sveknu Reviews

Hard Boiled (1992)

Maximum action satisfaction

[8/10 · 9 July 2010]

This movie is a true masterpiece that no action fan should miss. Made in the best period for action movies (1985-1995), it delivers the goods big time in the action department. It doesn't try to be anything but a completely kick-ass action film loaded with explosions, gunfights, explosions, action, action, action, people getting killed, total mayhem....need I go on? The action is superbly done. I don't know the body count in this movie, but I guess you could take Rambo 4 and multiply it with about 1000. It's pure entertainment all the way through, the heroes kick ass big time, most of the bad guys are completely bad to the bone, every action scene is a masterpiece in itself and you simply don't find many so over the top action movies out there with this kind of quality.

They certainly don't make them like this anymore. If you like action and haven't watched this yet, do it now!

No Exit (1995 Video)

Could have been better

[4/10 · 7 March 2010]

I had some expectations for this movie. Jeff Wincott has starred in several great martial arts movies in the past, and the plot looked interesting. It was the typical "people get caught by insane rich guy who has them fight each other to the death while broadcasting it to other rich scumbags who want entertainment" plot again. This outline always has potential, but this time they far from utilized it the way they should. Most important of all: The fight scenes are way too few and way too far between. The point of a movie like this is to have lots of great action, and when that doesn't happen it becomes rather pointless. I don't think the fight scenes were that good either. Wincott was OK, Sven-Ole Thorsen was so-so as the bad guy, and all in all there was nothing memorable in this movie. You will forget about this film an hour after watching.

Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991)

Acceptable sequel

[5/10 · 7 March 2010]

First of all, I daresay that the rating for this movie is too low. I give it a 5 out of 10, which is more in line with the overall quality of this than the measly 3.3 displayed on the IMDb at the moment. It's of course nowhere near as good as the first Kickboxer, but it doesn't have to be. Sasha Mitchell is no van Damme, but he does his job in a way I won't complain about. One of the good things about this is the return of Michael Qissi as Tong Po. This gives a link to the first film and makes the whole thing more interesting. But most importantly, the fight scenes are decent, the plot is not that bad and if you sit back and relax you'll see that this movie is entertaining if you have the right kind of expectations beforehand. Nothing Oscar-worthy, but as a simple martial arts/action movie this is more than OK for a night's viewing.

Only the Strong (1993)

Great

[7/10 · 5 March 2010]

This movie proves that you don't need at huge budget, lots of well-known actors and all that to make a great movie. Even though it looks like this is made on a shoestring budget, they really managed to pull off a great martial arts movie here. They kept it easy and simple and focused on the fight scenes, and what fight scenes! They are very good, Marc Dacascos is great in it, and overall it was a very enjoyable experience from start to finish. The mix between martial art scenes and scenes progressing the feel-good story is perfect. Other action movies should take note of how this is done. Simple, standard, great action, you got it.

It (1990)

I liked this

[6/10 · 27 February 2010]

Going into a movie like this, it's an advantage knowing beforehand that it's good. This is because of it's length. I really didn't know anything about it, but it got my interest early on because of some great storytelling. You actually get some feel and interest for the characters and what's happening in the movie, and you never get tired of it. The scary clown is very interesting and great fun, the story is good and I had a great time watching. Unfortunately, the ending isn't of the same quality as the rest of the movie, but that alone couldn't destroy a good horror flick like this is.

6 out of 10

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)

Disappointing

[4/10 · 27 February 2010]

After the first Mortal Kombat movie which was quite good, you should expect great things from the sequel. Unfortunately, they messed up and delivered a product that didn't meet the standards of the first movie. It's hard to say why, but in the whole Mortal Kombat franchise there's a fine line between the dark, rather serious mood and action feeling in general, and sheer cartoonish stupidity. This movie unfortunately fell in the latter category, hence the much lower ranking among the fans. There is nothing memorable, although it had some quite good action scenes. The great theme music also makes a welcome return, but that's not enough to save the movie.

