Remembering Tony Scott: THE LAST BOY SCOUT Review

The Last Boy Scout

They released this movie during Christmas season?!?

Stunts and Effects: 95% 
Logic: 40% 
Soundtrack: 70% 
TnA: 70% 
Cognitive Decline of Audience: 50% 
Overall Inches on the Action Erection Scale: 12 out of 12

Last Boy Scout was Damon Wayans attempt to 48 Hours his career.

With its blatant misogyny, careless depictions of child endangerment, abrupt violence (yes, even for an action flick), and obvious criticisms of an American pastime, it really isn't that hard to understand why The Last Boy Scout is often glossed over within the "buddy cop" sub-genre. The film spits in the face of all sorts of political correctness,  polarizing viewers despite the fact that it is a thoroughly entertaining yet questionable experience.

The film stars Bruce Willis as detective Joe Hallenbeck. Formerly secret service, Hallenbeck has completely and totally resigned to just being a piece of shit. Joe's wife cheats on him with his own partner, his daughter is quick to tell him "fuck you," and his latest gig as protection for a stripper named Cory (Halle Berry) ends with her murdered on the city streets.

In the buddy movie tradition, Hallenbeck's failure to protect her brings him in direct conflict with Jimmy Dix, Cory's boyfriend (Damon Wayans). Dix is a disgraced, self-pitying football player with an addiction to pain killers and a coke problem to boot. He also has a penchant for cheating on his girlfriend. And these are the heroes.

Together, the two men are dismissed by the LAPD, forcing them to solve why Cory needed protection, who she needed protection from, and how all this connects to LA's professional football team, The Stallions. 

Understandably, The NFL would not allow their brand to be used in this film.

Written with copious amounts of cynicism by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, and the upcoming Iron Man 3) and directed by Tony Scott, the film was given a begrudgingly positive review by Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times in 1991. In a critique that sounds like the confessions of a man defeated by Hollywood, Ebert dissapointedly declares Last Boy Scout as "the future" of cinema. Even going as far as to state that the movie "assumes that the audience has no standards except those of a mob." And, as much as I like the film, I totally see where he is coming from.

Screenwriter Shane Black has openly admitted to the fact that the end result isn't what he was shooting for with The Last Boy Scout, possibly owning up to the belief that the film might be too unpleasant to be consistently enjoyable. However, I think some of the blame might also fall on Scott (and the mysterious co-writing credit of Greg Hicks).

Halle Berry, who looks exactly the same 20 years later. 

At its base, The Last Boy Scout wants to be a bonafide crowd-pleaser, attempting to ape Black's work on the comparitively upbeat Lethal Weapon franchise. And, like all major Hollwood films, it ends with all the good guys smiling...even these defeated anti-heroes. Unfortunately, when paired up with Black's deliberate pulpiness, director Tony Scott just isn't capable of lightening the mood. As a matter of fact, Scott makes it more aggressive. When compared to Black's work with other directors (Richard Donner on Lethal Weapon, Rennny Harlin on Long Kiss Goodnight), Last Boy Scout feels slightly oppressive. Scott's trademarked flat, gritty style improperly magnifies what was supposed to be Black's patented Hammet-esque cynicism. It gives the movie a slight air of unpleasantness between laughs, turning against an unprepared 90s audience transitioning their way towards political correctness.

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REMEMBERING TONY SCOTT : TOP GUN REVIEW IMAX 3-D UPDATE!

They don't get much better than this...2^nd in our tribute to Tony Scott, TOP GUN (1986) is one of those special animals from the 80’s that took on a life of its own. In other words, this wasn’t just a movie but a cultural milestone, much like ROCKY (1976), BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985), or INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981, or anything by SPIELBERG really), or STAR WARS (1977). It marked a special time in Film and American history where patriotism was in, anything vaguely communist or foreign was the enemy, and Tom Cruise’s reputation and career were as pure as the driven snow.

