Clint Eastwood plays one of the hardest anti-heroes in film history, well before the moniker was created. A true Man-with-No-Name movie (the three credited in the actual series all had Clint’s character have a name but you really had to pay attention to catch them), he plays a drifter that comes to a mining town with the goal of a drink and a bath. After killing the three town bullies, he is given the opportunity to have anything he wants if only he will assume the role of town protector against the pending attack of a trio of released prisoners. Punishment and revenge is the subject of this movie as we eventually learn the identity of the anti-hero and why he actually came to Lago. Easily one of Eastwood’s finest performances, this movie that could never be made today because of its controversial content, gets a 9 out of 10.
An American nuclear sub goes down in the Atlantic under unknown circumstances. A civilian deep sea platform is recruited by the government to assist a SEAL team in the rescue/recovery of the crew and top secret assets aboard the boat. Unknown to everyone, visitors have taken up residence in a 3-mile deep abyss in the region. The underwater crew fights the elements and human hostility in an attempt to survive, only to come face to face with beings capable of wiping all of humanity off of the face of the planet. Cameron overcomes all of the scientific difficulties and conflicts in the story by following the lead of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs by simply waving them away and crediting the resolutions to “they must have done something.” A solid 8 out of 10, especially if you view the Special Edition.
In this rather unique Western, East meets West as cinematic legends Charles Bronson and Toshirō Mifune team up to hunt down Bronson’s backstabbing partner (Alain Delon) who has stolen a precious sword given by the Emperor of Japan to the United States as a sign of friendship between the two countries. Ursula Andress provides the eyecandy as a woman torn between two lovers. The movie drags somewhat, but still gets a 7 out of 10.
A Vietnam Veteran, blinded while seeing action in-country, is lost in an attack and considered to be killed in action. A local village helps him to recover and begin to live with his disability. Eventually, Nick Parker makes his way back to America and seeks out his BFF from the war. Unfortunately, that friend has gotten involved with organized crime and is the chemist responsible for synthesizing a new illegal drug.
When Frank starts to cause problems for the crime boss, they go after his family whom Nick just happens to be visiting at the time of the attempted kidnapping. Now Nick assumes the responsibility of Frank’s young son and the pair travel from Florida to Reno, NV to find Frank. Even though Nick is blind, he still is a force to reckon with via his concealed cane sword.
The action is typical 80s, with the only original aspect being the disability of the main character. Overall, Blind Fury is a fine popcorn flick for one of those rainy Saturday afternoons. It receives 7 out of 10 stars.
Jeff Bridges plays a Mob Boss taken hostage for ransom which leaps off the rails almost immediately. With the brains behind the operation (Peter Greene) killed, now the driver (Jon Abrahams) - who has a Steve McQueen obsession - is forced to adapt on the fly while two crime families fight over an unpaid debt. Noah Wyle (E.R., The Librarian) plays Bridges’ personal bodyguard and shows a dimension of his acting ability not seen before. This “based on true events” story bombed at the box office but is definitely worth your time. An excellent edge of your seat drama with a few twists and turns built in. A solid 7 out of 10.
One of the handful attempts by Kiefer Sutherland to sit in the director’s chair, along with having a definite on-screen presence. As a member of a quartette of criminals, he plays a mad dog killer type looking to rip off some drug dealers to turn the product over for some big cash. Of course the job goes bad and the four are immediately on the run from the cops and the mob. The amount of star power in the credits is impressive for a low-budget affair. Martin Sheen, Rod Steiger, Kevin Pollak, John C. McGinley, James McDaniel and Rick Rossovich all play important supporting roles. Obviously, many favors were called in to fill out the cast.
The action is decent, the level of acting is above average and the story turns you sympathetic for the thieves who always seem to screw things up. Overall, it gets a 7 out of 10.
Written by Richard Matheson under the title I Am Legend, this was Hollywood’s second rendition of the story. It was more action-packed than the original 1964 The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price and really examined the factor of individual isolationism and the mental ravages it could cause.
Col. Robert Neville (Heston) was working on a medical cure against the biological weaponry of an unnamed enemy (presumably the USSR) when his chopper is brought down as he was attempting to begin distribution of the cure. Injecting himself, he becomes the only man immune from the germ warfare. Years later, he is self-tasked with cleaning out the remaining mutated individuals that did not immediately die as they attempt to kill him off; the last remaining individual of a dead age.
If you can look past the rough 1970s special effects, you get an enjoyable popcorn evening of late twentieth-century apocalyptical horror. 7 out of 10.
