Thursday, April 13, 2006
Review: Scary Movie 4
More successful than even The Naked Gun trilogy, this spoof franchise reaches its fourth installment under the guidance of master of mockery David Zucker. Collaborating with regular screenwriter Pat Proft (and Craig Mazin who also returns for part four) on the third film created a nostalgic experience which was markedly different to that of Keenen Ivory Wayans' first two gross-out comedies. Scary Movie 4 continues the same traditions but also has similar flaws.
The narrative is once again a blend of parody, assembled from elements of The Grudge, War of the Worlds, The Village and Saw, but isn’t as strong as that of Hot Shots: Part Deux or even Mafia. Both those films were directed by Jim Abrahams who joins Pat Proft on script duty here. I’m certain Abrahams' contribution helped to create the half-decent narrative and to blend the very different styles (horror and science fiction) which proved so uneven in Scary Movie 3. Thankfully there are also few exception where the theme deviates. Unlike the extended 8 Mile parody which had no place in a movie carrying the title Scary Movie, this fourth film is faithful to its genre roots with the exception of a lamentable digression to parody Brokeback Mountain. Zucker creates a tone that allows the shock moments to play in a similar manner to a real horror movie.
It’s a shame I cannot report that this is a return to form for Zucker, Proft and Abrahams. For while all the elements make for an improvement of the third film Scary Movie 4 is still a long way from the finest examples of the form. Like the increasingly lazy Leslie Nielsen spoofs in the late 1990s, there isn’t the rapid-fire humour of past hits. Specifically the sight gags, which proved so integral to earlier films, are few and far between.
There was a time when you would not dare take your eyes from the screen for fear of missing some subtle example of mise-en-scene. A mock advertisement, sign or product. This continued through the closing credits with sporadic jokes and "fun facts" which extended the art of parody into this oft-ignored film convention so that they are an integral part of the film experience. Despite the strengths of these latest Scary Movie films such key attributes prevent this incredibly successful franchise from fulfilling its full potential.
Key to the best parodies has been the casting of non-comedic actors. Such was the diminishing power of Leslie Nielsen’s presence. Anna Faris has been the lead in every Scary Movie thus far, but it is her straight-faced co-stars who sell the legitimacy of the strange reality we are presented with. Craig Bierko takes the male lead as the Tom Cruise-inspired hero of the story. But it is Michael Madsen who steals the movie in one short scene. His typically tormented and demented character so sincere as he delivers ludicrous dialogue. The aforementioned Nielsen also returns, an act of almost obligatory casting that is strangely even more appropriate than usual.
Indebted to Lloyd Bridges portrayal of an incompetent President in Hot Shots! Part Deux, an eerie foreshadow of the Bush mockery growing in popularity in an increasingly jaded public, Nielsen’s typical performance is more appropriate than ever. Reintroduced in a bold parody of the moment Bush learned the country was under attack on September 11th 2001, Nielsen’s presence is not only a strategic bit of casting for this genre icon but also has a real world resonance audiences respond to. In addition Nielsen seems more at ease. In Scary Movie 3 his role, aside Charlie Sheen’s, merely reminded viewers of the superiority of the classics instead of allowing us to engage with their performances.
David Zucker is a master of imitation. Even when jokes are thin on the ground or weak the sheer quality of the homage is jaw dropping. On a fraction of the budget that the films being mocked have, Zucker’s crew flawlessly emulate blockbuster production standards and cinematography. Of particular not is a one of the War of the Worlds inspired basement scenes. The screen takes on a cold blue tint which is not only a slight but powerful nuance to the production but also enhances the humour which comes out of the scene, one of the most powerful in Spielberg’s film.
More successful than even The Naked Gun trilogy, this spoof franchise reaches its fourth installment under the guidance of master of mockery David Zucker. Collaborating with regular screenwriter Pat Proft (and Craig Mazin who also returns for part four) on the third film created a nostalgic experience which was markedly different to that of Keenen Ivory Wayans' first two gross-out comedies. Scary Movie 4 continues the same traditions but also has similar flaws.
The narrative is once again a blend of parody, assembled from elements of The Grudge, War of the Worlds, The Village and Saw, but isn’t as strong as that of Hot Shots: Part Deux or even Mafia. Both those films were directed by Jim Abrahams who joins Pat Proft on script duty here. I’m certain Abrahams' contribution helped to create the half-decent narrative and to blend the very different styles (horror and science fiction) which proved so uneven in Scary Movie 3. Thankfully there are also few exception where the theme deviates. Unlike the extended 8 Mile parody which had no place in a movie carrying the title Scary Movie, this fourth film is faithful to its genre roots with the exception of a lamentable digression to parody Brokeback Mountain. Zucker creates a tone that allows the shock moments to play in a similar manner to a real horror movie.
It’s a shame I cannot report that this is a return to form for Zucker, Proft and Abrahams. For while all the elements make for an improvement of the third film Scary Movie 4 is still a long way from the finest examples of the form. Like the increasingly lazy Leslie Nielsen spoofs in the late 1990s, there isn’t the rapid-fire humour of past hits. Specifically the sight gags, which proved so integral to earlier films, are few and far between.
There was a time when you would not dare take your eyes from the screen for fear of missing some subtle example of mise-en-scene. A mock advertisement, sign or product. This continued through the closing credits with sporadic jokes and "fun facts" which extended the art of parody into this oft-ignored film convention so that they are an integral part of the film experience. Despite the strengths of these latest Scary Movie films such key attributes prevent this incredibly successful franchise from fulfilling its full potential.