But enough waxing lyrical, let’s get to it!

The Story…

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise, along with his Co-Pilot Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards) are selected for the Navy’s TOP GUN program after showing some advanced skills after a scuffle with some MIG’s over the Indian Ocean. Once there he has to deal with the legacy of his father, a naval officer shot down and killed over Vietnam over an alleged mistake. Also, his reckless tactics and gung ho stunts make him a magnet for insults and every decision he makes is second guessed throughout the movie. Along the way he manages to fall for a beautiful engineer and consultant named Charlie (played by Kely McGillis).

Meg Ryan, Tim Robins, Michael Ironside, and Tom Skerrit also star, along with one our favorites James Tolkan. The excellent supporting cast boost this movie a lot. Val Kilmer is the standout as “Iceman”, Mavericks alter ego that tries to undermine him seemingly everywhere. One of his best performances for sure.

What’s Action-A-Go-Go?

Oh Man…so much. This movie manages to capture energy and freedom the way few movies can. It really is the prototypical action movie that still stands to this day as the defacto standard of all shoot outs in the sky movies. But the footage of these planes is what set’s TOP GUN apart from so many other movies. When you see these things flying through the sky they are being piloted by real aces flying at full tilt boogie. By its vey nature it is intense, but Tony Scott manages to edit together amazing shot after amazing shot that makes your jaw drop over and over again.

But how good could that stuff be? Look at GREEN LANTERN (2011) as well as INDEPENDENCEDAY (1996) and you can see that those movies out right stole elements of TOP GUN to help make their in flight stuff more intense. It’s that good.

BTW, Tony Scott was doing that “buddy buddy” stuff with the military way before Michael Bay came along and made that his calling card. This movie is as much about the awesome might of the military as it is about anything else, and it brings it so close it’s like you can walk out onto the deck of the aircraft carrier and shake hands with the pilot before they hop in their planes.

The writing is also on point, and Scott relishes showing off the toned bodies of both sexes throughout. It’s just eye candy all over the place. Also, it’s got one of the most memorable sex scenes that the 80’s has to offer. That’s an achievement in itself.

But this movie is far more than a bunch of superficial images put together. It’s a sincere honest to God thrill ride that showed a generation how to make intense movies about the military all over again. And those movies didn’t have to hit you over the head with “the fog of war” or make you feel guilty about being American. It’s a movie about the best of the best and what it takes to get there. It’s about doing what’s right in the face of impossible odds. And it’s a great movie from a great director.

**** IMAX 3-D UPDATE****

Last night I saw this in IMAS 3-D and all I can say is...wow. I love this movie even more. On TV this movie is intense, on the big screen it's MINDBLOWING! The strange thing is that most of the time the 3-D can't be noticed. In some flight scenes it makes a difference, but overall it doesn't add much.

But seeing it in IMAX....oh man. It's like your standing on the wings as these places fly through the sky. And the mountain scenes and big open sky scenes are just jaw dropping.

Also, this movie is downright beautiful. Some of the shot's of these planes catching the sunlight on flight decks are breathtaking, and even the most mundane shot's are covered in multicolored layers. It's 80's filmmaking at it's finest, and it's an art that is somehow lost in era of HD technology.

SO GO SEE THIS NOW!!! It's totally worth it seeing one of the best movies ever made back on the big screen in the biggest way possible!

*****ACTION A GO GO APPROVED*****

TOP GUN has everything you can ask for. Nuff’ said.

 

PS. I'll just leave this here...because God Bless America...

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Remembering Tony Scott: True Romance Review

Last week, blockbuster film director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Enemy of the State) committed suicide. Early rumors indicate that his decision to end his life was fueled by inoperable brain cancer. Suddenly, every news site and gossip blog in the world wants to speculate about the life and death of one of the action genre's greatest filmmakers. Here at Action A Go Go, we don't need to speculate or spread unfounded rumors to understand the director of such macho masterpieces like Crimson Tide, Last Boy Scout, and Man on Fire...everything we need to know is all on screen.