Lee Majors heads up this action drama as a ramrod hired on to top out a building before the bank forecloses and shuts down construction. The only problem is that he is asked to do the impossible and hang 9 floors in 3 weeks. To make this a reality, Majors recruits the wildest of the wild to work topside and brings together this volatile group of Alpha-males who really only barely get along. Fighting the bank, the unions, the weather and the scheming brother of the recently deceased construction boss who is looking to take over the project, Majors pushes his crew and the deadline to the breaking point to get the job done. The ending is not something to be missed. A 6 out of 10.
Based on actual events, Tony Scott and Denzel Washington team up once again to bring this edge-of-your-seat action adventure to the big screen. Washington plays the role of an aging train engineer being forced out of his job by the company simply to cut payroll expenses. Chris Pine plays the young and upcoming conductor who is struggling to find himself. These two opposites are scheduled to work together the day that a runaway train occurs on their route. This train, traveling at 60+ MPH, contains 8 tanker cars carrying toxic chemicals and is endangering the town of Scranton, PA.
This movie proves that not all superheroes wear capes. It is a solid 8 out of 10.
Sylvester Stallone plays the part of a hired assassin who gets double-crossed after he and his partner complete a job. With his partner killed, Stallone goes out looking for the culprits. Here he meets up with Sung Kang - a D.C. police officer who happens to be investigating the death of Stallone’s mark - and they join forces looking for the people pulling the strings. Jason Momoa plays the heavy who eventually matches up with Stallone in the film’s climax in a fire axe fight.
Definitely a popcornfest of a flick with this action/adventure crime drama. 7 out of 10.
Yes that’s a really good film, I’ve always thought of Denzil Washington as one of the greatest in Hollywood, I have always thoroughly enjoyed all his films.
Liam Neeson reprises the role of Bryan Mills, a former special forces soldier whose family is seemingly constantly under attack by outsiders. This time, Bryan’s ex-wife is killed and he is framed for her murder. Mills must go underground and utilize all of his learned skills to find the real killer. Action, action and more action is the word of the day. A definite 7 out of 10.
Based on real life events in Philadelphia in 1974, Pride is a movie based on the life of coach Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) and how his vision of swimming helped the youth and the community as a whole. Bernie Mac tries really hard to steal the show with his dramatic performance and demonstrates he is more than just another comedian. A heart lifting experience. This film gets 8 out of 10 stars.
Based on the life accomplishments of Sean Porter in his conversion of how under-aged gang members were rehabilitated and freed from their previous servitude to the streets. Dwayne Johnson takes the leading role in this feel-good movie which includes actual footage of Coach Porter in action during the ending credits. Turning losers into winners, via the football field, was his goal and his success rate for changing the paths of young men was about 75%; a fantastic improvement over previous administrators. It gets a 7 out of 10.
Four brothers are reunited together to mourn the passing of their mother. John Wayne and Dean Martin lead a western all-star cast, including George Kennedy as the hired gun brought in to specifically handle John Elder (Wayne), who is a famous gunfighter. When the brothers go to settle their mother’s estate, they discover that the family ranch has been “acquired” by a rival and their father had been gunned down without any investigation. Seeking justice, or revenge, the brothers begin a concerted effort to right wrongs done to their family.
The film has all of the standard western ingredients with very little new introduced to the formula. Nevertheless, Wayne and Martin bring a unique brotherly dimension to the film and everything just works well. Not as good as many other John Wayne westerns, it still fills out the requirements for a decent flick. It gets a 7 out of 10 stars.
John Wayne plays the part of Quirt Evans, a shootist and gun for hire. He is mortally wounded and is nursed back to health by a Quaker family. Because of their pacifistic beliefs, Quirt is forced to reexamine his life choices and philosophies as he falls in love with their young daughter. Intending to turn over a new leaf, Quirt has his new lifestyle constantly challenged by his past constantly raising its ugly head. A solid 7 out of 10.
The Cost.
What do you do when a man responsible for killing the person dearest to you is captured, sentenced to 30 years , serves 10 of those years, then is let out into the world having been considered reformed . His crime had a ripple effect, and in time it destroyed the lives of all the people connected to it. Evil does that in the world.
Intent on dispensing their own brutal form of justice, two ordinary men abduct a felon who committed a horrific crime many years before.
Based on the book Jack’s Return Home, this black version of Get Carter (1971, 2000) puts Bernie Casey in the lead role looking to find out what happened to cause the death of his brother. Bernie breaks heads of those interfering and breaks the hearts of the ladies. Not quite as good as the 2000 remake featuring Stallone, I found this version on par with the original starring Caine. The soundtrack is 100% funk and soul. It gets a 6.5 out of 10 stars.
