When his sister (Laila Ali) is savagely beaten almost to death in Brazil, Chapman heads to the favelas to find out who’s responsible. Michael Jai White stars as John “Falcon” Chapman, a former marine who is dealing with some past trauma (never fully explained) by drinking, playing Russian roulette, making quips, and breaking up robberies in bodegas. It’s not that expectations were high for this actioner, but that other filmmakers have proven that genre and budget aren’t an excuse for turning in mediocre films with little to differentiate them from hundreds of other middling projects. These elements were in the back of my mind as a possibility when I was watching the mostly generic Falcon Rising. The directors are also utilizing incredibly talented stars to the best of their abilities, with the likes of Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White showing off their martial arts skills and their own natural charisma. These films also occasionally stray into innovative editing and narrative experiments - seriously, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning plays like The Expendables filtered through Lynch’s Wild at Heart. It’s mostly a few titles from a handful of filmmakers, but the works of John Hyams ( Universal Soldier: Regeneration, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) and Isaac Florentine ( Undisputed III: Redemption, Ninja: Shadow of a Tear) display ingenuity in staging of fight sequences, well-defined characterization, and even impressive shot composition and editing. Direct-to-Video (DTV) action flicks have been experiencing a surprising renaissance in the past few years. Going in to Falcon Rising, I did not have high expectations, but I did have some hopes for the film. In fact, given enough distance from what you thought the film should be, you can even began to appreciate it as a middle-of-the-road, if flawed, piece. Anticipation can easily lead to disappointment due to the lofty heights you thought were going to be hit. ![]() ![]() It’s hard to keep expectations in check when you’re about to see a film.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |