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Point Break (1991)
10/10
"Too much testosterone here", Nah, just enough.
19 February 2002
I think that "Point Break" has always been dismissed as a typical action flick, with Keanu Reeves appropiately playing an FBI agent undercover as a surfer, it does sounds pretty lame. Well, "Point Break" is far from lame, it is actually one of the best action films ever made.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, "Point Break" is highly underrated. I think because of when it came out, and the fact that alot of people just can't take Keanu Reeves seriously, its too bad because this is a very exciting film, a film that has a feel to it, a very resonate and distinguishable vibe.

"Point Break" is one of a handful of films that I can watch over and over again, and one of maybe 2 or 3 that I can actually fall asleep to, in a good way of course. From Keanu to John C. Mcginley, everyone is perfectly cast. The action sequences are taunt and original, especially the foot chase through houses and backyards, with Keanu hoofing a pitbull. The relationships seem real and believable, especially Keanu and Swayze, in the hands of lesser directors it all could of seemed silly and homoerotic, like "Top Gun", but although this is very much a macho film (as Lori Petty's character states "there is too much testosterone here") it has an understanding to it, all these guys, from the FBI to the bank robbers are all in it for the adreneline rush, the thing that makes them feel like men, that makes them feel alive.

You know a film is great when it is often copied but never duplicated, like "Die Hard" or "Pulp Fiction". "Point Break" has been copied many times, most recently in the form of "The Fast and the Furious" but nothing has compared to it, it stands alone, like the mystique placed on surfing in the film, "Point Break" has a mystique, its spiritual, Its a way of life, "dude".
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And the rockets red glare, the bombs.....
31 January 2002
Warning: Spoilers
I have read the book and have now finally watched the film by Ridley Scott, and in both instances I was left with a feeling of mild shell shock. The book just blew me away, with its harrowing account of the 17 hour fire fight within the city confines of Mogadishu or as the U.S Military reffered to it, "The Mog". I had told a few of my friends to read the book and they were left with the same feeling as I, and as the release date for the film kept changing we waited with growing anticipation for what we knew would be a great film experience.

Before I get into the film let me confess something, after reading the book and seeing the film I am scared that I didn't quite absorb the message about what hell war is, I mean I understand how horribly scary and stupid it is, but my lasting feeling from both book and film is that "Damn I would love to be a 'D-Boy'. No matter how I look at the story, what these guys went through, what they will forever live with, I still think, Wow those Delta guys kick ass, so for me I feel that the book and film play like a recruitment ad for the US Military, that scares me a little, Anyway.

----------------------Spoilers---------------------------

There are a few things that I wish the film would of included, but I understand why Scott decided not to

1. Definetly it would of been nice to include a little more facts into the stupidity of the higher ups of the American Government, including President Clinton's misguided efforts or lack there of.

2. give a little more understanding as to why the Somalis were so pissed this includes the 71 elders killed by an american bomb, and the perceived arrogance of the american troops by the somali villagers, also the targeting of Ahdid when there were many other warlords that could of been equally held responsible.

3. The Rangers and 'D-boys' killed alot more people than they showed, especially when they first started to return gunfire. In the book they opened up on crowds with 50 and 20 calibre guns.

4. There were alot of humorous moments in the book that were left out. I understand though how including these events would of given the film a hint of non - believability.

5. Finally, the downplaying of the "little bird' action and the Malaysian troop involvement was regrettable.

Now, overall the film conveyed the frenzy of the action and included many gory scenes, if you really enjoy this sort of thing, as I do, then you will love it. The moment the action starts it is truly unrelenting. I myself didn't find it confusing figuring out who was who, as the beginning gives adaquate introductions to all the players. I also thought that Josh Hartnett was actually pretty good, along with Sizemore and Mcgregor. I didn't really care for Fichtner's Character or the sillyness of Bremners'. They both seemed out of place and uninteresting.

What I especially liked was the Ridley Scott style of the film, it looked amazing, and the action was shot with such realism and force that I was sitting there just riveted to the screen. Here is a list of the moments of the film that stood out for me:

1. The approach of the choppers to 'the mog', very unlike the chopper scene in "Apocalypse Now", Instead of blaring wagner over speakers, there is complete silence as they get nearer to the city, shot beautifully, and almost as powerful as "Apocalypse"

2. Eric Bana is awsome. I would love to see a movie made about SAS in Afghanistan, with Eric Bana as a bad ass SAS soldier, because he just rocks,(aside from a little melodramatic speach at the end). The best character in the film by far.

3. The Durant scene, with the two Delta guys giving the ultimate sacrifice to protect the lone surviving crewman of the second BlackHawk to go down, was done very well.

Anyway I would not recomend this film to most women I know or people that don't really care for military action, for people who do like this kind of film I would say that it ranks right up there with the best war films ever made.
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10/10
So underrated
24 January 2002
When I was 16, I used to hang out with a tough crowd and my best friend at the time was a real trouble maker, we would always get into fights with other guys our age and sometimes men, and he was a really tough kid, anyway one night he calls me and tells me that he watched the saddest movie he had ever seen, he said it was the first time he actually cried since he saw E.T. I was laughing at him continuously, until I watched it and got so profoundly effected by it that even thinking about that last scene makes my eyes water. I really feel that this film was a major catalyst for many changes I made during my progression from teenager to young adult.

Running on Empty is quite an achievement in filmmaking, it is as real a film as you could watch and everyone involved should be absolutely proud of it. River Phoenix will forever be missed.
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Commando (1985)
10/10
Alot of fun
24 January 2002
There were many senseless action films made in the 80's, mostly Stallone flicks, but one action film rose above all the others and still stands today as one great piece of 80's entertainment.

Commando unfortunately doesn't get the credit it deserves, and I think the reason for that is that the perception of the audience is somewhat blurred by the assumptions made about the film, being a dumb action flick in the vein of Rambo. This film however does something that Rambo didn't and that is, Commando refused to take itself seriously. It knowingly went way over the top, and gave discerning audiences some great fun, this film is absolutely hilarious.

To begin with, the whole premise just makes me laugh. A former US Commando's (Arnie) old team decide to use him to assisinate some higher up in South America, they determine the best way to get him to do it is to kidnap his daughter(alyssa Milano) and hold her until completion of the assisnation. Well they manage to get her and put Arnie on a plane headed for South America with explicite instructions to kill the guy, in order to get his daughter back safely. Well in any other dumb action film the hero would probably try and think of a way to get his daughter back without tipping off the Bad guys, it would all lead to a last minute convoluted plan. Not this film, Arnie's character decides without any hesitation that the best thing to do is kill everyone.

This is what makes Commando so much fun, there are no illusions or messages, mixed with great dry humour and pretty violent killings Commando is one joyride of an era gone by, oure 80's fun.
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