Key to the best parodies has been the casting of non-comedic actors. Such was the diminishing power of Leslie Nielsen’s presence. Anna Faris has been the lead in every Scary Movie thus far, but it is her straight-faced co-stars who sell the legitimacy of the strange reality we are presented with. Craig Bierko takes the male lead as the Tom Cruise-inspired hero of the story. But it is Michael Madsen who steals the movie in one short scene. His typically tormented and demented character so sincere as he delivers ludicrous dialogue. The aforementioned Nielsen also returns, an act of almost obligatory casting that is strangely even more appropriate than usual.
Indebted to Lloyd Bridges portrayal of an incompetent President in Hot Shots! Part Deux, an eerie foreshadow of the Bush mockery growing in popularity in an increasingly jaded public, Nielsen’s typical performance is more appropriate than ever. Reintroduced in a bold parody of the moment Bush learned the country was under attack on September 11th 2001, Nielsen’s presence is not only a strategic bit of casting for this genre icon but also has a real world resonance audiences respond to. In addition Nielsen seems more at ease. In Scary Movie 3 his role, aside Charlie Sheen’s, merely reminded viewers of the superiority of the classics instead of allowing us to engage with their performances.
David Zucker is a master of imitation. Even when jokes are thin on the ground or weak the sheer quality of the homage is jaw dropping. On a fraction of the budget that the films being mocked have, Zucker’s crew flawlessly emulate blockbuster production standards and cinematography. Of particular not is a one of the War of the Worlds inspired basement scenes. The screen takes on a cold blue tint which is not only a slight but powerful nuance to the production but also enhances the humour which comes out of the scene, one of the most powerful in Spielberg’s film.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Review: Extreme Heist (1999)
Were it not for the amazing stunt work in this film there would be very little to recommend it. Shot on a minuscule budget, as evidenced by the use of disused warehouses and wide open spaces for the majority of the shooting, Extreme Heist is essentially a show reel for two stunt teams. The visual quality may be poor and the narrative fairly unengaging, but the creativity and expertise of the Alpha Stunt Team and AAC is certainly adequate compensation.
Following a similar narrative formula to Drive (1996) this is something of a companion piece, co-directed as it is by that film’s choreographer Koichi Sakamoto. He and Makato Yokoyama (director of Shadow Fury (2002)) are Japanese born Hong Kong film enthusiast who came to America with a view to bringing Jackie Chan-style action to the west.
With Drive a relative failure, though a cult classic, they soon found their place on children’s television. Extreme Heist is something of an attempt to break away from the trappings of daytime television and truly demonstrate their potential, especially since Jackie Chan and Jet Li broke through in Hollywood. After years of working on the various series of "The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" (still going since 1993) it wasn’t only Sakamoto and Yokoyama who were apparently bored, for they got two of that show’s stars, Johnny Yong Bosch and Jason Narvy, to star in their venture. Narvy appropriately plays the straight man to Bosch’s clichéd agile Asian.
Like Marc Dacascos before him, Bosch demonstrates skill and agility which screams out for more elaborate and high profile work. While Dacascos did eventually make that transition, Bosch has yet to do so. With work especially thin on the ground, I anticipate that we will never see Bosch in another film like this.
Bosch and Narvy are two ambitious but foolish criminals. Their daredevil antics and juxtaposition against more insidious foes make them endearing in that anti-hero way. But I’m not entirely comfortable with all their actions. While they only steal from other crooks, the moment when they tie up an old couple and take up residence in their home does hinder their loveable rogue status in my opinion. I can’t actually think of anything which justifies this moment, save to say that this scene, for better or worse, reminds us that these are criminals.
The action scenes which make up the majority of the film are superb, a testament to the way talented filmmakers can produce something from nothing. Action seems to have been choreographed from whatever was affordable, with shoddy shacks and cars serving as both locations and props for the performers. The stunts are both physical and vehicular, with many sequences bringing the two into close contact. Bosch fights off hordes of minions and has a showdown with the tall villain at the climax, but even in the quieter moments he adds impressively unnecessary flourishes to his actions.
The title itself is an indication of an additional aspect of diversification. Not content to sell the film solely on fights and vehicular stunts, Sakamoto and Yokoyama injected the novel aspect of extreme sports into the story by opening and closing the film with impressive skydiving sequences. The ending is especially notable, including an interesting attempt at gunplay as they plummet to earth.
But before we reach this intriguing climax, as our two protagonists are chased by the villain for possession of a typically irrelevant maguffin, they are joined by a high-kicking female character. The role of mystery woman/love interest serves to add both intrigue to the plot and another figure to root for in the fight scenes. Such is now typical for almost all films of this type, like Bulletproof Monk (2003) and Cradle 2 The Grave (2003). Consider, finally, the conceptual similarities to Shanghai Knights (2003). The performers skilled in fighting are once again both Asian and the useless white buddy is similarly a cocky, blonde joker with an eye for the ladies. At different ends of the spectrum, Extreme Heist and Shanghai Knights both achieve similar goals. They make us gasp at the technical achievement and endurance of the unsung heroes of the action genre.
Were it not for the amazing stunt work in this film there would be very little to recommend it. Shot on a minuscule budget, as evidenced by the use of disused warehouses and wide open spaces for the majority of the shooting, Extreme Heist is essentially a show reel for two stunt teams. The visual quality may be poor and the narrative fairly unengaging, but the creativity and expertise of the Alpha Stunt Team and AAC is certainly adequate compensation.
