This 1989 cop thriller isn't one of the decades most well known action films nor does it have much to distinguish itself from the genre other than its Japanese setting. But it is a great reminder that 80s action films are still the best action films around when it comes to having a workable formula and "realistic" violence. Even the martial arts on display here is of the variety one would encounter on the street. Trust me! It also reaffirms that Ridley Scott is one of the best directors the medium has produced and Michael Douglas is one of Hollywood's original badassess. And what happened to Andy Garcia? He was a break-out star here. Black Rain is formulaic stuff, but it's Good formulaic stuff.
If you're a 40 + white dude, like myself, you may remember a comic series called " The Adventures of Tintin ". I know I remember them. This series, dating back to 1929, got turned into a animated feature film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. After buying a model of ship called The Unicorn, teenaged journalist Tintin finds himself on adventure that will take him from the high seas, to the low deserts, and from the distant past to the present. With his trusty dog, Snowy, by his side, Tintin uncovers a story connecting two men across the centuries.. . The story is really quite good. It's well crafted, and high paced- with just enough slow moments to build and develop the world and the characters. This is the sort of adventure story you'd find in the old serials of the 1930's and '40's. In fact, it felt like it was the sort of tale that you'd find Indiana Jones undertaking. I found myself swept up, and swept along as our hero swung from one e...
I think most people would say that the 80's, while not an era of vastly original films, did produce the majority of the best ones.
ReplyDeleteAt least from our generation and older.
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