I've been trying to find a copy of this movie for months. Happily I finally found it tonight. It wasn't worth the wait. I didn't care about any of the characters except the two that elevate every movie they're in that are the only redeeming features about this movie, James Hong and Victor Wong. I was expecting more given the cast, especially Ernie Reyes Jr which I've always enjoyed. I didn't find it engaging or rewarding of my time and don't understand how others have rated it so high. 9 or 10 out of 10? Thoroughly baffled. Victor Wong has a meltdown more convincing than the guy in The Crow 2, which was interesting. I dunno. I didn't go into this expecting Bloodsport but I didn't even see the ending coming, my brain was numb the whole time. The best part was Victor Wong shouting "there's no sweary word here, this is a monestary. That might be the only part of it I remember.
Reviews
11 Reviews
'If You Loved Me...
(1997)
A thought provoking exploration of what love is
14 April 2022
I remember this vaguely, saw it as a kid. I thought it was creative, a clever idea, and appreciated the prompt at the end, it makes one think.
It's funny, sweet, deceptively deep, chaotic fun, I remember the vibe being very off-kilter, and it was fast-paced.
If you can track it down, it's worth checking out. As short films go, I found it a good watch.
It's funny, sweet, deceptively deep, chaotic fun, I remember the vibe being very off-kilter, and it was fast-paced.
If you can track it down, it's worth checking out. As short films go, I found it a good watch.
Ip Man: Kung Fu Master
(2019)
Tepid garbage
11 January 2022
From the opening scene this movie does more to make wing chun look stupid than it does to entertain. It's very much performed in the style of "lots of movement, little visibility" and usually against numbers that makes the burly brawl from the Matrix Reloaded look positively gritty and realistic by comparison, while reducing wing chun to mostly chain punching. Poor representation of the art, retelling a story you've seen plenty of times before, and all of them done a lot better.
Music's good, though.
Music's good, though.
Super Mario Bros.
(1993)
An oft maligned hidden gem
9 September 2021
The tl;dr is "this movie is really fun, and worth watching, despite its reputation." But what are movie reviews but gushing pretentiously persevering? XD
Alright, you know this movie, you've heard about it being one of the worst movies ever made, you've seen it blamed for the standard of video game movie adaptations, but I watched it again last night for the first time since I rented it on VHS in 1993, and I realised something.
This movie freaking RULES!
It has a reputation but I really think it was down to several unfortunate factors, and no real fault of the movie itself. Mario at the time was the biggest video game property in the world, the hype was enormous. And the truth is the movie is nothing like the game. That leaves people disappointing. But please let me tell you about this movie.
What stands out to me is how they took a very simple premise - run to the right, avoid obstacles, save the princess - and expanded it into ... well words fail me. This is a whole world. It feels a little like the underground parts of Demolition Man, or Blade Runner, there's a kind of dystopian cyberpunk edge to it.
The villain, played with apparently great pleasure by Dennis Hopper, legend, is hammed up to the max, and it gives me great joy, one of my favourite things in campy movies is seeing serious actors getting to ham it up (see Jack Nicholson's superb and hilarious Joker in Batman(1989) for another example of what I mean when a dramatic actor gets to cut loose) His motivations are fairly standard villain fare, he wants to rule the universe of course, but they actually introduce some of Koopa's family like his cousins which is neat.
The story is less incredible than the worldbuilding, but it's servicable. There's a maguffin, and the obstacles that prevent our intrepid brothers from reaching it feel fairly organic, and not just like they're trying to pad the film (even if that's the case, I don't know, but a lot of movies make it feel a lot more contrived than this)
Princess Peach isn't in this one, but what's really cool is that Luigi is almost the star of the film, and follows HIS love interest instead of Mario and Peach. This might have also contributed to its poor reputation, Mario is the hero of the games, of course the damsel should be Peach! But no, this is Super Mario BROS, and they play beautifully together. I have no idea why they cast John Leguizamo as Luigi, but he and Bob Hoskins as Mario have a really enjoyable relationship, they feel like brothers :) They have different skills, and they each get their times to shine. I thought it was very well balanced, some movies with multiple protagonists struggle to give them an even shake.
The music identifies this as an early/mid 90s movie, it has a light, sorta whimsical feel that wouldn't be out of place in Home Alone. It doesn't quite fit the aesthetic of the movie, but it provides a tone that I found appropriate. The main thing to know is this movie is absolutely BONKERS, and it doesn't only embrace it, it revels in it.
