Thems Is Some Disturbed Old People!

     Kinda at a loss for words on this one!  Not a complete loss but I can tell you one thing for sure!  At the end of this film my jaw was on the floor and my mind was in shambles!  All I could really say to myself was, "What the F!@k did I just watch?".  
     I have seen all the American films in this "kinda" category, those being the likes of all the Saw films and the Hostels as well.  Both those franchises are tame when compared to this French movie.  This has some very cringe worthy scenes in it, and by some I mean a ton.  Alot of torture and psychological mind****s!  That goes for the characters and the viewer.
     I think, I emphasize think, that it is acted very well.  By that I mean the "torturers" seem like they have no sympathy, no heart.  The "tortured" seem pretty real in that they appear to be in some serious pain whether it be physical or mental.  There are equal parts of each within.  
     The writing is just another of the same just from a different angle is all.  Instead of the main characters being taken at the beginning, then the meat of the film takes place, then they get away from the bad guys just all kinds of messed up like.  In this the order is scrambled to the point of trying to trick the viewer he is watching something different, but in reality it's the same.
     Martyrs takes an almost religious turn at the ending when we finally figure out why these people are being tortured like they are.  I say almost because if you check the forums for this film it is quite apparent that the ending is up for your own interpretation.  I personally see the old people at the end as a religious cult.  I don't know for sure because the film doesn't tell you anything about them at all.  It is just my interpretation of the end.
     To finish I will have to say to anyone that is thinking about watching this that this is not family friendly, not like anyone could read the back of the film and make that mistake.  It is chock full of human torture and destruction and may psychologically damage the person that is not ready for what happens throughout.  So, as I have said before...You have been warned!

No Women, No Kids...Who You Think This Is Gonna Kill? Donkeys And Monkeys?

     This film is in my top ten films of all time.  So, as it stands at this moment I have 2 of the 10 in my top ten taken care of.  Still working on the rest, there are alot of films out there so don't rush me, I will finish it eventually.  I get off track kinda easy eh?  So anyway about this film.  There are no perfect movies but this one really is as close to perfection as you can get.  It is really such an amazing film throughout.
     Directed by Luc Besson, the guy behind some very good movies like La Femme Nikita and the Fifth Element.  He also has written tons of great films, to name a few, the Transporter films, Unleashed, Taken and Colombiana.  There are more than that but I figured if you cared you can just look them up yourself.  In all his awesome movies I still believe this is his crowning achievement.  The direction is absolutely perfect and never falters.  Dramatically perfect, psychologically perfect and the action scenes are pretty damn intense.
     What can I say about the actors?  I believe this may be the second film I ever saw Jean Reno in and the first one with him speaking English.  Since this, he really hasn't impressed me at all.  He plays the title character to a tea.  He really does make you feel like he has no heart at the beginning of the film and then shortly after all you can see is heart.  Natalie Portman was cast at the age of 11 but it seems as though she has been acting for years.  I don't ever think that child actors are ever good, mainly because they haven't gotten any real experience yet, but Miss Portman is like a seasoned vet in this film.  In a film of spectacular acting I still believe that Gary Oldman is the stand out, and he is in it way less then the rest.  He plays the psychotic DEA agent Stansfield and shows the viewer just how crazy a man in power can be.  Just maniacal to the utmost extreme.  I remember the first time I saw Gary Oldman in a movie and it was in Sid and Nancy, from that moment on I have paid strict attention to his career.  One hell of an actor this one.
     As I said at the beginning no film is actually perfect but this is close.  The things I find wrong with it are 2 minor things.  1: The hooker-like-chick-dude-thing at the start.  That chick just looks like a tranny to me, absolutely not attractive at all.  2: The dude with the dreadlocks is ridiculous, thankfully he is only in it maybe 5 minutes.  I just refuse to use his name he likes to go by because that is equally as stupid as a white guy with dreadlocks!
     There are 2 different versions of this film and like all movies with 2 versions one is vastly superior.  I saw the American version in the theater when it first came out and I absolutely loved it.  A few years later I got ahold of the International Cut and I have to tell you I hate the American ratings system.  They chopped so much from this film to the point of almost changing the story.  Very not pleased with that.  This second version is the superior one.  If you ever get a chance to see this do not look the other way.

Obviously The "Spirit Of Vengeance" Wasn't Paying Attention!

