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REVIEW – Quantum Apocalypse

Christian Sellers — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:39:37 +0000

If Hollywood eventually lost faith in Roland Emmerich and decided to give him restricted budgets then the end result could be something like Quantum Apocalypse. Following the filmmakers obsession with mankind pulling together in order to overcome a natural disaster, Justin Jones’ relatively low budget thriller plays out like one-part The Day After Tomorrow and one-part Michael Bay’s Armageddon. With the infinite mysteries of space providing endless scenarios for ways that the Earth could suddenly be destroyed, it is little wonder that the industry has exploited this unknown in such variety of ways. And, much like with Bay’s blockbuster, the danger in Quantum Apocalypse comes from outer space.

Scientists at the USSA are monitoring a passing comet when it suddenly changes direction and collides with Mars. Whilst damage from the fragments of the incident are the first concern, one doctor suggests a more serious threat: whatever caused the comet to change direction must be of significant size and power. Dr Zulkowski (Amol Shah) is convinced by his colleagues to draft in the help of Trish (Gigi Edgley) and Tom (Collin Galyean), two unconventional geeks who, despite their appearances, are geniuses. The incident is soon diagnosed and the conclusion is that some form of matter is approaching Earth and threatens to consume and destroy everything in its path, and with the world’s government unprepared there could be no way to stop it.

It is immediately apparent that Quantum Apocalypse is essentially a made-for-TV movie, much like something that would be produced for the Sci-Fi Channel (or, as it is known these days, Syfy). This is not necessarily a bad thing in some respects, but as the story progresses and the natural disasters begin to take over (due to the effect of both the matter and an attempt to shift the Earth’s axis by exploding nuclear weapons at the North Pole), the film’s small budget does become a problem. One of the more impressive set pieces shows New York engulfed by a tsunami, with the tide washing over both the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan. A scene where London is literally sucked into the sky is less effective, with some rather dubious CGI spoiling what could have otherwise been a tense moment.

Unsurprisingly, the performances on display range from impressive to pitiful. The most believable character is Terry, a Rain Man-like adult child whose mental condition has resulted in him remembering almost every random piece of information, making him almost a genius. Rhett Giles (who had previously worked with Jones on The Apocalypse back in 2007) gives an impressive turn by making the character three-dimensional without resorting to parody or clichés. The sequences inside the USSA are the most interesting, with the American scientists stumbling over each other in an effort to find a solution to the crisis.

Although Terry proves to be one of the highlights, his family give the worst performances, particularly his teenage nephew Leo, whose puppy love for blonde classmate Lindsey (Kristen Quintrall) gives the romantic subplot a One Tree Hill feel. By far the worst performances come from Stephanie Jacobsen (as Leo’s stepmother Lynne) and Peter Jurasik, as the US president. Aside from the average special effects, the film’s greatest weakness is its ending, which slowly builds to an apocalyptic climax, only for the entire scenario to be tied up in a matter of seconds. Certainly not a masterpiece and not even essential viewing, Quantum Apocalypse is still watchable viewing if taken as a TV movie.

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REVIEW – Above the Law

Christian Sellers — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:21:51 +0000

Of all the actors to become stars of the action genre during the 1980s, none of them took their work quite so seriously as Steven Seagal. Whilst Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme and even Dolph Lundgren were aware of how over the top their work was and would at times even poke fun at themselves, Seagal almost seemed under the illusion that he was creating art instead of mindless action. A former instructor of aikido in Japan, Seagal would make his acting debut in 1988 with Above the Law, which would be known in certain territories under the alternative title Nico, named after the central character. Directed by Andrew Davis (who would later re-team with the star in the 1992 blockbuster Under Siege) and co-starring Foxy Brown’s Pam Grier and future sex symbol Sharon Stone, Above the Law would prove to be a major success upon release. Even notoriously difficult to pleasure critic Roger Ebert praised it, saying ‘When was the last time you saw Norris or Schwarzenegger in a film where they ran cars through walls and killed people with their bare hands and went to mass, stood up at baptisms, meditated, hugged their wives, kidded their partners and made speechs about the need for a free and open society?’

Having been trained in Martial Arts and moved to America as a child, Nico Toscani (Seagal) had fought in Vietnam but had left the army after viewing the horrific crimes that his superiors would commit in the name of war. Now a tough, no-nonsense cop in Chicago, Nico is a feared and respected upholder of the law and patrols the streets with his feisty partner ‘Jacks’ Jackson (Grier). Along with his wife, Sara (Stone), he regularly attends his local church to hear church sermons from Father Gennaro (Joe Greco). But whilst investigating drug trafficking on his streets, he crosses paths with dirty CIA agent Kurt Zagon (Henry Silva) and his gang of mercenaries. This eventually results in a bombing of the church and the death of Father Gennaro, forcing Nico to disregard the orders from his superiors to stand down and instead declares war against Zagon and his outfit.

Seagal was certainly no Schwarzenegger, nor was he Stallone. He wasn’t even Chuck Norris. Lacking the charisma, wit and appeal of his contemporaries, Seagal has constantly been reduced to self-parody and has never succeeded in being the icon he so obviously strived to be. His performance was more robotic than any of Stallone’s but for some reason it just doesn’t seem to work, with Seagal evidently taking himself way too seriously. The movie is one long cliché from the very beginning, with the Vietnam-set sequence that shows the proud Nico defying his superior’s orders and turning his back on his platoon after witnessing them torture a member of the Viet Cong. Both the filmmakers and the star seem to think that because they are touching upon such subjects as political corruption and genocide that somehow this makes the movie important and a work of art.

Whilst Seagal is clearly talented when it comes to fighting, he really lacks any kind of acting skills and Nico is a rather poorly developed character, despite the writers attempts to flesh him out by giving him a loving family life, something that cops in action movies rarely have (unless, of course, they lose them at the beginning, thus providing the catalyst for their fight against crime). Whatever the writers intended with Nico, Seagal is unable to pull it off and spends the entire movie doing his trademark angry whisper and unintentionally comical threats (‘If I find out you’re lying, I’ll come back and kill you in your own kitchen’ being the most outrageous).

Unfortunately, the rather talented supporting cast are given little to work with. Grier lacks the sexy attitude she had become renowned for during the 1970s and provides little in the way of action. Women have never been portrayed very well in Seagal’s movies, usually added merely to show how macho the hero is. One perfect example of this is in 1990’s Hard to Kill, in which his co-star Kelly LeBrock stands in awe as she watches him practice his training, then proving to be useless herself except as eye candy. Whilst Grier and Stone are a little better developed than that, it is Seagal who always saves the day and Grier is nothing more than a sidekick. Above the Law is clearly a vehicle for Seagal and no one else was allowed to steal his thunder.

Even the directing of the movie was pedestrian, with Davis (who would later film the Academy Ward-winning blockbuster The Fugitive) providing by-the-numbers set pieces. With a tepid script and poor performances, Above the Law is certainly one of the more disappointing action films of the late 1980s and showed exactly what to expect from Seagal – one generic flick after another (Marked for Death, Out for Justice, etc.). Naturally, over the last two decades, Above the Law has developed a cult following but with little reason, as it offers nothing that a more entertaining action movie like Die Hard or Lethal Weapon does not provide. Overrated and tedious.

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REVIEW – Commando

Christian Sellers — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:46:55 +0000

Long before the days of CGI, bullet time and other forms of ‘cheating,’ the action genre was overflowing with outrageous stunts, dangerous explosions, exciting car chases and bulging biceps. One former body builder and Mr. Universe who suddenly became a Hollywood sensation was Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian hulk who had become something of a sensation with his breakthrough roles in Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator. After the success of the latter, he became one of the most in demand actors of the genre, subsequently appearing in the likes of Raw Deal, Predator and Red Heat. Amongst these macho flicks was Mark L. Lester’s 1985 muscle fest Commando which, much like John McTiernan’s Predator two years later, would take great delight in zooming in on the actor’s sweaty muscles as he flexed them for his audience.

