80s Movie Review - Big Trouble in Little China

Director: John Carpenter
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 1986
Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Catrall, Dennis Dun, Victor Wong, James Hong, Kate Burton, Donald Li, Carter Wong, Peter Kwong, James Pax

Description: A rough-and-tumble trucker (Kurt Russell) helps rescue his friend’s fiancée from an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR THE 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 18: A ACTION COMEDY

Review: Jack Burton is a trucker who drives hi self-proclaimed and cherished “Pork Chop Express”, and imposing American truck with which he transports pigs to market. After Jack wins money from his friend Wang Chi, the owner of a restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown, he accompanies Wang to the airport and then collects the money. Wang has to go to the airport to pick up his future bride, from Beijing. Before the two reach her, however, she is kidnapped by an aggressive Chinese gang, the “Lords of Death”. When Jack’s truck is stolen he decides to help Wang find his bride. Thus Jack becomes involved in a mysterious quest in which he meets horrible monsters, sorcerers and flying hoodlums.
The script for “Big Trouble in Little China” was initially intended for the sequel to a cult classic: “Buckaroo Banzai”. When that project died and early death, John Carpenter showed interest. The whole thing was rewritten with a major role for Kurt Russell, who gets to show off his comedic talent as misguided anti-hero Jack Burton. The result is a somewhat strange mix of action, adventure, humor and Eastern mysticism and ancient Chinese legends. So don’t be surprised if all sorts of bizarre Power Ranger-like scenes unfold before your eyes, complete with strangely dressed bad guys who possess supernatural powers. Herein lies clearly the charm of the film. “Big Trouble in Little China”, in fact, should absolutely not be taken seriously. Initially the public had great difficulty with this, as evidenced by the disappointing cinema attendance. The film was later given a second change and it got the attention it deserved. In fact, now, it’s a cult classic and cult enthusiasts praise the film for its pulpy entertainment.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Movie Reviews - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 161 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradd Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Al Pacino, Luke Perry, Kurt Russell, Scoot McNairy, Clifton Collins Jr. Rumer Willis, Zoë Bell, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern

Description: A faded television star (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

Review: It’s the end of the 60s and we meet television actor Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth. Dalton sees his career fade and has to deal with the villain roles in cheap TV pilots.
Dalton’s next door neighbors are director Roman Polanski and his beautiful wife Sharon Tate. And when you think of Hollywood in 1969, you think of Charles Manson and his cult, who left a trail of blood in L.A. at the time.
When Tarantino’s ninth film was announced, and it became clear that the ‘Manson family’ was a part of it, people were afraid that he was going to exploit the murder of Sharon Tate. But Tarantino wouldn’t be Tarantino, if he didn’t use his revisionary spin on it and mix fiction with reality.
If you would ask anyone what “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is about, I don’t think many people could give you an exact answer. Because it’s mostly people talking and it’s more ‘a day in the life’ kind of story. We follow Cliff who is on his way to feed his dog, we see how Sharon Tate visits who visit a theater to watch her own movie. It’s a hangout-film, who can mostly be compared to Tarantino’s “Jacki Brown”. But even better.
Most of Tarantino’s movies are very violent. And overall, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” isn’t a very violent film. But when you get to the final twenty minutes, the violence gets really violent! And this scene is simply brilliant.
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is definitely Tarantino’s funniest film, it can in fact be called a comedy. Even Leonardo DiCaprio is funny here. He shows great and awkward moments, where he feels an insecurity inside thinking his hay days are over. But the best part of the film is definitely Brad Pitt, as Cliff Booth, who I will say is one of Tarantino’s best characters. At first he seems like just a stunt double to DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton, but digging deeper he is a more complex character. And Pitt is hilarious in his role. Margot Robbie, who plays Sharon Tate, doesn’t get that much to do. And I would say that some of her scene could have been cut, without it having any effect on the story.
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” definitely didn’t disappoint and it’s up there on my favorites list of best Tarantino movies. A great portrait of the golden days in Hollywood and in my eyes the most beautifully shot Tarantino movie.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 129: Deepwater Horizon

Director: Peter Berg
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez, John Malkovich, Dylan O’Brien, Kate Hudson

Description: A dramatization of the disaster back in April 2010, when the offshore drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon created a giant explosion, which created the worst oil spill in American history.

