Leave it to Sam Raimi to take lemons and make batshit crazy insane lemonade. Pulling a George Lucas, “Darkman” was once the efforts from Raimi to adapt “The Shadow” on the big screen. When that fell through, he created his own superhero, a demented horror oriented avenger named Darkman. And he’s about what you’d expect from the man who gave us Ashley Williams. Liam Neeson gives a very entertaining turn as Peyton Westlake, a scientist who becomes the unwitting victim of a mob scheme. After Peyton’s fiance Julie discovers a document that can incriminate her boss in his efforts to develop land over the deserted docks, Peyton is tortured by local mob boss Robert Durant’s gang and murdered.
Tag Archives: Action
Envoy (2014)
For now, David Weinstein’s “Envoy” is really just “Iron Giant” meets “Predator,” but I think with a wider scope and feature length, “Envoy” could be so much more. The short film from director Weinstein acts simultaneously as a spec film for a more fully realized follow-up and I’m anxious to see where he takes this premise. “Envoy” feels like Weinstein took Spielberg, “Iron Giant,” and The Zeta Project for one really good, but menacing science fiction adventure.
Any Given Sunday (1999) 15th Anniversary Director’s Cut [Blu-ray]
Oliver Stone’s “Any Given Sunday” is a film that literally anyone can watch. Because while it’s certainly a sport films centered on the industry of football, its central themes are relatable to anyone. While on the surface it’s about business and athletes, and competing, mainly “Any Given Sunday” is about a group of people trying desperately to out run the clock of time, and gain some sense of security for their future before father time catches up on them. When we meet these people in the narrative, many of them are at the beginning of their short careers trying to build a future, while others find their windows of opportunity closing and desperately cling to any chance to secure their future for themselves and their family. Stone composes a very richly defined ensemble drama about the football industry and how demanding it is both as an arena for skilled athletes, and athletes anxiously trying to bank on the momentum of their popularity, as fleeting it may be.
“The Flash” Season One, Episode One: City of Heroes Review
It’s great to see DC and Warner bros. finally giving The Flash his due after so many years in limbo. “The Flash” has always been a wonderful character from the DC universe that was way too science fiction based to ever become a respectable series or movie, so for years fans had nothing. Surely John Wesley Shippe’s “The Flash” was a solid adaptation, but beyond that, it was merely table scraps. “The Flash” fully realizes what an amazing character the titular speedster is and completely sets up nothing but storylines and sub-plots in the pilot, while also telling a great origin tale of how a scientist became the fastest man alive.
Godzilla (2014) [Blu-ray/DVD/Digital]
Warner Bros. Pictures were wise to hire Gareth Edwards to film what is essentially a reboot of the Godzilla series for American audiences. Director Edwards displays a knack for depicting giant monsters as forces of nature that affect civilization, and he carries a lot of the sensibilities from “Monsters,” over in to the reworking of “Godzilla.” His version of “Godzilla” is less monsters stomping around and fist fighting, and more of a disaster film with a slew of human beings affected by the chaos that two monsters inflict when they rise from their gestation to feed on radiation around the world and wreak pure chaos. “Godzilla” is a sterner and dramatic approach to the lore, offering a very interesting dynamic between characters, all of whom carry through the themes of family and unity among the human race. Particularly fatherhood.
Sexy Rangers (2011)
The original title for the film is “Big Boob Squad: Sexy Rangers.” Because based on the film, there’s something called Pai Energy that’s emitted from women’s “big bountiful breasts.” This somehow is the source of the power for the Sexy Rangers and their mission to fight crime and save—big boobs? I’m not sure, as I was distracted by the jiggling and colorful outfits. It’s clear that “Sexy Rangers” is a spoof of “Super Sentai,” and I was surprised to see how much fun this movie was. Even without the big boobs, it has its charms. The “Boob Squad” even has a robot sidekick named Pai 02 that has two huge eyes that resemble breasts. Somewhere Fred Olen Ray is watching from the sidelines with a proud smile a la Mr. Miyagi.
I Declare War (2014)
I guess you can make the argument that “I Declare War” is something of a variation of The Stanford Prison Experiment where we’re given a glimpse in to set roles and the extremes taken with them. Instead “I Declare War” is filled with nothing but preteens and some teenagers and presents a very deceitful set up. While it’s true the film is about a bunch of kids playing war in the woods, the film is not for all ages. It’s a very adult film, and that’s one of the reasons why I wasn’t quick to give up on it once it ran out of steam mid-way. This is how kids act. They’re violent, and swear a lot. They’re wiser than anyone thinks, they can be vulnerable, and courageous, and through and through, they have their own personal rivalries with one another that can take a turn for the disturbing.