Following a similar narrative formula to Drive (1996) this is something of a companion piece, co-directed as it is by that film’s choreographer Koichi Sakamoto. He and Makato Yokoyama (director of Shadow Fury (2002)) are Japanese born Hong Kong film enthusiast who came to America with a view to bringing Jackie Chan-style action to the west.
With Drive a relative failure, though a cult classic, they soon found their place on children’s television. Extreme Heist is something of an attempt to break away from the trappings of daytime television and truly demonstrate their potential, especially since Jackie Chan and Jet Li broke through in Hollywood. After years of working on the various series of "The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" (still going since 1993) it wasn’t only Sakamoto and Yokoyama who were apparently bored, for they got two of that show’s stars, Johnny Yong Bosch and Jason Narvy, to star in their venture. Narvy appropriately plays the straight man to Bosch’s clichéd agile Asian.
Like Marc Dacascos before him, Bosch demonstrates skill and agility which screams out for more elaborate and high profile work. While Dacascos did eventually make that transition, Bosch has yet to do so. With work especially thin on the ground, I anticipate that we will never see Bosch in another film like this.
Bosch and Narvy are two ambitious but foolish criminals. Their daredevil antics and juxtaposition against more insidious foes make them endearing in that anti-hero way. But I’m not entirely comfortable with all their actions. While they only steal from other crooks, the moment when they tie up an old couple and take up residence in their home does hinder their loveable rogue status in my opinion. I can’t actually think of anything which justifies this moment, save to say that this scene, for better or worse, reminds us that these are criminals.
The action scenes which make up the majority of the film are superb, a testament to the way talented filmmakers can produce something from nothing. Action seems to have been choreographed from whatever was affordable, with shoddy shacks and cars serving as both locations and props for the performers. The stunts are both physical and vehicular, with many sequences bringing the two into close contact. Bosch fights off hordes of minions and has a showdown with the tall villain at the climax, but even in the quieter moments he adds impressively unnecessary flourishes to his actions.
The title itself is an indication of an additional aspect of diversification. Not content to sell the film solely on fights and vehicular stunts, Sakamoto and Yokoyama injected the novel aspect of extreme sports into the story by opening and closing the film with impressive skydiving sequences. The ending is especially notable, including an interesting attempt at gunplay as they plummet to earth.
But before we reach this intriguing climax, as our two protagonists are chased by the villain for possession of a typically irrelevant maguffin, they are joined by a high-kicking female character. The role of mystery woman/love interest serves to add both intrigue to the plot and another figure to root for in the fight scenes. Such is now typical for almost all films of this type, like Bulletproof Monk (2003) and Cradle 2 The Grave (2003). Consider, finally, the conceptual similarities to Shanghai Knights (2003). The performers skilled in fighting are once again both Asian and the useless white buddy is similarly a cocky, blonde joker with an eye for the ladies. At different ends of the spectrum, Extreme Heist and Shanghai Knights both achieve similar goals. They make us gasp at the technical achievement and endurance of the unsung heroes of the action genre.
Review: Shadow Fury (2002)
There is no other movie like this. It’s that simple. A hybrid of American Western and Japanese Samurai movie conventions, manipulated through the imagination offered by science fiction. An homage to old style action / martial arts B movies infused with the ballet-like brutality of Hong Kong cinema.
Japanese representation in western cinema has often been associated with villainy. Like Hong Kong cinema, the Japanese embraced the clichés of gangster cinema but imbued their films with complexities. The Japanese gangsters, Yakusa, were presented as anti-heroes, the audience being invited to attempt to understand the violent nature of these men. To understand the briefly summarise the evolution of this genre. Using a ‘coming to America’ theme, Japanese film makers brought these ideas to the west, resulting in these hybrid pictures.
One part gangster movie, one part action movie, the gangster was placed in juxtaposition to an American cop. Their stories running parallel, the narrative would draw the two together, erasing their differences in a final collaborative effort to take down a dual threat. No Way Back (1995) and its tongue-in-cheek companion piece Back to Back (1996) were followed by a Fatal Blade (2001) which is the most notable precursor of this film. Fatal Blade introduced the sword as well as elaborate stunts and wire fighting to the conventions of this sub-genre. But while each of these films is rooted strongly in the action and gangster genres, Shadow Fury creates its own unique identity by incorporating science fiction and historical elements.
In its manipulation of the conventions of this sub-genre, Shadow Fury creates strong connotations with the action / martial arts B movies of the 1980s. In the early 80s martial arts films, Sho Kosugi was the only major Southeast Asian star. The result of a quest to establish a major Asian talent in the wake of Bruce Lee’s untimely demise, Kosugi infused the Ninja theme to emphasise his uniquely Japanese identity. When kickboxer Don Wilson, a half-Japanese American, succeeded Kosugi’s crown, in the late 80s, he shifted the focus to more typically western themes, similar to Chuck Norris, who had been Kosugi’s principle mainstream genre competitor.
Japanese wrestler Masaharu Okadu is almost a dead ringer for Kosugi and revives that overtly Asian style of dress and performance, emphasising the similar legend of the samurai warrior. By uniting this with Hong Kong influenced fight sequences, Shadow Fury adds a contemporary dynamic to the retro styling. In forming the contrasting part of this film, Sam Bottoms perfectly evokes the Eastwood persona of the grizzled gunfighter, which was similarly left behind, paving the way for the pin-up generation of action wannabes. The fact that Makoto Yokoyama’s film has such a grainy picture quality, low budget aesthetics (limited locations, few extras), and notable B supporting players (Fred Williamson and Pat Morita) serves to enhance the feel of the film as a piece of old B film making.