     This is gonna be a review without a review.  I am just gonna ask some questions really and I believe through the course of those questions you will understand what I am trying to get at.  
     First things first, I know that this film is based on a Marvel comic.  Based is all!  This film isn't in the Marvel cinematic universe like the Captain Americas, Iron Mans and Thors.  It really is a shame because I believe if it were it would actually resemble the character a bit more.  Marvel doesn't always make the characters they have invented to perfection though and 1 that I will say is The Mandarin, 100% botched, but that is an entire post in itself.  The only thing that makes this a Ghost Rider film is that there is a dude with a skull for a head and it is on fire.  I didn't hate the first Ghost Rider picture but it was just okay.  
     Why did the production company think even for a minute that the 2 guys responsible for the Crank series would be good fits for a Marvel film?  Yes, this movie was messed up by not 1, but 2 directors!  So if you have one crappy director and you have one terrible director, what do you have when you put them together?  One terribly crappy directing team.  I will be surprised if these 2 ever have another job in Hollywood ever again!
     I know they were kinda stuck with the "star" of the film as it is a part 2, but my question still exists.  Why on this huge planet did someone think that Nicolas Cage was a good fit for The Ghost Rider?  For one he is about 100 years too old to play this part.  For two HE CANNOT ACT!  He proves without a doubt in this film alone that he should just hang up his coat and disappear!
     The camera?  Why do people that work in Hollywood think its cool to film with that godforsaken shaky cam?  It does absolutely nothing to increase the coolness of the film.  It completely ruins all films for me.  Some filmmakers say it brings realism to the film.  WTF?  How is shaking around like you have Parkinson's bring realism?  I know for me, when I am just standing there and I am watching say, a car drive by, my head isn't constantly shaking and it looks plenty real to me.
     David S. Goyer.  So let me get this straight.  Mr. Goyer, the writer behind such films as The Dark Knight trilogy, Man of Steel, the Blade trilogy and a few other good films decided to not read the Ghost Rider series when he wrote this?  He thought he would just wing it?  I don't know if the world knows this but there are fans of Ghost Rider out there.  They think noone would notice?
     One more thing on this subject.  How is it that a film with bad directors, bad writers and bad actors can get greenlit when the previous outing, which was miles better, didn't so so well at the box office?  I am completely stumped at this.
     Okay so it isn't all bad.  There is one redeeming factor in this movie but it happens to be halfway done right.  The special effects?  When Nic Cage is in full Ghost Rider form he looks damn cool.  The bubbling leather on his shoulders is way cool, as is the skull and fire.  But, with the good you gotta have the bad.  There are still alot of just nasty looking fake effects.  So apparently the folks who edited this film missed some spots.

What Was That?

     Never...Ever...Ever, would a movie like this get made in the United States.  I am thankful it is available here because I watch anything and I especially like the fact that films made in other countries aren't subjected to the same terrible rating system we have here in the States.  Some other countries do have a ratings system but they aren't nearly as strict.  Japan is a bit different though, I have found they can pretty much do whatever it is they want to get their story made right.
     I will warn everyone at the gate that this film is absolutely not right for everyone!  I enjoy a sadistic film every once in a while.  In my eyes, why watch only the happy films?  If every so often you throw in a film that is as jacked as this then you really learn to appreciate the films that are happy endings. It also makes you appreciate life as a whole too.  I say that because all humans should count their lucky stars they don't have a person like Kakihara living next door to them, or the title character for that matter.  This film has some incredibly uncomfortable scenes involving mutilation and rape.  It doesn't show the particulars of the rape (good thing) but you can tell what is going on.  The entire picture is pretty unrelenting, it goes from one thing to something worse five minutes later.
     Don't look for good special effect though because if the Asian filmmakers are bad at anything it is effects.  They have always been able to do martial arts, drama and crazycrazy, but fall too short when it comes to effects.  The practical ones aren't too bad but they aren't too good either.  Now, when it comes to the computer effects they are, in a word, laughable.  They are so bad in fact that that I've seen better CGI in a made for TV movie...in the 80's!  I am not over simplifying them at all, they really are that bad.
     I think all the actors may possibly be doing a good job but I really cannot tell because when the disturbing things start showing up you completely stop paying attention to such things and reach for a bible because this film makes you want to pray, not after viewing, but during it. I'm not even religious and I felt like there is a darkness on the world that only Jesus can fix!
     You have been warned!  And, mind you, this is one of the more gentle foreign movies. 

Whoever Said "Less Is More" Is Wrong!

     Like I said at the end of the last posting...onto The Legend of Drunken Master!
     This film came out a full 16 years after the first part and I really am not sure as to how well they are connected because I seem to remember his dad in the first being a martial artists instead a pharmacist.  But, either way they are connected.  
     This one has more of a story then its predecessor and also infuses old school Jackie with the worldwide known new school Jackie.  I may be hurting some peoples feelings when I say this but I believe this film is miles ahead of the previous outing.  Jackie has proved, well he proved it before this, that he really is just a master of martial arts.  And in the almost 2 decades it took for the producers to make this sequel he has fully mastered the art of drunken boxing.  He is absolutely amazing from start to finish in this film.  If you want to see the man at the peak of his performance then go no further then this picture!
     This is a really short review but what can I say?  It is just amazing and you should go out right now and find a copy of this film 

Just How Many Wong Fei-Hungs Are There?