I was bracing myself to hate this, of course I'I enjoyed it as a kid, I was 7, and it was Mario, my standards weren't high, but having studied film for a while now and been an avid movie lover with what many would call unrealistic standards, I finished this movie feeling really good. Great. I was still laughing, there was some emotional content but it felt a little tacked on and didn't make as strong an impact as it could have, but I class this as a feelgood romp of a movie.
OH! The story! I know I said it was less incredible than the worldbuilding but friends I was wrong, I'd just forgotten about it! The premise: meteor hits Earth and wipes out the dinosaurs, yeah? But what if it didn't? What if it created a dimensional rift that sucked the dinosaurs through? And what if they lived the intervening millennia in that other dimension, evolving to a comparable level to humans? And what if they found their way back? (this is the opening monologue that sets up the film, not spoilers) which I think is phenomenal. They could have gone into it more but they kept it simple at that outline..
Anyway, this movie made me feel really good, I had a great time, and if you're curious, I really encourage you to check it out with an open mind, perhaps don't see it as a Mario movie at all, at least not as an adaptation of the game. Watch it as a standalone movie, compare it to nothing, and just enjoy, because it rocks :)
Alright, you know this movie, you've heard about it being one of the worst movies ever made, you've seen it blamed for the standard of video game movie adaptations, but I watched it again last night for the first time since I rented it on VHS in 1993, and I realised something.
This movie freaking RULES!
It has a reputation but I really think it was down to several unfortunate factors, and no real fault of the movie itself. Mario at the time was the biggest video game property in the world, the hype was enormous. And the truth is the movie is nothing like the game. That leaves people disappointing. But please let me tell you about this movie.
What stands out to me is how they took a very simple premise - run to the right, avoid obstacles, save the princess - and expanded it into ... well words fail me. This is a whole world. It feels a little like the underground parts of Demolition Man, or Blade Runner, there's a kind of dystopian cyberpunk edge to it.
The villain, played with apparently great pleasure by Dennis Hopper, legend, is hammed up to the max, and it gives me great joy, one of my favourite things in campy movies is seeing serious actors getting to ham it up (see Jack Nicholson's superb and hilarious Joker in Batman(1989) for another example of what I mean when a dramatic actor gets to cut loose) His motivations are fairly standard villain fare, he wants to rule the universe of course, but they actually introduce some of Koopa's family like his cousins which is neat.
The story is less incredible than the worldbuilding, but it's servicable. There's a maguffin, and the obstacles that prevent our intrepid brothers from reaching it feel fairly organic, and not just like they're trying to pad the film (even if that's the case, I don't know, but a lot of movies make it feel a lot more contrived than this)
Princess Peach isn't in this one, but what's really cool is that Luigi is almost the star of the film, and follows HIS love interest instead of Mario and Peach. This might have also contributed to its poor reputation, Mario is the hero of the games, of course the damsel should be Peach! But no, this is Super Mario BROS, and they play beautifully together. I have no idea why they cast John Leguizamo as Luigi, but he and Bob Hoskins as Mario have a really enjoyable relationship, they feel like brothers :) They have different skills, and they each get their times to shine. I thought it was very well balanced, some movies with multiple protagonists struggle to give them an even shake.
The music identifies this as an early/mid 90s movie, it has a light, sorta whimsical feel that wouldn't be out of place in Home Alone. It doesn't quite fit the aesthetic of the movie, but it provides a tone that I found appropriate. The main thing to know is this movie is absolutely BONKERS, and it doesn't only embrace it, it revels in it.
I was bracing myself to hate this, of course I'I enjoyed it as a kid, I was 7, and it was Mario, my standards weren't high, but having studied film for a while now and been an avid movie lover with what many would call unrealistic standards, I finished this movie feeling really good. Great. I was still laughing, there was some emotional content but it felt a little tacked on and didn't make as strong an impact as it could have, but I class this as a feelgood romp of a movie.
OH! The story! I know I said it was less incredible than the worldbuilding but friends I was wrong, I'd just forgotten about it! The premise: meteor hits Earth and wipes out the dinosaurs, yeah? But what if it didn't? What if it created a dimensional rift that sucked the dinosaurs through? And what if they lived the intervening millennia in that other dimension, evolving to a comparable level to humans? And what if they found their way back? (this is the opening monologue that sets up the film, not spoilers) which I think is phenomenal. They could have gone into it more but they kept it simple at that outline..
