furiousneon Reviews

Batman Forever (1995)

Far better than it gets credit for.

[8/10 · 29 August 2023]

This film gets far too much criticism and it's directly because of it being tied to its sequel. There is a real Batman story being told here and a great blend of comic book on display. The character of Batman is handled with respect and there are some expertly crafted scenes on display. There is a bit of cheese which we all know they went beyond overboard with in the following film but it is never distracting enough for me here. I was 7 when this came out and the nostalgia always hits hard but watching it now at 35, I have to say that this film is far better than it gets credit for. 7/10 without the nostalgia. 8/10 if it takes you back to being a kid and the hype you had around the release of this, the sound track and the toys.

The Expendables 2 (2012)

An action fans dream. Surpasses the original in every way.

[10/10 · 19 August 2012]

First off, I grew up watching Stallone, Van Damme, Schwarzenegger, Willis, Lundgren, etc. For the people who did not and disliked this movie and the first one, I understand. But for any die hard action movie fan of the late 80's and early 90's, this film is it. The one we always wanted. The one that answers most of our what if's when it comes to this genre. The first Expendables was a mean, fun little beast of a film. I applaud Stallone for what he did with it. But no matter how many times I watched it, I always felt more could have been done and this time, more was. Stallone handed directing duties over to Simon West and from the first frame you can tell this film is more polished. The action is amped up, the effects are of higher quality, the humor is timed better. Its all quite an improvement over the first. The film revolves around Sly (he did after all write the script). Willis and Schwarzenegger both have bigger roles this time around (loved the cameos in the first, but felt like it was all just a big tease). Statham plays right hand man to Stallone again while the rest of the crew do exactly what they did in the first with the addition of 2 newcomers (Hemsworth and Yu) and a solid, hilarious extended cameo from Chuck Norris. Statham is always a pleasure to watch, his action scenes are always explosive and he does not disappoint this time around but I especially enjoyed Lundgren and his character. He was funny, literally, not unintentionally and you can clearly tell that he is relishing this opportunity. Stallone gave all of these guys very little at the core as far as character, but I believe that was the point. We want to see them as who they are and who we love them for being and Sly knows that. That might even be why in the first one, Mickey Rourke's (who is absent from the sequel) emotional scenes seemed so out of place. They were phenomenal and truly moving and in reality, had no place in a movie like The Expendables. But since we are speaking of character, the best performance in this film by far belongs to Jean-Claude Van Damme. Its obvious to anyone familiar with his early work that his acting his improved tremendously and he uses this film to showcase that. His character is ruthless and evil in a fun way. He literally demands your attention when he is on the screen and the final fight between him and Stallone is almost perfect (wish it lasted a little longer, but not complaining). The first 30 seconds of the fight had me immediately smiling thinking to myself, am I really watching Rocky Balboa and Kickboxer go at it right now? It was just great. And Stallone, Van Damme and everyone else involved knew that many moments in the film would have you smiling, thinking exactly that to yourself. Are you really seeing this? Yes, you are. A bunch of broken egos finally came together to please the audiences that have dished out millions to continuously see them punch, kick and shoot their way through films. They all shoot high this time. And they hit the mark. 10/10. Not based on if it will an Oscar or not, but based on the tremendous amount of fun that I had with this film. Go See it.

Halloween II (2009)

Halloween II: Rob Zombie's second bizarre take on Michael Myers.

