Search
Search results
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Black Hawk Down (2001) in Movies
Feb 18, 2019
Modern Warfare like we had never seen it before...
Black Hawk Down is to me, the best war film that I have ever seen. Intense and relentless, it conveys the horror and tactics of modern warfare and more to point, like all great and classic war movies, demonstrates the dedication, skill and spirit that warfare can manifest when all hell breaks loose, or the proverbial hits the fan!
As a launch pad for some many careers in the naughties and beyond, including Tom Hardy, this is well cast, directed, edited, with an effective Hans Zimmer score and some of the best sound design I have ever heard, the engrossing horror of the situation was conveyed brilliantly. But there is something that I find somewhat disturbing about this film and it may well be a failure but it does demonstrate the effectiveness of the medium;
The Somalians or the “Indigenous Personal” as they were so aptly referred to in the film, came across as heartless, rage filled amoral murderers and while in many respects in respects to those portrayed in the film, it may well be true, I found myself and I doubt that I was alone, being filled with sense of glee every time one of these bastards was blown to pieces or filled with a hail of Uncle Sam’s bullets!
Also the scene where a child accidentally guns down his own father after a U.S. troop slips, is so very telling of the militia culture in that country at that time. Are we supposed to feel sorry for the Man? The Child? Or see it a poetic justice? Or just be relieved that our “Peace Keeping” U.S. soldier got away with his life? In many ways, I think that the ambivalence if that scene, sums up what was so brilliant as well as frightening about this film.
Whilst on one hand, it is hard to deny that we are supposed to feel for, respect and support our American heroes who will go to extreme lengths to “Leave No Man Behind”, we are asked to look at why the Somalians have taken up arms? But in the end it is a huge sociological issue and this film does not dwell too much on that. It touches on the fact that there are always two sides to any conflict, but like Zulu (1960) forty years before it, it chose its side and that was the normally powerful under dog and we saw them survive what many of us would have struggled to do.
This is truly a war film for war film fans and a MUST SEE for everyone.
As a launch pad for some many careers in the naughties and beyond, including Tom Hardy, this is well cast, directed, edited, with an effective Hans Zimmer score and some of the best sound design I have ever heard, the engrossing horror of the situation was conveyed brilliantly. But there is something that I find somewhat disturbing about this film and it may well be a failure but it does demonstrate the effectiveness of the medium;
The Somalians or the “Indigenous Personal” as they were so aptly referred to in the film, came across as heartless, rage filled amoral murderers and while in many respects in respects to those portrayed in the film, it may well be true, I found myself and I doubt that I was alone, being filled with sense of glee every time one of these bastards was blown to pieces or filled with a hail of Uncle Sam’s bullets!
Also the scene where a child accidentally guns down his own father after a U.S. troop slips, is so very telling of the militia culture in that country at that time. Are we supposed to feel sorry for the Man? The Child? Or see it a poetic justice? Or just be relieved that our “Peace Keeping” U.S. soldier got away with his life? In many ways, I think that the ambivalence if that scene, sums up what was so brilliant as well as frightening about this film.
Whilst on one hand, it is hard to deny that we are supposed to feel for, respect and support our American heroes who will go to extreme lengths to “Leave No Man Behind”, we are asked to look at why the Somalians have taken up arms? But in the end it is a huge sociological issue and this film does not dwell too much on that. It touches on the fact that there are always two sides to any conflict, but like Zulu (1960) forty years before it, it chose its side and that was the normally powerful under dog and we saw them survive what many of us would have struggled to do.
This is truly a war film for war film fans and a MUST SEE for everyone.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Rising Storm 2: Vietnam Deluxe Edition in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The trend in war based shooters of late is to literally take a blast from the past. Battlefield 1 looked at WW1 and Call of Duty returned to its WWII roots for the most recent game in the series. As such when Rising Storm 2: Vietnam was announced, it seemed like a good progression and one that holds a lot of potential for gamers. The previous game in the series focused on the Pacific Rim conflicts and focused on the conflict with Japan.
This time out the focus is Vietnam and players can opt to fight for either the Vietnamese or U.S. forces and they will also be able to select a class and loadout unique to each side before entering the fray.
The matches I took part in showed off the large and detailed maps which provided plenty of options to flank and enemy or attack from cover. Fields, towns, temples, and more were all an option and I had intense battles in a multi-level building, trenches, fields, and in a town. The weapons were varied but I opted mainly for an M-16 or AK-47 depending on which side I was assigned to. I did have a great opportunity early in the match to ride on a Helicopter and took my position manning one of the machine guns, which allowed us to strafe enemy targets as we traveled.
