“The Getaway” was the film that turned me on to McQueen and introduced me to a new form of coolness, McQueen, who was a bad-ass as an action star as much he was an actor. Steve McQueen is just about larger than life in anything he was in, and with “The Getaway” he manages to elevate himself above the crime thriller, and helps Ali McGraw become his ultimate assailant in crime.
From Scream Factory comes two slasher films included in a pack that will test the resolve of even the most loyal slasher movie buffs. “X-Ray” tranquilized me and by the time “Schizoid” was almost done I was desperately trying to keep my eyes open. To their credit, they are a double pack for experimental horror fans, but on their own and without a distraction, they’re two of the most mind numbing slasher films I’ve ever seen.
See, this is what happens when you attempt to placate a hot woman. You end up with “The Chosen One.” It’s safe to say Carmen Electra had absolutely no business being in movies, unless it was in some kind of ironic sense. She was in “Baywatch” for a while, but it’s not like that series ever required anyone to pull in anything but a sub-par performance. It’s pretty interesting that of all the movie roles, she decides to star in a pseudo-supehero movie of all things. She’s not convincing as an action star, as she engages in only two short fight scenes in the entire movie, and doesn’t really sell herself as this heroine.
Though it may not be considered a “Classic” by today’s standards, those among us that appreciate the inherent entertainment value behind “Dark Angel” (aka “I Come In Peace”) know that it’s a unique and original science fiction flick. We always see films about aliens that either want to make friends, diddle women, or invade Earth. How many times do we see a film about an intergalactic drug dealer that comes to Earth to create a super narcotic they can deal in space?
RoboCop really isn’t that good of a hero, when you think about it. After killing off an evil businessman and a lethal gang in the first film, and stopping the production on a vicious war weapon in the second film, nothing has changed. Detroit is still under control of OCP, and even worse, RoboCop is all alone. With “RoboCop” really just a kids superhero in the nineties what with an animated series, video games, and short lived TV show, the producers try to appeal to his fan base by giving the final “RoboCop” a PG-13 installment and showing little progress story wise.
“RoboCop 2” in spite of the script from the once legendary Frank Miller, repeats much of the same beats as the first film. It’s twice as violent, and uneven in tone, but it’s basically the first film all over again in many respects. OCP is planning to release another new robotic police officer, they want to make RoboCop obsolete yet again, there’s a vicious violent gang on the loose and wreaking havoc, and they have some connections to OCP.
Paul Verhoeven’s science fiction revenge picture is a film that’s thankfully shown very little wrinkles since its introduction in 1987. While “RoboCop” is by no means a masterpiece, it surely does succeed in placing itself in the higher echelons of science fiction where its hero is a victim, even when suited in a heavy metallic coat of armor, blasting away every criminal within eye sight.