True Romance

Stunts and Effects: 75% 
Logic: 70% 
Soundtrack: 100% 
TnA: 70% 
Cognitive Decline of Audience: 30% 
Overall Inches on the Action Erection Scale: 12 out of 12

Lovingly pulling from Terrence Malik's Badlands, True Romance is about comic book nerd Christian Slater rescuing a hooker with a heart of gold (Patricia Arquette) from the clutches of her pimp. During the gruesome struggle to free her from prostitution, the two mistakenly end up stealing a suitcase full of coke. With a case that is worth more than either of them, the oblivious lovers attempt to sell the coke to a sleazy film producer, putting them on a collision course with the mob, the feds, and a dizzying number of fantastic cameos.

For me, the most compelling thing about True Romance is how Quentin Tarantino's script (his first) meshes with director Tony Scott's vision. As far as methods go, the two are on different ends of the filmmaking spectrum: Scott is a technical director known for hyper-kinetic blockbusters while Tarantino is known primarily for dialogue-driven crime dramas. At the time, while Scott had already helmed monster successes like Days of Thunder and Top Gun, Tarantino was still a few years off from being indie film's biggest success story. Despite it all, what the two filmmakers do have in common is how adept they are at creating on-screen intensity --- putting the audience right in the moment.

And that is exactly why True Romance is such an exceptional film. At its core, its about the love shared between the two passion-crazed protagonists, Clarence and Alabama. The certainty of their relationship becomes more intense as the film's violence grows. In the world of Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino, intense violence is a tool that is used to cultivate Clarence and Alabama's unflinching love for each other. Their lust can only be quantified by the amount of people that die so that they can live. For the filmmakers, there is no question of whether or not love is grand --- for them it's perverse, dangerous, unflinching, and totally surreal. Sounds about right.  

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EXPENDABLES 2: THE ULTIMATE REVIEW / CELEBRATORY EXPLOSIONGASM

EXPENDABLES 2:   THE ULTIMATE REVIEW / CELEBRATORY EXPLOSIONGASM

They did it. It finally happened. EXPENDABLES 2 has arrived. Oh gosh…so just about every action movie star hero from the eighties has been rounded up and put into the same movie. What could go wrong?

Surprisingly little.

So let’s just jump in to this one.

THE STORY AND THE ACTING

Simen West (Con Air (1997), Tomb Raider (2001)) directs this beast, leaving Stallone to do that acting he does so well. He does a commendable job. Flat out, and I think this movie is better that the original in a couple of way’s.

But staying on subject, The Expendables are out for revenge after one of them is murdered in cold blood by Vilain (get it? Played by…wait for it…Jean Claude Van Damme). Vilain then proceeds to find a hidden depot so that he can sell Cold War plutonium to the highest bidder.  And that’s all we need really.

First off, hat’s off to Van Damme in this one. He chews his lines and eats the scenery, but it’s great. You really tell he’s enjoying being in a real (sorry, straight to DVD don’t cut it) action movie again, and he relishes the spotlight. Oh, and he’s still got it. There’s one kick that looks like it’s straight out of BLOODSPORT (1988). That impresses me because he’s been making movies as long as I’ve been alive (b. 1984, if you’re interested).

What about everyone else? This isn’t really a movie about emoting, but it works. Bruce Willis, for some reason, acts his ass off. Really. It’s probably his most emotive performance since the last (good) DIE HARD film and he really shines. Arnold is Arnold. 

Chuck Norris is a great addition, and does the best Chuck Norris he can. They even throw is a Chuck Norris joke that would be better left on the internet, but what eves. Lundren and Jet Li are awesome as well.

I'm running out of room for all these awesome action movie stars. Crazy. 

Terry Crews and Randy Couture are commendable, and Liam Hemsworth was ok. It’s a shame really, but it’s a head scratcher to try and think about who is really an “action” star these day’s that can really stack up to the core cast. But that’s what eve’s.

