valdyr Reviews

Hollow Point (1996)

Amusing action flick

[8/10 · 7 June 2000]

Hollow Point, though clumsy in places, manages to be an extremely endearing and amusing action movie.

The primary entertainment value here is humor - everyone turns in clever performances that provide the film with a great deal of energy.

Oh, by the way, advocates of gun safety will be horrified by the conduct of the characters in this movie...

First Option (1996)

Tactics and firepower make the film

[8/10 · 22 April 2000]

First Option is an exciting action-packed movie about the Hong Kong SDU unit. The primary purpose of this exercise is to offer up several quality gun battles between the SDU teams and a team of highly trained mercenaries.

There's a plot in there, to be sure, concerning itself mostly with interdepartment squabbles and the location of the drugs sought by the police, but the movie is really about the action.

While hardly an accurate portrayal of police tactics, First Option does have several things going for it: (a) there's lots of troops in most of the scenes (most of the action is done by fireteam) and (b) these troops all have automatic weapons. (which is realistic for the situation) The editing and sound production help drive home the violence of these conflicts, which are the meat and drink of the movie. There's a few explosions to help liven up the gunbattles, giving the whole film a nice balance of action.

First Option is far more motivated towards pseudorealism than most action films. The police have to work together to win, rather than relying upon a maverick cop who can slaughter the badguys while the rest of the police force looks on. The team is the important thing here and that really does come through.

The cinematography works well for the most part - most of the action is filmed outdoors during the day and is consequently easy to follow. There are a few too many closeups at times, but not enough to rob the action of its impact or value. Sound production on the firearms is clean and much better than the average Hong Kong film (no stock popping sounds here).

Check it out if you want a movie about fireteam to fireteam conflict. If that doesn't grab your attention, then give it a miss.

The Mission (1999)

Starkly beautiful

[10/10 · 17 April 2000]

Shot lovingly at a measured pace, the Mission is one of the best films I've seen all year.

The cinematography is simply incredible. Combined with a strong score and excellent sound, it sets the tone and pace of the film. Rather than rushing the gun battles and creating the furious duels of John Woo films, the Mission takes a slow measured approach. The bodyguards cover one another and move in harmony, taking up advantageous positions from which to strike. They do this slowly and methodically, but with an air of cinematic perfection to their languid movements. When they fire their guns, the weapons thunder and bullets either ricochet off or shatter their targets. No stock sound effects here - this is as good as Heat or Saving Private Ryan in the intensity and quality of its weapons fire.

The acting is first rate with much of the communication left unspoken. These men don't need to ramble on to one another, a few sentences or a simple gesture convey all the information that is required. All five of the bodyguards turn in first rate performances that leave you with a real sense of both who these men are and what they are all about.

The theme here is loyalty - and while it might be a simple one, this is one of its finest presentations. Definitely worthy of one's time.

The Quick and the Dead (1995)

The ultimate gunfighter flick

[10/10 · 22 November 1999]

For those looking for a fast-paced, exciting and violent western, the Quick and the Dead is THE film to check out. Every gunfight is exciting (not an easy thing to do with so many taking place) and the large caste (which features an overwhelming number of recognizable actors) ensures that there are enough subplots and victims to last the movie. The lead performances are excellent - Gene Hackman turns in what is probably the best performance of his career...

Fight Club (1999)

Fincher's best work

[10/10 · 20 October 1999]

Fight Club is by far the best thing David Fincher has done... and also one of the best movies of the year.

Deliberately subversive, Fight Club is really about suckerpunching its audience, violating taboo after taboo in a way that is at once friendly and menacing. Subliminal images flicker in and out, the characters chat with the audience and the film only rarely flinches.

Better yet, it lingers on the plight of men. While it overdramatizes the male condition at times, it is at least willing to concede that all is not well in the land of testosterone... something few people are willing to either say or accept. Its best moments are when it shows what the military (once the proving ground of men) has become... reducing soldiers to nameless programmable drones - "The first rule of Project Mayhem is that you do not ask questions, sir." And when it talks about men, for all its playfulness, hipness and pop psychology, it is dead on more often than its wrong.