     I am in a martial arts type of mood!  I been at work talking with a fellow co-worker and the conversation ended up on martial arts films and martial artists.  The guy I was chatting with was very much uninformed when it came to these two subjects.  i went into explaining about Bruce, Jackie, Jet, Donnie and Tony, among some others.  So it naturally got me wanting to rewatch a few.  To start my trek across the kung fu nation I chose Drunken Master from 1978 starring Jackie Chan.
     First thing is first though, and I must say if you are looking for the modern day Jackie then you are in the wrong place entirely.  The Jackie I am talking about is the good one when he was pretty young still and wasn't influenced by Americas uninspiring fight flicks.  Do not get me wrong I still like Van Damme and the early Seagal films but China, and the rest of Asia for that matter did it best, by far!
     I have one prerequisite when it comes to my Asian films.  And that is I prefer them to be in their natural, or original language and have subtitles.  It is my honest opinion that every Asian movie that has English dubbing has been turned into a comedy, no matter what type of film it is.  In the case of Jackie Chan films, he likes them to have a comedic style infused in them so I can stand his films with dubbing.  Not like them but at least stand them.
     There is no one I know that watches a martial arts film for the story either.  Most of them are just about the fighting and this one is no different.  
     What I will say is that Jackie Chan is a spectacle to watch.  His fight scenes are so entertaining because of his addition of the slap stick comedy style he adds to it.  Also, not to mention that he likes to use all the surrounding environment, whether it is a ladder or a chair or a table, he uses it to some very comedic means or uses them to defeat his opponents.  There aren't too many artists out there today that can do drunken boxing very well but Jackie is not one of them.  Even when he isn't supposed to be drunk he does it well and when he is supposed to be he is even better.
     Although this is the first part of a series of films it is basically an origin story showing the viewer how his character learned drunken boxing.  So, we only see the style in maybe the last half hour or so of this film but it is well worth it.
     Jackie Chan truly is a master...albeit a drunken one, but a master none the less.  Now, onto The Legend of Drunken Master!   

Who Will Survive And What Will Be Left Of Them!

     I, my friends, am tumbling down a steep incline head first!  Because of my love for horror and especially slasher films I have continued down this road of remakes of my favorites of all time.  This one, or two in this case are the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 2003 and it's prequel sequel subtitled, The Beginning.  The reason I am putting both together is because if you watch them in reverse order it just makes one long movie containing everyone's favorite chainsaw wielding, human face wearing lunatic, Leatherface.  And also in reverse order you get to see the newer creation of a classic character and that of some brand new characters to the story.  I will not lie, I do like these films!  And not because I think they are better then the original of 1974, because they are not by a long shot.  I think for once Hollywood has figured out how to do a remake in proper fashion.  They did add in the shock value and gruesomeness that would naturally accompany a new horror film because without it new audiences wouldn't watch it.  
     From this point on I will refer to the prequel as the first half and the remake as the second half.  In the first half we have the creation of Sheriff Hoyt, which I think is such a great and sadistic character and played to perfection by a legend, R. Lee Ermey.  Yes, the great Gunnery Sergeant Hartman!  This role is so good for him or I should say he is so good for the role.  Not only does he play this guy to a tea he also ad libbed a lot of his scenes.  And that is precisely what a good actor can do, take the lines he was given, change them and make them into his own, but keep the spirit of the original lines.  He really is the best reason to watch either one of these films.  Now the main character in each is none other than Leatherface, who is played very well by Andrew Bryniarski.  He is known for his role in The Program when he played steroid loaded Lattimer.  He only has to be menacing in these though and in that he passes with flying colors.  He doesn't even once say a line in either half.  The first half has Jordana Brewster as the lead and she is believable, kinda.  I say kinda because throughout the whole thing when she is supposed to be scared and crying there are never tears coming from her eyes.  If she just learned to cry on demand then she would have been better.  In the second half we have Jessica Biel, looking all kinds of hot.  She does her part really well in looking scared to death of a huge man with a chainsaw and that's all she needs to do.       These two films put together as one long one makes you enjoy the both of them better then watching either separately.  At least for me anyway.  They just seem to work better is all.  All the effects are done practically with dummies and prosthetics, or at least that I can tell.  As far as these type of effects go and how nasty some of the scenes are they really work well.  And the story is a classic slasher tale so I shouldn't have to say anything about them.
     I like these films as an extension, of sorts, to one of my favorites.  These show Leatherface making his "masks" and other things that the original only hinted at.  Different and up to date but good no matter how you look at them.  I won't even try to say that they are without flaws because in reality there are no films without them.  

Welcome To Crystal Lake.....Again!