[10/10 · 29 August 2009]

Halloween II starts off giving you a definition that will define plenty of moments through out the film and after its first initial display, you should kind of get the hint of what you are going to be in for. If you thought Rob Zombie put his touch on the first film, just wait until you get a load of this one. It is BRUTAL, sadistically violent in every single way possible. If you don't cringe during the hospital scene then you have some thick skin, let me tell you. Aside from the horrific violence (which comes with the territory when it comes to Zombie) this movie is nothing like your average Halloween film. It isn't even like the remake. The first 10 or so minutes are the closest to his remake that you are going to see, because after that he takes our buddy Michael Myers and throws him into a completely DIFFERENT element, multiple of them actually. With the first film you felt that Zombie had to stay faithful to the original and stay in bounds, well with this one the studio definitely let him go buck wild and do anything..and i mean anything, that the master of redneck guts wants. I don't want to give away anything about the film, but I will justify my 10/10 score and I am giving it that based on this: Rob Zombie is fearless. He made HIS Halloween film and is leaving it up to you to either love it or hate it. If your like me and are intrigued by some of the new grounds and territory that this film takes this series into, then you will without a doubt love it.

Fast & Furious (2009)

A reunion thats worth attending.

[10/10 · 4 April 2009]

The first Fast and the furious movie was something like a phenomenon for me as a teenager. It had amazing cars, gorgeous girls and introduced two stars to the mainstream audience, Paul Walker & Vin Diesel. The second film only brought back one of them..and while it wasn't terrible, the vibe and energy from the first seemed to be drained out due to this actors presence missing. I wont even begin to explain my disliking of the third film aside from its direction, because we would be here for hours. Finally, for whatever reason, maybe money, maybe careers not going where they were supposed to, these two guys came back together along with their love interests from the first film..and I, for one, am happy that it went down. The action sequences are top notch, easily the best in the series. The cars are AMAZING..if you are a car guy you will flat out love the choices in the film. The acting is..well, tolerable. I read reviews for this film laughing out loud. It sounded like critics were expecting Slumdog Millionaire. Come on people..its the fast and the furious. It is supposed to be fun, loud and exciting. Not Oscar worthy. I don't want to give away anything like most reviews do because i know fans of the series would rather see it for themselves. It is satisfying and i would say, almost as good as the original. For its action sequences, pace and overall feel..i give the film a 10/10.

The Shepherd (I) (2008 Video)

Some of Van Damme's Best Fight Scenes In Years.

[10/10 · 6 March 2008]

This movie was made on a relatively small budget (10-20 million dollars?) with almost no promotion at all from its distributors. I only knew about it because I am a long time Jean-Claude Van Damme fan and I always check out his latest films in hope that they will be at least watchable and aside from some real turkeys (Derailed, Second In Command), they are. This movie has an easy enough plot to follow and Van Damme gives a good, humorous performance through out but the movie owes all of its credit to the fight scenes involving Van Damme, Scott Adkins and the final one of them together. The editing and camera work for most of the film is pretty terrible but Isaac Florentine can definitely film a good fight scene. I too am happy that Van Damme has been acting better lately (In Hell, Wake of Death, Until Death) but with the good acting came less martial arts. In The Shepherd, Van Damme proves that he still has it.

Halloween (2007)

Zombie's Halloween is gruesomely in your face, whether you want it to be or not.

[10/10 · 1 September 2007]

I have been a die hard Halloween fan since I first saw the original when I was 7 years old. I'm 19 now, I own all 8 films on DVD, numerous masks and collectors items. When I first heard that Rob Zombie would be doing a "re-imagining" of Carpenters original, I was, well, scared a little. I could deal with a sequel being bad, but going back and tampering with what made Michael Myers such a horror icon is pretty risky. After viewing the 11:00 show last night with a sold out crowd, I can tell you that Zombie sure did tamper with the movie. Hell, he gave it over a half-hour of insight into why Michael's childhood caused him to become a masked killer. In my opinion, it paid off. What made the original so great was the mystery of Michael Myers, you really had no idea why he did what he did and that made it creepier. What sets the tone of Zombie's version is how in your face the details of this kid are, its to the point where you are forced to feel creeped out, as if someone tied you down to the chair. After the insight and the institution days (which in my opinion, brilliantly tie some knots that Halloween fans should be pleased with) the movie cuts right to the chase, having an aura of the original and a fresh new feel at the same time. I do not want to give away any deaths (although I will say they are GRUESOME and mostly terrifying), big details or the ending, which some idiotic IMDb users do, but I can tell you that the twists in this film, especially towards the end will totally catch you off guard. As for the style of the film, I personally like Zombie's directing style, I think its unique and very much his and I was happy that he wasn't trying to copy Carpenter like so many other past directors have tried to with the Halloween Sequels. The casting was for the most part top notch. Expect to see some heavy hitters in the genre in little bit parts through out the film. To wrap this up, I was very pleased. The film screams at you, its right in your face whether you want it to be or not. If you can let your guard down and stop being so defensive of the original, you should enjoy yourself as much as I did. If you cant, a couple of months from now when your at blockbuster and these two films are side to side, you pick the one you prefer. Ill be picking both.

