craigjohnson20
Joined Jul 2004
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Reviews7
craigjohnson20's rating
One of the most flat-out fun anthology films I have ever seen.
An elderly mortuary caretaker, played by a delightfully ghoulish Clancy Brown, is approached by a young woman looking for a job as his assistant; and tells her a series of ghastly tales involving a bunch of not-so-innocent protagonists who find themselves the victims of deadly karma.
Fans of "Tales From The Crypt" will absolutely love these EC comics inspired tales. I'm surprised that these are original stories since it feels like the director selected some of his favorite classic horror stories traigbt from the pages of a classic horror comics.
If you like your horror tongue-in-cheek you couldn't ask for a more fun time.
An elderly mortuary caretaker, played by a delightfully ghoulish Clancy Brown, is approached by a young woman looking for a job as his assistant; and tells her a series of ghastly tales involving a bunch of not-so-innocent protagonists who find themselves the victims of deadly karma.
Fans of "Tales From The Crypt" will absolutely love these EC comics inspired tales. I'm surprised that these are original stories since it feels like the director selected some of his favorite classic horror stories traigbt from the pages of a classic horror comics.
If you like your horror tongue-in-cheek you couldn't ask for a more fun time.
For all the visual sci-fi and spectacle, I still can't overlook the muddled screenplay of "Prometheus" that handles it's epic journey in which humans discover the link to their evolution like a child with Attention Deficit Disorder.
As to be expected, this return to sci-fi from Ridley Scott, the man who brought us the first "Alien" film and "Blade Runner", "Prometheus" is a great looking film; but it's as if Scott story boarded this entire film using the covers of every pulp novel and magazine from the 50's to the 70's without bothering to figure out if it resulted in a cohesive film. The film wants to be too many things, and ends up being about nothing at all: no sooner does it latch on to something engaging or coherent, then it quickly abandons it for something else.
There was a lot of potential for this film: rather than show us the old alien that we have seen bursting from chests and terrorizing through space in the previous four films of the franchise, Ridley wants to explore all the other unseen horrors lurking on the ship the Nostromo crew stumbled across in the first film. But since Ridley hasn't made a sci-fi film in thirty years, it seems he can't decide whether or not he wants to make a horror film, an action epic, or a Kubrickian thinking-man's film about man's evolution; so he throws everything together and then moves on to something else when he gets bored.
It gives me no pleasure to berate this film: the first "Alien" film was a brilliantly constructed horror masterpiece of the highest calibre, and his following film, "Blade Runner" is one of the most visually-stunning films of all time. So, it was with great hope that I expected Ridley Scott to come riding back into the sci-fi genre on a white horse like Maximus in "Gladiator" and give us another landmark film. Instead, he has finally planted the final nail in the coffin of the franchise that launched him to prominence and stardom.
As to be expected, this return to sci-fi from Ridley Scott, the man who brought us the first "Alien" film and "Blade Runner", "Prometheus" is a great looking film; but it's as if Scott story boarded this entire film using the covers of every pulp novel and magazine from the 50's to the 70's without bothering to figure out if it resulted in a cohesive film. The film wants to be too many things, and ends up being about nothing at all: no sooner does it latch on to something engaging or coherent, then it quickly abandons it for something else.
There was a lot of potential for this film: rather than show us the old alien that we have seen bursting from chests and terrorizing through space in the previous four films of the franchise, Ridley wants to explore all the other unseen horrors lurking on the ship the Nostromo crew stumbled across in the first film. But since Ridley hasn't made a sci-fi film in thirty years, it seems he can't decide whether or not he wants to make a horror film, an action epic, or a Kubrickian thinking-man's film about man's evolution; so he throws everything together and then moves on to something else when he gets bored.
It gives me no pleasure to berate this film: the first "Alien" film was a brilliantly constructed horror masterpiece of the highest calibre, and his following film, "Blade Runner" is one of the most visually-stunning films of all time. So, it was with great hope that I expected Ridley Scott to come riding back into the sci-fi genre on a white horse like Maximus in "Gladiator" and give us another landmark film. Instead, he has finally planted the final nail in the coffin of the franchise that launched him to prominence and stardom.
The best thing about "Legend of the Fist" is that it features some of the most spectacular acrobatic prowess to come from the great Donnie Yen. Unfortunately, these moments of awe inspiring nirvana appear in fits and starts after long, long moments of exposition.
If this movie had a strong story, like Donnie Yen's "Kill Zone" with it's engaging plot about police corruption and the consequences of pursuing vengeance, all this exposition could be forgiven. However, the story is about Yen playing a Zorro-like folk hero, who dresses like Bruce Lee in 'The Green Hornet'. What should be a rollicking adventure instead becomes a violent drama about China's occupation by the Japanese. Granted, Donnie Yen's best film, "Ip Man" was also about the Chinese occupation; but that film managed a perfect balance between drama and spectacular action.
I would almost dismiss "Legend of the Fist" altogether; but then Yen does a flip, a jump, a punch, a kick and my jaw hits the floor.
If this movie had a strong story, like Donnie Yen's "Kill Zone" with it's engaging plot about police corruption and the consequences of pursuing vengeance, all this exposition could be forgiven. However, the story is about Yen playing a Zorro-like folk hero, who dresses like Bruce Lee in 'The Green Hornet'. What should be a rollicking adventure instead becomes a violent drama about China's occupation by the Japanese. Granted, Donnie Yen's best film, "Ip Man" was also about the Chinese occupation; but that film managed a perfect balance between drama and spectacular action.
I would almost dismiss "Legend of the Fist" altogether; but then Yen does a flip, a jump, a punch, a kick and my jaw hits the floor.