Having retired from Special Operations and moved to a mountain retreat with his daughter, Jenny, John Matrix (Schwarzenegger) now spends his days chopping wood, exercising and enjoying the peaceful environment. But his tranquility is soon ruined when his former superior, Major General Kirby (James Olson), informs him that the members of his former unit have been eliminated by professional assassins and he is the only surviving member. Refusing to become involved, Jenny is soon kidnapped by Bennett (Vernon Wells), a disgraced member of his team who had been responsible for the death of his men. John is instructed to carry out an assassination for corrupt politician Arius (Dan Hedaya) or else they will kill his daughter. After killing the terrorist who has been sent to accompany him on his mission, he abducts flight attendant Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong) and begs her to help him save Jenny and bring Bennett’s reign of tyranny to an end.

The one charm of many of Schwarzenegger’s ‘80s flicks is their simplicity, refusing to confuse audiences with complicated plots and instead keeping to a generic template – he kills the bad guys, no matter what it takes. He has never been known for his acting range and with this genre not much is needed from him, except his fighting skills and cheesy-yet-charming one-liners. One such example can be seen after John drives a steaming pipe through the stomach of his enemy, in which he casually smirks ‘Let off some steam!’ This is almost as terrible as one in Predator in which he pins a soldier to the door with a dagger and then grins ‘Stick around!’ Whilst most other actors would soon ridiculous uttering such stupid dialogue, this is almost part of Schwarzenegger’s charm and one of his action films would seem empty without it.

Surprisingly, he has been given an adequate supporting cast for what is a by-the-numbers script. Hedaya, previously seen as the sleazy bar owner of the Coen Brothers’ noir classic Blood Simple, is given little to do with his role as the head villain but his accent is competent enough and he looks as creepy as ever. Wells is a charismatic psycho who clearly still respects John, despite wanting him dead. Chong plays the sexy heroine role well and proves to be more than just some screaming bimbo, something which had become commonplace in the genre during the 1980s. The supporting cast are also relatively engaging, with Bill Duke (later seen alongside Schwarzenegger in Predator) proving to be menacing, David Patrick Kelly (The Warriors, 48 Hrs.) giving his usual comical performance as one of the henchmen.

Having previously directed the Michael J. Fox classic Class of 1984, Lester is more than able to keep the action flowing at an enjoyable speed, avoiding the fast paced editing that has almost ruined the genre today and instead focusing on his star fighting bad guys. He would later direct another action star, Dolph Lundgren, along with the late Brandon Lee in 1991’s martial arts flick Showdown in Little Tokyo. The stunt work on display is up to the usual standard and there are some great car crashes and explosions. Horror fans may be interested to know that some of the stunts were performed by Dick Warlock, better known as Michael Myers in 1981’s Halloween II. The final face off between John and Bennett is the usual fist fight, with guns merely reserved for the henchmen, but there is plenty of carnage beforehand to keep viewers entertained.

As with most Schwarzenegger movies, and indeed most action flicks of the decade, there is very little in the way of substance with Commando and the script is as poor as the acting talents of its lead. But when has acting ever been the selling point of a Schwarzenegger film? The humour is cheesy, the characters are underdeveloped and the set pieces are over the top and unrealistic, but this is what fans have always wanted from Schwarzenegger and Commando is certainly one of his better ‘80s efforts. It may not stand up well to the likes of The Terminator or Predator but it performs its tasks adequately enough and does exactly what it says on the tin. Loud, brainless and irrelevant, but fun all the same.