Nan Yu, playing Maggie, the only person seemingly capable of using a computer, does a commendable job.

THE GOOD…

Oh….the action, the action, the action. For me, bar THE AVENGERS, this is the best action movie of the year. Scratch that, it is the best action movie of the year. There are so many “oh sh**” moments in this movie I lost count. And it was rated R!!! There were rumors of PG-13, but thankfully those rumors didn’t come true because this movie was one bitching blood fest. Just seeing all of the great action star’s destroying bad guys together was worth the price of admission, and warmed this action junkie’s heart.

Besides that, what does anyone need?

Well, it’s shot well, and the jokes are pretty funny, and all the heroes deliver. Just go see it. Now.

THE BAD…

The dialogue can be stock and some of the acting is less than top notch. Everyone seemed like they were a bit too dressed up to be mercenaries at times and looked like they were out of a catalogue.

But this ain’t Shakespeare, it’s an action movie. The only real downside is that there wasn’t another half hour tacked on there at the end.

Seriously, this was top notch stuff.

THE VERDICT

This movie was everything I was waiting for and more. For me it really delivered, and keeps doing so throughout. The gimmick of seeing all these action heroes together, again, is just too sweet, and I can’t wait for # 3.

If they can get Segal and Snipes in there I think the action circle will truly be complete. But that is my two cents.

This one is late, but if you haven’t seen it yet please do. EXPENDABLES 2 is better than the original, and more fun, which is hard to believe. It maxes out the charts. GO GO GO!!!!

PS: WHY HAVEN’T YOU SEEN IT YET? GO!

PPS:

Just a few pictures of this NanYu…just laying here.

**** As one of our astute readers pointed out (thanks GOUKI!) This first image right here isn't actually of Nan Yu! It is actually a picture of (super) model Huang Xiao Meng. We do apologize for making mistakes like this, but lists like this -> http://www.heavy.com/movies/2012/08/yu-nan-top-10-things-you-need-to-know/ <- don't help. Also, in my defense, this does show up in her Google image results, and all that dirt is very, very distracting :)

Complicating matters further, when you do a search for Huang Xiaomeng you get a bunch of images of a dude with a similar name that is a HUGE STAR. That would be Huang Xiaoming.  His pictures are at the end (because we gotta throw out something for the ladies here too!)*****

Anyway, just to be clear, below are images of Huang Xiaomeng (courtesy of Elle China and Numero China) closely followed by Nan Yu. 

And here, presented in all her glory, is Nan Yu, with her actual cover photo...

PPPS...

Oh wait, before we forget, here is Huang Xiao Ming, the not model, who has appeared in the movies THE SNIPER (2009) and IP MAN 2 (2010). 

Huang just chillen with the Panda's. 

Dude loves Panda's...

Getting philosophical with the Panda. 

Ok Huang...this has gone far enough. 

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Action A Go Go : THE 100TH POST

Action A Go Go : THE (symbolic) 100^TH POST

Hi Everybody,

I just wanted to reach out and let everyone know that Action A Go Go has made it passed 100 POSTS! That is more than 100 blog entries celebrating and complaining about everyone’s favorite film genre, ACTION MOVIES!

I want to thank Troy Jeffrey Allen for helping make this little blog happen, and without his continued support it wouldn’t be anywhere nearly as entertaining as it is now.

I also want to thank Gene (The Producer) Green and Nick (a.k.a That_Urban_Punk), who I regularly chat with on the MOKA podcast / INTERNET RADIO SHOW(!). It’s always fun talking/arguing on air and I hope we get to do it for years to come. It’s always a pleasure, guys.

But most of all, thank you, the readers, for visiting this little part of the internet and stopping to take a look. The only reason I write this stuff is so someone can read it and (hopefully) gain some deeper insight and appreciation into the movies we love.

