Author: Stan

Today’s quick review: Deliverance. Outdoorsman Lewis (Burt Reynolds) leads his friends Ed (Jon Voight), Bobby (Ned Beatty), and Drew (Ronny Cox) on a weekend canoe trip down the Cahulawassee River, a wild river near Atlanta. What’s meant to be a relaxing journey turns into a nightmare when the men are ambushed by hostile locals. Far from help and trapped on a dangerous river, the men must resort to desperate measures to survive.

Deliverance is a gritty survival drama that pits four men from the city against a wilderness they are unprepared for. Deliverance features solid craftsmanship, unsettling moral questions, and a plot that’s hard to predict. Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight lead the film’s small but capable dramatic cast. However, Deliverance’s mature content and moral ambiguity will make it a rough watch for any but the most stony viewers.

Deliverance has a knack for uncertainity. From the moment things go wrong, the correct course of action is never clear. The men are forced to make tough decisions with imperfect information, and their choices come back to haunt them later on. As the situation escalates further out of control, Deliverance provides no easy answers, either for the characters or the audience. For the audience, there is only guesswork; for the characters, only survival.

The result is a well-crafted but unpleasant look at pride, manhood, and the lengths a man will go to to stay alive. Try Deliverance when you’re in the mood for something dark and morally challenging. Its heavy tone is not for everybody, and action fans in particular will be disappointed. But those who like dramas that emphasize the darker side of life will appreciate the film’s thematically rich writing and strong dramatic performances.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for strong craftsmanship and disturbing themes; your score will vary.

“Live for nothing or die for something. Your call.” —John Rambo

Today’s quick review: Rambo. John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), an American veteran living in Thailand, reluctantly agrees to escort Sarah Miller (Julie Benz) and the rest of her Christian aid mission upriver into war-torn Burma. But when their village is attacked and its occupants slaughtered, Rambo must lead a team of mercenaries to rescue Sarah and the other survivors from the clutches of a bloodthirsty army that has been terrorizing the region.

Rambo is a gritty action movie and war drama. Sylvester Stallone reprises the iconic role of John Rambo, now an older man leading a quiet life in Thailand. The fourth movie in the Rambo series, Rambo has a darker tone than its predecessors. The movie puts the horrors of war front and center, dropping its hero into a decades-long conflict where sadistic troops torture and murder innocent victims.

As an action movie, Rambo comes off as rather bleak. Gore abounds, but it lacks the sanitized quality of the earlier films in the series. Rather than soldiers fighting soldiers, Rambo focuses on the wholesale massacre of innocents. John Rambo and his allies eventually fight back, but even the cathartic violence of the second half of the film can’t wash away the grime. Rambo works well enough as a grim action movie, but it’s too heavy for escapism.

Rambo falls short as a drama. The setup has potential, but the film never follows through on it. John Rambo and Sarah Miller are supposed to be the heart of the story, but John is as laconic as ever and Sarah has only a few scenes before getting captured. What should be a rekindling of purpose in a jaded veteran comes off as a rote rescue mission. The basic structure of the plot works well enough, but the drama could have been much more personal.

Try Rambo when you’re in the mood for the darker side of the action genre. Its lackluster drama keeps Rambo from hitting the mark, but it does have enough gory action to satisfy action fans. Those hoping for a return to the nuance of First Blood will be disappointed. For a gritty survival movie with less action, try Deliverance. For a bleak political thriller that looks at life in a war zone, try The Constant Gardner.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for violent but satisfying action marred by a poorly executed story.

Today’s quick review: Rambo III. Now leading a quiet life in Thailand, Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) comes out of retirement when Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), his old commanding officer, is captured while on a mission in Afghanistan. Rambo embarks on an unsanctioned operation to rescue the Colonel from the hands of the Russians, but he will need the help of the beleaguered Afghani rebels to succeed.

Rambo III is a gritty action movie that drops John Rambo into the mountains of Afghanistan to do what he does best: kill enemy soldiers. Rambo III delivers the same style of guerrilla action as the first two films. However, it all but abandons their dramatic themes. Where First Blood and its sequel were about the scars of the Vietnam War, Rambo III has no such drama at its heart. The result is a decent but much more generic action flick.