Our focus was a mix of taking and securing an objective and of course eliminating as many enemies as I could. Using a mix of grenades and rifle shots I was able to dispatch a few enemies but you could tell that there were some seasoned players online who used to the map to their advantage and were masters at striking without being seen.
I also experienced some people who were more than happy to call in a Napalm strike without any concern to the number of friendly troops in the target area. Naturally as you progress you will rank up and have more options for your character and loadouts.
The graphics of the game were solid but did seem a bit dated compared to other shooters. But this does a great job of giving a rough and battle-worn look to the game and not trying to make a blasted and remote area looked like an over-polished presentation.
If you are a fan of team-based online shooters and want some great action in the Vietnam setting; then Rising Storm 2: Vietnam just might be the game for you.
http://sknr.net/2018/05/01/rising-storm-2-vietnam/
This time out the focus is Vietnam and players can opt to fight for either the Vietnamese or U.S. forces and they will also be able to select a class and loadout unique to each side before entering the fray.
The matches I took part in showed off the large and detailed maps which provided plenty of options to flank and enemy or attack from cover. Fields, towns, temples, and more were all an option and I had intense battles in a multi-level building, trenches, fields, and in a town. The weapons were varied but I opted mainly for an M-16 or AK-47 depending on which side I was assigned to. I did have a great opportunity early in the match to ride on a Helicopter and took my position manning one of the machine guns, which allowed us to strafe enemy targets as we traveled.
Our focus was a mix of taking and securing an objective and of course eliminating as many enemies as I could. Using a mix of grenades and rifle shots I was able to dispatch a few enemies but you could tell that there were some seasoned players online who used to the map to their advantage and were masters at striking without being seen.
I also experienced some people who were more than happy to call in a Napalm strike without any concern to the number of friendly troops in the target area. Naturally as you progress you will rank up and have more options for your character and loadouts.
The graphics of the game were solid but did seem a bit dated compared to other shooters. But this does a great job of giving a rough and battle-worn look to the game and not trying to make a blasted and remote area looked like an over-polished presentation.
If you are a fan of team-based online shooters and want some great action in the Vietnam setting; then Rising Storm 2: Vietnam just might be the game for you.
http://sknr.net/2018/05/01/rising-storm-2-vietnam/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Obliteracers in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
So many games today take older ideas and look to infuse a new wrinkle into them in order to great something fresh. One such game is Obliteracers which looks to take a page from the classic character-based racing games such as Mario Kart and infuse new life into a genre which too many had become fairly stale in recent years. The game puts less emphasis on racing as finishing first or last doesn’t really matter for the most part as the goal is to obliterate your opponents as you race around the track. There are a variety of tracks such as a futuristic city, tropical beach, oil tanker, and so on, many which will seem familiar to people who spent a lot of time in the genre.
By using weapons such as missiles, oil slicks, flamethrowers, mines, machine guns, and such, the strategy is to take out as many of them before they get you. When the field of opponents is reduced to one, the match starts over and continues until a champion has been reached based on a point system from the earlier matches. This at this point players can then move on to another locale and start the battle all over. There are variations in the gameplay mode where in addition to wiping out your opponents, factors such as staying in the lead, endurance, and such do help you increase your score which will ultimately lead to your overall championship. After a brief introduction to the game, I found myself able to win my earlier matches without too much difficulty and ultimately advance through the rankings fairly quickly.
There is a multiplayer mode for the game and matchmaking at me racing against another player in no time however it was a simple two player match and not nearly as exciting as having a field of players to race against. I hope in time that will be more customization options for vehicles, tracks, characters, and so on as the game is an amusing if albeit fleeting diversion. For value priced software it does hold a solid amount of entertainment if you’re willing to overlook some of the shortcomings and things such as random clipping issues were my car became part of the track at various times during the race.
Obliteracers gave me a couple of hours of pleasant distraction, and as such might be worth your time if this is something that would interest you.
http://sknr.net/2016/02/28/81389/
By using weapons such as missiles, oil slicks, flamethrowers, mines, machine guns, and such, the strategy is to take out as many of them before they get you. When the field of opponents is reduced to one, the match starts over and continues until a champion has been reached based on a point system from the earlier matches. This at this point players can then move on to another locale and start the battle all over. There are variations in the gameplay mode where in addition to wiping out your opponents, factors such as staying in the lead, endurance, and such do help you increase your score which will ultimately lead to your overall championship. After a brief introduction to the game, I found myself able to win my earlier matches without too much difficulty and ultimately advance through the rankings fairly quickly.