Imagine a Sho Kosugi martial arts movie crossed with The Terminator (1984), but with the added sensitivity of Terminator 2 (1991). Imagine the role of protector being that of an ageing, rugged gunfighter. Now pile on the B movie melodrama and a bizarre plot device wherein our American hero needs a to capture the villain for his liver (he needs a transplant). This is Shadow Fury.
In a future where human cloning is illegal, a mad scientist has created the ultimate killing machine. His mission, to kill the corporate scientists who fired his master. Our mercenary hero has been hired (ala Blade Runner) to stop him. When the scientist is killed, the killer, created in the form of an ancient samurai warrior, is left a ronin (a master-less samurai). Compelled by his conditioning to continue his mission, the gunfighter protects the young female scientist (love interest) who is next on the list.
Each of their stories is one of redemption. Both find this redemption through the love of a woman. The samurai meets a young prostitute who helps him discover his repressed compassion and humanity, while the gunfighter defeats his inner demons and his alcoholism. It is then up to the two to join forces to unleash vengeance on another evil scientist, who has created an even more brutal killing machine, in the form of Ultimate Fighting Champion Bas Rutten. None of these details spoil the movie.
This is a film wherein the execution is more interesting than the narrative. What I refer to as a ‘spot the cliché’ movie. The conventions, retro B movie styling and amazing martial arts sequences are more reasons than you need to see this movie. Shadow Fury is everything that is great and fun about contemporary B cinema.
There is no other movie like this. It’s that simple. A hybrid of American Western and Japanese Samurai movie conventions, manipulated through the imagination offered by science fiction. An homage to old style action / martial arts B movies infused with the ballet-like brutality of Hong Kong cinema.
Japanese representation in western cinema has often been associated with villainy. Like Hong Kong cinema, the Japanese embraced the clichés of gangster cinema but imbued their films with complexities. The Japanese gangsters, Yakusa, were presented as anti-heroes, the audience being invited to attempt to understand the violent nature of these men. To understand the briefly summarise the evolution of this genre. Using a ‘coming to America’ theme, Japanese film makers brought these ideas to the west, resulting in these hybrid pictures.
One part gangster movie, one part action movie, the gangster was placed in juxtaposition to an American cop. Their stories running parallel, the narrative would draw the two together, erasing their differences in a final collaborative effort to take down a dual threat. No Way Back (1995) and its tongue-in-cheek companion piece Back to Back (1996) were followed by a Fatal Blade (2001) which is the most notable precursor of this film. Fatal Blade introduced the sword as well as elaborate stunts and wire fighting to the conventions of this sub-genre. But while each of these films is rooted strongly in the action and gangster genres, Shadow Fury creates its own unique identity by incorporating science fiction and historical elements.
In its manipulation of the conventions of this sub-genre, Shadow Fury creates strong connotations with the action / martial arts B movies of the 1980s. In the early 80s martial arts films, Sho Kosugi was the only major Southeast Asian star. The result of a quest to establish a major Asian talent in the wake of Bruce Lee’s untimely demise, Kosugi infused the Ninja theme to emphasise his uniquely Japanese identity. When kickboxer Don Wilson, a half-Japanese American, succeeded Kosugi’s crown, in the late 80s, he shifted the focus to more typically western themes, similar to Chuck Norris, who had been Kosugi’s principle mainstream genre competitor.
Japanese wrestler Masaharu Okadu is almost a dead ringer for Kosugi and revives that overtly Asian style of dress and performance, emphasising the similar legend of the samurai warrior. By uniting this with Hong Kong influenced fight sequences, Shadow Fury adds a contemporary dynamic to the retro styling. In forming the contrasting part of this film, Sam Bottoms perfectly evokes the Eastwood persona of the grizzled gunfighter, which was similarly left behind, paving the way for the pin-up generation of action wannabes. The fact that Makoto Yokoyama’s film has such a grainy picture quality, low budget aesthetics (limited locations, few extras), and notable B supporting players (Fred Williamson and Pat Morita) serves to enhance the feel of the film as a piece of old B film making.
Imagine a Sho Kosugi martial arts movie crossed with The Terminator (1984), but with the added sensitivity of Terminator 2 (1991). Imagine the role of protector being that of an ageing, rugged gunfighter. Now pile on the B movie melodrama and a bizarre plot device wherein our American hero needs a to capture the villain for his liver (he needs a transplant). This is Shadow Fury.
In a future where human cloning is illegal, a mad scientist has created the ultimate killing machine. His mission, to kill the corporate scientists who fired his master. Our mercenary hero has been hired (ala Blade Runner) to stop him. When the scientist is killed, the killer, created in the form of an ancient samurai warrior, is left a ronin (a master-less samurai). Compelled by his conditioning to continue his mission, the gunfighter protects the young female scientist (love interest) who is next on the list.
Each of their stories is one of redemption. Both find this redemption through the love of a woman. The samurai meets a young prostitute who helps him discover his repressed compassion and humanity, while the gunfighter defeats his inner demons and his alcoholism. It is then up to the two to join forces to unleash vengeance on another evil scientist, who has created an even more brutal killing machine, in the form of Ultimate Fighting Champion Bas Rutten. None of these details spoil the movie.