Review: In April of 2010, the biggest oil spill in American history took place in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of a massive leak, oil seeped into the water for almost three months. This oil disaster also had some explosions and heavy fires. This is perfect material for Hollywood. And normally these kind of stories turn into sappy films about heroic people who are praised. That’s at least what I was expecting. But “Deepwater Horizon” is a lot better than I expected it to be and it’s not a sentimental disaster film at all.
Director Peter Berg used the book “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hours” as his inspiration. It’s basic facts and not a bunch of heroic characters and sentiment. The characters in this film are based on actual people that survived this disaster. And Berg doesn’t try to make anything look better or more beautiful than it is. The central character is technician Mike Williams, who leaves a wife and daughter at home and travel to the platform for three weeks. Williams is accompanied by Andrea Fleytas, a tough young lady working in a men’s world. On board of the Deepwater Horizon, that functions as an explorer to find new oil sources, the team leader is determined to get everything check on safety. The big shots don’t think this is necessary and feel like everything is safe enough, they need to drill. Off course, things go wrong.
Hectic and chaos, not very surprising in a disaster movie. Berg didn’t take the time to be all technical about the cause of the disaster, thank goodness. And the connection between Wahlberg’s character and his wife at home is not turning into a tear jerking and is kept to a minimal. It’s just enough to know that something is terribly wrong and that Williams is a family man.
Berg excels in great shots of impressive explosions and the immense sea of fire. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s a surprising film, because I expected just another over-sentimental disaster film. I was wrong, and I love that actually! “Deepwater Horizon” is a surprisingly great film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 60: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Director: James Gunn
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 136 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Tommy Flanagan, Sean Gunn

Description: Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.

Review: In 2014 everyone was surprised by “Guardians of the Galaxy”. It was such a success, that for me it’s the best Marvel film to date. I was extremely excited for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, it was at the top of my most anticipated films of 2017 list. And I wasn’t disappointed.
I love how “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is stubborn. Fun cameos, but no forced cross-overs with other Marvel films. Eventually the Guardians will meet up with the Avengers, but for now it’s still its own franchise. And I’m glad.
The characters are more important here. Who are they, where do they come from, what drives them? Family is the key here. Peter Quill meets his father for the first time. Drax and Rocket who lost their family or never had one. Gamora and her struggling relationship with sister Nebula. And Groot, who is always protected by his fellow Guardians, after his big sacrifice in the first movie. They don’t belong anywhere else, but together as a team.
The film has tempo, just like the first. Enough action, humor, drama and sensation. Baby Groot was adorable, Rocket again on fire with sharp comments and Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista did a great job as well. I especially loved Michael Rooker, as Yondu, in this film.
If I have to choose which of the two I think is better, I just can’t. It’s an amazing spectacle, that I immediately want to rewatch.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 58: Bone Tomahawk

Director: S. Craig Zahler
Genre: Western/ Horror
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, Matthew Fox, David Arquette, Fred Melamed, Kathryn Morris

Description: Four men set out in the Wild West to rescue a group of captives from cannibalistic cave dwellers.

Review: When the film starts, it looks just like your standard western. About the eternal fight between the cowboys and Indians. But this film has a horror twist and it feels very refreshing. In the opening we get a glimpse of the horror, but we still don’t really know what it is the men are afraid of. Next we meet the leading characters. The wife of one of them is abdicted. Husband Arthur and Sheriff Hunt go on a quest for her, together with two other men.
The first hour is pretty slow, but has a good buildup. The second half of the film is a lot more serious and has some serious horror moments in it. Not for the weak stomach I can tell you.
The cast is really good. Kurt Russell as the sheriff. Matthew Fox does a good job too as Brooder. Patrick Wilson is really strong as Arthur, but Richard Jenkins is the star in my opinion. His performance is really good.
“Bone Tomahawk”had to work on a budget and this doesn’t show. The film stayed pretty much under the radar, I hadn’t heard of it ‘till a few weeks ago. A great combination of western and horror.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 36: Furious 7

Director: James Wan

Genre: Action/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 137 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gubson, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Kurt Russell, Elsa Pataky, Luke Evans, Djimon Hounsou

Description: Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family for his comatose brother.

Review: “The Fast and the Furious” series is without a doubt one of the most outstanding film franchises. What started out as a standard action film about street races, grew out to be a successful series. Already the seventh film and it is worth your time. Deckard Shaw is out for revenge, after Dom Toretto and his team eliminated his brother. He is threatening everyone in Dom’s ‘family’.