There is a multiplayer mode for the game and matchmaking at me racing against another player in no time however it was a simple two player match and not nearly as exciting as having a field of players to race against. I hope in time that will be more customization options for vehicles, tracks, characters, and so on as the game is an amusing if albeit fleeting diversion. For value priced software it does hold a solid amount of entertainment if you’re willing to overlook some of the shortcomings and things such as random clipping issues were my car became part of the track at various times during the race.
Obliteracers gave me a couple of hours of pleasant distraction, and as such might be worth your time if this is something that would interest you.
http://sknr.net/2016/02/28/81389/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
When we last saw John Wick (Keanue Reeves), the former elite assassin had just completed a bloody and brutal mission of revenge after being pulled
back into a world he risked everything to leave behind. In “John Wick: Chapter 2”, the film picks up with Wick tying off some loose ends from the
first film and then returning to his home to finally find peace and leave his old life behind forever.
Sadly, a marker from his past is called in and John is not so subtly reminded of the consequences of failing to repay a marker, and is tasked with a no win situation.
John soon finds himself in Rome where he must eliminate a person of position despite having no real reason to do so other than to repay his debt. The fact that he knows his target is an even more of a challenge for him to contend with.
As if this was not bad enough, John upon completing his task is soon double crossed and finds that a bounty of 7 million dollars has been placed on him, and he know has every assassin in the greater New York area gunning for him.
The film maintains the frantic and breathlessly intense and sustained combat of the first film without ever being stale or repetitive. Guns, knives, and other implements all became part of a symphony of violence and destruction that is captivating to watch.
The film also goes deeper into the characters around John and the world in which he lives such as Winston (Ian McShane), who runs the Continental Hotel where rules for conduct are set, and those in John’s line of work find refuge and supplies for their “work”.
The film is one of the rare sequels that is as good if not better than the original and sets up a third outing very well. Reeves owns the character and you can sense his conflict as one who wants to leave his past behind but who cannot escape his past.
The very physical and demanding nature of the part shows the passion he has for the character and watching the fury and smoothness of how he dispatches his foes really underscores that this is pretty much everything you would want in an action film and more.
The very satisfying action sequences and performances combine well to make a compelling, exciting, and highly entertaining adrenaline rush, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with for the next outing.
http://sknr.net/2017/02/09/john-wick-chapter-2/
back into a world he risked everything to leave behind. In “John Wick: Chapter 2”, the film picks up with Wick tying off some loose ends from the
first film and then returning to his home to finally find peace and leave his old life behind forever.
Sadly, a marker from his past is called in and John is not so subtly reminded of the consequences of failing to repay a marker, and is tasked with a no win situation.
John soon finds himself in Rome where he must eliminate a person of position despite having no real reason to do so other than to repay his debt. The fact that he knows his target is an even more of a challenge for him to contend with.
As if this was not bad enough, John upon completing his task is soon double crossed and finds that a bounty of 7 million dollars has been placed on him, and he know has every assassin in the greater New York area gunning for him.
The film maintains the frantic and breathlessly intense and sustained combat of the first film without ever being stale or repetitive. Guns, knives, and other implements all became part of a symphony of violence and destruction that is captivating to watch.
The film also goes deeper into the characters around John and the world in which he lives such as Winston (Ian McShane), who runs the Continental Hotel where rules for conduct are set, and those in John’s line of work find refuge and supplies for their “work”.
The film is one of the rare sequels that is as good if not better than the original and sets up a third outing very well. Reeves owns the character and you can sense his conflict as one who wants to leave his past behind but who cannot escape his past.
The very physical and demanding nature of the part shows the passion he has for the character and watching the fury and smoothness of how he dispatches his foes really underscores that this is pretty much everything you would want in an action film and more.
The very satisfying action sequences and performances combine well to make a compelling, exciting, and highly entertaining adrenaline rush, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with for the next outing.
http://sknr.net/2017/02/09/john-wick-chapter-2/
Blaze of Strike
Games and Entertainment
App
Blaze of Strike brings you the fairest FPS multiplayer experience on mobile phone for free! Relieve...
Airsoft International Magazine
Sports and Magazines & Newspapers
App
Inside Airsoft International Magazine you’ll find a wealth of valuable information, from reviews,...
