Quick Review : True Lies (1994)

So much for Arnie being the last action hero! While that film set out to parody the action genre, ‘True Lies’ manages to top Arnie’s previous film in terms of ridiculous (yet riotously entertaining) action scenes). How about having Arnie ride a horse whilst chasing a terrorist riding a motorbike? How about having Arnie flying a Harrier jet to rescue his daughter? Including an inherent absurdity in the action scenes enables ‘Last Action Hero’ to parody action films without being an explicit parody.

Quick Review : Last Action Hero (1993)

What happens when you put one of the best action hero actors together with one of the best action directors to make an action movie parody? You get this decidedly uneven, absurd kind of film that tries to have its cake and eat it. Arnie stars as Jack Slater in the film within a film. But in the film, Jack Slater is played by the movie version of Arnie…

Quick Review : Total Recall (1990)

What happens when you put Paul Verhoeven, Arnie and Philip K. Dick into a blender? This delicious sci fi classic! This is an ultraviolent philosophical spectacle (yes, science fiction did pose philosophical questions before ‘The Matrix’ arrived!), where the line between reality and dreams is blurred.

Review: The Running Man (1987) (One Of Us Is In Deep Trouble…)

“Without further ado, it’s time to start running!”

So I see that The Dark Tower has been released on DVD today (in the UK, anyway!). Instead of watching one of the worst reviewed Stephen King film adaptations ever, I went back to an old favourite of mine: The Running Man. It’s thirty years old this year and was adapted from The Running Man by Richard Bachman…who turned out to be a pseudonym of King’s. The funny thing is that the film takes place in 2017. It’s fun to compare and contrast with the future of the 1980s to the reality of today. But is the film as good as I remember? Or have I had my mind decayed by nostalgia for the heyday of 1980s cinema/Arnie? Let’s talk about it…

Review: Predator (1987) (If It Bleeds…)

“You’re looking good, Dutch”

Can you believe that ‘Predator’ is 30 years old this year? 30! The plot is simple. Spaceship lands on earth, alien comes out of said spaceship, alien hunts and kills humans. A military task force headed by Dutch (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger come face to face with it…It’s not the plot that really matters here, but the visual language and what the audience interprets along the way. It’s a more thoughtful film than you’d think.

Review: Terminator: Genisys (2015) (Franchise: Terminated?!?!)

(MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD)

“Whatever happens, it’s gotta be better than this!”

Another reboot/sequel/prequel hits the screens from franchise born a long time ago has hit our screens. Already this year, we have had upgraded versions of Mad Max and Jurassic Park. Now it’s the turn for Terminator, a franchise that should have died after Terminator 2. I’m not saying Terminator 3 is without its merits, but it wasn’t necessary at all. At least Terminator: Salvation did something different. Terminator: Genisys attempts the rebooted Star Trek trick of establishing a different timeline for the franchise. However, it avoids the streamlined nature of the rebooted Star Trek and comes up with an incredibly convoluted storyline that is at once over-explained by the cast and impossible to follow! It also raises the most number of questions in a time travel film since X-Men: Days of Future Past…Get ready for the second worst entry in the Terminator franchise!

Review: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) (Come With Me If You Want A Great Film!)

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

“Easy Money”

It’s one of those debates that will rage on until Skynet becomes self-aware and obliterates mankind: which film is better, The Terminator or Terminator 2: Judgment Day? In my humble opinion, it’s The Terminator. The Terminator is a film that literally cuts to the chase; a rough and ready films that starts the action/thrills from the beginning and rarely lets up. It also has the more horrifying villain in the shape of the T-800. However, that is not a knock on T2. They are films of a similar quality, and that quality is sky high. T2 is the film James Cameron wanted to make when he made The Terminator. T2 follows a similar storyline to The Terminator, but with more detours, spaces for breath, one-liners, awesome action scenes and emotional character development. A little bloated, but still a vital and brilliant film.

Review: The Terminator (1984) (I’ll Always Be Back To Rewatch This Film!)

(SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD)

“Nice night for a walk”

There are films that, if you are part of my generation, define your childhood, such as Jurassic Park. There are also films that may define your childhood in spite of their Rated-R nature, such as Total Recall. The first two Terminator films were as much a part of my childhood as the Power Rangers or Hero Turtle toys. That being said, how can I possibly review The Terminator (a film that I must watch at least once a year) without being twisted by my childhood memories. My answer was to watch it with my fiancé, who has never watched it before. Seeing a thirty year old film through someone else’s eyes (not literally, of course!) was not the answer, however. The Terminator will always be one of my most-loved films of all time, regardless of the criticisms she threw at it!