“Furious 7” has some dark edges, because of the tragic death of one of the lead actors: Paul Walker. This is the franchise that made him famous. Walker died when the film was only half done, so the makers had to use doubles and CGI. This works, because you don’t notice it while watching the film. The end of the film is not something that fits the film, but is added as a tribute to Paul Walker.

I was never a fan of the earlier film in this series, but I really enjoyed “Furious 7”. It’s a good action film, fast paced, action packed and very entertaining.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Battle: Django Unchained Vs. The Hateful Eight

Quentin Tarantino is, as frequent readers might know, my favorite director. He has made eight films now (counting both “Kill Bill” movies as one) and there is not one terrible film (“Deathproof” is not that good, but I’ve seen worse). In that line of great films, there are two westerns. And what if I let them go head to head. Let’s see who wins the battle: “Django Unchained” Vs. “The Hateful Eight”

 

 

ACTORS

Django Unchained: Jamie Foxx stars and does a good job in portraying the lead character Django. He is very well supported by Christoph Waltz, who played Dr. King Schultz and won an Academy Award for his performance. Samuel L. Jackson plays the very unlikeable Stephen, who is probably the most racist bastard in the entire film. And Leonardo DiCaprio as villain Calvin Candy, who shows us he can play a bad guy like no one else.

The Hateful Eight: Samuel L. Jackson is the star of the film as Marquis Warren, he carries “The Hateful Eight”. Kurt Russell is good as John Ruth, but it’s Jennifer Jason Leigh who really surprised me as Daisy Domergue. She probably had the best part. We also see Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Walton Goggins and Channing Tatum.

STORY

Django Unchained: It’s a revenge movie, which is not new in the Tarantino repertoire. Look at “Kill Bill” and “Inglourious Basterds”. But it’s not a crime when it’s done right. The story gets more depth because of the interesting characters and the sharp dialogues.

The Hateful Eight: The story is fairly simple: eight strangers end up in a cabin during a snow storm and nothing is as it seems. But it’s the way it was executed. Almost the entire film is set in one location, just like “Reservoir Dogs” and the film is interesting from beginning to end. Again due to great dialogues and fascinating characters.

EFFECTS

Django Unchained: It looks very good, Tarantino did a great job and it looks like we are in the wild west. It has some great spectacle here and there.

The Hateful Eight: Hardly any effects needed. The greatest part is its simplicity and also the wide screen Tarantino used. You’re sometimes so close to the characters, that you can experience how small the room is they are in. This wide screen really does make a different.

WINNER

Both are not my Tarantino favorites, but they are very close to each other. I prefer “Django Unchained though.

100 Movie Challenge 216 - # 10: The Hateful Eight

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 167 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Channing Tatum, Demian Bichir, Walton Goggins, Zoë Bell, James Parks

Description: In the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.

Review: “The Hateful Eight” is Quentin Tarantino’s eight film and his second official western. At the same time it’s a return to his first film from the nineties, with Samuel L. Jackson leading an ensemble cast and almost every scene takes place in one location.

Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell are the leading men. They play two bounty hunters who are stuck in a snow storm somewhere in Wyoming. Russsel’s John Ruth delivers a life one, Daisy Domergue, who is going to be hanged, while Jackson’s Marquis Warren delivers his bounties dead. Because of the weather, they have to stop at Minnie’s Haberdashery. They are not the only guests there.

“The Hateful Eight” is one of Tarantino’s meanest films. Lots of racism and violence, which gives us both entertaining and uneasy moments. Tarantino’s dialogues are good as always and all the actors seem to enjoy being in the film.

“The Hateful Eight” is very violent and bloody, but when you’re familiar with Quentin Tarantino’s work it comes as no surprise. What makes it a bit different is that the film is not stuffed with pop songs or references to other movies. The music was composed by Ennio Morricone. This all makes it surprising.

The movie starts a bit slow, but be patient. It will get a lot better.

Tarantino used 70 mm film, something that hasn’t been used since 1996. It’s an unique, very wide format. The snowy landscapes and the interior of Minnie’s Haberdashery get an extra dimension. You’re sometimes so close to the characters, that you can experience how small the room is they are in. This wide screen really does make a different. the lighting is also warm and more subtle.

“The Hateful Eight” is a true show, with great dialogues and performances. It’s not one of his best, but still a very Tarantino like film for any Tarantino fan.

Rating: 4/ 5