Until Death (2007)

A different direction for Van Damme and it mostly pays off.

[10/10 · 25 April 2007]

Always a fan of Van Damme, I have seen every title of his since No Retreat, No Surrender and I can tell you right now, his acting in the 80's and most of the 90's was laughable. You don't watch a Van Damme movie for it's acting, you watch it for the fight scenes right? Not this time around. Until Death strongly focuses on its main characters flawed life. How a man who seemed to have it together at one point has completely lost it and is in a downward spiral full of drugs, hookers and a crooked run as a cop. Wondering if Van Damme can pull it off? He does and continues in my opinion to prove that he is better then the low-quality DTV movies that he has been unfortunately starring in for the past 7 years. Due to that fact, if this movie were made as a theatrical release with better funding and better actors surrounding our star, it would be amazing. Thanks to Van Damme and the director for at least trying to make this movie look the best it could, this movie is very good. Some fans may be disappointed with the lack of martial arts but this movie doesn't call for it. It would actually be out of place and pretty stupid for this guy to be as lethal a martial artist as we know Van Damme to be. Out of all of Van Damme's DTV releases, this one along with Wake of Death are his strongest and I strongly recommend that you check it out.

Entourage (2004–2011)

One of the first shows in years that I actually want to keep up with.

[10/10 · 28 August 2006]

I'm not big on TV, especially lately with all of the garbage that airs, but Entourage is just key. Its the only show in years that has actually made me want to stick with it and keep myself up to date with whats going on. I feel like a little girl watching "90210". Its cool, fresh with an awesome young cast and awesome cameos from awesome people. I also love that its on HBO because its boundaries aren't as limited as if it were on say, FOX. Anyone can enjoy it, each show is a nice blend of comedy, drama and situations we can all relate to. There's the other nice thing about it, Its a show about a 3 guys living off of there rich actor friend, and it still manages to make people who aren't in that kind of situation relate. All in all, in my opinion, its the best show on television. Watch out for great cameos and the always key Jeremy Piven. If you don't have HBO, be friends with someone who does. If you don't want to do that, buy the damn seasons. Its well worth it.

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

I Have Had It With These Mother F........Ha-Ha, Yess!!!

[10/10 · 18 August 2006]

This movie is ridiculous, completely unbelievable, impossible in almost every sense, yet one of the funnest films I have seen all year long. Its campy, already a cult classic and it just opened and practically fan made, with quotes and posters fan submitted actually used. Samuel L Jackson is great, camping it up and mocking his usual bad ass character. Anyone that takes this film seriously and anyone who tries to give this film a serious review is a complete moron. Take Snakes on A Plane for what it is, an obvious camp movie, an obviously ridiculously fun film and enjoy it. The Snakes are great, Sam is great, the chicks and bad acting is great. Hell its camp/cult heaven, and one of the first films in years to truly deserve cult status. A good, fun film with some awesome death scenes, some awesome action sequences, some hilarious ones too, and a heart at its ridiculous core. Easily one of the most enjoyable films of the year. Go see it!

Snakes on A Plane, 2006, Rated R, 10/10.

The Hard Corps (2006 Video)

One of Van Damme's most enjoyable films in years.