Anyway, this movie made me feel really good, I had a great time, and if you're curious, I really encourage you to check it out with an open mind, perhaps don't see it as a Mario movie at all, at least not as an adaptation of the game. Watch it as a standalone movie, compare it to nothing, and just enjoy, because it rocks :)
Mortal Kombat
(2021)
I'd rather watch Annihilation, at least it was entertaining and visually interesting.
26 April 2021
The first half hour was quite decent. The choreography was alright, the effects were weird, but it was cool to get a backstory. But once it gets to present day it all falls apart. The music in the opening scene was pretty cool but after that it feels like generic superhero music. The film on a whole has a fanmade feel to it, with music by wotsit Macleod. Hits don't look like they land sometimes and it quickly becomes a Hollywood film - I counted five or six cuts to cover Sonya suplexing someone, which took a little over a second.
I went into this with no strong expectations, but not with high hopes. I recently saw the Power Rangers gritty reboot and the waste of my time offends me, and I was afraid this would be the same. I wanted to give this a chance coz I love the first two MK movies, and it IS better, but not by much. It's also extremely guilty of the Wonder Woman 84-esque "punch a person and they fly back in a straight line like a godsdamned cartoon" thing which makes it overall feel somehow more camp and cartoonish than the original. There is gore, which does make it feel more faithful to the video game, and they use special moves from the game, which is cool, but what could have been an amazing uppercut moment was completely undersold.
Very inconsistant tone, not as fun as the first movies, I feel like visually the cast is well chosen, but somehow it still feels miscast. Nothing about it sits quite right with me. I accept that it's someone else's vision but it falls flat for me as a movie. There are more references to the games in this one but it still doesn't quite work. Perhaps with a more original sounding score, definitely a few more takes, because some line readings are simply bizarre, when we first meet Liu Kang it's worth of Sindel's line readings in Annihilation.
There are hints of good writing but simply not enough to make this any more than .. a movie I watched and forgot.
I went into this with no strong expectations, but not with high hopes. I recently saw the Power Rangers gritty reboot and the waste of my time offends me, and I was afraid this would be the same. I wanted to give this a chance coz I love the first two MK movies, and it IS better, but not by much. It's also extremely guilty of the Wonder Woman 84-esque "punch a person and they fly back in a straight line like a godsdamned cartoon" thing which makes it overall feel somehow more camp and cartoonish than the original. There is gore, which does make it feel more faithful to the video game, and they use special moves from the game, which is cool, but what could have been an amazing uppercut moment was completely undersold.
Very inconsistant tone, not as fun as the first movies, I feel like visually the cast is well chosen, but somehow it still feels miscast. Nothing about it sits quite right with me. I accept that it's someone else's vision but it falls flat for me as a movie. There are more references to the games in this one but it still doesn't quite work. Perhaps with a more original sounding score, definitely a few more takes, because some line readings are simply bizarre, when we first meet Liu Kang it's worth of Sindel's line readings in Annihilation.
There are hints of good writing but simply not enough to make this any more than .. a movie I watched and forgot.
Jack of All Trades
(2000)
The most entertaining thing I've seen for a long time
27 March 2017
Those who follow my rare reviews know I never rate titles this high, but I can't get enough of this show! I heard about it from the Nostalgia Critic's favourite TV show intros video and I can't thank him enough. It's schlocky, cliché ridden, goofy as all hell, has great dialogue, fun action scenes, and fantastically entertaining characters.
And the intro is the best thing ever :D Bruce Campbell is a legend, and you can disagree and that's OK, you're allowed to be wrong. He brings so much to the character that makes it work where other actors couldn't. There's comedic racism in the portrayal of French characters, outrageous accents worthy of Monty Python's Holy Grail and such, but there's a feeling of the whole thing being tongue in cheek rather than offensive. What I like as well though is that while the heroes of course show up the villains in ways that would make Colonel Robert Hogan proud, the baddies never seem completely inept, while they're outmatched in the action it feels like they stand a chance.
