Category Archives: Three Stars

My Bloody Valentine 3D (Theaters)

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I’m a sucker for slasher flicks.  While there have been some really bad and forgettable ones in recent memory, I had to satisfy my desire for decapitations, gore and of course T&A.  Add the fact it’s in 3D, I couldn’t wait to see this movie.  For all the hardcore fans, you’re either going to love or hate this movie.  For the masses, it’s probably just another excuse to snuggle with their other half or get a taste of what the future of cinema might be, namely 3D.

The movie stars relative new comer Jensen Ackles as Tom Hanniger, Jamie King as his former love interest Sarah and Kerr Smith of Dawson’s Creek fame as Axel, the town’s sheriff.  The story opens with a brief prologue of newspaper clips about Tom Hanniger (Ackles) causing an accident in the mines he works for that is also family owned.  The accident sends the lone survivor of five, Harry Warden, to the hospital where he lies in a coma.  One year later on Valentines Day, Harry Warden wakes up and goes on a massive killing spree.  The horror ends with Harry Warden being shot to death in the mines he works for.  Fast forward ten years on Valentine’s Day, the killings begin again and mayhem ensues.

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Death Race (DVD)

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Death Race is a remake of Death Race 2000, which starred David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone in the roles now played by Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson.  The plot revolves around, you guessed it, a race to the death in which the drivers are all violent prisoners and the winner earns his freedom.  In the original, the race was cross-country, cannonball run style. 

In the latest iteration, the race is limited to a predetermined course, confined on an island which also houses the prison.  Frankenstein is the current champion with 4 victories, needing only one more victory to earn his freedom.  Statham is brought in to replace Frankenstein, who was badly injured in an explosion in the last race, compliments of Gibson’s character Machine Gun Joe. 

Fortunately, Frankenstein wears a mask at all times since his face is so disfigured from numerous crashes over the years, so all Statham has to do is wear the mask , drive the car, and win. Easy right?

What follows is fairly predictable with plenty of explosions, shootings, crashes, and more explosions. If you rented this looking for romance, you may need to make another trip to the video store. This is a typical “guy’s” movie through and through. While the action and plot may be predictable, Death Race is surprisingly fun and entertaining throughout. 

While Death Race borrows liberally from other movies, including the original, it manages to package all of its recycled material into a surprisingly engaging and high octane film.  Perhaps the biggest key to enjoying this film is  if you can see past the implausibility of it all.  Like many Statham movies, the action is over the top and many times far removed from being remotely believable.  However, his films (the good ones anyway) have become a bit of a guilty pleasure as the impressiveness of his athleticism and the creativity of his stunts seems to entertain far past the point of a need for reality. 

The supporting cast is pretty good also. Tyrese Gibson does a good job as arch nemesis Machine Gun Joe and he manages to keep the character from being too campy while maintaining just enough menace to be a formidable opponent to Statham’s Frankenstein.  Joan Allen is impressive also as the warden who not only oversees the prison but also Death Race itself, which has become the most popular television show.  The rest of the supporting cast does a fine job also and they fit in nicely to the world created in the film.  Again nothing ground breaking here, but definitely worth checking out if you’re looking to be entertained for two hours.

Bangkok Dangerous (DVD)

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Typically, movies that deal with hitmen follow a simple formula. At some point in the beginning of the movie, the hitman talks about the rules or guidelines for being an effective hitman.  These usually contain at least one rule about not getting personal with anyone or something to that effect.  Next, the hitman either has a change of consciousness, falls in love, or both, which results in him breaking all of the aforementioned rules. As a result of breaking the rules, all hell breaks loose.

If you can think back to any Hitman movie, I can almost guarantee that it adheres to a similar structure to the one above.  Bangkok Dangerous is no different. Nicolas Cage plays a hitman who is contracted to perform a series of jobs in Bangkok.  As is often the case, these jobs are to be his last before moving on to a better life. Cage outlines his rules and his system for establishing himself and performing his job. He takes on a disposable assistant (read worthless scumbag who will do anything for money and who none will miss once Cage is done with him) and proceeds to plan for his upcoming jobs.  Somewhere along the way, Cage falls in love with a deaf pharmacy clerk and proceeds to rethink his profession.

Without giving away too much, this is the point where the cliches end. What develops from Cage’s relationship with this woman is not exactly your typical Hollywood “everything will work out in the end” premise and it is what gives Bangkok Dangerous a bit of originality in a redundant genre.  Nicolas Cage is a bit of an enigma. He is the extremely rare Oscar winning action hero, meaning not only can he throw a punch, he can also act.  He brings a bit of depth to this role that would otherwise have fallen flat in the hands of a lesser actor. This movie could have easily become a Van Damme or Seagal straight to the video bin vehicle, yet Cage’s acting ability manages to keep it afloat. This is crucial as there is relatively little dialogue in the movie and a majority of it is in the form of monologues from Cage’s character.

The direction by the Pang brothers is also excellent. Their style is reminiscent of early John Woo before he became overly obsessed with bullet time and slow motion leaps.  The film has a very raw and gritty feel to it  and it really helps convey the brooding hustle and bustle of a city like Bangkok.  The direction is clear and well paced without too much over reliance on MTV style replays and action shots that so many modern action films are plagued with.  This helps to bring some seriousness to the tone of the film while reinforcing the concepts of loneliness and isolation reiterated throughout the movie.

While the movie is not Cage’s best work by any means, it is definitely worth a rental. Fans of the genre will find something unique about this movie, while those simply looking for a good action fix will be satisfied as well.