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REVIEW – First Blood

Christian Sellers — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:01:18 +0000

By the time that First Blood was released in 1982, Sylvester Stallone had already gained acclaim for his performances in Death Race 2000, Nighthawks and three Rocky movies, as well being nominated for an Academy Award for his writing talents. Yet his turn as John Rambo in Ted Kotcheff’s low budget thriller proved to be a career-defining moment, prompting Hollywood producers to repeatedly cast him as the hero driven to violence and forced to defend himself or those around him from an invading force. Subsequently, the likes of Cobra and Tango & Cash would transform him into a huge action star during the 1980s, a reputation he has slowly begun to reclaim over the last couple of years. But the role that he will be forever remembered for will arguably be Rambo.

Like many of his fellow soldiers, returning to America after the Vietnam war has left Rambo feeling isolated and without a purpose, unable to cope with the atrocities that he had experienced oversees. After learning that one of his former comrades has since died of cancer, he wanders into the small town of Hope and immediately falls foul of the local sheriff (Brian Dennehy), who takes a disliking to the stranger and arrests him. After being harassed by the deputies, Rambo finally escapes and heads into the nearby hills, forcing the sheriff to lead a manhunt after him. But Rambo, who was a decorated war hero and dangerous soldier, uses his military training to hunt down his predators one by one.

Stallone has never been the most gifted or versatile actor but when given the right kind of role he can prove to be extremely entertaining. David Morrell’s 1972 novel had provided the framework and name for the character, but it was Stallone who gave Rambo his personality, transforming him into a confused and tortured action hero. The true strength with First Blood is its portrayal of its protagonist, who is still haunted by the events of the Vietnam War (even though he was a decorated soldier), much like America was at that time. Unsure of why soldiers were sent to the country and disgusted of the atrocities they had committed whilst they were there, those who were fortunate enough to survive returned home only to find hostility from their neighbours. During the final scene of the movie, Rambo explains how he was treated when he came back to America and how seeing his friends die in front of him had left him lost and angry.

There are many differences between the movie and its source, with Rambo eventually dying at the end of the book. Instead, Kotcheff and co-writers William Sackheim and Stallone chose to allow their hero to survive, perhaps because of the pain he had suffered the movie deserved a relatively happy ending. Had they chose to stuck closer to Morrell’s vision, Rambo: First Blood Part II would not have followed three years later and Rambo would never have become a franchise. Yet whilst the sequels seemed to reach more towards parody, over-the-top violence and even xenophobia (especially with Rambo III, which saw Stallone fighting evil communists), First Blood seemed to treat its subject with a little more intelligence and respect. Apocalypse Now had shown the horrors of the Vietnam War, but First Blood showed what happened to the soldiers afterwards.

Strong support for Stallone was provided by Dennehy, whose character was a no-nonsense redneck sheriff who takes an instant dislike to Rambo and leads the manhunt against him once he escapes. He is stubborn, arrogant and disrespectful, more obsessed with enforcing his rules on strangers than focusing on the best way to keep the peace. Allowing his subordinates to torture and abuse prisoners shows what kind of police officer he is and so his inevitable fate deserves little sympathy. Richard Crenna, as Rambo’s former commanding officer, Colonel Sam Trautman, is also impressive, returning to the role for the next two sequels (sadly he would pass away before Rambo was made in 2007).

What really works with First Blood is how Rambo escapes into the hills and suddenly reverts back to his military training, convincing himself that he is still back in Vietnam and treating the local cops as the enemy. Although they have weapons and vastly outnumber him, Rambo is in his element and Stallone picks them off one by one like an animal. Although the series would become increasingly ridiculous and the character would eventually be nothing more than a joke (he would be spoofed in 1993 by Charlie Sheen for the comedy Hot Shots: Part Deux, but by then he was already comical), First Blood was a fairly restrained effort that show Stallone at the top of his game. An interesting statement on the way that Vietnam veterans were treated and an entertaining action thriller.

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