     I am in the mood to watch some slasher films so obviously I would think about someone near and dear to my heart.  That happens to be Jason Voorhees!  Maybe I am in this mood because of the music video by The Menzingers that I watched just recently.  So why did I choose the newer remake first?  For one it is newer and people like new things!  For two I had been waiting years for them to make this movie.
     I am gonna say the most obvious first and let people know that this isn't just a remake, but a re-imagining as Hollywood would like you to believe and that they are in fact different things.  I on the other hand do not believe in the "re-imagining" because regardless of what you say it is still a remake.  And remakes don't always mean "good".  I do like some parts of this film but in my honest opinion this film loses the spirit of Jason.  It does have the hockey mask and it does have the burlap sack.  It kinda throws his mom at you in the first 5 minutes and anybody who is anybody knows that his mother, Pamela, was the killer in the original film.  Jason didn't show up til the sequel and the hockey mask didn't make an appearance til Part 3.  Hollywood, I guess, didn't want to remake the first one without Jason because his name has become synonymous with the Friday The 13th name.  That is the only thing I agree with.  Jason is my favorite and I don't think that having Pamela being the antagonist would have been a good decision in the long run, but obviously the way they did it didn't work either.
     I will not delve into the acting very much other than to say that absolutely noone goes into a slasher film looking for great acting.  So I am saying that all actors that appear in this film are par for the course.  There are a few known people and a few that aren't.  The one I noticed right off was that Kane Hodder was missing.  That alone almost deterred me from watching this but I inevitably gave in because I love the character.  And for those that do not know who Kane Hodder is, then shame on you.  He has played other characters in the past where you see his face but none even compare to the machete wielding mongoloid.  Hodder has been sorely missed by me I can tell you that much!
     This picture is chock full of horror movie cliches from the interracial cast, to the nudity, to the drug use, to the attempt at a jumping cliffhanger ending.  The ending, by the way, did not work at all seems how Hollywood is again rebooting the series and will most likely put more nails in the coffin.  The franchise will never begin again to be better then the originals.  Yeah, they are cheesy!  But that was half the fun.  See when Hollywood remakes a classic horror franchise they have to put as much shock value into them because people, as a whole, have become desensitized to movie violence.  It isn't about trying to gross people out but how much fun you have while viewing the film that makes it memorable.  If it takes you to another fantasy land for 2 hours then it did it's job.  The original franchise has me rooting for Jason the whole time!  Not that I'm a glutton for violence it's just that he is a deformed child in a man's body that watched his mother get beheaded on a beach.  He wants revenge, as all people would want if they witnessed what he did.
     If you love modern horror then watch this and introduce yourself to a legend, but watch the originals to see why the name Voorhees is well known. If you are a lover of classic 70's and 80's horror then you may want to skip this one unless you want to see how not to do a remake!

Retaliation?...For The First Film!

     I couldn't tell you why I wanted to watch this!  Maybe it is because since I was a little kid and G.I. Joe became a hit cartoon in 1985 I have loved it.  It took a very long time for Hollywood to finally make a Joe movie.  And what did they do with it?  Botched the whole darn thing up.  Well the first one got botched really bad to the point of being just terrible.  How could the film makers make Cobra Commander and Duke friends?  How could they think making The Baroness a love interest of Duke and make her the Commander's sister just brainwashed into being evil?  There really are too many downfalls in the first film to count.  I still, after all that, think that Rise of Cobra was a pretty okay action film but G.I. Joe it was not!
     So onto the movie at hand.  This particular review may end up being a bit scatterbrained throughout so bare with me people.  This movie has some really cool action set pieces!  Lots of explosions and bullets flying this way and that.  When we get to see Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow a lot through the whole film it is pretty spectacular, and lets face it, who doesn't want to see 2 ninjas kicking ass.  The film has some okay special effects, passable, but okay none-the-less.
     Some characters have been traded up for, in my eyes, much better characters.  I can say this though, at least they didn't just get a new actor or actress and try to pass them off as the same character like so many other films.  I was in fact sad to see Scarlet go because Rachel Nichols is quite something to look at and she actually can act.  She was replaced by Adrianne Palicki, who plays Lady Jaye, and at least Nichols had someone equally as sexy to take her place.  I am happy with it but I still would like to see Nichols in it cuz there are not too many people from my home state that make it, and she happens to be one of them.  Cobra Commander actually has a new actor playing him but it really doesn't matter too much because he wears a mask through about 99% of the movie.  I have to say that the film makers did a great thing by giving him one of his iconic uniforms in this one because in Rise they destroyed what made him cool, and that really was his masks.  It was awesome to have Dwayne Johnson make an appearance as Roadblock.  I have been a fan of his ever since his early wrestling days and he just gets more entertaining as the years go by.  I was very happy to see Duke bite the big one near the beginning because as I have been trying to tell people, Channing Tatum cannot act his way out of a box.  He has got to be one of the worlds worst actors of all time and I really mean that.  I have seen a few films with him that would be really good if it wasn't for him.  I can understand that the film makers put him in because they can bring in the female viewers.  Well if that is the reason for it then just please put him in chick flicks because I hate seeing him in action movies and destroying them!
     So, in ending this "review" I will say it's pretty fun but falls short because the people in control of this franchise are apparently not fans of the property.  Just don't expect the real G.I. Joe and go into this with thinking "good action", and you should be okay!

