It’s not often the heart and enthusiasm for a genre can carry over in to an indie production. “Sins of the Dragon” is obviously made by people who have a love for the martial arts and action genre, and thankfully they turn that love in to an entertaining and very creative short fantasy thriller about redemption, and traveling warriors.
Tag Archives: Adventure
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
In spite of the heavy criticism it received, I really enjoyed “The Rise of Cobra” as a silly action movie fantasy that tried to have fun with its source material. The twenty six year old me in 2009 really enjoyed the goofy fun that was the first film, but the ten year old me loved every single moment of the cinematic adaptation of the famed toy line. “Retaliation” is still a very flawed film (stop letting RZA act in movies!), but it’s superior to the first installment in every way.
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Unrated Version) (2013)
“Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” is the best “Evil Dead” sequel we never got. It’s a fast paced horror action hybrid with witches that are monstrous, powerful, and absolutely disgusting. To offset their frightful appearance, Hansel and Gretel are there to stomp on their heads and provide merciless deaths while providing biting bon mots. “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” channels Sam Raimi in many ways; I almost expected Ash to jump out from the woods at some point yelling “Yo, She-bitch!”
Dragonworld (1994)
While Charles Band and Moonbeam films tend to be silly on occasion, they’re hardly ever bad. “Leapin Leprechauns” was goofy but fun and while “Dragon World” can be occasionally silly, it’s kind of a fun film in its own right. It’s a version of “King Kong” that doesn’t really opt for violence, so much as it tries to tell a story about friendship. Director Ted Nicolao obviously has little budget for the film, so when we see the film’s creature Yowler the Dragon, most times it’s only just his head and most of his neck. On long shots it’s claymation super imposed over live action footage.
Under the Bed (2013) (DVD)
Director Steven C. Miller offers horror fans something of an extension of “Little Monster” where he sets the entire film around two brothers battling the monster under their bed. When older brother Paulie’s brother is kidnapped by the monster, he takes on the beast and torn limbs begin to fall every which way. “Under the Bed” thankfully garners something of an interesting exploration of the monster under the bed, and how it’s not only alive thanks to the children, but because of the inherent anger from familial tensions.
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
I am of the opinion that it would have been an excellent idea to pass the “Die Hard” franchise over from John McClane to his daughter Lucy. That would not only have been a fantastic move for an iconic franchise but breathed fresh air in to a stale movie series. Mary Elizabeth Winstead could have proven herself as an action heroine, the series could have revived the idea that females can lead action movies, and we could have visited a brand new character from the McClane legacy who could have brought a bold new angle to the “Die Hard” series. Sadly, casting females in action movies is still considered bold and new. The producers missed out on a golden opportunity to really change the genre as a whole. Instead we’re given this.
The Comic Bucket List #2: Battle Chasers
“The Comic Bucket List” is a limited column where we review 25 comic books and graphic novels we’ve been meaning to read for years. We discover if they were worth waiting for, or if they never quite lived up to the hype they promised.
BATTLE CHASERS
1998
Joe Madureira, Munier Sharrieff, Adam Warren