Showing posts with label Arnold Schwarzenegger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arnold Schwarzenegger. Show all posts

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Review: "Conan the Destroyer" Goes on an Adventure

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 138 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Conan the Destroyer (1984)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Richard Fleischer
WRITERS: Stanley Mann; from a story by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway (based upon the characters and stories created by Robert E. Howard)
PRODUCER: Raffaella De Laurentiis
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jack Cardiff
EDITOR: Frank J. Urioste

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/ACTION

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wilt Chamberlain, Grace Jones, Mako, Tracey Walter, Olivia d’Abo, and Sarah Douglas, Pat Roach, Sven Ole Thorsen, Bruce Fleischer, and Ferdinand Mayne

Queen Taramis (Sarah Douglas) makes a deal with Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger), the Cimmerian who is barbarian, warrior, and thief: accompany her niece, Princess Jehnna (Olivia d’Abo) and her bodyguard Bombatta (the late Wilt Chamberlain, in his first and only film role) to find a precious jewel and key, which they will bring back to Taramis’ kingdom. For that, Taramis says she will revive Conan’s lover, Valeria (who was killed in the film Conan the Barbarian).

Grieving and still madly in love with Valeria, Conan agrees and leads a ragtag group of adventures that includes his fellow thief, Malak (Tracey Walter), Akiro “The Wizard” (played by the actor, Mako, Akiro also appeared in the first film), and a wild warrior woman, Zula (Grace Jones), who escort Jehnna and Bombatta on a quest of find the princess’ treasure. Meanwhile, Queen Taramis secretly plots against Conan and Jehnna, as part of a larger plan to awaken Dagoth the Sleeping God, who currently resides in Taramis’ palace as a reclining marble statue.

Conan the Destroyer, is a lot lighter fare than its predecessor, Conan the Barbarian. Gone are macho men filmmakers, co-writer/director John Milius and co-writer, Oliver Stone. They are replaced for the second film by director Richard Fleischer and two comic book writers, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, who wrote the treatment for this film, which screenwriter Stanley Mann apparently changed quite a bit. Fleischer, well known for directing such family-friend fantasy films as Walt Disney’s 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Fantastic Voyage, and Doctor Doolittle, gives Conan the Destroyer a lighter tone than the first film. It’s silly, but fun – almost cartoonish.

Even in a flick with a lighter tone, Arnold Schwarzenegger is still imposing and fun as Conan. Grace Jones and Tracey Walter’s characters are excellent comic relief (and have some decent screen chemistry between the two of them). The villains are straight out of fantasy pulp fiction and B-movies. Basil Poledouris returns to score the second film, but much of Destroyer’s score sounds like music from Conan the Barbarian. Although the first film is technically a better film (and more of a guy’s flick), I prefer the fun, adventure fantasy that Conan the Destroyer offers.

6 of 10
B

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Review: The Rock Gave Action Stardom "The Rundown"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 149 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Rundown (2003)
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for adventure violence and some crude dialogue
DIRECTOR: Peter Berg
WRITERS: R.J. Stewart and James Vanderbilt, from a story by R.J. Stewart
PRODUCER: Marc Abraham, Bill Corless, Karen Glasser, and Kevin Misher
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tobias Schliessler (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Richard Pearson
COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams

ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson, Christopher Walken, Ewen Bremner, Jon Gries, William Lucking, Ernie Reyes, Jr., and Arnold Schwarzenegger (no screen credit)

Early in The Rundown, Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a cameo appearance in which he tells The Rock/Dwayne Johnson’s character to have fun. It’s an unofficial passing of the torch from one veteran comic book action hero to the new guy who just may be at the head of the class of the next generation of action heroes. It an appropriate meeting of the rippling bods because The Rundown is the kind of over the top action movie that is just as much fun to watch as classic Ah-nold cinema.

In The Rundown, Beck (The Rock) specializes in finding people who owe money to the wrong kind of people or who run away from an obligation. His latest assignment (and he hopes his last) is to find Travis (Seann William Scott), an irresponsible rich kid who owes a terrible debt to his father. Travis is hiding in small isolated town in the Amazon where he is searching for that one big treasure that will make his fortune and reputation as a treasure hunter. Beck’s arrival attracts the unwanted attention of Hatcher (Christopher Walken), a local despot, who begins a small war against Beck and Travis to obtain Travis’ treasure.

Director Peter Berg (who is also an actor) does an excellent job playing up the personality quirks that make his cast so popular, but he also gives The Rock and Scott a new twist on their respective shticks. The Rock has some gloriously brutal fight scenes that combine the style of professional wrestling with a hyper realistic video game version of wrestling. Berg, however, lets The Rock show a more human, thoughtful, and intelligent side; he’s less like the cartoonish gladiator of WWE and more like the determined warrior of his earlier movie hit, The Scorpion King. Seann Scott also shines as something more than the one-note joke for which he is best known in the American Pie movies; he’s a funny and wacky idiot when the moment calls for laughs, but he’s also a gritty, stand up guy tailor made to play the buddy movie sidekick.

The Rundown is a very good action movie and a lot of fun to watch because of its fair amount of humor. The fights scenes (two in particular, one in the beginning and one in the middle, are nearly as mind bending as anything in The Matrix) are fabulous, breathtaking, and really make the movie. The gun fights and explosions are fairly typical of big budget film productions and only detract from the movie. Christopher Walken and Rosario Dawson’s characters are little more than barnacles, and Walken is himself rapidly becoming a stock character. Still, in the end, all hail The Rock; it really does seem as if a movie star is born.