Jason Voorhees Wants To Straighten Out His Life! This Is None Other Than Epic!

     I have never heard of this band until I watched this video.  I don't really care for the song but I am a huge Jason Voorhees fan and this video is spectacular and makes my smile just seeing the greatest horror monster ever try to be normal.  I love it!

Jack Is Back! Enough Said!

     13 Days and counting.  I got some wicked anxiety because of this!

In Space...Noone Can Hear You Scream!...My Bad! Wrong Film!

     Prometheus!  This movie is one of the type to have no happy medium.  You either hate it and imagine the world of Alien without it, or you love it for what it brings to the table.  I dare say, there are no people that kinda like it.  I love it!  Have since the first time I saw it.  The only thing that has changed in subsequent viewings is I have noticed a lot of discrepancies with this and its connection to Alien of 1979.  I won't talk of all but will mention a few.
     One thing I find terrible about this movie is the acting for the most part.  Not all, but most.  There are a large amount of bad actors and I think they scraped the bottom of the crap barrel for this cast.  There are still a few good ones that put in an honest days work and they are the few that keep me coming back to it.  First good is, as always, Michael Fassbender, who plays the stories android as this series almost always has.  He does such a good job that he eclipses all who played androids from the whole series.  I may get crucified for this one but I believe Noomi Rapace does a very good job as well, not great and award winning by any stretch of the imagination but I think she is gonna be remembered in second place, right behind Ripley!  She is a rather odd looking bird I must say, but there is something about the way she says "Charlie" that is just cute as hell.  For the most part all others are, I wouldn't say forgettable, because you will remember how bad they were.  I will mention one in particular, Sean Harris, he should just retire now.
     This movie was directed by the great Ridley Scott.  This is the man that brought us Alien to begin with.  So, it is only fitting that he comes back to the genre that made his name known.  First things first Mr. Scott, take all the writers behind a shed and shoot them now as to stop them from ever writing another syllable ever, ever again!  Maybe not literally shoot them but don't have them control what could be the greatest origin story in film history!  The writing in this is really that bad that I wouldn't trust these fellas writing a commercial for adult diapers!  How are the scientist supposed to be believable when they do by far the dumbest things in the environment that is presented.  I understand the whole speed up of evolution thing and I think that part of the story was good.  But, if this is supposed to be an origin story for the Alien, and you get to see the first one ever born, then how is it that when the characters get in the room with the huge head there is a humongous stone carving of an Alien queen on the wall?  How did Ridley allow that to pass into this picture?  I did however love the "Space Jockey" partial back story.  Very cool indeed!
     The effects are mostly done via CGI, although there are still a few from practical means.  This film has some of the industries best sci-fi effects in recent years.  Right up there with Avatar in my opinion.  I could rewatch this movie over and over again just for the sheer awesomeness of the effects.  You can tell a great deal of detail went into them and it is just upsetting that the same can't be said for the choice in actors or writers.
     I do love Prometheus and I would recommend it to anyone that likes sci-fi films in general.  If you account for all the plot holes contained then just watch it as a stand alone film and not part of the Alien series.  And for the record, Charlize Theron, if you change direction a bit you won't get crushed!  More of that fantabulous writing!

Beware The Man Who Brings The Jaguar!