Rambo III gets off to a slow start. Apart from one stick fight in Thailand, the movie has almost no action for its first 40 minutes. Without much in the way of action or effective drama, Rambo III takes a long time to hook the viewer. The back half of the movie is more exciting. Once the action does start, it continues with few interruptions until the end. The stunts are nothing too special, but there’s plenty in the way of heavy ordnance.

Give Rambo III a shot when you’re in the mood for straightforward action. Rambo III lacks the drama of First Blood and the fast-paced action of First Blood Part II. What’s left over is a passable but decidedly average action film. Action fans will get some mileage out of it, but fans of the character will be disappointed. For an 80s action movie with a lighter tone, check out Commando.

5.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent action, but lacking the skill of its predecessors.

Today’s quick review: Rambo: First Blood Part II. Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is doing hard labor in prison when his old commanding officer, Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), comes to him with an offer: a presidential pardon in exchange for one last mission. To win his freedom, Rambo must infiltrate a Vietnamese POW camp and bring back proof that American prisoners are still being held there.

Rambo: First Blood Part II is a gritty action movie set in the jungles of Vietnam. Sylvester Stallone reprises his role as Rambo, a haunted Green Beret with a fearsome set of skills. First Blood Part II takes the unusual blend of action and drama featured in the original and tips the balance in favor of action. The sequel has even more gun-toting, stealth-killing combat, but it sacrifices nuance to get it.

First Blood Part II takes the kid gloves off. Where First Blood was a tragic, escalating conflict on American soil, the sequel takes place in Vietnam. The cunning, nonlethal strategies Rambo used in the first film are replaced by the deadly techniques they were adapted from. John Rambo is in his element: sneaking through the jungle, surviving against impossible odds, and killing everyone who stands in his way.

As a result, Part II has even more action than the original. The combat has the right mixture of tension and excitement. Rambo’s tactics are impressive and even vaguely plausible. The action is backed by similar dramatic themes as the first film: the scars of war and the betrayal of American troops. However, the sequel tells its story with a bluntness that the first film was careful to avoid. It’s a solid action movie but lacking as a drama.

Rambo: First Blood Part II is a strong choice for any action fan. Those who were drawn to the story of the first film may dislike the sequel, but those who want even more guerrilla-style action will have a good time. Skip it if you disliike violence or prefer your action with a bit more humor. For another classic action movie with a less serious tone, check out Die Hard. For a direct parody, check out Hot Shots! Part Deux.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid action lacking the nuance of the first film.

“In town you’re the law. Out here it’s me. Don’t push it.” —John Rambo

Today’s quick review: First Blood. John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret, leads the life of a drifter, wandering the Pacific Northwest with no job or place to call home. When he runs afoul of a touchy small-town sheriff (Brian Dennehy), Rambo unintentionally sets off an escalating conflict with the local police, one that leads to bloodshed when the sheriff pits his undisciplined men against Rambo’s Army training.

First Blood is a gritty action movie about a maladjusted Vietnam veteran and a town that meets him with hostility. First Blood matches the larger-than-life conflict of the action genre with grounded themes about pride and the scars of war. The film features a solidly constructed plot, nuanced characters, and a healthy dose of action in the form of Rambo’s guerrilla tactics and survival skills.

John Rambo cuts an unusually human figure for an 80s action hero: taciturn, haunted, and capable of great violence. His private war against the police is justified but tragic, the consequence of a petty dispute that spirals out of control thanks to bruised egos and the outbreak of violence. Both the plot and the action ramp up at the same steady pacing, building from the film’s mundane beginning to its suitably explosive, and even poignant, finale.

Still, First Blood is first and foremost an action movie. As innovative as its dramatic themes are, they come second to the action. The combat is a shade more plausible than the typical action fare, but it still requires suspension of disbelief. The premise itself walks a tenuous line between far-fetched and believable. None of the issues will hurt the movie in the slightest for action fans, but those in it for the drama should be forewarned.

First Blood is a skillfully executed take on what turns out to be a fruitful premise. It imbues the action genre with humanity without sacrificing spectacle or concision. Action fans will find everything they could want except humor, while the extra layer of drama gives the film broader appeal and staying power. For a sci-fi survival movie with a harder edge, try Predator. For more fanciful action, try Commando.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for solid action and an excellent main character.