Fans of Adam West's Batman will love this show. There are steampunk elements (always a winner for me!) and references to things like hamburgers and other such modern things that rather than break immersion (though it does) of the period, just add to the awesomeness of the characters. But despite being ridiculous and cheesy, some of the writing is genuinely really well done and the plots, worthy of 20s silent heroics, are varied and feel fresh each time.
I can't gush enough about how much I love this show. The only downside is, there are strong female characters, which is awesome, but the leading lass comes across as intolerably smug sometimes, which irritates me. It's tragic that this only ran for two seasons, but the quality makes up for its short run, and you can find it on YouTube. Get over there and watch it, I don't think I've not enjoyed a single minute of the first season so far.
And the intro is the best thing ever :D Bruce Campbell is a legend, and you can disagree and that's OK, you're allowed to be wrong. He brings so much to the character that makes it work where other actors couldn't. There's comedic racism in the portrayal of French characters, outrageous accents worthy of Monty Python's Holy Grail and such, but there's a feeling of the whole thing being tongue in cheek rather than offensive. What I like as well though is that while the heroes of course show up the villains in ways that would make Colonel Robert Hogan proud, the baddies never seem completely inept, while they're outmatched in the action it feels like they stand a chance.
Fans of Adam West's Batman will love this show. There are steampunk elements (always a winner for me!) and references to things like hamburgers and other such modern things that rather than break immersion (though it does) of the period, just add to the awesomeness of the characters. But despite being ridiculous and cheesy, some of the writing is genuinely really well done and the plots, worthy of 20s silent heroics, are varied and feel fresh each time.
I can't gush enough about how much I love this show. The only downside is, there are strong female characters, which is awesome, but the leading lass comes across as intolerably smug sometimes, which irritates me. It's tragic that this only ran for two seasons, but the quality makes up for its short run, and you can find it on YouTube. Get over there and watch it, I don't think I've not enjoyed a single minute of the first season so far.
Black Mask
(1996)
A fun martial arts frolic
13 June 2009
I love this movie, simply put. The problem with martial arts and action movies is they're usually quite formulaic, they kinda need to be I suppose, but they're not always interesting. Black Mask is on times a little bit silly (the usual suspension of disbelief is required when the hero dons a strip of ribbed plastic that covers only his eyes, and suddenly nobody recognises him), but it is in my opinion a bold attempt.
Jet Li plays a member of the 701 squad, a group of people with their nervous systems removed so they don't feel pain. He gets separated from the rest of his squad and assumes them dead, so goes about his own life trying to make himself feel human again. But when he hears from a policeman friend about big drug dealers being killed he suspects the 701 squad is behind it and goes against his former allies.
It sounds standard but the fact none of them can feel pain makes it feel quite different, and the fight scenes involving full power crotch shots, falls from height, electric shocks, punches to the throat, and many other things that would end a fight immediately don't even faze our pain-free heroes and villains and makes the fights more bonecrunching and wince-inspiring than a lot of other martial arts movies. It helps that the two leading ladies are the cutesy girl-next-door Karen Mok and the mouthwateringly gorgeous Francoise Yip (of Rumble in the Bronx fame).
The fights are excellently coordinated, the dubbing is sometimes laughable but adds to the campy feel of the film which I personally find highly enjoyable, the story is reasonably engaging, and the score has a cheesy spy-thriller classic sound to it.
If you like your action movies to be a little bit silly and just a touch camp, while occasionally delving into dark subject matter, with brutal action scenes and top notch eye candy of both genders (there are some FINE looking people in this movie lol) then this film can't come more highly recommended by me.
Jet Li plays a member of the 701 squad, a group of people with their nervous systems removed so they don't feel pain. He gets separated from the rest of his squad and assumes them dead, so goes about his own life trying to make himself feel human again. But when he hears from a policeman friend about big drug dealers being killed he suspects the 701 squad is behind it and goes against his former allies.
It sounds standard but the fact none of them can feel pain makes it feel quite different, and the fight scenes involving full power crotch shots, falls from height, electric shocks, punches to the throat, and many other things that would end a fight immediately don't even faze our pain-free heroes and villains and makes the fights more bonecrunching and wince-inspiring than a lot of other martial arts movies. It helps that the two leading ladies are the cutesy girl-next-door Karen Mok and the mouthwateringly gorgeous Francoise Yip (of Rumble in the Bronx fame).