     I am gonna say this outright...my knowledge of the Mayan civilization is very minimal.  I can tell you one thing for sure about their history...they made some really cool architecture, art and jewelry.  Like I said, minimal.  As far as the historical accuracy goes for this film I can't talk about because I am absolutely ignorant to the truth of the matter.  Another thing I am certain of though, is this is an amazing film from start to finish.  It is just a hair over 2 hours long but really feels like it's about a half hour.  A very intriguing story that has been done many times before but not to the extent of this film.  It goes beyond realism in the way that it almost seems like a documentary.  It's not a documentary but feels so real like you are watching the lives of these particular tribesman unfold and someone just happened to have a camera to witness it.
     Acting?  I will use the only word I can to describe this.  It's a word I have used to death but for some reason it comes in handy a lot.  That word is "Awesome"!  I personally have never seen any of the actors before.  So, a film with a huge cast of completely unknowns should have completely bombed and been just terrible.  Not here!  Every person in this should get the recognition they deserve for making this one of the very best in film history.  A few key standouts though are Gerardo Taracena, who makes you pray for his death the entire time he is on screen, Jonathan Brewer, for some of the best show of emotion I have ever seen, and Rudy Youngblood as the leading cast member, who shows the world that extreme fear can bring on extreme courage.
     This film is directed by Mel Gibson.  Now, now before you go and already discount this movie because his name is attached, you got to finish reading what I have to say first.  Well you don't "got to", but I am asking you to.  Not only did he direct but he has a writing credit as well.  I mean obviously he wasn't the only writer as he had a co-writer and I can imagine that the other writer was the one with the knowledge of how life may have been for the Mayans.  Again, not sure.  Even before Mel Gibson became that crazy guy yelling obscenities at cops and the like, he was an amazing film maker.  Whether he was in front of the camera  or behind noone can say he was bad at his job.  Most definitely not a person to admire in his personal life but that's not what's on trial here.  What is? Is that the man knows his way around a film camera.  Outstanding job!
     Make-up and effects I will put together here because for a picture like this they really go hand-in-hand.  This film should have won an award for it's spectacular make-up all around.  All the effects used are most believable.  From the first time I watched this film I have been amazed at just how real everything seems.  Some points seem so real that they are kinda hard to watch.
     I will re-enforce that I love this movie.  I have watched it many times and it doesn't seem to get boring at all even though I know what's coming up.  It is in my beliefs that everyone should watch this at least once in their lives.  Especially if you are a film nut like myself.  I will warn all that it is all subtitled because there is not one word in English, and in its realism there is a lot of nudity and some of the most raw portrayals of violence against humans in a film.  Give it a chance!

Lucy TRAILER 1 (2014) - Luc Besson, Scarlett Johansson

   He has never let me down yet!  Luc Besson has made some of my all time favorites and this Lucy looks to keep that statement alive.  I really want to watch this flick!

What's His Name? Doctor Who? Exactly!

     I have watched a few many television shows in my day.  A lot of those shows I have seen in their entirety.  But only very few of all those have I seen multiple times.  And of those very few I can name maybe 2 that I have seen more than twice.  One of those shows is I Love Lucy, so whenever I feel like laughing, which is not all that often, I rewatch a few random episodes and am right as rain again!  But only one show has kept my attention no matter how many times I watch.  Doctor Who!  As much as I love the old school Who, I have enjoyed the newer versions immensely.  Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith have made this one of my favorite shows I have ever seen.  As of right now I am on the fourth viewing from the beginning.  Most of the time when I want to watch a show, I will put in the one episode that struck my fancy at the time.  Not with The Doctor though!  I don't have to watch it from the complete beginning but I choose to because it is really that good.

     I remember when I was a kid my father used to watch the classic Doctor Who series.  I always just thought that one man played him.  That one man was Tom Baker.  You know the guy with the huge curly hair and incredibly not-so-cool scarf with its rainbow coloring.  Regardless of these downfalls I fell in love with the style of the show and the fact he can travel through time and space.  It wasn't until years later that I would realize that Baker was just one of many people to ever be The Doctor.  He just happened to always be the one on the tv, I guess, when I would always catch my dad watching it.

     

     

     In 2005 I remember hearing about a new version of the show.  It really wasn't a new version, but a continuation of the previous series.  Although, the producers started the new series with a "Series 1", it really is just continuing the story.  I didn't even see this series til series 2 was well underway.  Christopher Eccleston was the reason I wanted to watch it.  It got me hooked like a crack addict!  He was great in the title role.  But, he would only last during season one.  I knew this bit of information going in but I still didn't want him to leave.  Leave he did though!  

     

     Season 2 started the beginning of the greatest stretch the show ever had.  With The Doctor's regeneration we were given David Tennant.  I absolutely hated this decision.  I wanted Eccleston back!  I did decide to continue watching and, I have to admit, I made a hasty decision.  Shortly after the show hit the midway point of the first episode of season 2, I was again hit with a drug I couldn't shake.  David Tennant has been the longest running Doctor yet, if only by a few episodes, he is still the longest.  And he happens to be my favorite of all time!  His regeneration at the end of his long run is very sad and pulls at the heart strings!

     

     Season 5 was to bring a new Doctor, and yet again I hated to see the previous one go.  I thought to myself how can the show possibly out do what it had done in the past?  I was wrong again!  This time though it took me to the end of the first episode to be a convert.  I still love Tennant the most but Matt Smith has really taken The Doctor and made him so incredibly different than previous generations.  I have never really thought that bow ties are cool but he pulled it off nicely.   His regeneration isn't like Tennant's in the least, this one kinda just happens but isn't sad.  I have to admit that I didn't want to see him go nonetheless.  I grew to love this version too but not as much as his predecessor.

     At some point this year we will see the beginning of a new era in the show.  Peter Capaldi will start his stretch as the title character.  I am dreading and also looking forward to this with a very high degree of intensity.  I have never seen a show, that with each new generation, I want to hate and to love it all the same.  So, that is why I haven't had any new film reviews because I felt the need to watch The Doctor.  I will recommence the reviews shortly so bare with me!