You guys are awesome, and keep us going. You’re the best.

Feel free to add anything to the comments and above all else have fun out there.

Best,

Derek Scarzella (a.k.a D Rock, a.k.a Ragu (thanks Nick), a.k.a DScarzilla)

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THE DARK KNIGHT RISES REVIEW

THE ULTIMATE (LATE AND BLOATED) DARK KNIGHT RISES REVIEW

WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS

It’s over. It’s done. It’s finished. It’s complete. The last Batman from the team of Chris Nolan and Christian Bale has been released and audiences around the world of flocked to see it. It beat the THE DARK KNIGHT’S gross (if you believe BOX OFFICE MOJO) and had a much larger budget, but those are just numbers. Where does this movie stack up against all the other BATMAN movies? Is it the best Nolan Batman film? Will it blend!?! All of these answers and more you will find below!

LET’S START OFF WITH THE PEOPLE WHO TALK

Christian Bale returns as the  Dark Knight. Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate, Morgan Freeman returns as Mr. Fox and Michael Cane is once again Alfred. Gary Oldman is again superb as Commissioner Gordon and Tom Hardy plays the ruthless, unstoppable Bane. The two most interesting additions to the series are Joseph Gordan-Levitt as Blake, a young idealistic cop out of place in a peaceful Gotham, and Anne Hathaway comes on as Selina Kyle, A.K.A Catwoman, A.K.A hottest villain ever.

Long story short, they all do a good job. Tom Hardy is excellent. In my opinion he is one of the best actors out there getting consistent work and he is a pleasure to watch on screen. Even though he is in a mask, and his voice is (horribly) overdubbed a menacing performance comes across. There is one part where his eyes flare and that H.R Geiger like mask really pays off. But besides the mask he has some of the best lines in the movie. I found myself quoting lines like “Do you feel in control?” and “Your punishment must more severe” in his gravely blow horn voice. His flare, his manners (yes, manners) and unrelenting brutality weave themselves into a convincing and classy villain that is incredibly entertaining.

Catwoman is played well here by Anne Hathaway. I prefer the sex kitten Tim Burton style Catwoman, but Hathaway is excellent as always and brings a tough, modern take to the classic role. She also has plenty of smart tricks that make her an excellent foil to Batman himself, and isn't afraid to snarl a bit in the thick of the action.

However, as it should have been throughout, we finally get to see more emotion from Christian Bale. He pulls off being old and weak, then poor and sullen. When he is broken we see the pain in his face. Also, when he is wearing the mask the Dark Knight has a pretty sharp wit as well. It's refreshing, and it's nice to feel like there's more Batman in our Batman movies.

Marion Coultard is also a incredible addition to the cast and plays a pivotal, intense role and ends up making the movie.

As I can wax lyrical about these players all day, Joseph Gordan Levitt also brings it, Gary Oldman brings some gravitas to Commissioner Gordan (again). One exchange between these two actors is so intense it is practically Shakespearean. But Michael Cain  as Alfred acts as the lynchpin for the whole series and is the emotional center of this movie. It's a heartfelt performance that grounds everything and it's no wonder that this is the fifth Nolan Movie straight that features Cain. He's just amazing.

WHAT'S THE GOOD?

Basically, a lot of stuff. Now the THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) made some waves with its special effects. The Batpod they came up of with was an amazing engineering feet, really, and everything else in the picture was just...seamless. In this movie I can say they did the same, and stepped it up. You can't tell where a special effect begins and ends, and this is exactly how it should be in every movie. When Batman's new toy, the Bat, shows up it's jaw dropping and that vehicle steals the show left and right. Its movements are natural and fluid. BTW, it's totally not functional in real life, unlike the Tumbler or Batpod. It's a shame, because I want one.

