is that of Keitel’s Cleaner. His ten minutes of screen time brings a sense of menace to the film after the Claudia/J.P. dynamic tires. I almost wish the writers had made him more of a source of conflict than what was presented, as it would have almost been like Claudia’s cold past as Maggie coming back in The Cleaner’s cold, ghostly form. In the end, Point of No Return is great, rainy day entertainment, remake or not. Pfft, Uwe Boll.
Body Count/Violence: 34. Surprising what a petite woman can do, no? Not only is Maggie/Claudia proficient with using a pencil and a shard of glass as a stabbing apparatus, she also kicks ass with martial arts. Nevertheless, most are done in by some bloody shooting (both point blank and sniper style), vehicular rundown and explosions (including sweet rocket launcher use!). The Cleaner uses acid to erase the victim’s identities and even though nothing is seen, you get the gist.
Sexuality/Nudity: Did I mention Bridget Fonda was in this? Needless to say, she spends a few scenes in some form of undress and/or hot outfit (gray CK underwear, black panties and open shirt, black dress and pantyhose, doing a hit in a t-shirt and skimpy panties, red leather thigh high boots…should I continue?) There’s a sex scene with her and Mulroney where a glimpse of nipple may be visible, as well as her breasts being cupped (though it’s a close up, which usually screams “body double”). There’s also a guy and gal mooning and flashing their ass & titties at Mardi Gras, respectively.
Language/Dialogue: Fairly strong, especially when Claudia reverts to her past attitude.
How bad was it?:
Most critics were only too quick to point at the deficiencies the remake had as opposed to the original. Ebert gave it *** but did mention that the changes made weren’t for the better though he did like the Pygmalion element just fine.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
Warner Bros. released Point of No Return on 3/19/93, as it finished 2nd its first weekend to the third Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. It slowly fell out of the top 10 after a month or so and finished its run with a $30 million gross (against no budget figures released). I don’t know why the budget was never made public but my guess is that the film was a modest bomb.
Film: ***/*****
Entertainment value: ****/*****
Copyright 2008 The Action Mutant.
Point Blank (1967)
The Action Mutant…
thinks Lee Marvin can fuck people up from the dead!
Point Blank (1967)
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
Simple analogy time: If Charles Bronson is the God of all old school action heroes, then Lee Marvin is their Jesus. Everyone points to Bronson for how distinctive he sounded and looked but Marvin may have been just as distinctive, if not more so. With a voice that sounded like Robert Mitchum after a three day whiskey bender and a seemingly permanent scowl etched across his face, Marvin came off as a guy charming enough to have a drink with yet angry enough to throw down on you. And it didn’t matter who you were either. Marvin’s characters didn’t play favorites with women or other ethnicities; he just ran through everyone he needed to until he reached the end of his mission (even though his weary exterior made it seem like he wouldn’t hold up for the rest of the day). And yet there was that other side (like in his Oscar winning turn in Cat Ballou) that showed the guy had a fun side that gave him more dimensions than you thought he had. It seems like I discover a new Marvin film I haven’t seen before every few years or so and this is one of his most famous. And, good Lord is he ever pissed in this one!
The Plot, as it was:
Lee Marvin is Walker, a man left for dead in a jail cell by his wife Lynne (Sharon Acker) and his partner-in-crime Mal Reese (John Vernon). The three just intercepted a money exchange at Alcatraz but Reese double crossed his partner and left with his woman and his share of the money ($93,000). Able to escape, Walker finds out that the robbery was all a part of a criminal operation within a high powered corporation. Walker becomes determined to collect what’s his or kill anyone involved with keeping his money from him. The best question to ask is not whether he’ll succeed or not but…is any of this actually happening?