This is a film wherein the execution is more interesting than the narrative. What I refer to as a ‘spot the cliché’ movie. The conventions, retro B movie styling and amazing martial arts sequences are more reasons than you need to see this movie. Shadow Fury is everything that is great and fun about contemporary B cinema.
Review: U.S. Seals 2: The Ultimate Force (2001)
Nu Image are the most prolific producers of bland action films for the video market; no question. Following in the footsteps of Cannon films and PM Entertainment, Nu Image emerged in the early 90s with their own stable of stars and distinctive low-budget aesthetics. The identifiable Nu Image style was a result of their reliance on dated methods of filmmaking and their recourse to South African and Eastern European production locations. U.S. Seals 2 is just one of many films made to this formula, but it is the manner in which it exceeds these expectations which causes me to bring it to your attention.
Director Isaac Florentine has shown a great deal of promise in his career so far, despite failing to produce a satisfactory product. His prior work for Nu Image, including a vehicle for British martial artist Gary Daniels and established international star Dolph Lundgren, showed an advanced commitment to the injection of Hong Kong style action choreography present in his entire filmography. U.S. Seals 2 is, at time of writing, his most successful attempt at such a hybrid.
A sequel to a typically dire production, with not even one established star attached, U.S. Seals 2 manages to surprise and amaze with its modest injection of talent and sheer enthusiasm. Courtesy of choreographer Andy Cheng, a member of Jackie Chan’s exemplary stunt team, Nu Image have delivered one of their finest products, one which also ranks as one of the best attempts to infuse balletic martial arts within the American action movie formula, now very much an essential ingredient in mainstream Hollywood productions such as Charlie’s Angels (2000) and DareDevil (2003).
Inevitably the film has its flaws and the action clichés are present in abundance. The story is merely an excuse, the plot being a hybrid of Thunderball (1965), The Rock (1996) and Enter the Dragon (1973). The characters and their actions are all drawn from familiar paradigms; from the hero who re-enters service to face an old adversary to the dying soldier who pleads for a message to be passed to his beloved. And the typically decrepit locations are part of Nu Image’s apparent strategy to make something out of nothing. The illusion of production value. The looped dialogue and cheap computer effects merely reinforce the expectations offered by the mundane visuals and laughable conventions. While some may be unable to stifle laughter during a viewing, it is the way Cheng (co-starring and serving as 2nd unit director) and Florentine unite their creative visions to present awe-inspiring action which counteracts all these negative issues and ultimately turns them to its advantage.
The way the jaw-dropping action scenes rise from within this otherwise trite production demonstrates so well the importance of talent and not money in filmmaking. It’s also great that this is a sequel to a film most people will never even have heard of either; B movie sequels are generally much worse than their predecessors. U.S. Seals 3 (2002) is certainly a testament to this line of thinking. Though there are only three major fight scenes they are all spectacular and far more complex and lengthier in duration than those we were led to expect from the likes of Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. The first major fight scene, in which the assembled team take on a typically face-less army of mercenaries rivals even the Crazy 88 sequence in Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003).
If you approach the film in the correct frame of mind you will applaud the creativity and forgive the flaws in logic. This is a martial arts film which requires an excuse to unite a team of skilled professionals to perform almost super-human feats. As such the plot is constructed on the premise that the villain is hiding out on an abandoned island, clouded in a methane gas. This means that guns are not permitted, requiring hand-to-hand combat. Genius. Unfortunately the concept is weakened by the fact that chains and bladed weapons are clashed with aplomb. But this is a comic book film, a fantasy. Florentine’s over-the-top use of exaggerated ‘slicing wind’ sound effects is both ludicrous and a great accessory to the film. From the opening he uses these effects for everything from a slight wave of a hand to a turning head.
Clearly influenced as much by John Woo as Jackie Chan, Florentine’s film bears a significant resembelence to both Broken Arrow (1996) and M-1:2 (2000). Before segueing into a purely martial arts film, the plot begins with a typically irrelevant action scene. This serves to establish the tone of the film, the principle characters and to ease the transition from the guns and bombs style of U.S. Seals (1999) and Operation Delta Force (1997). This sequence features no martial arts but does feature some stunning falls from stunt team members and modest wire-work in conjunction with the Woo-esque two pistol action.
Michael Worth and Damien Chapa, as hero and villain respectively, are competent actors and fighters, with youthful looks appropriate to the aesthetically conscious post-1980s action formula, but it is their co-stars who shine most. The most extraordinary thing about U.S. Seals 2 is that it highlights the unsung heroes of the action movie. While many of the stunt performers remain faceless, there are moments in the action which leave us in no doubt that the additional players are suffering like Jackie Chan himself for our entertainment. It is therefore unsurprising to learn that many of these actors are also accomplished stunt-persons, and most notable among these is Sophia Crawford. Not only is Sophia one of (if not the) only British stunt woman in Hollywood, she is also clearly recognisable as the stunt double of "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" (1997 to 2003). Generally hidden behind rapid cuts, her role here allows her to showcase her talents to the limit.
Nu Image are the most prolific producers of bland action films for the video market; no question. Following in the footsteps of Cannon films and PM Entertainment, Nu Image emerged in the early 90s with their own stable of stars and distinctive low-budget aesthetics. The identifiable Nu Image style was a result of their reliance on dated methods of filmmaking and their recourse to South African and Eastern European production locations. U.S. Seals 2 is just one of many films made to this formula, but it is the manner in which it exceeds these expectations which causes me to bring it to your attention.