Hard Justice (1995 Video)

Good prison movie

[6/10 · 27 February 2010]

I discovered this movie by accident, and after watching I have to say that I'm a bit surprised of how unknown it is. I love prison movies as a genre, and when it delivers like this is makes for enjoyable viewing. The plot is pretty standard, a cop goes undercover in a jail to solve a crime. David Bradley is an action man more than an actor, and luckily they understood that and threw him into a lot of cool action scenes. There are fights, a great car chase at the end, and overall more than enough tough and gritty bad-assness to keep action lovers satisfied. A well executed action movie that you shouldn't hesitate to watch if you get the chance.

Dark Angel (1990)

Come in peace, go in pieces

[7/10 · 27 February 2010]

This is one of Dolph Lundgren's absolute best movies. A great action movie with elements of science fiction, it delivers in all departments. The action scenes are great, and the story is very interesting as well. The movies has that great early 90's feel to it, making it even better. I guess they wouldn't be able to pull this off today in 2010. Matthias Hues makes a good alien villain here, although it not his typical role as brute giant with lots of musclepower, but rather a mysteriously looking creature covered in dark clothing all the time. Nevertheless, it suited the movie perfectly, and Dolph Lundgren is great in the lead role.

The Marine (2006)

Terrible!

[3/10 · 27 February 2010]

This was John Cena's first feature film, and I wish it was his last. Sadly, it wasn't. The guy is as exciting as a log, and doesn't have any of the charisma that is needed to make an action star. I believe it's the stiffest acting I've seen in all my life, and it says something when I'm complaining about the acting in a movie where it shouldn't matter. This shows that a steroid pumped body isn't the only thing an action hero needs to be successful. In addition to Cena's abysmal performance, the story sucked, the action sucked, everything sucked, I wasted my time and was just waiting for the movie to end to put me out of my misery. Stay far away from this garbage.

Destroy All Monsters (1968)

Monster mayhem

[6/10 · 23 February 2010]

This monster ensemble movie is one of the best Godzilla movies of all time, in my opinion. The more monsters, the better, and this movies has A LOT of them. Some I hadn't even heard of before, which made me seek out some other unknown movies to watch. I also liked the fact that they had scenes from different parts of the world.

Anyway, it's great with lots of monsters, but the special effects have to be good to make the scenes decent. For being made in 1968, I think they were acceptable (hadn't been OK today, though). The last scene was good fun, and also had some surprises.

Kaiju fans and Godzilla fans won't be disappointed here.

My verdict is 6 out of 10.

American Tigers (1996)

There are no reasons to waste time on this

[3/10 · 22 February 2010]

Let me start by telling you one thing. If you've seen the cover, you'll see Cynthia Rothrock at the center. It makes you believe that she plays a big part in the film, something which is far away from reality. Her appearance is more like a cameo. So here we have a movie with a Cynthia Rothrock cameo that the marketing department tries to utilise to the max in promoting the film. That's really pathetic when you think about it, because if they have to use a nearly non-existent Rothrock to sell a movie, then the rest must REALLY suck. And it does. It's a Z-grade movie totally without a budget and anything else able to attract interest. Cynthia's small part was the best thing about it, but I have to say that all the action is abysmal here. And the action is the only reason to watch in the first place, because both you and me now prior to watching a movie like this that everything else will automatically underdeliver.

American Kickboxer 2 (1993)

Another movie that shouldn't have been made

[2/10 · 22 February 2010]

This film is indeed horrible. It makes the first American Kickboxer movie look quite good, something it definitely is not. The problems are many. I can't remember one single fight scene/action scene which was even remotely memorable or exciting. The characters never caught my interest, and I wished they would disappear from my TV screen. It seems to be made by a bunch of amateurs. Maybe it really was a high school project, where some Z-grade actors/models got hired and were told to do a couple of karate moves. That's simply not enough to make a martial arts movie. And why the title "American Kickboxer 2"? OK, it's set in America, but it has nothing to do with the first movie at all. (and was the American Kickboxer title something that could attract interest? Who had heard of the first movie anyway?).

A failure at everything it tries to achieve.

The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)

Not great, not horrible

[5/10 · 22 February 2010]

OK, I've heard a lot of complaining about this movie and how bad it's supposedly is. I don't agree. Your modus operandi for movies like this is: "Sit back and relax. Take it for what it is. Don't compare it to Citizen Kane (or any other totally overrated so-called classic). Leave your brain outside the door. Have fun. Don't care." If you're not able to enter this kind of mode, you shouldn't watch this.