For all that, it still bows to one convention of Hollywood film - the violence, while containing a fair amount of blood, isn't in the least realistic. (long term consequences are absent) The grue in this film comes more from the violation of cherished taboos, the same way a good Clive Barker story does.

Anyhow, check it out and make sure you do it on the big screen - you'll never notice everything without that assistance!

Dobermann (1997)

hyperviolent and stylized

[10/10 · 20 October 1999]

Dobermann is the sort of hyperviolent, uber-stylized film that is incredibly entertaining while being utterly frightening (to those with weak stomachs) at the same time.

The lead cop exemplifies this - he is an avenging angel - a pure creature of violence who rampages through the movie, leaving more destruction in his wake than the title character. Every other character in the film pales when compared with this character's nastiness... there's no way they could hope to keep up.

The action is used in short controlled bursts [a small opening piece, a robbery in the middle and the obligatory climatic violent orgasm] and is perhaps most notable for its slick camera work and high degree of violence [not splatterfilm level, but definitely competitive with John Woo]. Curiously, the director is at his best with explosive weapons... [particularly the Dobermann's pistol grenades] something most American directors have forgotten how to do.

Anyhow - check it out if you like violent crime drama.

Razor Blade Smile (1998)

Biting and Bloody

[9/10 · 29 July 1999]

Probably my favorite vampire film after Blade & FDTD (so you can see where I'm coming from). An irreverant, entertaining and bloody film, full of nifty gunfights, amusing dialogue and FUN.

If you're stuck up about low budget films, don't waste your time - you won't get anything out of it. If you like black humor, mayhem by bullet, sword, fang, and the stake and outfits purchased from the local fetish boutique - this is right up your alley.

And unlike some of the other reviewers, I LIKE the acting :)

Vampires (1998)

A travesty...

[4/10 · 29 July 1999]

As an adaptation of the best book on Vampire-hunting ever written... Vampires is an abject failure.

As a movie on its own merit... it's just not very good. The opening is promising enough, with a good helping of gore and automatic weapons fire, but the movie worsens as it goes on and ends only a degree better than From Dusk Till Dawn 2 (surely the worst vampire film made in the last ten years...). For those who haven't suffered through that film - once again the sun comes out and mops up all the badguys.

Scarecrows (1988)

Creepiness & Bullets = Big Smiles all around

[9/10 · 29 July 1999]

A creepy atmosphere, well-armed mercenaries (these people are most likely player characters from someone's role-playing game... if not, I'll be surprised) and some villainous monsters make for an entertaining movie.

The acting is acceptable, the armament exceptional (unlike most horror films, these characters actually go into the situation well-armed), the dialogue is excellent in places (my favorite line : "turn around so I can shoot you in the back") and the gore'll put a smile on your face (mayhem by sharp things, cleavers, pistols, uzis, shotguns, needles and grenades; plus a dog eating bits of corpse - how can you go wrong with that?).

Another fine Valdyr recommendation.

Premutos: The Fallen Angel (1997)

Two Fisted Splatter Fun

[7/10 · 26 July 1999]

While Premutos isn't the most comprehensible of films... and it drags more than a little towards the end [with some rather unnecessary scenes at a dinner party] - that's unimportant.

You watch it for the end. The words "violent orgasm" don't begin to describe the apocalyptic mayhem that consumes the end of this movie - a battle against the undead that includes pistols, shotguns, swords, grenades, pick axes, chainsaws, scythes, machineguns and main battle tanks. Absolutely incredible and worth every minute of what came before it - this fight is one of the best put to horror film.

Killing Time (1998)

Good indie action film

[9/10 · 28 March 1999]

Killing Time is an excellent action movie with clever writing and some gut-bursting black humor between the silenced reports of the female assassin's Glock pistol. I gave it a 9 out of 10 - the cinematography works and the acting is good - it would have gotten the full score if it possessed less gratuitous vulgarity (like The Pigeon Egg strategy, Killing Time greatly improves as a film as it rolls on - don't let the beginning frighten you off).