Director Isaac Florentine has shown a great deal of promise in his career so far, despite failing to produce a satisfactory product. His prior work for Nu Image, including a vehicle for British martial artist Gary Daniels and established international star Dolph Lundgren, showed an advanced commitment to the injection of Hong Kong style action choreography present in his entire filmography. U.S. Seals 2 is, at time of writing, his most successful attempt at such a hybrid.
A sequel to a typically dire production, with not even one established star attached, U.S. Seals 2 manages to surprise and amaze with its modest injection of talent and sheer enthusiasm. Courtesy of choreographer Andy Cheng, a member of Jackie Chan’s exemplary stunt team, Nu Image have delivered one of their finest products, one which also ranks as one of the best attempts to infuse balletic martial arts within the American action movie formula, now very much an essential ingredient in mainstream Hollywood productions such as Charlie’s Angels (2000) and DareDevil (2003).
Inevitably the film has its flaws and the action clichés are present in abundance. The story is merely an excuse, the plot being a hybrid of Thunderball (1965), The Rock (1996) and Enter the Dragon (1973). The characters and their actions are all drawn from familiar paradigms; from the hero who re-enters service to face an old adversary to the dying soldier who pleads for a message to be passed to his beloved. And the typically decrepit locations are part of Nu Image’s apparent strategy to make something out of nothing. The illusion of production value. The looped dialogue and cheap computer effects merely reinforce the expectations offered by the mundane visuals and laughable conventions. While some may be unable to stifle laughter during a viewing, it is the way Cheng (co-starring and serving as 2nd unit director) and Florentine unite their creative visions to present awe-inspiring action which counteracts all these negative issues and ultimately turns them to its advantage.
The way the jaw-dropping action scenes rise from within this otherwise trite production demonstrates so well the importance of talent and not money in filmmaking. It’s also great that this is a sequel to a film most people will never even have heard of either; B movie sequels are generally much worse than their predecessors. U.S. Seals 3 (2002) is certainly a testament to this line of thinking. Though there are only three major fight scenes they are all spectacular and far more complex and lengthier in duration than those we were led to expect from the likes of Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. The first major fight scene, in which the assembled team take on a typically face-less army of mercenaries rivals even the Crazy 88 sequence in Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003).
If you approach the film in the correct frame of mind you will applaud the creativity and forgive the flaws in logic. This is a martial arts film which requires an excuse to unite a team of skilled professionals to perform almost super-human feats. As such the plot is constructed on the premise that the villain is hiding out on an abandoned island, clouded in a methane gas. This means that guns are not permitted, requiring hand-to-hand combat. Genius. Unfortunately the concept is weakened by the fact that chains and bladed weapons are clashed with aplomb. But this is a comic book film, a fantasy. Florentine’s over-the-top use of exaggerated ‘slicing wind’ sound effects is both ludicrous and a great accessory to the film. From the opening he uses these effects for everything from a slight wave of a hand to a turning head.
Clearly influenced as much by John Woo as Jackie Chan, Florentine’s film bears a significant resembelence to both Broken Arrow (1996) and M-1:2 (2000). Before segueing into a purely martial arts film, the plot begins with a typically irrelevant action scene. This serves to establish the tone of the film, the principle characters and to ease the transition from the guns and bombs style of U.S. Seals (1999) and Operation Delta Force (1997). This sequence features no martial arts but does feature some stunning falls from stunt team members and modest wire-work in conjunction with the Woo-esque two pistol action.
Michael Worth and Damien Chapa, as hero and villain respectively, are competent actors and fighters, with youthful looks appropriate to the aesthetically conscious post-1980s action formula, but it is their co-stars who shine most. The most extraordinary thing about U.S. Seals 2 is that it highlights the unsung heroes of the action movie. While many of the stunt performers remain faceless, there are moments in the action which leave us in no doubt that the additional players are suffering like Jackie Chan himself for our entertainment. It is therefore unsurprising to learn that many of these actors are also accomplished stunt-persons, and most notable among these is Sophia Crawford. Not only is Sophia one of (if not the) only British stunt woman in Hollywood, she is also clearly recognisable as the stunt double of "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" (1997 to 2003). Generally hidden behind rapid cuts, her role here allows her to showcase her talents to the limit.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Review: Crocodile 2: Death Roll (2001)
Creature features tend to fall into one of two categories. Horror or Action/Adventure. Crocodile 2 is definitely the latter. Whereas Crocodile (2000) saw Tobe Hooper reemploy the formula he introduced in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), this in-name-only sequel is far more akin to the jungle adventures Anaconda (1997)and DNA (1997), with the scenario intensified by the presence of a human threat. In this tradition, Death Roll clearly is attempting to emulate the formula used most successfully in Stephen Sommers’ Deep Rising (1998).
In the tradition of Deep Rising and From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), this genre hybrid sees the efforts of a bunch of criminals thwarted by mother nature. Boarding a plane bound for Acapulco, a storm forces the pilot to abort the flight. Desperate, the criminals hijack the plane and send it to its doom. Exploiting weaknesses in airport security, pre-9/11, the thieves smuggle aboard weapons with laughable ease. Humorous in retrospect, this actually highlights the lack of attention to detail which results in the most criticism for films of this type.
