bobcobb-84371 Reviews

Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

Bloody and violent old school action flick

[8/10 · 18 September 2019]

OK, so I have to admit: I can't help but love Sly Stallone. The guy just keeps coming back succesfully, against all odds. Who would have thought that he could pull off another Rambo flick at age 73? Well, I'm glad he did, because besides Liam Neeson, Denzel Washington and Mel Gibson, who are we gonna turn to for some old school, old-man-on-a-revenge-spree flick?

I was a big fan of First Blood, but didn't care so much for the second (too cartoonish) and third (too friggin' awful) installments. The fourth however, was just amazing. A slow build up, a suspenseful breakout and then cathartic violence. That last action sequence, where Rambo goes totally berserk and makes minced meat out of a whole army, I mean, come on, that was awesome.

The fifth Rambo is a little different in that it is more of a generic revenge flick in its setup. But only in its setup though. As soon as Rambo starts maiming and killing, this movie goes so far over the top you can't help but cheer him on. This is one bloody movie. Last blood it may be, but it is many a full bucket of it.

I also like how Rambo is more vulnarable in this flick. Stallone gets to use more of his acting chops in this one.

I know it's a lot to ask, and maybe I shouldn't even hope for it, but damn it, I sure would like another one of these.

Extraordinary Mission (2017)

Unconvincing, uninteresting undercover blues

[5/10 · 29 June 2017]

Another user here called this flick 'heroic bloodshed'. I find that qualification a bit misleading. I'm of the opinion (not shared by everyone) that 'heroic bloodshed' should be reserved for a particular wave of Hong Kong action flicks of the late eighties and early nineties. For my taste, EXTRAORDINARY MISSION is too far removed from the meticulously choreographed, highly stylized gun violence that was so typical of those flicks. (The same user review that equates this flick with heroic bloodshed also mentions Bay as a reference point, which is more on the nose, I think.)

If we have to stick with Eastern action flicks for references I would call this a cross between INFERNAL AFFAIRS (written by the same guy) and last year's OPERATION MEKONG. Sadly, this flick borrows the convoluted plot from the first flick and the overall ridiculousness (and not to mention nationalistic attitude) from the second.

I have nothing against ridiculous action flicks, far from it, but EXTRAORDINARY MISSION tries to be a serious undercover cop drama while serving up nothing but clichés. It fails to be believable. Neither was MEKONG, but what that flick at least delivered was a barrage of hard violence and insane action sequences (with the shoot out in a mall half way through as the real high light). To see anything similar in EXTRAORDINARY MISSION you will have to wait until the last 20 minutes or so. The action is spectacular, but for me, it wasn't worth plowing through ninety minutes of unconvincing, uninteresting undercover blues.

If you're an action fan and haven't already seen OPERATION MEKONG I suggest you put this flick aside and watch that one instead.

The Exorcist III: Legion (1990)

Flawed, but historically interesting

[27 May 2017]

Judging from the two flicks he made, William Peter Blatty was a talented director. He had vision and ambition. But that didn't make him infallible. THE EXORCIST III is a case in point. The theatrical version was flawed and we loved to blame the "suits" who demanded changes and re-shoots. But now here's LEGION, the version Blatty intended to make and I'm sad to report that it's even more flawed than the theatrical version. The theatrical version had that silly exorcism at the end, which brought an up until that point thoughtful flick down to the level of bargain basement horror. But the ending of the director's cut isn't much better, it's extremely anti-climactic and a million miles removed from the theological ending of the book. Another big difference is that in the director's cut Brad Dourif plays both the Gemini Killer/Patient X and Karras. You gotta hand it to the "suits" at Morgan Creek who insisted on re-shoots with Jason Miller, because the going back and forth between Dourif/Gemini and Miller/Karras in the theatrical version works like a charm. That part is much better in the theatrical version.

What's great about EXORCIST III remains great in the director's cut: the performances, especially the lead role by George C. Scott, the eerie atmosphere and photography and the best jump scare I have ever seen.

All in all, EXORCIST III remains flawed in both versions. But it's great that we can establish that by ourselves, thanks to the good folks who assembled the director's cut from whatever crude material they could get their hands on. In that respect, it's mostly historically interesting.