The Afterlife's Leading Bio-Exorcist!

     Back in 1988 I was 10 or 11 years old when this absolute sparkling gem was released.  I have a huge soft spot in my heart for this film.  The reasoning behind that?  My oldest sister and I watched this when it was out on VHS tape.  My sister only got about halfway through it, so I guess I only got halfway through as well.  It wasn't that the movie wasn't entertaining, it was because it is entirely too entertaining.  Particularly in one spot, and that spot happens to be the "Nice F**kin' Model!" area.  My sister laughed so hard during this section that she kept rewinding it over and over to rewatch it.  I believe she did this about 20 times and laughed just as hard the last time as she did the first time.  But, enough of my flashback and onto something that can resemble a review.
     So this picture is directed by the legendary Tim Burton.  He is such a visionary film maker in my eyes because of this movie and the majority of his other works.  In this he brought out the best in comical antics out of mostly a crew of serious actors.  Everyone is great and I mean everyone!  Catherine O'Hara plays Delia Deetz, and she plays her so well in fact that you really want to hate her.  Her step daughter is played by Winona Ryder, and she seems to be the most incredibly lonely teenager in all of film up to this point.  The real standout is Michael Keaton.  He pointed to center-field and commenced to knocking the ball outta the park on the first swing.  This is probably my favorite role he ever played.  The film goes along and is kind of amusing until he shows his ugly mug as the title character.  It shifts from generally amusing to absolute hilarity in mach speed and doesn't let up while he is on screen.
     For the most part the special effects are done in the practical manner, meaning with makeup and prosthetics.   It is all done well and really gives you the feel of supernatural realism, which I call it that because it doesn't look real per se, but it does when you think all the ghost characters are supposed to be in the same state as the way they bit it.  Some parts of the film have the effects done with either stop motion animation or what is called clay-mation, effects made with clay sculptures and using stop motion.  Some people really hate effects done in this manner but I like it immensely because without this style we would never have had CGI.  He had nothing to do with this film but if it wasn't for him then effects wouldn't have moved forward as they have so, a huge shout out to the legendary pioneer of film effects, Ray Harryhausen, who died about a year ago!
     The writing for BeetleJuice is just spot on.  The comical bits are great and talk of the afterlife is handled well.  They really just don't make films like this anymore, which is a huge shame.
     Great comedy, great acting and a great and entertaining story to boot.  Just watch it! you won't be disappointed.

Silent.....But Special!

   

     I returned home from work today and just had a feeling to watch something with some cool special effects in it.  At the moment of the searching for a film to watch it didn't matter to me what style of special effect was in it.  Whether it is Practical, Stop motion or Computer Generated, I really don't have a preference, just sometimes I am leaning more to one than the other.  Today...not so much! I just wanted something entertaining but included special effects in some way.
     So, while looking through my own personal Netflix, what I mean by that is my personal collection. I came across Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow.  Seen it a few times back in the day but I remember thoroughly enjoying it then so why not now?  
     I won't get into actors names because they all do the same thing, and that is make you believe you're watching some type of sci-fi film from the 1950's.  But, all the actors could be replaceable by any other actor because nobody was gonna win any awards for acting.  In its defense though, It is done well considering the type and style of film it is.
     Story for this one is fairly straight forward so it contains all the usual styles that go together, like science fiction, action, a spot of drama and a large helping of religion.  But don't let that deter you from watching this flick because the religious part is really a bit like Noah's Ark, only instead of a boat it's a space ship.  
     I have arrived at the special effects part of this of which there is a ton.  I am pretty certain that 98% of this film was filmed on a green screen.  I believe the only thing not generated by a computer is the actors.  In my honest opinion, I like the style of CGI that is used because the film makers weren't going for realism, they were going for a science fiction look.  Kinda like a impossible to be real but in the universe of this film only improbable and a few people alive in it can pull it off, if that makes any sense at all.  It did in my head when I thought it.  The effects give it a film noir style reminiscent of the 1950's films it is taking its style from.
     As far as a recommendation I would have to say it isn't for everyone but I highly enjoyed it through multiple viewings.  Science Fiction fans of the old style will get a kick out it I think.  And if you like the old sci-fi style and haven't seen or heard of this picture then shame on you.  I will reiterate that it isn't for everyone, but I liked it.  

X-Men: Days of Future Past | Official Trailer 3 | 20th Century FOX

Dang! Everytime I see a newer trailer for this the more I want to see it!  I hate the fact we will never see an X-Men and Avengers mash-up but if this film is anything even close to as good as the trailer looks then it won't matter.

A Time To Kill.....Seriously Though, I Don't Blame Him!