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
Point Blank is certainly a rare bird. It’s a great antihero film made all the more engrossing by the fact that you don’t know which side of the fence you’re supposed to be riding. On one hand, you root for Walker to do harm to those that have done him in because that’s just what you do with the hero. On the other hand, as one character points out, “You threaten a financial structure like this for $93,000?” I mean, railing against capitalism is one thing but Walker is not exactly going for all of the company’s riches. His $93,000 is a very small sum in the grand scheme of this process and he seems more sore about that than being left for dead! And then, there’s the matter of if any of this actually happened. It’s obvious from the opening frames that Walker is pretty much on death’s doorstep and the inclusion of hallucinations and flashbacks during the course of the film give the viewer the impression that this is all just one big revenge fantasy cooked up in Walker’s dying brain. You never really feel sure about what Walker’s experiencing, even though a lot of his actions seem to be filmed as if they are in a haze. There are jazzy, colorful surroundings accentuated by director John Boorman, which counters the coldness of Walker’s mere presence. The undercurrent of the film is that no matter how the story takes place, it can be looked at as a modern day Western tale; a one man Wild Bunch, if you will. Walker is a part of the “old guard” of doing things, in which he looks out for himself and comes barreling into town for one purpose. He is pretty much the individual gunslinger and “the man with no name” (his name being “Walker” is about as simple as you can get without referring to him as no one). The thought of Walker’s story being either traditional cinematic revenge fare or half baked fantasy is irrelevant. Either way, Walker is rallying against the machine-like, modern way the world works now. As his nemesis, Vernon show equal amounts of menace and pathetic shallowness and Carroll O’Connor does well in his small role. All in all, Point Blank is a great thriller that puts an interesting spin on the vengeance fantasy.
Character/Supporting Actor Sighting!:
- Sid Haig (Capt. Spaulding from House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects) is credited as “First Penthouse Lobby Guard”.
Body Count/Violence: 7. Though it’s not an overly bloody tale, there is a definite streak of meanness to Point Blank. Mostly everyone is shot to death but the real highlight is Walker fighting dirty with a pair of goons at a nightclub. He uses everything that isn’t nailed down and even turns a pummeled foe over onto his back just to punch him in the balls! That’s RUTHLESS!
Sexuality/Nudity: There are several moments of people rolling about in bed but nothing is shown, only implied. Vernon’s half naked posterior and Angie Dickinson’s nude silhouette are briefly seen (the latter reminds me that if I had a time machine, 1967 Angie Dickinson would be near the top of the list to…oh, well).
Language/Dialogue: None, though there’s a lot of tough talk. This was rated R back in the day but it’s basically a light PG-13 now, at best.
How bad was it?:
It was viewed as hideous and nasty by wimpy critics at the time. Of course, Ebert (patron saint of the misunderstood masterpiece) gave it ***/**** and since then, most critics have followed that line. This is definitely a cult favorite that has been credited in lending influence to the neo-noir styling of Tarantino and the like.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
Made on a $3 million budget by MGM, Point Blank premiered in the U.S on 9/30/67. Though no box office records seem present, it has earned $3.5 million in rentals since that time.
Film: ****/*****
Entertainment value: ****/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
thinks Lee Marvin can fuck people up from the dead!
Point Blank (1967)
review by Joe Burrows
Perspective:
Simple analogy time: If Charles Bronson is the God of all old school action heroes, then Lee Marvin is their Jesus. Everyone points to Bronson for how distinctive he sounded and looked but Marvin may have been just as distinctive, if not more so. With a voice that sounded like Robert Mitchum after a three day whiskey bender and a seemingly permanent scowl etched across his face, Marvin came off as a guy charming enough to have a drink with yet angry enough to throw down on you. And it didn’t matter who you were either. Marvin’s characters didn’t play favorites with women or other ethnicities; he just ran through everyone he needed to until he reached the end of his mission (even though his weary exterior made it seem like he wouldn’t hold up for the rest of the day). And yet there was that other side (like in his Oscar winning turn in Cat Ballou) that showed the guy had a fun side that gave him more dimensions than you thought he had. It seems like I discover a new Marvin film I haven’t seen before every few years or so and this is one of his most famous. And, good Lord is he ever pissed in this one!