The fights are excellently coordinated, the dubbing is sometimes laughable but adds to the campy feel of the film which I personally find highly enjoyable, the story is reasonably engaging, and the score has a cheesy spy-thriller classic sound to it.
If you like your action movies to be a little bit silly and just a touch camp, while occasionally delving into dark subject matter, with brutal action scenes and top notch eye candy of both genders (there are some FINE looking people in this movie lol) then this film can't come more highly recommended by me.
The Stupids
(1996)
Stupid. Stupidly stupid. I bloody love it
22 May 2005
Only rent or buy this if you like the sort of humour displayed in movies like Kung Pow and Mr. Bean. This movie is so stupid that even veterans of the slapstick comedy genre will be cringing. Just look at the quotes and you'll have some nice examples of what I mean. "MAN BUSH, you have no equal!" The plot is interesting - Stanley Stupid wakes up one day to discover his garbage stolen again from right outside his own home. Determined to find those responsible, he sets off on a quest to find a man called Sender, who through... crazy and foolish logic, he believes is planning a worldwide conspiracy to steal the world's garbage.
Along the way he uncovers a military weapons distributing operation, which forms most of the opposition in the plot, as they try to kill him repeatedly, and through sheer stupidity and luck, he evades them.
You can't accuse the story of being cliché or unoriginal - not many movies involve meeting God in a planetarium.
The characters are all uniquely stupid, and while their clothes are as unpleasant as fashion can be, they're all very entertaining. Except the daughter, who may annoy more than entertain, but you get those in every movie.
All in all, as long as you're looking for a film with humour so.. STUPID, you'll wet yourself, then you'll probably laugh yourself silly watching this. I first saw it back in 1997 or so, and only managed to find the video last year on ebay. It's a fairly rare video, I think, but I'm hoping it'll come out in Region 2 DVD before long :) Rent/Buy? The humour can be a specialised taste. I'd recommend renting it, but if you can buy it for a reasonable price, I recommend buying it in case you do like it, because it's pretty rare.
Along the way he uncovers a military weapons distributing operation, which forms most of the opposition in the plot, as they try to kill him repeatedly, and through sheer stupidity and luck, he evades them.
You can't accuse the story of being cliché or unoriginal - not many movies involve meeting God in a planetarium.
The characters are all uniquely stupid, and while their clothes are as unpleasant as fashion can be, they're all very entertaining. Except the daughter, who may annoy more than entertain, but you get those in every movie.
All in all, as long as you're looking for a film with humour so.. STUPID, you'll wet yourself, then you'll probably laugh yourself silly watching this. I first saw it back in 1997 or so, and only managed to find the video last year on ebay. It's a fairly rare video, I think, but I'm hoping it'll come out in Region 2 DVD before long :) Rent/Buy? The humour can be a specialised taste. I'd recommend renting it, but if you can buy it for a reasonable price, I recommend buying it in case you do like it, because it's pretty rare.
Ring of Steel
(1994)
Very underrated movie that's worth every penny to buy or rent
20 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Well look at the rating average - below 5. This, in my belief, is very undeserved. Me and a friend used to watch this movie almost every weekend. It's not that it's a brilliant movie, it's not original - the death-match formula has been done WAY many times before - but somehow it doesn't really make this movie any less enjoyable. It's not INCREDIBLY exciting, the choreography in the fights can be a little... uninspired.
Despite this, there's a fantastic soundtrack - from the accidental death at the beginning (I don't consider this a spoiler Cos it's about four minutes in, but very sorry if you do) that starts off the whole plot, to the battles that takes the movie to its final showdown between Jack, the bad-ass samurai type fighter, and Alex, the classic fencer type. In particular, the mock fight between Brian and Alex, where they both fence, has a swashbuckling theme that is absolutely perfect and sets the tone wonderfully :-) The characters are quite varied, ranging from the deadly serious fighters (like Jack) to the clowns (like Brian), with weapons ranging from claymores to rapiers to katanas, to sai, and sabre/shield combos. Each character has his own fashion style to make him more recognisable, and surprisingly there's time to reveal a lot of their personalities.
Every part is played with full commitment. Jack, Brian, Alena, the Man in Black, and especially Jack, who can lay it on thick sometimes, but altogether does a very impressive job.