It's by no means a great movie, but it delivers at least some entertainment value. Typically, most of the characters are total idiots who you couldn't care less about, and seeing them get slaughtered one by one is the way it should be in a flick like this. The movie has some interesting scenes and enoughs suspense not making it boring at any time, although it's certainly no masterpiece. Just take a break for 89 minutes and enjoy mutants, gore and what else this movie has to offer. It's an OK movie all in all.

American Kickboxer (1991)

Easily forgotten

[4/10 · 22 February 2010]

I wouldn't say that this movie is bad as such, but it's certainly a quite forgettable entry into the vast amount of 80's or 90's martial arts movies. I wonder if they tried to cash in on the popularity of the more well-known Kickboxer franchise. With totally unknown actors who are certainly not among the best, fight scenes which was nothing special and nothing especially interesting in any way, you just don't get there. I guess the total result is OK and acceptable, but when there are so many other movies just like this it's really no reason to watch this at all. Try Kickboxer with van Damme, and even the sequel Kickboxer 2 before even thinking about this one.

The King of the Kickboxers (1990)

**** Yeah!

[7/10 · 21 February 2010]

For a period of a couple of years, Loren Avedon appeared in several great martial arts movies with well choreographed, really fun and enjoyable martial arts action. King of the Kickboxers is another great movie and quite similar to the No Retreat, No Surrender movies which were all fun. It's entertainment from beginning to end, superb fighting is what this is about. Don't look for acting, story or things like that, because there aren't any. The appearance of Billy Blanks adds something extra to this film. He's a bad guy in this, and IMHO he suits that better than being a good guy. I think it's because he lacks that special 'good guy charisma', but as a villain he's great.

Night of the Warrior (1991)

No hope at all for this movie

[1/10 · 21 February 2010]

I've actually read some posts on various message boards saying that this is one of Lorenzo Lamas' good movies. The people who wrote that are either 1)joking, 2)extremely delusional or 3)Lorenzo Lamas himself. How it managed to obtain a 2.9/10 ranking is beyond me. It deserves nothing more than the 1/10 I so rightfully gave it. Why is that? When a movie is in the action/martial arts genre, you expect to see what? Do you know the right answer? Sadly, the people behind this movie didn't know it. (The answer is martial arts scenes/action scenes, btw.). Instead, we get a lot of pointless scenes from some very dark locations, an extremely slow plot development and I guess a lot of additional crap that I've already forgotten about. It's not as bad as Gladiator Cop, but it's close. VERY close.

No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990)

These No Retreat, No Surrender movies are the best

[7/10 · 21 February 2010]

I just love the No Retreat, No Surrender series. All three movies are great. Even though the actors are mostly totally unknown, the budgets aren't that huge and they're generally not that well-known, it fun and entertainment from start to finish. This particular installment in the series sees Loren Avedon from the previous movie teaming up with Keith Vitali. The opening scene with Vitali is hilarious, and you start wondering if you're watching a slapstick comedy. That's the level this movie is at, it's an extremely easygoing piece of action movie which delivers the goods when it comes to the fight scenes. As always they are truly great, and way better than most other movies of both past and present. It looks to be inspired of the wirework from Hong Kong, and the execution is satisfactory.

Superfights (1995)

Haha, unintentionally funny and kickass at the same time

[6/10 · 21 February 2010]

Have you seen the No Retreat, No Surrender movies and their unofficial sequels? This movie follows in the same tracks. If you enjoyed the former, you will like this. The thing about this is that it's even less serious than the other similar movies, something one didn't think was possible. It' film making at it's very worst (unprofessional, amateurish and extremely goofy) combined with martial arts action at it's very best (or at least close to it). The combination is great really, you shift back and forth from laughing out loud about how bad it is, to actually enjoying and admiring the cool fight scenes. A weird movie that I'll recommend if you enjoy martial arts flicks.

