cj120uk

Idiotic sequel with a plot lifted directly out of direct to video sci-fi flick. This time infallible lump of wood Steven Seagal, sleep walks his way through the film, kicking butt against a group of unmemorable caracuritures. The fight scenes are good and relish in cruelty but the shoddy sfx and terribly put together finale really sink this one.

Let me start by saying I wasn't a fan of the first film. I was disappointed, esspecially when i found out that Denzel Washington was involved, that the end result was nothing like the original TV Series. The Equalizer (2014) and this sequel are more akin to Man on Fire (2004). I did enjoy this successor more because my expectations were low as I knew what type of film to expect this time. Unfortuately the storyline is slim but Washington rises it above average by delivering a typical winning performance. His OCD is downplayed this time, which I found unnecessary and distracting previously. In an attempt to make the antgonist stand out the screenwriters try to produce some depth by giving them a family and connections to McCall but these don't really work as up until this film you've never seen this character before. Also their motivations are very fluffy as you never find out the reasons behind the Belgium couples murder that kick starts the plot. I much perferred the way the film started with McCall just helping random people seek justice, this at least felt somewhat like Edward Woodwards take on the character. The Equalizer 2 is professionally crafted by Antoine Fuqua, will lots of well staged action and sickly choreographed fight sequences. The aging Washington truly convinces as the retired trained killer, who'd more than give Taken's Liam Neeson a run for his money. Particularly memorable is the decision to set the finale during a storm in a ghost town, this end chapter is very atmospheric. However the impact is reduced somewhat by the antagonist still making all the same Hollywood bad guy mistakes when it comes to dispatching the protagonist. Like I said it is generic stuff, just well made.

Let me start by saying I'm a big Jason Statham fan and its good to see him carry a legitmate blockbuster. However this is one of those films that won't languish in anyones minds much longer after leaving the auditorium. This film has a number of problems that begin at script level. The characters are cliched caricatures: theres the idiot billionaire, the disillouised scientist and of course the emotionally damaged hero. There are attempts to overcome these faults with ill placed comedy in attempt to create a chemistry between the actors but this fails. Even on a technical level the film flodders as some of SFX shots particularly of the shark's head look very poor. There are a couple of fairly tense sequences, such as a night time helicopter attack or when Statham has to swim up the shark to attach a tracker that are very welcome and help improve matters slightly. I also like the ending which involves the shark attacking a beach load of bathers but this is not as grizzly as it should have been due to the safe confines of a 12A certificate. In the end the film is neither good or so bad it's good, it's just kind of there and then it's over.

What makes this a strong franchise entry is that most of the same team members from the previous films are kept in play here. They are characters that you know, they have the chemistry of an established team, which helps the audience care about their fates. The story isn't anything too complicated, neither as elaborate as the first film or Rogue Nation, basically the IMF are searching for a couple of bombs designed to cause a new world order but its enough to drive the plot along. As the bad guys from Rogue Nation are the antagonists again, this allows no time to be wasted on developing their motivation so it's straight into the action. Which is where the film really impresses, as every action sequence ustilises practical effects with refreshingly minimal CGI, only used to enhance events otherwise unfilmable ie an adrenaline charged motorcycle chase through Paris. For me, the main problem with the film is that no attempt is made to hide who the traitor is, which is once again, unoriginally, a rogue agent. That said, this is a minor flaw and when the finale occurs it is a pulse pounding assault to senses that leaves you on the edge of your seat. Fallout is a well made action film that never bores, always entertains and definitely needs to be seen on the big screen.

Some say that Highlander II: The Quickening is the worst film of Sean Connery's career but I don't think thats so. Zardoz is easily the worst film he's ever made. It's laughably awful. The whole thing makes no sense whatsoever - at least Highlander II had a plot and action. It's entertaining because it's bad, but that doesn't mean it's good. This is a film should never have been made.

How did this load of rubbish get such a high rating on the IMDB. My God Jaws The Revenge is more believable than this load of tosh. Denzel Washington, James Woods and Robert Duvall are all great actors, but even they seem amateur in this turkey.

Highlander III: The Sorcerer has been accused of being a remake of the original Highlander. However I feel that it's similar but not the same. The Van Peebles character is similiar to the Kurgan, however he has the power of illusion; and the car chase at the end when Kane kidnaps Connors' son is similar to the chase at the end of the first but again illusion is used. I feel the reason that they did this was as a homage to the first film, however this time they made the villian even more dangerous i.e. he's a sorcerer. The film does give us some more insight into the past of Connor MacLeod, a great training montage, and it is better than Highlander II: The Quickening (though not the director's cut) and Highlander Endgame. I suppose that if you look at the bare bones of it every highlander film is similar.

Jaws the Revenge is stupid and it looks cheap, but it has the best pacing and even given it's low budget, it has some of the most thrills - the sunken ship sequence for instance. The acting is top draw (better than Jaws III) and the direction is nice and tight. The music score is really creepy too. It's highly fun but totally unbelievable. I love it.

Sure the original theatrical version was bad but that was not due to the makers, it was due to a financial company that backed the production. Here (in the directors cut) is the way that it was supposed to be made. It has great action, great production value plus the return of Sean Connery. It gives some explanation as to how the competition began and it shows how Connor used the "prize" from the first film. It's a lot better than any of the Highlander films and series that followed. If this had been the version that was originally released on the theatre's in 1991, then the series would still have been alive today.