James Mangold is not Steven Spielberg. No one said he was. But stepping into a film series whose other four instalments were directed by Spielberg, comparisons will be drawn as Harrison Ford grabs his whip and fedora and settles into the iconic role of Indiana Jones one last time. There are lots of things to…
Tag: action sequences
Punisher: War Zone (2008) – Lexi Alexander
Ray Stevenson didn’t get a fair shake at playing Frank Castle aka The Punisher, in the 2008 follow-up to The Punisher starring Thomas Jane. Jane declined to return as he felt the script didn’t go in the way that he wanted to portray the character. What was there to dislike? And what did Ray Stevenson…
Rush Hour 3 (2007) – Brett Ratner
So the racism is a little toned down (not much), but the sexism is still on display as Lee (Jackie Chan) and Carter (Chris Tucker) return for a third (and final?) go-round. Things get underway when Lee finds himself back in Los Angeles, serving as security for his old friend Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma). Han…
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) – James Cameron
It’s been thirteen years since writer/director James Cameron introduced to the distant world of Pandora, and its blue-skinned, lean humanoid inhabitants the Na’vi, who live in harmony with their planet. It’s been thirteen years since we left Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his wife, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their family has grown, with three children…
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) – Ryan Coogler
The MCU’s newest entry, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to his 2018 entry, Black Panther, which launched its star, Chadwick Boseman, to the status of beloved icon. Taken from us far too soon, Wakanda Forever is about the characters processing the loss of their king, T’Challa as much as it is about…
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – Steven Spielberg
I love the Indiana Jones films (yes, even some parts in the fourth) and while Raiders of the Lost Ark will always be my favorite, Last Crusade is etched in my memory for personal reasons. It was the summer of 1989, I had just graduated high school, it was my last summer living in Bermuda,…
Rambo (2008) – Sylvester Stallone
Stallone not only returns in one of his most iconic roles, but he also settles into the director’s chair to bring the grittiest incarnation of Vietnam vet to the screen. Continuity is key, and Rambo (Stallone) is still in the Far East, attempting to live a quiet life as best as he can, when, like…
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) – George P. Cosmatos
It had been a while since I settled in for any of the Rambo films and thought it would be fun to take a look at the sequels. So I was excited to settle in for Rambo: First Blood Part II, the first of four sequels to 1982’s First Blood. The second film eschews some…
Spiritwalker (2020) – Yoon Jae-keun
Hitting digital, DVD and Blu-Ray today from Well Go USA Entertainment is this Korean bare-knuckle action flick with some sci-fi undertones that keeps things moving right until the last frame. The film gives a new spin on familiar territory, and features solidly constructed, and executed action and fight sequences. Ian (Yoon Kyesang) isn’t who he…
9th Annual Old School Kung Fu Film Fest: Joseph Kuo Edition – 7 Grandmasters (1977)
I was able to check out one last film at the 9th Annual Old School Kung Fu Film Fest that is screening at the Museum of the Moving Image, and presented in conjunction with Subway Cinema, and that was Kuo’s 7 Grandmasters! Featuring a sharp and clean 2K restoration, of the four films I’ve seen…
The Mind Reels 