The tone throughout is spot on, and everything melds visually. We get to see a new side of Gothamthat is distinct from the previous two films. Also, the themes of this film are a bit more tangible. A bruhaha was made over the Occupy Wall Street movement going on while the movie was made and elements of that being roped in. Class warfare is a huge part of the movie, and is topical in our own lives now, but here it works well because it destabilizes everything and does what it can to put Catwoman and Batman on two very distinct sides of the fence.

The set's the movie takes place on are also epic. It's a different world than BATMAN BEGINS (2005) and THE DARK KNIGHT (2008). In the first we were in the mountains, then slums. We spent time in the mansion where Batman discovers himself. In the second we spent nearly all of our time in the corridors of the city or apartments (albeit big ones) or the sparse modern Batcave. Here, we get to see the bowels of Gotham, which is fitting, because Bane and his budget League of Shadows is out to destroy the very foundations we see.  Conversely, we also fly to the towering heights thanks to the Bat and it's aerial acrobatics. Also, the modern Batcave has some nifty visual tricks that are fitting of a true Batman.

The action was also incredibly well done. Brutal, fluid, and most important of all you get to see it. The chases, the shootouts, everything Bane does is great.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK?

Unfortunately, a lot. None of it conspires to make the movie bad, it's just not top level. It simply doesn't soar! But let's get to it.

First off, the movie is bloated. These are great actors, and the recipe is has all the right ingredients, but none of it is mixed well. The problems begin once the 2^nd act kicks in and Batman has fallen. It begins one long montage that is meant to pack in Batman’s story in the pit, Bane's rise and defiling Gotham, the Police rebellion, and Catwoman's wandering around a fallen society. And it just doesn't work. The editing just isn't timed right, and the movie jumps when it should linger. Nothing sets in, and because of that the story is forced along instead of allowed to blossom. It's surprising to me because it's all very un-Nolan.

THE GAME HAS CHANGED (OR THE AVENGERS HAS CHANGED THE GAME)

The success of the Nolan Batman films was attributed to their (sometimes) brutal realism and the shunning of “comic book” aspects like flamboyant costumes or monster creatures. This brings me to my next point. The other aspect of the movie that doesn't work is the scale. I'll come out and say...THE AVENGERS (2012) has changed the game. To be honest, pretty much all of the MARVEL movies have moved things forward, but in short THE DARK KNIGHT RISES just doesn't feel all that “epic”, or what is supposed to be epic about it falls flat. A lot of cops running down a street just isn't all that impressive compared to an alien invasion with flying space ship war snakes.

           

If this movie had come out in a vacuum, it might have been the end all be all of super hero movies, but it is not. If it was cut back to something just over the grandeur of THE DARK KNIGHT this might have been an absolute home run, but for Action A Go Go it is not.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN...and the SPOILER PART

The ending is good. Convoluted, but good. The Talia Al Goul reveal at the end caught me by surprise (But really didn’t need to be there), as well as throwing the pseudo Robin curve ball. That was pleasant. But what really caught my heart, as a fan boy, was seeing that Batman makes off with Catwoman at the end. Alfred gets to see the boy he put his heart into raising finally move on with his life. There is no did he or didn't he bullsh** like in INCEPTION (2010). It just ends. I hope that other series <caughANYTHINGMARVELcaugh> aren't afraid to do the same, or at least do something like it before the next reboot. What this movie did was surprisingly unique and possibly the most surprising part of the movie.

AND THAT'S IT...

So go see it. It's a great movie. And see it in IMAX. It was shot in that format, and that format is probably the only way you should any Nolan movie.

It's not the greatest Batman movie ever made. But it is great, and it is an achievement, and it is a great end to an awesome trilogy. It helped bring back superhero movies for us all. Nolan and Bale and all the other participants should be celebrated for their contributions to cinema and the Batman legacy and for giving us all what we want, quality movies with Comic Book heroes beating the crap out of bad guys. 

P.S 

Where does this movie fit in our all time greatest BATMAN movie list? That will be edited soon. Where do you think it should fit? Feel free to comment below...we feel like arguing... 

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