[10/10 · 16 August 2006]

There is nothing perfect about this movie, but for what it is, it sure the hell is enjoyable. Van Damme just gets better and better in the acting department and pleases everyone in this one, new fans and old ones. The action scenes are way better then in Second In Command and much more martial arts oriented then Wake of Death, with some more trademark kicks. Vivica A. Fox is sexy and perfect for her role and the story involving a former heavyweight champ who needs security from a rap-mogul/gangster is very fresh considering its new territory for a Van Damme movie. Anyway fan of his or not, I would no doubt check this one out, its a pleaser.

United 93 (2006)

A Stunning and Remarkable Film.

[10/10 · 29 April 2006]

United 93 is one of those films where there isn't a star, there isn't a plan, there isn't one hero. The whole movie is full of hero's. People trying to find some kind of plot behind what was happening right before there eyes. The plot we know now, but they didn't know then and its quite amazing to watch these tragic events fall into place. United 93 had me glued to the screen, even though you know whats going to happen. It is very hard to watch but should fill you up with pride for this country and respect for the brave people who lost there lives on that plane. Everything about the film is solid with some of the best direction I've seen in a while. One of the best films I have seen so far this year. Should not be missed by anyone. 10/10.

Running Scared (2006)

Ridiculously amusing and in your face, one of the years best so far.

[10/10 · 5 March 2006]

This was a hard, gutter and ridiculously intense suspenseful action thriller. Starring Paul Walker as Joey Gazelle, He plays a minor mob boy who dismisses guns after they are used for murders. When something goes wrong and one of the guns goes missing, he has to find the gun before him and his family are in great danger. I don't want to give away too much cause its better to see it for yourself but what i will say is that the 2 hours go by quick due to the fast paced, consistent action. Every character in the movie has there own scene and the acting is very good for these kinds of movies. Its tense, in your face and well made and id recommend it to any hardcore action fans who like movies such as pulp fiction or boondock saints. 10/10.

Running Scared Starring: Paul Walker Running Time - 2 Hours, 2 Minutes Rated R, 2006.

The Amityville Horror (2005)

Pretty Good Horror Flick

[9/10 · 2 May 2005]

Out of all of the horror movies coming out this year, this is definitely one of the better ones. White Noise wasn't so bad, but The Ring Two, Boogeyman and Cursed were god awful. Yes, it is obvious that this movie was made for the producers to cash in on the fact that its a remake and based on a "true" story. But you have to watch this movie for the fact that it is a horror movie, not an Oscar nominee. The acting is decent, its what you expect from this kind of movie. The effects are creepy and there are genuinely scary parts. Is it better then the original? Yeah i thought so. The original was cheesy. It wasn't scary and i didn't enjoy it. At least i was half satisfied when i left this remake. Overall if your a horror fan you shouldn't be disappointed. If your a fan of the remake then you probably will be and if you like great movies, don't bother.

White Noise (I) (2005)

Good Thriller. Keaton is Great.

[10/10 · 9 January 2005]

This was a very good movie. Not the scariest movie I've ever seen, not even close. But a very well done thriller with great performances. Trust me it will make you jump and it will make you think. Michael Keaton(who hasn't done anything since Jack Frost in 98) gives a very good performance like usual. EVP(Electronic Voice Phenomenon), which is what the movie is all about, is used very effectively in the movie. Its a pretty cool subject matter. Anyway I was very pleased with this one. Don't go in expecting a horror movie on the lines of Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Saw. If you go in expecting that you will be disappointed, this is more on the lines of The Sixth Sense or Mothman Prophecies. Check it out, It was worth it to me.

Wake of Death (2004)

Very Well Done Action Revenge Flick..Good Performance by Van Damme.

