[9] An off-duty police officer takes it upon himself to stop a gang of German terrorists who take an office Christmas party hostage in John McTiernan’s iconic action film, Die Hard. Let me put it another way: Die Hard is The Action Movie. It built a new paradigm for the genre and launched a movie star’s career. Bruce Willis can’t be given enough credit here. He …
[10] In the not-so-distant future, a Detroit policeman is murdered by a vicious cop-killer, only to be resurrected as the ultimate cyborg law enforcer. But will RoboCop have free will, or will he be slave to the corporation that facilitated his rebirth? On one level, RoboCop is an action film sprinkled with generous amounts of extreme violence and gore. But the movie also has unexpected …
[10] James Cameron accomplishes a rare feat with a sequel that doesn’t shame the original and succeeds on its own merits. Aliens is so different in tone than the original Alien, I think of it as a sequel only in name (this goes for all the Alien movies). In a smart move, Cameron decided not to compete with Ridley Scott in the areas of horror …
[9] A cyborg from the future attempts to assasinate the unwitting mother of a future man who will lead humanity in a war against ‘the machines.’ The Terminator remains one of the best sci-fi films of the ’80s. Thanks in part to his education at Roger Corman’s New World Pictures, ambitious director and cowriter James Cameron overcame the confines of a low budget, delivering a film …
[9] This is the ultimate romantic adventure, complete with a great cast, exotic locations, and measured doses of action, humor, and heart. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner never looked better. They have that ephemeral “chemistry”, the kind that keeps you glued to the screen, rooting for them. The screenplay by Diane Thomas is well paced and constructed, giving plenty of breathing room to a romantic …
[9] It may not be as clever or well-crafted as its predecessor, but the first Indy Jones sequel (which is technically a prequel) is still loads of fun. In place of the Nazis, we get a blood-drinking Indian cult, and in place of a tough-as-nails heroine who can hold her own, we get a blonde screaming mess. Temple of Doom is both darker and cornier …
[9] Compared to the previous two episodes in the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi comes up a bit short in character and drama. Richard Marquand’s direction isn’t as elegant or purposeful as Irvin Kershner’s (who directed The Empire Strikes Back so gorgeously). But the third film wraps up story threads more than adequately and gives us quite a few spectacular action set pieces, from the …
[10] Steven Spielberg wanted to make a James Bond movie until his buddy George Lucas said, ‘I have a better idea.’ And he did. Lucas created Indiana Jones, a globe-trotting archaeologist who sought treasure for fortune and glory while encountering a variety of adversaries in his travels, starting with the Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones would become the new name of …
[9] This was the first blockbuster superhero movie (for better and for worse) and I doubt there will ever be a better film adaptation for the Man of Steel. Under Richard Donner’s (The Omen, Lethal Weapon) direction and good taste, Superman is a winning blend of action, drama, charm, and yes, camp. The first forty minutes are emotionally powerful, more than any other comic book …
[9] Clint Eastwood stars as his most iconic character, ‘Dirty’ Harry Callahan, a gruff, no-bullshit San Francisco police investigator on the trail of a psychotic sniper who calls himself ‘The Scorpio Killer’. There have been many cat and mouse chase movies over the decades, especially in the paradigm of cop vs criminal, but Dirty Harry left a mark so indelible on the sub-genre, that it …
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