A little late, but here's the plot. Alex Freyer is the best of the best - or on his way to becoming so. In a fencing tournament, his sabre snaps and he accidentally stabs and kills his opponent. After this his name is blood - fired from his academy, and his name blacklisted from tournaments, he drinks his trouble away. Then one night, while walking home, he gets mugged. A man shows up and scares away his attackers, and hands Alex a card to his club - The Ring of Steel, where the best fight for the title of champion. What Alex doesn't realise is that they also fight for their lives. He gets blackmailed into staying around when his girlfriend is kidnapped and he's forced to fight in order to keep her safe.
Yeah, standard sort of plot, it's been done before like I said, but the chemistry between Alex and Brian will have you chuckling, since Brian's character is an absolute nut bar, even while fighting. Jack is a psycho who will do anything to remain champion. Alex is the victim, a death-match virgin, who is forced to become aggressive and ruthless to fight his way to his girlfriend and his freedom.
Some fights are funny. Some are intense. Some are impressive. Some are boring. There's a lot of variety in here and not all of it good, but if you can pick it up for £10 or less, you won't regret it, I promise :-) I rate this an 8 out of 10. I would give it a 9, but don't wanna sound biased. Enjoy.
Despite this, there's a fantastic soundtrack - from the accidental death at the beginning (I don't consider this a spoiler Cos it's about four minutes in, but very sorry if you do) that starts off the whole plot, to the battles that takes the movie to its final showdown between Jack, the bad-ass samurai type fighter, and Alex, the classic fencer type. In particular, the mock fight between Brian and Alex, where they both fence, has a swashbuckling theme that is absolutely perfect and sets the tone wonderfully :-) The characters are quite varied, ranging from the deadly serious fighters (like Jack) to the clowns (like Brian), with weapons ranging from claymores to rapiers to katanas, to sai, and sabre/shield combos. Each character has his own fashion style to make him more recognisable, and surprisingly there's time to reveal a lot of their personalities.
Every part is played with full commitment. Jack, Brian, Alena, the Man in Black, and especially Jack, who can lay it on thick sometimes, but altogether does a very impressive job.
A little late, but here's the plot. Alex Freyer is the best of the best - or on his way to becoming so. In a fencing tournament, his sabre snaps and he accidentally stabs and kills his opponent. After this his name is blood - fired from his academy, and his name blacklisted from tournaments, he drinks his trouble away. Then one night, while walking home, he gets mugged. A man shows up and scares away his attackers, and hands Alex a card to his club - The Ring of Steel, where the best fight for the title of champion. What Alex doesn't realise is that they also fight for their lives. He gets blackmailed into staying around when his girlfriend is kidnapped and he's forced to fight in order to keep her safe.
Yeah, standard sort of plot, it's been done before like I said, but the chemistry between Alex and Brian will have you chuckling, since Brian's character is an absolute nut bar, even while fighting. Jack is a psycho who will do anything to remain champion. Alex is the victim, a death-match virgin, who is forced to become aggressive and ruthless to fight his way to his girlfriend and his freedom.
Some fights are funny. Some are intense. Some are impressive. Some are boring. There's a lot of variety in here and not all of it good, but if you can pick it up for £10 or less, you won't regret it, I promise :-) I rate this an 8 out of 10. I would give it a 9, but don't wanna sound biased. Enjoy.
Rocky
(1976)
So much more than a fight for the title
16 May 2005
Some people will rub this off as just another standard fighting film, but it's so much more.. This movie is about a standard club boxer, Rocky Balboa. He's been trained for six years by Mickey before Mickey decides he's wasting his time, and gives away Rocky's locker to someone with more potential.
Meanwhile, the world Champ, Apollo Creed, is preparing for his title fight, when news arrives that his opponent has an injury. Desperate to find another challenger, he stumbles across the Italian Stallion, our hero, Rocky. World Champion against a complete unknown - on Thanksgiving he decides to give a doubting underdog a great opportunity.
So there's the story. I consider it very involving, for such a simple premise. For Stallone, who hadn't written or acted in anything before, this is a mind-blowing movie. The acting really is top rate, as the doubting hero trains himself up to world class. Mickey gives him back his locker and seeing his new potential, takes him under his wing once more and trains him harder than ever. Along the way, his friend Paulie convinces his sister Adrian to go out on a date with Rocky, and they fall in love along the way. Don't be misled - this is not a romance film, but some of the sweet moments between them both really make the movie shine.