“I eat Green Berets for breakfast.” —Colonel John Matrix

Today’s quick review: Commando. Once the most feared commando in the world, Colonel John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) now spends his days with his daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). But his past catches up with him when two of his old enemies (Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells) kidnap his daughter as revenge for one of his past missions. With the help of Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong), an aspiring pilot, John must rescue his daughter before it is too late.

Commando is an action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Commando is the quintessential 80s action movie, complete with an invincible hero, a high body count, and dry one-liners at every turn. The action manages to be violent without being disturbing, the fight scenes escalate nicely over the course of the film, and the finale is absolutely packed with bullets and explosives. There are no real surprises, only a very clean execution of the formula.

Commando knows how to keep its promises. The plot has just what it needs and nothing more. The action scenes are frequent and energetic. The script has just enough humor to keep the tone light, as well as a few memorable lines to round out the experience. Schwarzenegger is in fine form, performing superhuman feats of strength and pursuing his enemies with implacable determination, while Rae Dawn Chong makes a likable and fairly capable sidekick.

Watch Commando when you’re in the mood for action, plain and simple. It’s a poor choice for anyone hoping for a smart plot, innovative stunts, or deep characters. But as a popcorn action flick, Commando hits the nail on the head. For another Schwarzenegger action movie in a similar vein, try Eraser. For one with a better script and a more elaborate plot, try True Lies. For a Schwarzeneggger action movie with a sci-fi twist, check out Predator.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for action at its purest.

Today’s quick review: Carpool. On the day of an important presentation, Daniel Miller (David Paymer), an uptight ad executive, has to drive his children and their carpool buddies to school for his sick wife. Already running late, Daniel’s day takes a turn for the worse when Franklin (Tom Arnold), an amiable robber trying to save his family carnival, takes Daniel and the kids hostage and uses their minivan as his getaway vehicle.

Carpool is a family comedy that pairs a hard-working father with a laid-back kidnapper. The movie aims low and hits its target. The jokes are cheap and kid-friendly, the acting is over-the-top, and the zany tone comes as much from the soundtrack as anything happening onscreen. The protracted minivan chase does give the film a light dusting of action, and the film does have a reasonable, if predictable, arc for its characters.

But none of these elements are enough to make Carpool a good movie. The jokes are at best amusing and at worst irritating. On the whole the comedy is passable, but even a mild dislike of David Paymer or Tom Arnold will make the movie insufferable. The characters are thin cutouts and no staying power. The frenetic soundtrack belies the mundaneness of even the exciting parts of the story, and the whole film seems dated, tied too closely to the 90s.

Whether you should watch Carpool depends on how strict you are with your comedy. A viewer with lax standards and a hankering for 90s-style kids’ comedy might have a fun, if insubstantial, time. But most viewers would be better off with one of the many other comedies that scratch the same itch, such as Mousehunt, Daddy Day Care, or Jingle All the Way among kids’ comedies and Major League or Rat Race as more mature offerings.

4.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for passable humor that never amounts to anything more.

Today’s quick review: The Last Castle. Following a bad decision that cost the lives of his men, General Eugene Irwin (Robert Redford) is sentenced to serve ten years in a military prison run by Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini). There Irwin earns the respect of his fellow prisoners by appealing to their sense of honor. But his actions bring him into conflict with Winter, who believes in using violence to keep his prisoners in line.

The Last Castle is a prison drama about a disgraced general, a military prison, and the petty tyrant in charge of it. The movie explores themes of honor, discipline, and humanity through the actions of Eugene Irwin, a respected general trying to live down one mistake. The Last Castle features a well-constructed plot and relatable characters. However, the story is not deep enough to rank it among the best dramas.

The Last Castle has an able lead in Robert Redford. His character of Eugene Irwin demonstrates honor in spite of his disgrace, discipline in the face of adversity, and respect for the prisoners who have forgotten what the word means. The way he interacts with the men around him gives the movie a persistent, human quality, and it makes his actions against Winter all the more rewarding.