[10/10 · 3 January 2005]

This is not your average Van Damme flick. Its also not your average action/revenge movie either. There's no doubt that this is a huge step up for Van Damme. His acting is very impressive, in my opinion his best work yet and he is still in great shape and can perform the kicks, no problem. The story is simple but it gives more to you then it should. We get to see Van Damme's character completely break down, and for this you feel for him, which makes his revenge just as sweet as it is for him, for you. Aside from Van Damme the rest of the acting is pretty good. There are also some great fight scenes and car/motorcycle chases. Another thing I noticed is that this movie looked like it had a nice budget..100 times better then Derailed and better then In Hell..It was nice to see that Money was being dished out for Van Damme again. Anyway overall I give this a 10 for Van Damme's great performance, the stylish action and the way the story was executed. Van Damme fan or not, try and check this one out.

Grind (2003)

Some pretty funny stuff.

[10/10 · 24 August 2004]

I picked this movie up for like 4.99 on DVD at a rental place nearby..and i have to say it was worth it. Although im not a big fan of skateboarding or the X-Games as a whole..i enjoyed this movie. It was pretty funny. It goes by at a steady pace and the characters all have a pretty good chemistry with eachother, especially considering that the lead roles are all newcomers. There are a few notable cameo's(Bam Margera, Tom Green). The story itself isnt anything great. It's not original or anything, but it still seems pretty fresh. Its funny through out and considering that im not a skateboarding fan and i enjoyed it, Id recommend this to anyone. Its some pretty funny stuff.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Cult Classic

[10/10 · 20 July 2004]

Donnie Darko holds its own as not only a great movie, but a cult classic. The movie has a stellar cast that propels us into this engaging piece of art. The plot is very original and the movies atmosphere, pacing and soundtrack work great with each other. Even though this movie was put to shame at the box office, it should be seen by everyone and should receive a lot more credit. There is no doubt that this movie is weird. It is very confusing and its definitely not for everyone. But the people that it is for love it for what it is. Featuring great performances by Jake Gyllenhall, his sister Maggie, Patrick Swayze, Drew Berrymore and a man in a rabbit suit named Frank, this is one movie you really shouldn't miss. Worth the rental and in my opinion the purchase. I hear its being rereleased in theaters soon, if you haven't seen it yet..see it then.

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Very Good Movie

[10/10 · 26 January 2004]

Ive been interested in this movie since i first saw a preview for it over the summer. Ashton Kutcher in a serious role? Sounds like Mission: Impossible. Ashton Kutcher is Evan..a troubled young man who discovers that he can go back in time and change things from his past, but when he changes one thing, he changes everything..and this can either be really good or really bad. The movie had me on the edge of my seat for pretty much the whole time. It is very random but in a good way and it does have a good, interesting and very original plot. So does Ashton pull it off? Indeed he does. I was impressed by his performance, as a matter of fact, I didnt even watch the film thinking it was Ashton, I believed that he was Evan..thats a very good thing. I mean he wont be winning an award for this movie, but note that this is his first dramatic role. Overall i really enjoyed this movie, its better than lots of crap thats being loaded into the theaters lately and it really, really does make you think. Screw what the critics are saying, check this one out, you wont wanna miss it. 10/10.

In Hell (2003)

Great Movie

[10/10 · 25 November 2003]

This movie is great. It has one of the darkest tones ive ever encountered in a film. Jean-Claude Van Damme gives an awesome performance..all of you who think he cant act..check this out. This isnt just another prison movie, its got lots more to it then that, its about pain, suffering, not knowing what to live for, self remorse..This really is an excellent piece of film making and Van Damme proves to me that he can act..and act well. The fight scenes are choreographed well, the acting is good, the music score is good an well..just the movie in general is great. This is not your average Van Damme flick, theres no comedy, not much martial arts, Its sad at times, its more of suspense drama..there is quite a lot of action and the action is very good. Please see this movie, it is great.