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

The Grand Finale is the best

[7/10 · 21 February 2010]

Wow, they really went all out 'let's put every single monster from every single monster movie ever created except from King Kong into this to make it as huge as possible' here. Of course, I loved it. It's more fun when there are more monsters fighting each other. It gives variety, and it was fun to see some of the more obscure and rare monsters make appearances. Some of them could've gotten more screen time though, for example Manda. The special effects are quite good in this movie, and in my opinion this is one of the very best of all the Godzilla movies. They saved the best for last. There is one thing they could've toned down though, and that is the Matrix-like fighting and situations they tried to create with the aliens. It should have been enough with the monsters, that's what this is about. Don Frye was great as Captain Douglas Gordon. A tough bastard was needed, and he provided it.

Mortal Kombat (1995)

Surprise surprise: A video game movie worth watching

[6/10 · 21 February 2010]

This is a very unusual movie. It's a video game movie that is actually good. Most video game movies tend to suck big time. Just watch Street Fighter for an example. The Mortal Kombat series are really great video games, and this movie actually manages to capture some of that great feel from the games and give us the world of Mortal Kombat on the big screen. There are also some great fight scenes in this movie. The action is overall great, but the story, the characters, the scenery and the overall atmosphere are each contributing to make this an enjoyable movie experience. You don't have to be a fan of the games to enjoy this, but having at least played them a couple of times helps. Btw, the title music for this movie is awesome!

Code of Silence (1985)

Chuck Norris is the man

[7/10 · 21 February 2010]

One of Chuck Norris' best movies, this is. It's a role that is absolutely perfect for him. He's a rock solid, super tough, good to the bone police detective who isn't afraid to resolve the situations all on his own if nobody will help him. I tell you, the last scene is so hardcore Chuck Norris action that you'll love it if you like action. There's just something great about one guy annihilating lots of scumbags on his own. Especially when it's either Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone doing it. It's Chicago in the 80's, a great backdrop for this kind of movie. Superb action and the man himself make this a must watch for action afficionados.

Walking Tall: The Payback (2007 Video)

A huge disappointment

[3/10 · 21 February 2010]

I really liked the first of the new Walking Tall movies starring The Rock. That meant I had some expectations for this one, even though a guy I had never heard of before, Kevin Sorbo, had taken over the lead. I was very disappointed. I don't think it was Sorbo's fault, really. The problem was a total lack of action. The little action it had, wasn't anywhere near good. The movie was simply BOOOOOOORING, moreso than 95 % of the other action movies out there. I just don't get how they managed to destroy such a promising and entertaining franchise like this. I have absolutely no rush in watching the third movie after this kind of crap.

Toy Soldiers (1991)

Watch it if you like action

[8/10 · 21 February 2010]

This came as a huge surprise for me. I had never heard of this movie when I first saw it, and the title really pointed towards something else than a great terrorist/hostage situation at a high school. Toy Soldiers has the best from it's time period of the early 90's, where action movies were light-hearted and very enjoyable. The action is good, the plot is interesting and way over the top, the bad guy is a one-dimensional hateful douchebag (which is great), Louis Gossett Jr. is in it, it's simply a feel-good movie which I thoroughly enjoyed.

You can't go wrong with this one if you like action. I give it a solid rating of 8/10.

Death Before Dishonor (1987)

Standard, formulaic, but nevertheless OK

[6/10 · 21 February 2010]

This movie is an ultra patriotic, one-dimensional all-American military hero movie from the Reagan era. Do we like this kind of stuff? YES! It's great for relaxation at home. It's not great by any means, the action is OK/mediocre, the acting is (just forget about the acting), the story is standard, in total it's nothing we haven't seen before. I guess you have to be a fan of this type of movie to enjoy them. The movie itself knows what it is and doesn't try to do anything else than stick to it's safe formula. At least you know what you'll get from this.

6 out of 10

Blood and Bone (2009)

Another great Jai White movie

[7/10 · 21 February 2010]

Michael Jai White simply rocks. He's the one great thing about this film. He's perfect as a tough guy in martial arts movies, and in this he almost takes it to another level. The fight scenes are superb, they're what makes this movie the great gem of a martial arts movie it is. In fact, that's the only reason why this movie should be watched. The rest of the movie is so-so. Some of the lines are poorly delivered, there's so much mumbling which makes it hard to understand what people are saying at times. Luckily there's lot of action all the way through, it's great, and frankly it's no use worrying about anything else. That is because the fight scenes is the only reason to watch such a movie in the first place. And believe me, they rock.