CARPENTER & RUSSELL RETURN FOR BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPO7YJ1H7fb644_BD7y8vZaPOV5rT1v0JjXcnEd0LrzZ2fB-4WFoFQYUqK8DKPuJh66jA__iLXeuXkNN4T7cAkMa_VAYqh3oTqaQXmfB0GaoQCNAhObQ34YN5262Vn4sTo3G4yS1op7P4/s1600/1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPO7YJ1H7fb644_BD7y8vZaPOV5rT1v0JjXcnEd0LrzZ2fB-4WFoFQYUqK8DKPuJh66jA__iLXeuXkNN4T7cAkMa_VAYqh3oTqaQXmfB0GaoQCNAhObQ34YN5262Vn4sTo3G4yS1op7P4/s320/1-1.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1986</td></tr> </tbody></table> As grungy truck driver Jack Burton, director John Carpenter’s stock action star Kurt Russell is a Snake Plissken for the GOONIES generation, making BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA feel like ESCAPE FROM WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, or as one character points out, a "radical ALICE IN WONDERLAND"…<br /> <br /> For BIG TROUBLE is an adventure where each level brings a new chaotic challenge, making the overall plot not matter much – that being a kidnapped green-eyed Asian beauty caught in the mazy labyrinth beneath Chinatown where Burton and an eclectic band of misfits, including and especially Dennis Dun as the resilient Wang Chi and tough ingénue Kim Cattrall as Gracie Law, survive various elements to reach the literal bottom of things. But as far as the players go, BLADE RUNNER actor James Hong is the man here, and an old one at that. His ancient Lo Pan needs to wed the green-eyed McGuffin, who’s engaged to our likable young sidekick. In that, Dennis Dun has equal screen time with the often benign Russell, who remains impartial during most of the karate-filled bouts.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1YzpsSHyyF8zbH_kqdeVAEyXYFsyw7PJHoVd93CmpPN3sgbp0p5DB-JApPSLIruDc5qOFJ-poNs2qsKgoikfIU_xiYIu-FypgkL6NebTc8vGXMtfL9H6M8wlKUdsHiWopt8mgrXvr60/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-09-09+at+11.30.40+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1YzpsSHyyF8zbH_kqdeVAEyXYFsyw7PJHoVd93CmpPN3sgbp0p5DB-JApPSLIruDc5qOFJ-poNs2qsKgoikfIU_xiYIu-FypgkL6NebTc8vGXMtfL9H6M8wlKUdsHiWopt8mgrXvr60/s320/Screen+shot+2015-09-09+at+11.30.40+AM.png" width="241" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Much Cooler Image Poster</td></tr> </tbody></table> Awkward dissolves aside, John Carpenter keeps the pace moving effectively with quick-cut close-ups providing a comic book panel styling, colorfully reminiscent of Walter Hill's STREETS OF FIRE, and turns in a more upbeat soundtrack than usual: though his ominous synth remains an undercurrent.<br /> <br /> And where Russell’s NEW YORK Plissken paid homage to Clint Eastwood’s iconic Spaghetti Western loner, this super-macho fella has a John Wayneish delivery, at times going so overboard that the performance feels more like a quotable-contrived satire than a genuine action hero… <br /> <br /> But with loads of mystical fantasy, an exploding samurai, costumed monsters and tacked-on special effects that often distract from the basic pulpy peril, you shouldn’t take LITTLE CHINA very seriously. In fact the whole rollercoaster ride, seeming purposely tailor-made for a cult-following even before successfully acquiring one, is much better experienced than evaluated... In one ear, out the other... Relax and enjoy. <br /> <br /> RATING: ***1/2

adventure, eighties, james hong, john carpenter, kim cattrall, kurt russell

CARPENTER & RUSSELL RETURN FOR BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA

year: 1986 As grungy truck driver Jack Burton, director John Carpenter’s stock action star Kurt Russell is a Snake Plissken for the GOON...