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Disappointment

[1/10 · 12 November 2003]

This Matrix series really just went in a downward spiral from the first to this so called "finale". This movie is without a doubt a huge dissapointment, a let down to all fans. The movie doesnt sum everything up they would you would expect and the performences here from the HUGE stars seem tiring. Some scenes are so boring that i almost fell asleep..literraly. The final fight scene was so lame that it actually reminded me of an episode of Dragonball Z...so without further adue..I voted a 1/10 for this horrible excuse of a final chapter in a series that if this film could have been what it was expected to be would have been great. If you want to see a good movie that's similar to this with non stop action and a great everything else..go buy Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines..it really does take a dump on this piece of garbage.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Very Well Done Remake

[10/10 · 19 October 2003]

This is the remake of the 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I thought this remake was done very well, it was very scary and very brutal. Much better then many recent attempts at horror. Im not saying that this is better then the original or worse, because in my opinion the two films were made very differently. This isnt the exact same movie, there are different characters, and many scenes are different. There are lots of similarities and references. The movie had one of the darkest atmospheres ive ever encountered in a film and was extremely brutal and gorey. A must see for a fan or the original and its sequels and horror films. If you like this definitely check out Wrong Turn, another recent horror film that i was impressed with.

Wrong Turn (I) (2003)

Genuine Horror

[10/10 · 18 October 2003]

I just picked this movie up yesterday and i have to say i was impressed. This is a good horror film. It is very much like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Hills Have Eyes. Its much more of a throwback horror film kind of giving a little shout out to the horror films that started it all. This isnt your crappy "Scream" or "I Know What You Did Last Summer" garbage, this is the real deal, in your face kind of horror that we have all missed. I hope the studios keep producin more movies like this and less movies like "Scream"

The Ninth Gate (1999)

Horrible

[1/10 · 13 October 2003]

This movie was very painful to watch. It was so bad. I am a fan of Johnny Depp but this movie just sucked. Very slow moving, plot unfolded so slow that by the time it did i just didnt care anymore. Not scary or thrilling what so ever and it was way too long, bad enough the movie was extremely slow, the length made it even worse. I dont know how this has a 6.3/10 because it is one of the worst movies ive ever seen.

Black Eagle (1988)

Very Bad

[7/10 · 14 September 2003]

I have seen every Van Damme movie there is from No Retreat, No Surrender to Derailed and this is without a doubt his worst. He is barely in it, he barely speaks and although he was able to pull off some unbelievable moves, the choreography of the fights was just awful..i make up better fights when i play around with my friends. The plot was so muddled that i didnt really get anything out of it. The main character was just bad and you didnt care for him..actually i was rooting for Van Damme the whole time and he was the bad guy. Please skip this one..this is just a flat out mistake.

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

Showdown of the Century

[10/10 · 18 August 2003]

No more waiting...It's FINALLY here. Freddy VS Jason! I did have to stand in line for this movie..and that made me think..Did all 17 of these movies(that is all of the NMOES and F13 movies all together) have such an impact on fans that it could literally pack a theater with people..and not only that but have people arguing over who would win? You bet youre ass they did. These are two horror SAGAS we are talking about here. Freddy and Jason are considered legenday to horror fans..so to see them together on the screen...who the hell would want to miss that? Nobody, of course...So now lets get on to the movie. All the kids on Elm Street have forgotten about Freddy..since they have forgotten him he is no longer in there dreams..the people who do remember him have been put in mental institutions and are overdosed on anti biotics that clear your head at night and make you unable to dream. So Freddy brings himself into the dream of none other then the legend himself Jason. Freddy acts like Jasons mother and tells him to kill the children of Elm Street. Jason does so and this brings fear to the survivors which gives them something to dream about therefore letting Freddy into there heads once again. Freddy starts gaining his power and starts stalking the children in there sleep once again...as he is just about to make his first kill...his victim is killed right in front of him...by...JASON. This p***es Freddy off..he does not like it when people interfere with his killing sprees and wants to settle this with Jason..so an all out war wages with body parts flying everywhere! But WHO WINS??? No way in hell am i giving that away..Just go and find out yourself..trust me this is the movie that all of us fans have been looking for.