The supporting cast is competent, if not flashy. James Gandolfini plays opposite him as Colonel Winter, a poser of a soldier who resorts to draconian methods to keep control of his prison. Mark Ruffalo plays Yates, a cynical prison bookie and one of the few inmates not to latch onto Irwin. Clifton Collins, Jr. rounds out the main cast as Aguilar, a dimwitted prisoner who becomes Irwin’s closest ally.

The plot is two parts drama and one part action. The early stages of the movie detail Irwin’s arrival at the prison and establish his relationships with the people there. As the conflict with Winter escalates, Irwin shifts into a more active role, leading the prisoners in an attempt to oust Winter for his abusive treatment. Both sides of the movie, drama and action, are handled well, but the transition between the two is rather abrupt.

The Last Castle does have its limitations. For all that Eugene Irwin is a fascinating figure, the embodiment of hard-won military honor, he lacks the warmth and nuance a hero in his position should have. Colonel Winter makes for a thematically suitable nemesis, a soft-handed tyrant undeserving of his uniform, but the skewed balance of power between the two means that Irwin’s victories are mainly due to leniency on Winter’s part.

Watch The Last Castle when you’re in the mood for a competent prison drama with a touch of action. The Last Castle is a more thoughtful movie than most ones like it, and while it never rises to the level of a masterpiece, it does make for a satisfying watch. Skip it if you are looking for a gritty drama or pure action. For a prison drama that gets at similar themes with greater skill, try The Shawshank Redemption or Cool Hand Luke.

6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a solid plot, decent characters, and a military twist on the prison genre.

“How about something a little more commercial, for God’s sake?” —Sweet Pea

Today’s quick review: Sucker Punch. Trapped in a mental hospital by her abusive stepfather, Baby Doll (Emily Browning) retreats into her own mind, where she faces another sort of prison: a nightclub run by the manipulative Blue (Oscar Isaac). With only a week before the High Roller (Jon Hamm) comes to claim her, Baby Doll leads four other girls (Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jamie Chung) in a risky plan to escape.

Sucker Punch is a stylized fantasy action movie from director Zack Snyder. Sucker Punch pits five young women against enemies both real and imagined in a desperate fight to win their freedom. The movie features stylish action sequences, experimental cinematography, and a soundtrack that’s equal parts melancholy and rebellious. The film takes risks that are only partially successful, but the ones that pay off give it a unique appeal.

Sucker Punch’s biggest draw is its action. Sucker Punch draws from a number of different genres for its action sequences, including steampunk, fantasy, and sci-fi. The film mixes and matches freely between the genres, yielding action scenes that are pure nerd fodder. Each scene has the impact and concision of a music video, and it is ushered in by one of the soundtrack’s hypnotic selection of songs.

These varied action sequences are justified by yet another layer of imagination. Forced to perform in Blue’s nightclub, Baby Doll treats each dance as a battle to be won. These inner battles form the basis for the film’s action scenes. The battles are only loosely connected to the world outside; the film takes advantage of their metaphorical nature by indulging in genres and songs that would be inconsistent with the main story’s mid-20th century setting.

Sucker Punch’s other major draw is its visual style. Zack Snyder uses the camera to great effect, toying with the borders of reality and using elegant shots to transition between fantasies. Elided and nonlinear storytelling keep the viewer guessing, while a skewed color palette and abundant use of CGI make the whole film seem surreal. The stylization is not subtle, but the techniques that comprise it often are.

Sucker Punch also pulls off a few clever tricks with its themes. The philosophical backbone of the movie is one particular message: that victory over even the most overwhelming odds can be found in the decision to fight back. Subtler themes include abuse and exploitation, heroism and the nature of stories, and fantasy and escapism. These themes carry little of the weight they would in a devoted drama, but they do give the movie some flavor.

Moreover, the themes double back around in paradoxical ways. Sucker Punch caters to a specific type of freewheeling fantasy, but it subverts that fantasy by tying it inextricably to grim themes of abuse and escape. The superficial worlds the movie visits for its action sequences are only temporary reprieves from the somber facts of Baby Doll’s reality. The result is a seemingly shallow action movie that has hidden depths.