Deep Rising (1998)

Gore, Guns and Good Fun

[9/10 · 24 February 1999]

Deep Rising is the sort of movie that leaves you with a big smile on your face and a desire to own one of the 5-barreled rifle-chainguns its main characters carry and spray bullets everywhere with... this movie performs its mayhem with big guns, small guns, shotguns, fireaxes, flareguns, acid, explosives and anything else its characters can get their paws on... all the ingredients of a fine evening's entertainment!

So sit back, put on your war face and watch the mayhem happen.

Bullet in the Head (1990)

Worth it.

[16 February 1999]

John Woo strays outside of the cops & robbers field for an hour or so in an excellent movie that heads straight into war-torn Vietnam and then slowly comes full circle. This movie will make you cringe in places - the melodrama here is thicker than in any other film (love it or hate it, you'll have to face it). The violence is another strong component of the film, with some truly nasty scenes in a POW camp and a couple nice shoot-outs. I'd say that the violence in this one is more like a Ringo Lam movie than John Woo. Anyhow, for anyone who likes John Woo or Vietnam War films, this one's worthy.

Six-String Samurai (1998)

An Epic

[10/10 · 8 February 1999]

This movie is a wonderful experience - the cinematography is stunning, the fights exquisite and the music perfect. One of the most enjoyable theatrical experiences of all time; I'd recommend it to anyone with an open mind about movies.

The Pigeon Egg Strategy (1998)

Strange...but worth it

[8/10 · 27 January 1999]

An odd movie with a beginning that completely fails to grab your interest, but that rapidly recovers from its [admittedly necessary, but still] dismal opening to become a well-plotted work. The plot is in the details here... and there's a barrage of them. The language too, deliberately obscures and confuses... work past it and it's a rewarding experience.

Split Second (1992)

The best in action-horror...

[10/10 · 20 November 1998]

A great film set in a dystopian future London. Well paced and interestingly plotted, with an emphasis on the proper human reaction to a seemingly unkillable monster - bigger guns. A classic for its music, dialogue and firepower.

Freejack (1992)

Good Entertainment Value

[9/10 · 20 November 1998]

A surprisingly good film with excellent performances by its actors (particularly notable are the minor cameos by an Irish nurse and a street bum) and a good, solid plot. Mick Jagger does an excellent job as a bounty hunter and Rene Russo is at her best. Contains some good chase scenes involving a number of quirky military vehicles (Soviet reconnaissance cars and US FAVs) and a number of decent sized gunfights. Satisfying all across the board.

A.P.E.X. (1994)

Enjoyed Terminator?

[8/10 · 27 October 1998]

Heavily influenced by The Terminator, APEX features time-travel, heavy weaponry and battle robots. The APEX units are rather strangely behaved and incredibly inaccurate with their weapons (although to its credit, the movie does claim that the firefights are occurring at distances of several hundred meters - if only the camera work backed that assertion up...) Still, it's good dumb fun.

Ronin (1998)

A waste of talent

[2/10 · 26 October 1998]

A poor movie masquerading as intelligent. The use of the Forty-Seven Ronin is lifted straight from David Morrell's The Fifth Profession, but makes no sense by the end of the movie. This movie is incredibly sloppy - every character except Sam is lobotomized and even Sam becomes a dunce by the end of the film. Waste of cash.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Vampires get what's coming.

[9/10 · 26 October 1998]

From Dusk Till Dawn is the action genre's return salvo to the Anne Rice take on Vampires. Vampires are the enemy of mankind - no reasoning, no compromise - just man against undead. And it succeeds beautifully - if you like vampires, I mean adore them as prim, Gothic creatures, this movie spits in your face. If you loathe them, you'll love this - no hack explanations or facades of humanity for this bloodsuckers - simply their well-deserved deaths.

Last Man Standing (1996)

Review

[10/10 · 23 October 1998]

A grand movie, full of high powered action scenes and quality acting. Walter Hill intended it as a "dime novel" set in the era of Prohibition and it succeeds wildly at this task. Everything is overplayed well and the dialogue is exceptional. If you liked Dashiell Hammett's book Red Harvest, then this is the action movie version of it.