Magic Is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians
Book
In the vein of Neil Strauss’ The Game and Joshua Foer’s Moonwalking with Einstein comes the...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) in Movies
Jul 5, 2022
The God of Thunder returns in Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” and audiences find that Thor (Chris Hemsworth), has been doing missions with the Guardians of the Galaxy while he works himself back into shape and looks to find a new purpose in life.
Thor has been taking the spotlight in many of the missions and when multiple calls for help arise, Thor opts to go off on his own to address a particular call for help while the Guardians head on their way to help others.
It is learned that a being named Gorr (Christian Bale) has been killing Gods and Thor is eager to put a stop to him before he can do more damage. His mission soon puts him on a collision course with Gorr and The Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman) who being his ex and wielding his former weapon causes more than a few funny and awkward moments.
In a race to save captured children, rally the gods, and defeat Gorr, Thor, and Jane along with Korr (Taika Waititi) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), embark on an epic adventure in a race against time.
While audiences have come to expect Marvel films to be epic cinematic events, this film is less on the over-the-top action sequences in favor of establishing new circumstances and challenges for the characters going forward.
While there are indeed action sequences and plenty of VFX, it does not have the action or intensity of several of the past films. What it does offer is a good mix of action and humor with enjoyable characters old and new and establishes scenarios for the MCU going forward.
Bale is very good as Gorr and you understand his motivations clearly as while evil, he has a degree of sympathy towards his character which makes his creepy performance all the more compelling.
The cast works very well with one another and there are two scenes in the credits which open up all kinds of possibilities for the future as we are told Thor will return before the credits even begin to roll.
The film also has considerable music and I joked to myself that Guns and Roses are going to be getting a big check due to their music being used frequently during the film as well as that of other artists which helps make the film an enjoyable outing from start to finish which should delight fans as we wait to see for the next cinematic offering from Marvel.
4 stars out of 5
Thor has been taking the spotlight in many of the missions and when multiple calls for help arise, Thor opts to go off on his own to address a particular call for help while the Guardians head on their way to help others.
It is learned that a being named Gorr (Christian Bale) has been killing Gods and Thor is eager to put a stop to him before he can do more damage. His mission soon puts him on a collision course with Gorr and The Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman) who being his ex and wielding his former weapon causes more than a few funny and awkward moments.
In a race to save captured children, rally the gods, and defeat Gorr, Thor, and Jane along with Korr (Taika Waititi) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), embark on an epic adventure in a race against time.
While audiences have come to expect Marvel films to be epic cinematic events, this film is less on the over-the-top action sequences in favor of establishing new circumstances and challenges for the characters going forward.
While there are indeed action sequences and plenty of VFX, it does not have the action or intensity of several of the past films. What it does offer is a good mix of action and humor with enjoyable characters old and new and establishes scenarios for the MCU going forward.
Bale is very good as Gorr and you understand his motivations clearly as while evil, he has a degree of sympathy towards his character which makes his creepy performance all the more compelling.
The cast works very well with one another and there are two scenes in the credits which open up all kinds of possibilities for the future as we are told Thor will return before the credits even begin to roll.
The film also has considerable music and I joked to myself that Guns and Roses are going to be getting a big check due to their music being used frequently during the film as well as that of other artists which helps make the film an enjoyable outing from start to finish which should delight fans as we wait to see for the next cinematic offering from Marvel.
4 stars out of 5
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Public Enemies (2009) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
The year is 1933 and bank robberies are at an all time high. John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd are at the top of their game. In the public eye, robbers are looked at as heroes instead of criminals. Dillinger enjoys the fruit of his labor to the fullest until the day Melvin Purvis is put in charge of the FBI division down in Chicago. Word traveled fast of how one of FBI's top agents (Purvis) took down Pretty Boy Floyd and hopes are high that he can help in the newly announced "war on crime." Once Purvis arrived in Chicago, the crime wave of the 30's that was on a steady uprise took a drastic decline. Bank robberies were never the same as Dillinger's friends began dropping like flies. As Dillinger's motto of not thinking about tomorrow since he's too busy enjoying today comes back to haunt him, he soon realizes that he can only hide for so long and that the feds will catch up with him sooner or later.