RYAN REYNOLDS & JEFF BRIDGES IN R.I.P.D.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCskEE_Cy20z1RV-kU10Gr8icj-3a-L-xQ6gFJi_WTydIkwDUp8Vm0l41Z9rifymJVyPKW5udsAqP9G-H-QdMtT7MP5H9R5jDFi5E1UlXETBcwadqlH7LiEasJD0q-yW1xEAZRXetiouE/s1600/riptd.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCskEE_Cy20z1RV-kU10Gr8icj-3a-L-xQ6gFJi_WTydIkwDUp8Vm0l41Z9rifymJVyPKW5udsAqP9G-H-QdMtT7MP5H9R5jDFi5E1UlXETBcwadqlH7LiEasJD0q-yW1xEAZRXetiouE/s1600/riptd.jpg" width="165" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 rating: **1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table><p>While it really does resemble MEN IN BLACK in both style and structure, especially within the busy and bizarre offices of The Rest in Peace Department… home base for dead cops to find and arrest the undead lurking amongst the city masses… R.I.P.D. is more of a cross between GHOST and GHOSTBUSTERS...<br /> <br /> We begin with two crooked detectives, one played by Ryan Reynolds as Nick and Kevin Bacon as Hayes – but Nick is good deep down and pays the price for having doubts about stealing gold at a drug raid. Upon being killed right after a cool looking shootout, our anti hero descends upward into… not exactly heaven, hell, or purgatory but the Department where little of the film actually takes place.<br /> <br /> Much of the action occurs on the city streets as Nick endures his stubborn partner, a veteran “lawman” originally from the Wild West named Roy. Jeff Bridges fits the part so well he forgot he's not Rooster Cogburn in TRUE GRIT. With a slurred alum-tongued speech pattern and stock world-weary gruffness, Bridges makes a good Oscar to his Felix-partner Reynolds, who, surprisingly enough, can also play rough n’ tumble pretty well. After all, Nick has more to fight for – his wife’s being visited by his nefarious ex-partner... here’s where GHOST comes in...  and eventually the stolen gold connects to an otherworld plot where, like GHOSTBUSTERS, the undead could paint the town all sorts of bad colors. Some of the funniest parts show Nick and Roy the way humans see them: Roy’s a sexy blonde chick and Nick’s an old Chinese man. At times you’ll want more of the avatars present since Bridges and Reynolds, while likable enough, eventually play second-fiddle to the cartoonish special effects: whenever the dead show themselves in true form they bloat into monstrous Hulk-like beasts.<br /> <br /> Thankfully the movie's so short the flaws don’t really matter, and there’s a pretty decent balance of action and comedy, yet the humor doesn’t rely on one-liners as much as Roy's perpetual reluctance to accept Nick – and vice versa. But the best thing about R.I.P.D. is the direction, flowing like an edgy crime flick on its own right with a jazzy/funky soundtrack and a fun, gritty undertone reminiscent of GET SHORTY and OUT OF SIGHT.</p>

action, comedy, cop, james hong, jeff bridges, kevin bacon, mary-louise parker, ryan reynolds, science-fiction, team-up

RYAN REYNOLDS & JEFF BRIDGES IN R.I.P.D.

year: 2013 rating: **1/2 While it really does resemble MEN IN BLACK in both style and structure, especially within the busy and bizarre o...