For prolific production company Nu Image it is de rigueur to begin with a fierce action sequence. Extraneous to the story, the function of the opening gunfight is purely to establish tone. The conventions of the film quickly shift from action movie, to air disaster to monster movie while never losing cohesion. Director Gary Jones has played with genre combination before in his SF/horror movies Mosquito (1995)and Spiders (2000). Death Roll’s playful tone, embracing the B movie connotations of its title, the respectable standard of action choreography, editing and special effects, making this the most enjoyable of Nu Image’s creature feature series.
Stranded in an isolated Mexican swamp, the thieves hold survivors captive as they attempt to make their journey to safety. Unfortunately they have landed in the feeding ground of a ridiculously large crocodile. Well, you weren’t expecting a parrot were you? Meanwhile a plucky young heroine attempts to overcome the human and reptile threat to be united with her boyfriend.
Aside from previous creature features, I personally think the writers watched I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) a couple of times before sitting in front of the word processor. The parallel plot in which the boyfriend becomes aware of his girlfriend’s danger and sets out to find her has a sense of deja-vu. While the denouement is similarly a rip-off of the closing scene from Carrie (1976).
The interplay of elements of intertextual familiarity with the kind of flaws inherent in low budget films such as this means that there is never a dull moment for genre fans. Aside a typically unfamiliar cast , Martin Kove lends quality support doing his best Harrison Ford impersonation adding shades of Robert Shaw. These seamlessly unified aspects of performance perfectly reinforce what Gary Jones has tried to do with the film as a whole. Similarly echoing Treat Williams’s star turn in Deep Rising, Kove’s reinterpretation of Harrison Ford’s Han Solo persona echoes George Lucas’s own combination of genres in Star Wars (1977).
The exterior locations add undeniable production value and work to the strengths of the story and budget, those stage shot scenes definitely evoke the kind of creature features shot in the 1950s. While the cast and settings for the film are the United States and Acapulco, it is quite clear from the credits that this is a film made far beyond the fringes of Hollywood. Death Roll was shot in a studio in India, utilising a great number of local crew members.
To summarise this as Reservoir Dogs (1992) meets Jurassic Park (1993) is perhaps as appropriate a description as any for a film like this. The kind of flawed but fun B movie wherein the myriad intertextual familiarity is as much an incentive for hardcore fans as anything resembling quality. A modest amount of gore will please post-pub viewers of all ages, though I should point out a disappointing lack of nudity. Ultimately the success comes in the structure of contrasts. For example between the quality of the CGI plane crash and the explosion of a model helicopter, between Martin Kove’s performance and that of an “English” character, between the action and the horror. Each maintain the modest expectations the film needs to transgress expectation.
Creature features tend to fall into one of two categories. Horror or Action/Adventure. Crocodile 2 is definitely the latter. Whereas Crocodile (2000) saw Tobe Hooper reemploy the formula he introduced in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), this in-name-only sequel is far more akin to the jungle adventures Anaconda (1997)and DNA (1997), with the scenario intensified by the presence of a human threat. In this tradition, Death Roll clearly is attempting to emulate the formula used most successfully in Stephen Sommers’ Deep Rising (1998).
In the tradition of Deep Rising and From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), this genre hybrid sees the efforts of a bunch of criminals thwarted by mother nature. Boarding a plane bound for Acapulco, a storm forces the pilot to abort the flight. Desperate, the criminals hijack the plane and send it to its doom. Exploiting weaknesses in airport security, pre-9/11, the thieves smuggle aboard weapons with laughable ease. Humorous in retrospect, this actually highlights the lack of attention to detail which results in the most criticism for films of this type.
For prolific production company Nu Image it is de rigueur to begin with a fierce action sequence. Extraneous to the story, the function of the opening gunfight is purely to establish tone. The conventions of the film quickly shift from action movie, to air disaster to monster movie while never losing cohesion. Director Gary Jones has played with genre combination before in his SF/horror movies Mosquito (1995)and Spiders (2000). Death Roll’s playful tone, embracing the B movie connotations of its title, the respectable standard of action choreography, editing and special effects, making this the most enjoyable of Nu Image’s creature feature series.
Stranded in an isolated Mexican swamp, the thieves hold survivors captive as they attempt to make their journey to safety. Unfortunately they have landed in the feeding ground of a ridiculously large crocodile. Well, you weren’t expecting a parrot were you? Meanwhile a plucky young heroine attempts to overcome the human and reptile threat to be united with her boyfriend.
Aside from previous creature features, I personally think the writers watched I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) a couple of times before sitting in front of the word processor. The parallel plot in which the boyfriend becomes aware of his girlfriend’s danger and sets out to find her has a sense of deja-vu. While the denouement is similarly a rip-off of the closing scene from Carrie (1976).
The interplay of elements of intertextual familiarity with the kind of flaws inherent in low budget films such as this means that there is never a dull moment for genre fans. Aside a typically unfamiliar cast , Martin Kove lends quality support doing his best Harrison Ford impersonation adding shades of Robert Shaw. These seamlessly unified aspects of performance perfectly reinforce what Gary Jones has tried to do with the film as a whole. Similarly echoing Treat Williams’s star turn in Deep Rising, Kove’s reinterpretation of Harrison Ford’s Han Solo persona echoes George Lucas’s own combination of genres in Star Wars (1977).
