Mayahuel

But this movie isn't good for much else. If you enjoy watching Lee in action, either in martial arts or in more Western shootout-type things, you'll probably like this movie. He's very good and quite entertaining, and therefore might be a good reason to keep watching. But everything around Lee--the plot or lack thereof, the secondaries, the dialogue (it's truly terrible)--falls something short of interesting. There's a bizarre section involving a love scene (out of nowhere) meshed in with footage of a drug bust gone sour which is just "Whatever". I also can't understand how Lee was cast and might have continued to be typecast (though The Crow would indicate otherwise) as an Asian character (nevermind having Bruce Lee as his father) when the man had blue eyes and, at least as far as I can see, didn't look terribly Asian at all. In the end, however, there are films much worse than Rapid Fire, and this film can fit your bill if you're looking for 90 minutes of somewhat mindless action entertainment--and you might also come to agree with those who reflect upon Brandon Lee and regret that his acting career was cut short.

Johnny chose the part of his cultural heritage that would land him in this goofball fun action film. I have to agree with the commentator who said people don't seem to just have fun with movies. This carries all the social and artistic weight of guano, but it's entertainment first and foremost. Sure, entertainment can be art as well, but it's not a necessary requirement. Showdown is a quick, silly little film that goes more for the giggles than anything else. I mean, come on--Dolph Lundgren donning a stereotypical Japanese headband and spouting Zen quips was supposed to be serious? If you're looking for Crouching Tiger in this film, you will be profoundly disappointed. If light fare is your thing, you might want to check this one out.

I've been on a Banderas film kick lately, and when I discovered that Assassins had been penned by the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix, of course), I was doubly enthusiastic. More's the pity for me, as this film is awful. It's hard to put my finger on exactly why it was awful--the acting (save Stallone, for whom I think the word "actor" is a misnomer--he's no more exuberant than those sides of beef he boxed in Rocky) isn't bad, the principals are pleasant to look at, and the plot has a lot of promise. But somehow, I didn't feel this all came together for me. Julianne Moore is a wonderful actress, and it was a pity to cast her as a neurotic, cat-obsessed stereotype (I'm not sure why I see it as a stereotype, but ah well) regardless of how smart and savvy she may have also been. And Antonio Banderas as a psychopath assassin of unknown Hispanic origin randomly firing off quips en espanol--the actor deserves a better role (El Mariachi from Desperado and Armand the vampire come to mind as Banderas at his best). I was expecting a whole lot more thrills and action than Assassins actually delivered, and maybe some viewers will have a difficult time believing I would need something more. On a positive note, Pearl the Cat was outstanding. When a lead's pet is the only saving grace in a film, it's time to shelve the thing.