The most noticeable thing about the film is its cinematography. Michael Mann has used the same method of shooting Public Enemies with HD digital cameras like he did with Collateral. This could be a hassle to some viewers as the picture isn't as shaky as it was in something like Cloverfield, but isn't as crystal clear and steady as you may have found in some of Mann's earlier work like Heat or most other films, for that matter. Perspective plays a huge role in this film. Certain lighting seems to come off better being shot in HD digital and it certainly shows, but the imperfections seem to give the film more character. Some people might throw the word, "edgy," around, but we'll settle on saying this style of filming feels like a more realistic approach. It makes the audience feel like they're actually amongst these gangsters during their heyday.
It almost felt like Christian Bale didn't really want to be there. Between this and Terminator: Salvation, he's really lacking the charisma and talent he's shown in films like The Prestige and The Machinist or even American Psycho. Maybe he's just hit his peak and has nothing else up his sleeve to wow audiences. Bale has hit an eye-catching slump, which is hard to say since this is coming from a long time fan. As long as he continues to be cast in big budget films though and those films wind up doing extremely well at the box office, then not many people are going to notice a difference in the actor's lackluster performance.
Johnny Depp, on the other hand, stole every scene he was in. His cockiness and confidence in his abilities in what he does just gave life to Dillinger that makes you generally like him. You want to see him escape as soon as he gets caught, pull off that next big robbery, and succeed at everything he does so he can run off with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and live happily ever after. His dialogue is also generally pretty incredible. In the scene where he's confronting Agent Purvis from behind bars, Dillinger is asking Purvis about what it was like to kill a man. How their eyes looked and how you can literally watch a man just drift away by staring into their eyes while they're dying. That that whole experience could keep a man up at night. Purvis asks Dillinger what keeps him up at night. Dillinger, who always seemed to be chewing gum, replies, "Coffee." Dillinger just felt like one of Depp's better acting roles, as of late. He showed more emotion than we're generally used to seeing from him and it was just an incredibly strong performance from the Oscar nominee.
The film has a lot of great dialogue, intriguing character interaction, and it's interesting watching the story unfold of how the crime wave of the 30s may have come to an end, but what really makes the film worth seeing is the shootouts. Any scene that begins with somebody holding a gun is worth getting excited over. There's a scene in the woods in the latter half of the film that is worth the price of admission alone. It takes place at night and everything is littered with darkness until the tommy guns make an appearance. The way the guns light up everything else around the characters firing them was a nice touch. Small explosions erupting from a chamber every time somebody pulled the trigger. This is some of the best gunfire to ever be filmed.
When it comes to Public Enemies, it is one of the best films of the year which is mentioned in at least one of the TV spots. Anyone who was a fan of Michael Mann's previous films (or gangster films, in general) will more than likely walk away from this film satisfied. Johnny Depp is still at the top of his game while Christian Bale seems to be winding down. Public Enemies is a film worthy of the summer blockbuster season which will satisfy the appetite of any fan of crime films.
The most noticeable thing about the film is its cinematography. Michael Mann has used the same method of shooting Public Enemies with HD digital cameras like he did with Collateral. This could be a hassle to some viewers as the picture isn't as shaky as it was in something like Cloverfield, but isn't as crystal clear and steady as you may have found in some of Mann's earlier work like Heat or most other films, for that matter. Perspective plays a huge role in this film. Certain lighting seems to come off better being shot in HD digital and it certainly shows, but the imperfections seem to give the film more character. Some people might throw the word, "edgy," around, but we'll settle on saying this style of filming feels like a more realistic approach. It makes the audience feel like they're actually amongst these gangsters during their heyday.
It almost felt like Christian Bale didn't really want to be there. Between this and Terminator: Salvation, he's really lacking the charisma and talent he's shown in films like The Prestige and The Machinist or even American Psycho. Maybe he's just hit his peak and has nothing else up his sleeve to wow audiences. Bale has hit an eye-catching slump, which is hard to say since this is coming from a long time fan. As long as he continues to be cast in big budget films though and those films wind up doing extremely well at the box office, then not many people are going to notice a difference in the actor's lackluster performance.
Johnny Depp, on the other hand, stole every scene he was in. His cockiness and confidence in his abilities in what he does just gave life to Dillinger that makes you generally like him. You want to see him escape as soon as he gets caught, pull off that next big robbery, and succeed at everything he does so he can run off with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and live happily ever after. His dialogue is also generally pretty incredible. In the scene where he's confronting Agent Purvis from behind bars, Dillinger is asking Purvis about what it was like to kill a man. How their eyes looked and how you can literally watch a man just drift away by staring into their eyes while they're dying. That that whole experience could keep a man up at night. Purvis asks Dillinger what keeps him up at night. Dillinger, who always seemed to be chewing gum, replies, "Coffee." Dillinger just felt like one of Depp's better acting roles, as of late. He showed more emotion than we're generally used to seeing from him and it was just an incredibly strong performance from the Oscar nominee.
The film has a lot of great dialogue, intriguing character interaction, and it's interesting watching the story unfold of how the crime wave of the 30s may have come to an end, but what really makes the film worth seeing is the shootouts. Any scene that begins with somebody holding a gun is worth getting excited over. There's a scene in the woods in the latter half of the film that is worth the price of admission alone. It takes place at night and everything is littered with darkness until the tommy guns make an appearance. The way the guns light up everything else around the characters firing them was a nice touch. Small explosions erupting from a chamber every time somebody pulled the trigger. This is some of the best gunfire to ever be filmed.
When it comes to Public Enemies, it is one of the best films of the year which is mentioned in at least one of the TV spots. Anyone who was a fan of Michael Mann's previous films (or gangster films, in general) will more than likely walk away from this film satisfied. Johnny Depp is still at the top of his game while Christian Bale seems to be winding down. Public Enemies is a film worthy of the summer blockbuster season which will satisfy the appetite of any fan of crime films.
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated The Expendables (2010) in Movies
May 30, 2018
Action movies really don't get any better than this.
Contains spoilers, click to show
When I first heard about this film I had really high expectations. Sylvester Stallone writing, directing and starring in an action film. He was trying to bring together some of the greatest stars of action films past and present, it sounded too good to be true. As the months went by I kept hearing rumours as to who was in it. Pretty much every name from action films was mentioned. Then the biggest rumour of them all, it was going to star Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger! Never gonna happen I thought. I was never so glad to be wrong. The scene they appeared in may only be a few minutes long but it was perfect.
I went to see this film the week it came out. The cinema was fairly full, and as the film started I noticed something about the audience, they were loving the movie. As the film continued it started to feel like I was seeing this in my living room with a large group of friends. Everyone was laughing, gasping and really getting into the spirit of the film. This really added something special to the film. I have not experienced this during a normal screening of a film.
The film itself follows a very basic formula, big characters, big explosions, big guns and lots of bad guys dying. But what makes this one stand out from modern action films is it doesn't try to be anything more. It is a throw back to the great action films from the 80's and 90's like Commando, Predator, Die Hard and Rambo: First Blood Part II. Films that are so over the top but so very entertaining.
The cast is an action movie fans wet dream. Action movie legends Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren Gary Daniels and Mickey Rourke star alongside modern day action stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Steve Austin, Randy Couture and Terry Crews. Add to the cast Eric Roberts, David Zayas and Charisma Carpenter and you have probably the greatest cast assembled since Ocean's Eleven was remade in 2001. The cast works well. I always believe that if the cast had a good time making a movie then it will show in their performance. They must have had the time of their lives filming this.
A film like this will never get any major awards (it did win awards for the stunt work), but then again you don't go to see this looking for award winning performances. You go to see this to escape from the reality of life and to just be entertained. I am a major action movie fan and it really doesn't get any better than this.
I went to see this film the week it came out. The cinema was fairly full, and as the film started I noticed something about the audience, they were loving the movie. As the film continued it started to feel like I was seeing this in my living room with a large group of friends. Everyone was laughing, gasping and really getting into the spirit of the film. This really added something special to the film. I have not experienced this during a normal screening of a film.
The film itself follows a very basic formula, big characters, big explosions, big guns and lots of bad guys dying. But what makes this one stand out from modern action films is it doesn't try to be anything more. It is a throw back to the great action films from the 80's and 90's like Commando, Predator, Die Hard and Rambo: First Blood Part II. Films that are so over the top but so very entertaining.
The cast is an action movie fans wet dream. Action movie legends Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren Gary Daniels and Mickey Rourke star alongside modern day action stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Steve Austin, Randy Couture and Terry Crews. Add to the cast Eric Roberts, David Zayas and Charisma Carpenter and you have probably the greatest cast assembled since Ocean's Eleven was remade in 2001. The cast works well. I always believe that if the cast had a good time making a movie then it will show in their performance. They must have had the time of their lives filming this.
A film like this will never get any major awards (it did win awards for the stunt work), but then again you don't go to see this looking for award winning performances. You go to see this to escape from the reality of life and to just be entertained. I am a major action movie fan and it really doesn't get any better than this.