The Plot, as it was:
Lee Marvin is Walker, a man left for dead in a jail cell by his wife Lynne (Sharon Acker) and his partner-in-crime Mal Reese (John Vernon). The three just intercepted a money exchange at Alcatraz but Reese double crossed his partner and left with his woman and his share of the money ($93,000). Able to escape, Walker finds out that the robbery was all a part of a criminal operation within a high powered corporation. Walker becomes determined to collect what’s his or kill anyone involved with keeping his money from him. The best question to ask is not whether he’ll succeed or not but…is any of this actually happening?
Don’t shoot me…I’m only the reviewer!:
Point Blank is certainly a rare bird. It’s a great antihero film made all the more engrossing by the fact that you don’t know which side of the fence you’re supposed to be riding. On one hand, you root for Walker to do harm to those that have done him in because that’s just what you do with the hero. On the other hand, as one character points out, “You threaten a financial structure like this for $93,000?” I mean, railing against capitalism is one thing but Walker is not exactly going for all of the company’s riches. His $93,000 is a very small sum in the grand scheme of this process and he seems more sore about that than being left for dead! And then, there’s the matter of if any of this actually happened. It’s obvious from the opening frames that Walker is pretty much on death’s doorstep and the inclusion of hallucinations and flashbacks during the course of the film give the viewer the impression that this is all just one big revenge fantasy cooked up in Walker’s dying brain. You never really feel sure about what Walker’s experiencing, even though a lot of his actions seem to be filmed as if they are in a haze. There are jazzy, colorful surroundings accentuated by director John Boorman, which counters the coldness of Walker’s mere presence. The undercurrent of the film is that no matter how the story takes place, it can be looked at as a modern day Western tale; a one man Wild Bunch, if you will. Walker is a part of the “old guard” of doing things, in which he looks out for himself and comes barreling into town for one purpose. He is pretty much the individual gunslinger and “the man with no name” (his name being “Walker” is about as simple as you can get without referring to him as no one). The thought of Walker’s story being either traditional cinematic revenge fare or half baked fantasy is irrelevant. Either way, Walker is rallying against the machine-like, modern way the world works now. As his nemesis, Vernon show equal amounts of menace and pathetic shallowness and Carroll O’Connor does well in his small role. All in all, Point Blank is a great thriller that puts an interesting spin on the vengeance fantasy.
Character/Supporting Actor Sighting!:
- Sid Haig (Capt. Spaulding from House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects) is credited as “First Penthouse Lobby Guard”.
Body Count/Violence: 7. Though it’s not an overly bloody tale, there is a definite streak of meanness to Point Blank. Mostly everyone is shot to death but the real highlight is Walker fighting dirty with a pair of goons at a nightclub. He uses everything that isn’t nailed down and even turns a pummeled foe over onto his back just to punch him in the balls! That’s RUTHLESS!
Sexuality/Nudity: There are several moments of people rolling about in bed but nothing is shown, only implied. Vernon’s half naked posterior and Angie Dickinson’s nude silhouette are briefly seen (the latter reminds me that if I had a time machine, 1967 Angie Dickinson would be near the top of the list to…oh, well).
Language/Dialogue: None, though there’s a lot of tough talk. This was rated R back in the day but it’s basically a light PG-13 now, at best.
How bad was it?:
It was viewed as hideous and nasty by wimpy critics at the time. Of course, Ebert (patron saint of the misunderstood masterpiece) gave it ***/**** and since then, most critics have followed that line. This is definitely a cult favorite that has been credited in lending influence to the neo-noir styling of Tarantino and the like.
Did it make the studio’s day?:
Made on a $3 million budget by MGM, Point Blank premiered in the U.S on 9/30/67. Though no box office records seem present, it has earned $3.5 million in rentals since that time.
Film: ****/*****
Entertainment value: ****/*****
Copyright 2007 The Action Mutant.
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