Assault in Paradise (1977)

Silly flick, but I just love Oliver Reed

[7/10 · 10 May 2017]

This is a silly flick, but hell, I just love Oliver Reed. Here he's a badass called Nick, a mercenary whose main fighting skills are his steel glance and incredible poker face. These alone are worth your time. All the rest is bonus: Paul Koslo's unbelievable turn as the Native American assassin named Victor, the okay chase scene half way through (with a cowboy chasing Victor in a convertible, shooting him and yeehawing), Jim Mitchum's deadpan role as a tracker, a hip jazzy soundtrack, a Roger McQuinn song about maniac Victor, a couple of bloody killings by crossbow, one weirdo pre-credit sequence in which the killer shoots a couple of lovebirds Zodiac-style and one particularly effective sequence in which Victor stalks an arrogant millionaire played by Stuart Whitman in his mansion. Not a great flick by any means, but it's got a good pace and it's never boring. And hey, Oliver ff-ing Reed!

Yes, Madam! (1985)

Not as good as some of the sequels

[5/10 · 5 November 2016]

This was one of those 1980's Hong Kong action flicks that had been on my list for some time. I'm glad I saw it, but it's nowhere near as good as some of the sequels, especially the excellent In the Line of Duty IV.

The opening action scene is pretty brutal and sharply edited, but truth be told, it's about as good as the flick has to offer. I mean, it would have been better if it had built up to something truly extraordinary. Never happens.

Flick's notable for being Michelle Yeoh's first lead role and she's pretty good, as is the always athletic Cynthia Rothrock, again looking like the female half of some British synthpop duo from the '80's. Gotta love her.

Tsui Hark and his two stupid buddies create some funny slapstick scenes which, in true Hong Kong fashion, are at odds with the gritty violence. I love how these Hong Kong flicks switch tone every few seconds.

If you're a completist like me, take a look. If you're new to the genre I suggest skip this and watch part IV in stead. If you want a better Yeoh flick, watch Tai Chi Master or Wing Chun in stead. They are freakin' awesome.

Mercenaries from Hong Kong (1982)

Lots of action, stunts, violence and jokes

[7/10 · 30 October 2016]

So this was fun! An early Wong Jing flick with lots of action, stunts, violence and moronic jokes. It's basically the old we've-got-to-get-the-team-back-together mercenary story. A gang of ex-military guys are hired by a mysterious dame who wants them to go into Cambodia and kidnap the man who killed her father. Before the gang gets to Cambodia there are numerous fights and gags, some of them pretty stupid, like the one with the cross dresser, but that comes with this type of silly Hong Kong flick. In the last half hour or so, the flick turns pretty violent and dark. I like those extreme gear changes in Hong Kong cinema: one minute you're laughing you ass off, the next you're hit on the head with the death of a child. Worth your time if you are fan of eighties Hong Kong action flicks.

Fists of the White Lotus (1980)

Lacks ouch

[4/10 · 29 October 2016]

So yeah, I was looking forward to watching this, being a fan of old school kung fu flicks and all. But somehow this really didn't do it for me. The main problem I had with it were the action scenes: they lack ouch. You see, mostly when I watch martial arts flicks I cringe when I see people get hit, kicked or when they fall down. But in this flick it was all so... painless. These guys and girls were all dancing around beautifully, pretending to hit and kick each other but you never believe it. I know, a lot of old kung fu flicks have the same problem. But still, a lot of them don't. I mean, look at some of the stuff Jimmy Wang Yu did in the early seventies. That stuff still kicks major ass. This Clan of the White Lotus doesn't anymore. To think it was made around the same time Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung were already making a name for themselves with daring stunts and amazing fight choreography makes this seem even more dated.

The Don Is Dead (1973)

What a mess

[2/10 · 16 September 2016]

OK, so I took these user reviews seriously that said this is worth your time. It is not. This flick's a mess. Anthony Quinn is an old don who seduces the girl of another, much younger mafioso (played by Robert Forster who's not half bad). War ensues.

The plot doesn't make much sense and it is trying hard to emulate The Godfather (especially the story line of the young mafioso, played by Frederick Forest, who is trying to leave the family business). It fails miserably. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open on this one. There are maybe two scenes that held my attention, and they were both execution scenes. They were staged pretty well, but they are two isolated scenes in a dull mess.