The exterior locations add undeniable production value and work to the strengths of the story and budget, those stage shot scenes definitely evoke the kind of creature features shot in the 1950s. While the cast and settings for the film are the United States and Acapulco, it is quite clear from the credits that this is a film made far beyond the fringes of Hollywood. Death Roll was shot in a studio in India, utilising a great number of local crew members.
To summarise this as Reservoir Dogs (1992) meets Jurassic Park (1993) is perhaps as appropriate a description as any for a film like this. The kind of flawed but fun B movie wherein the myriad intertextual familiarity is as much an incentive for hardcore fans as anything resembling quality. A modest amount of gore will please post-pub viewers of all ages, though I should point out a disappointing lack of nudity. Ultimately the success comes in the structure of contrasts. For example between the quality of the CGI plane crash and the explosion of a model helicopter, between Martin Kove’s performance and that of an “English” character, between the action and the horror. Each maintain the modest expectations the film needs to transgress expectation.
Review: Boa vs. Python (2004)
Certain films evoke the purity of the term B movie. Boa vs. Python is one such film. Not only is the title humorously evocative, but the very properties of the film reinforce the nature of the beast. For starters this is an effort to exploit not one, but two big budget creature features. The giant snake genre returned to the big screen in Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (a sequel to 1997’s Ananconda) and "vs" movies are in vogue thanks to Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and Alien vs. Predator (2004).
A crossover sequel which bears little connection to its predecessors, Boa vs. Python is also appropriately tongue-in-cheek. A well made effort, which makes a commendable attempt in its cinematography, editing and musical score to emulate the likes of Michael Bay (specifically Armaggedon (1997)), this creature feature also evokes the tone of classic SF pulp and creature features. The ludicrous plot even gives the film a keiju flavour which even the US Godzilla (1998) failed to create.
Unfortunately the tone is difficult to maintain once the core narrative of snake vs. snake takes centre stage. The relatively brief screen time for the scaly stars, culminating in an all too brief final showdown, causes things to get pretty boring in the second half. The first portion of the film is an impressive embrace of the B movie codes of conduct, with the female stars of the film displaying their charms, some comical moments and novel stylistic devices keeping things interesting until it’s time for the CGI stars to take to the stage. Of particular note is the extended nude scene, in which co-star Angel Boris takes a bath, then performs a full-frontal dialogue scene (carefully shot to avoid being overtly sleazy).
Just as in the classics of the genre, the protagonist is a gorgeous blonde scientist; here introduced to us wearing a bikini. This is classically misogynistic filmmaking. Despite the chiselled presence of a cigar smoking man’s man, as the antagonist and instigator of the ensuing carnage, this is a film about fantasies of women. The intelligent but non-threatening blonde and the dangerously sexy bad girl are both present and invite a good deal of attention from male onlookers both onscreen and off.
The cast of beautiful people, the bikini-clad extras, the emphasis on style over substance, the distinctive rock soundtrack - this is American filmmaking at its most basic. But backed by a major studio, Columbia Tristar, and with the material in the hands of a talented cast and crew of unknowns, Boa vs. Python exceeds the limitations of its type and budget. Not only is the film of an impressive quality, it also understands the genre and the requirements of the audience. Pure pulp, it also features an unmissable risque scene in which a young woman is orally pleasured by a giant snake.
Certain films evoke the purity of the term B movie. Boa vs. Python is one such film. Not only is the title humorously evocative, but the very properties of the film reinforce the nature of the beast. For starters this is an effort to exploit not one, but two big budget creature features. The giant snake genre returned to the big screen in Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (a sequel to 1997’s Ananconda) and "vs" movies are in vogue thanks to Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and Alien vs. Predator (2004).
A crossover sequel which bears little connection to its predecessors, Boa vs. Python is also appropriately tongue-in-cheek. A well made effort, which makes a commendable attempt in its cinematography, editing and musical score to emulate the likes of Michael Bay (specifically Armaggedon (1997)), this creature feature also evokes the tone of classic SF pulp and creature features. The ludicrous plot even gives the film a keiju flavour which even the US Godzilla (1998) failed to create.
Unfortunately the tone is difficult to maintain once the core narrative of snake vs. snake takes centre stage. The relatively brief screen time for the scaly stars, culminating in an all too brief final showdown, causes things to get pretty boring in the second half. The first portion of the film is an impressive embrace of the B movie codes of conduct, with the female stars of the film displaying their charms, some comical moments and novel stylistic devices keeping things interesting until it’s time for the CGI stars to take to the stage. Of particular note is the extended nude scene, in which co-star Angel Boris takes a bath, then performs a full-frontal dialogue scene (carefully shot to avoid being overtly sleazy).
Just as in the classics of the genre, the protagonist is a gorgeous blonde scientist; here introduced to us wearing a bikini. This is classically misogynistic filmmaking. Despite the chiselled presence of a cigar smoking man’s man, as the antagonist and instigator of the ensuing carnage, this is a film about fantasies of women. The intelligent but non-threatening blonde and the dangerously sexy bad girl are both present and invite a good deal of attention from male onlookers both onscreen and off.
The cast of beautiful people, the bikini-clad extras, the emphasis on style over substance, the distinctive rock soundtrack - this is American filmmaking at its most basic. But backed by a major studio, Columbia Tristar, and with the material in the hands of a talented cast and crew of unknowns, Boa vs. Python exceeds the limitations of its type and budget. Not only is the film of an impressive quality, it also understands the genre and the requirements of the audience. Pure pulp, it also features an unmissable risque scene in which a young woman is orally pleasured by a giant snake.