Even the casting is spot on - Mickey is played perfectly by Meredith, and I honestly don't believe a single character could be played by anybody else, especially Apollo and Mickey.
The soundtrack supplied by Bill Conti is worthy of your attention, and really adds to the emotional content of the film, as Rocky becomes a hero. The final fight is intense, but nothing really award winning in itself, except for the intensity. Be warned, you're certain to find yourself screaming at the TV to "HIT THE SOB!" If you've never seen a Rocky movie, and you're a fan of Sly, or of boxing, or of just a damn fine film, I highly recommend you buy this, and with the 5-DVD box set now available for an awesome price, there really is no excuse to go without the series that made Sly awesome.
Meanwhile, the world Champ, Apollo Creed, is preparing for his title fight, when news arrives that his opponent has an injury. Desperate to find another challenger, he stumbles across the Italian Stallion, our hero, Rocky. World Champion against a complete unknown - on Thanksgiving he decides to give a doubting underdog a great opportunity.
So there's the story. I consider it very involving, for such a simple premise. For Stallone, who hadn't written or acted in anything before, this is a mind-blowing movie. The acting really is top rate, as the doubting hero trains himself up to world class. Mickey gives him back his locker and seeing his new potential, takes him under his wing once more and trains him harder than ever. Along the way, his friend Paulie convinces his sister Adrian to go out on a date with Rocky, and they fall in love along the way. Don't be misled - this is not a romance film, but some of the sweet moments between them both really make the movie shine.
Even the casting is spot on - Mickey is played perfectly by Meredith, and I honestly don't believe a single character could be played by anybody else, especially Apollo and Mickey.
The soundtrack supplied by Bill Conti is worthy of your attention, and really adds to the emotional content of the film, as Rocky becomes a hero. The final fight is intense, but nothing really award winning in itself, except for the intensity. Be warned, you're certain to find yourself screaming at the TV to "HIT THE SOB!" If you've never seen a Rocky movie, and you're a fan of Sly, or of boxing, or of just a damn fine film, I highly recommend you buy this, and with the 5-DVD box set now available for an awesome price, there really is no excuse to go without the series that made Sly awesome.
The Karate Kid
(1984)
Imitated, but never quite equaled
22 July 2004
The formula for this movie is very simple, but effective. Boy gets bullied. Boy meets guy. Guy teaches boy to fight, etc. Boy overcomes bully. The same formula can be seen in Sidekicks, another of my favourite movies, except there's a lot more comedy involved (namely due to Mako's presence) than the Karate Kid, which is mainly a drama.
This is one of my favourite movies. My favourite Karate Kid movie is the second of the trilogy, but of course it would mean nothing without this first installment, as this is where you see Daniel LaRusso being bullied, and his first meetings with Miyagi Sesuke.
Daniel LaRusso's mother has just been given a new job, so the pair have to move from Newark, NJ, to Reseda, California. The place they arrive at is a dump, but Daniel soon meets a guy who invites him to a party, where he ends up in a fight and is thereon labeled a loser, and subject to constant bullying from a gang of local karate students.
Miyagi overhears Daniel telling his mother about this one night, and decides to help him by teaching him some karate, and how to earn respect. The showdown at a karate tournament with Daniel and the main bully, Tommy, is intense, moving, and incredible. I picked up the trilogy for pretty cheap, I recommend anyone who likes drama, triumph, emotion, and action, goes looking for this amazing movie.
This is one of my favourite movies. My favourite Karate Kid movie is the second of the trilogy, but of course it would mean nothing without this first installment, as this is where you see Daniel LaRusso being bullied, and his first meetings with Miyagi Sesuke.
Daniel LaRusso's mother has just been given a new job, so the pair have to move from Newark, NJ, to Reseda, California. The place they arrive at is a dump, but Daniel soon meets a guy who invites him to a party, where he ends up in a fight and is thereon labeled a loser, and subject to constant bullying from a gang of local karate students.
Miyagi overhears Daniel telling his mother about this one night, and decides to help him by teaching him some karate, and how to earn respect. The showdown at a karate tournament with Daniel and the main bully, Tommy, is intense, moving, and incredible. I picked up the trilogy for pretty cheap, I recommend anyone who likes drama, triumph, emotion, and action, goes looking for this amazing movie.
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