Sucker Punch’s acting is decent but not great. Emily Browning as Baby Doll is something of a blank slate, capable of despair and determination but little in between. Her closest ally is Rocket (Jena Malone), a loyal but reckless friend, while Rocket’s sister Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish) is the group’s pessimist. But the standout performance comes from Oscar Isaac as Blue, a reprehensible man who uses violence and emotional blackmail to control the girls.

As for its plot, Sucker Punch has the pared-down logic of a video game. Baby Doll’s plan to escape requires four items to work, a premise that none of the girls ever question. The plot proceeds linearly once it has been set up: Baby Doll and her crew steal the items they need, while Blue grows more and more suspicious of their activities. This framework gives the film a clear place to put its action sequences while giving the story some structure.

Though the simplistic nature of the plot can be disappointing to the viewer, it appears to be a deliberate choice by Zack Snyder. The basic rules of the plot reflect the film’s dreamlike story and video game influences. They also let the film indulge in more complexity elsewhere: its nested story, its abstract symbolism, and its active presentation style. The resulting story is not deep, but it is more intricate than it first appears.

Sucker Punch depends heavily on the audience’s forbearance. Its dream-within-a-dream setup can be disorienting, its skimpy outfits won’t please everyone, and its action sequences have little relation to the plot they’re dropped into. Much like the thin logic of the plot, each of these choices is a deliberate tradeoff, sacrificing broader appeal for the sake of an artistic point. Viewed the right way, they are part of a remarkable whole.

But the gambits pile up quickly. It just takes one misstep to ruin the movie for the viewer, and seemingly the whole film is on shaky footing. For the right viewer, one who delights in spectacle and paradox in equal measure, Sucker Punch is a rare treat: a film that weds superficial style to subtle artistry. But the majority of viewers will run into some issue or another they just cannot get past and never receive the film’s delicate payoff.

Watch Sucker Punch when you are in the mood for fanciful action and experimental storytelling. Sucker Punch is a peculiar hybrid that will not appeal to everyone. It is a niche pick masquerading as a blockbuster, and even those who are drawn to it may be disappointed. But its unique combination of elements makes it well worth the gamble for anyone who is curious.

6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.5 for a stylish action, engrossing cinematography, and subtle connections within its story; your score will vary wildly.

“You act like insanity is catching.” —Teddy

Today’s quick review: Shutter Island. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner (Mark Ruffalo) are sent to a mental hospital on Shutter Island, a secluded island in Boston Harbor, to search for a patient who has gone missing. Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the psychiatrist in charge of the facility, gives them the run of the island, but as Teddy’s investigation continues, he begins to suspect there is more going on than meets the eye.

Shutter Island is a psychological thriller from director Martin Scorsese. Shutter Island features a rock-solid script, a talented cast, and skillful direction. The movie explores themes of trauma and mental illness against the backdrop of a mysterious mental hospital in the 1950s. Its tense tone can make it a difficult watch, but Shutter Island takes care not to abuse its power, and it rewards the viewer’s patience with a worthwhile mystery.

Shutter Island does a skillful job of building up its atmosphere. More suspense than horror, the film uses a variety of techniques to keep the tension high without resorting to pure shock value. The island itself is a nearly perfect setting: inhospitable, full of old buildings, and populated with the mentally ill. The cinematography also plays tricks on the viewer, such as subtle continuity errors or disorienting cuts, to maintain a sense of unease.

Shutter Island’s strong presentation is backed by a well-constructed plot. Exactly what Teddy has stumbled into is kept vague until the end, but tantalizing clues, a steady plot progression, and flashes of Teddy’s own memories are enough to keep the viewer engaged until then. Those who prefer mysteries they can puzzle out on their own will be frustrated, but those willing to follow in Teddy’s footsteps will be rewarded with a satisfying payoff.

Try Shutter Island when you are in the mood for a suspenseful mystery with a psychological twist. The film’s high degree of craftsmanship makes it worth checking out for anyone who can stomach the suspense. For a sensitive viewer, Shutter Island will be an uncomfortable watch, but less so than films that dip into true horror. For a more gruesome psychological thriller, try The Machinist. For another unconventional mystery, try Memento.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for excellent writing, atmosphere, and overall execution.