6 of 10
B

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Monday, September 6, 2010

Review: "The Expendables" is the Real Kick Ass

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 73 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux -
The Expendables (2010)

Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong action and bloody violence throughout, and for some language
DIRECTOR: Sylvester Stallone
WRITERS: David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone; from a story by David Callaham
PRODUCERS: Kevin King, Avi Lerner, Kevin King Templeton, and John Thompson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jeffrey Kimball (director of photography)
EDITORS: Ken Blackwell and Paul Harb
COMPOSER: Brian Tyler

ACTION

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, David Zayas, Giselle ItiƩ, Charisma Carpenter, Gary Daniels, and Terry Crews with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger

The late summer 2010 box office season has offered one surprising gem, The Expendables, an explosive action film co-written, directed, and starring Sylvester Stallone. Much has been made of this film being a throwback to the old macho, testosterone-fueled action films of the 1980s. Indeed, this movie does have a First Blood and friends, Team Rambo vibe to it. In fact, 80s action stars, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, swagger (and wheeze a bit) through cameo appearances.

The Expendables, however, isn’t some homage, parody, or sentimental recollection of action movie days gone by. The Expendables is an authentic ass-kicking, ass-stabbing, cap-popped-in-ass action movie, and boy, is it good. [No panty-waists allowed!]

The story focuses on the Expendables, an elite band of mercenaries led by an American named Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone). The teams consists of Ross’ right-hand man, former Special Air Service soldier, Lee Christmas (Jason Statham); martial artist Yin Yang (Jet Li); sniper Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren); demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture); and weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews).

Ross accepts a high-paying assignment from the mysterious “Mr. Church” (Bruce Willis) to assassinate General Garza (David Zayas), the brutal dictator of (fictional) Vilena, a small Caribbean island nation. On a reconnaissance mission, Ross and Christmas learn that Garza is being backed by James Munroe (Eric Roberts) a corrupt ex-CIA agent. With his henchmen, Paine (Steve Austin) and The Brit (Gary Daniels), Munroe manipulates Garza and his military into terrorizing the island’s inhabitants, while Munroe seeks to control the drug trade he once fought as CIA. Inspired by Sandra (Giselle ItiĆ©), a beautiful islander, Ross becomes determined to stop Munroe and Garza, even if he has to do it alone – although his Expendables obviously won’t let him.

I don’t remember 80s action movies being quite as violent and as gory as The Expendables, although Die Hard 2 had an equally high body count. The violence, however, is not a problem for me. Movies like the Jason Bourne franchise and the recent Live Free or Die Hard offer so much high-tech gloss that the low-tech, bloody mayhem of The Expendables is like cool, sweet lemonade on a scorching hot summer day. This is a meat and potatoes action movie in which brute force does the ass kicking without computerized weapons.

Of course, the acting is mostly mediocre, but still surprisingly sincere. Watching The Expendables, you might get the idea that these guys had fun making this movie, but still took their work very seriously. Jason Statham is the standout here, and Terry Crews’ Hale Caesar should have had more screen time, while Jet Li’s Yin Yang felt extraneous.

Stallone has surprised everyone and made a real action movie, a man’s man action movie. At his age and after plastic surgery, Stallone is starting to look like Boris Korloff’s Frankenstein. Still, by sticking to his old guns, he and his cinematic kitchen staff have made an action movie meal that sticks to the ribs. Hollywood should ask for The Expendables’ recipe.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, September 06, 2010

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Thursday, July 8, 2010

Review: Original "Predator" Still a Thrill

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Predator (1987)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
DIRECTOR: John McTiernan
WRITERS: Jim Thomas and John Thomas
PRODUCERS: John Davis, Lawrence Gordon, and Joel Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Donald McAlpine (director of photography)
EDITORS: Mark Helfrich and John F. Link
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri

ACTION/SCI-FI with elements of horror and thriller

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, R.G. Armstrong, Shane Black, and Kevin Peter Hall

A favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger film is the action movie classic, Predator. The film also introduced moviegoers to the talents of director John McTiernan, who would go on to make a name for himself in big action thrillers featuring lone, tough guy heroes like Die Hard and mega flops like Medicine Man and The Last Action Hero. As much as this is considered a Schwarzenegger film, McTiernan put his stamp on Predator by creating not only good action and fights scenes, but also by creating a palatable air of mystery and suspense to the proceedings. He only let the audience see just enough to keep their appetites going before he finally opens the film up for the big throw down between Arnold and The Predator.

The story is simple. A team of commandos led by Major Dutch (Schwarzenegger) go on a mission in the jungles of Central America for a government operative (Carl Weathers) with whom Dutch has a history. The story behind the mission turns out to be a sham. Worse, an extra-terrestrial warrior (Kevin Peter Hall) is hunting the team and picking them off one at a time.

Like Aliens, Predator would go on to influence a generation of comic book creators, game designers, and sci-fi novelists who became enamored with commando units and assorted military special operatives. Many super hero comics and violent video games feature Navy S.E.A.L.s, marine units, and heavily armed soldiers fighting monsters and sundry creatures from other worlds.

But don’t hold that against it. Predator is a good time – a great popcorn movie for the guys. It’s an effective thriller, a textbook example of a simple-minded, macho action movie that works so well. Heck, I’ve seen it countless times.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Joel Hynek, Robert M. Greenberg, Richard Greenberg, and Stan Winston)

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