KUNG FU PANDA 2

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0JjRLWY3Vf7vpdzBcxPk-9KPDtfAK66Dv4ZE2InnfbTfJ3OpzOhgSejxseXdYBKonGZJpvKIa94H_-kS2zOJBL6UvlkalWMj40c4tV6Ekgcm5NWfQJWQW7w-ba90Y0ZbkGe1vwAmLKe1/s1600/kung-fu-panda-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619331908692104514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0JjRLWY3Vf7vpdzBcxPk-9KPDtfAK66Dv4ZE2InnfbTfJ3OpzOhgSejxseXdYBKonGZJpvKIa94H_-kS2zOJBL6UvlkalWMj40c4tV6Ekgcm5NWfQJWQW7w-ba90Y0ZbkGe1vwAmLKe1/s200/kung-fu-panda-2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 195px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title:</span> KUNG FU PANDA 2<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">year: </span>2011<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">cast: </span>Jack Black<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">rating:</span> *1/2<br /> <br /> <div> While it looks terrific in 3D… the flashbacks of Kung Fu Master Panda Po’s childhood, shown in old-school animation and weaving in and out of the computerized continuation of the successful, and entertaining, original… the sequel is pretty boring, mainly because the backstory envelopes everything here: centering on where Po (Jack Black) came from, how he fit in a basket and was found by his adopted fowl father, still running his bistro with an iron <i>cha-ching</i>. Dustin Hoffman’s once important teacher, Shifu, makes a quick, pointless cameo in the beginning as Po and his pals, barely making a difference to the proceedings (especially Jackie Chan, who hardly utters a syllable), travel to fight the new villain, Shen, an evil peacock with nefarious pointy-faced wolf minions. Knowing a thing or two about Po’s origins first hand, Shen holds a personal grip on our hero, who's so bogged-down by frustrated melancholy that when fight scenes occur they seem rushed – our cumbersome hero destined to return to that mushy personal quest of what happened to his parents: a yearning only “inner-peace” can quench… zzzzzz. But does it really matter from whence he came? We already know the true beginning is the first film, which this is a pale, lackluster, unfunny shadow of. So next time around… if there is a next time… progression is essential. </div>

computer animated, dustin hoffman, jack black, james hong, sequel, tens

KUNG FU PANDA 2

title: KUNG FU PANDA 2 year: 2011 cast: Jack Black rating: *1/2 While it looks terrific in 3D… the flashbacks of Kung Fu Master Pand...

BLACK WIDOW

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagarryCi9QPkfNcO2kGwcfw4cX1WXtGnUK7JxzHlysJUHM2kxVuWgSfZ0fk-37PlmOaCaDc2gJcghXO1NAMQpk4QR88eS_gkiVCVPltm0FciES_7k1ZlWj8XE_v4QZy44VrsyuTEvo8o/s1600/blackwidow111.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585160472848218978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagarryCi9QPkfNcO2kGwcfw4cX1WXtGnUK7JxzHlysJUHM2kxVuWgSfZ0fk-37PlmOaCaDc2gJcghXO1NAMQpk4QR88eS_gkiVCVPltm0FciES_7k1ZlWj8XE_v4QZy44VrsyuTEvo8o/s200/blackwidow111.jpg" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 136px;" /></a><b>title:</b> BLACK WIDOW<br /><div><div><b>year:</b> 1987</div><div><b>cast:</b> Debra Winger, Theresa, Russell, Dennis Hopper, Terry O'Quinn<br /></div><div><b>rating:</b> ***1/2</div><br /><div>Bob Raefelson's stylish 80's Film Noir has Debra Winger as a federal agent with a dull job, till she realizes how many millionaires are dying of sudden "accidental heart attacks": all over forty and married to young brides. Turns out there's only one bride in the form of gorgeous Theresa Russell, intricately wielding each distinct murder (hubbies include Dennis Hopper and Nicol Williamson) with Winger on her trail: then colliding in the third act as both leads meet in Hawaii, where spider's found a new, and very sympathetic, fly. An underrated yarn, using key elements of Noir and (more  specifically) Hitchcock, never loses sight of how fun it is to root for the villain. </div></div>

debra winger, dennis hopper, eighties, james hong, neo noir, suspense, terry o'quinn, theresa russell

BLACK WIDOW

title: BLACK WIDOW year: 1987 cast: Debra Winger, Theresa, Russell, Dennis Hopper, Terry O'Quinn rating: ***1/2 Bob Raefelson's ...