     The next stop in my Prison/Courtroom film haze is this little gem from 1996.  With probably Samuel Jackson's single best role he has ever played, as a man looking for revenge against some extremely racist southern white boys that did him wrong.  Everyone knows him as Nick Fury now but he was way better when he actually acted.  It is in my honest opinion that Matthew McConaughey put in one of his very best as well!  I think miles ahead of even the film he won best actor for.  Sandra Bullock's character is well done but could probably be switched out for any other main stream actress, although I do believe she is at her most beautiful in this film.  Not like that has any baring on how good the movie is, just saying!
     Again, this being a drama, the special effects are limited to blood and acts of violence so that is all I will say about this aspect of the film.
     The story is written incredibly well as it is based on a John Grisham novel of the same name.  I have not read this particular novel but I have read 1 or 2 of his books in the past so I know they are well written.  Obviously, this film was not script written by the novelist but even if they change or delete certain things, the original writing still shines through, and it does shine extremely well in this picture.  
     I love this movie and have seen it a few many times and it has yet to get old so I will probably continue to watch it every few years or so.  Recommendation for this is high, so if you haven't seen it and love drama then shame on you for overlooking this!  And if you have seen it, then watch it one more time to get reacquainted with it because it is really that good!   

A Murder At Alcatraz! A True Story.........Kinda!

     I can remember watching this in the theater when I was in high school and I also remember being highly moved after the viewing.  I had seen it a few times since then but it wasn't until recently that I got the itch to view it again.  That itch came from a day of scrolling through Netflix for something to watch when I came to a documentary about the escape from Alcatraz in the summer of 1962.  I have always been interested Alcatraz and the escape from said prison as well.  I have seen the film based on it starring Clint Eastwood and have seen the Unsolved Mysteries episode based on it too.  I just find it plain interesting.  So, I watched this documentary and instantly got in the mood to watch some good prison and courtroom type films.  Murder In The First was my first choice.
     This film is starring Kevin Bacon, as the inmate, Christian Slater, as his lawyer and Gary Oldman, as the Assistant Warden of Alcatraz.  All 3 of the main actors do a phenomenal job in the respective roles.  Bacon really makes you feel for his character and I mean really feel sorry for him.  Very believable!  Now Oldman may only be the supporting actor but I believe he steals the show because he makes you hate him with the utmost intensity!
     As the films original marketing campaign said it is inspired by a true story.  "Inspired" is really what they meant.  After this viewing I decided to look up the whole true story and it really wasn't as heart wrenching as the films.  The film has Kevin Bacon's character sent to Alcatraz after stealing five dollars to feed his younger sister so naturally one would start feeling sorry for him.  In reality, the real man the film is based on was sent there for murder to start.  As good as the film is knowing this made it so I didn't feel anything for the character in the film.  I guess it ruined it just a little bit for me, so I think I just ruined it for anyone reading this.  Also, on the same subject it was called the case that closed Alcatraz, when in actuality the story is from the early 1940's and The Rock didn't close until 1963.
     There are no special effects to speak of because this film is mainly a courtroom drama.  There are a couple of scenes that have blood but the cause of the blood is mostly happening off screen.
     I think all who like a good courtroom drama should see this film as it is a very engaging story regardless of the true story.
     

Godzilla - Extended Look

     Ever since I was a little kid I have loved Godzilla.  I have seen every film made on this character and for some reason I can't get enough.  I was even in line to watch the American remake back in 1998 and then after I saw it I wanted to throw things at the screen.  In that film it wasn't Godzilla!  That was a giant fuckin' iguana that laid eggs all over the city.  And it was made by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the team behind the spectacular ID4 and Stargate films.  Why the hell they thought it was a good idea to take one of the most, if not THE most iconic character of all time and jack him up til he has nothing left to compare him to the original.  Oh my bad, he sounded the same!  That was it.  So when I first heard that Hollywood was making yet another remake of a classic, knowing the last one was a fuckin' disaster, I thought instantly they would mess it up!  Now, this film has yet to be released, but from the extended trailer it seems as thought the filmmakers have done Godzilla's look some justice.  The sounds in the trailer, as well, sound correct.  From this trailer I can deduce that for 1: he is absolutely humongous, ever so much more then the original Gojira!  He actually looks like his leg is as tall as the originals full height.  And 2: It actually looks wicked good!  Although I am still skeptical because the '98 version looked good but was far from it.  But, I won't lie every once in a while I get in the mood to watch this inferior version for some reason, and all I can do all the while is make fun of the atrocious acting.  Anyway, to the point...I really want to watch this new one pretty badly! 

Nothing Is As Scary as A Big Smelly Sasquatch!

     

     I was 10 years old when this came out and I watched it the first time and have loved it ever since.  This film really is that good.  And not in the 80's sense.  Well it's good for an 80's movie too but it would be great if it came out today in the same state as it was released originally.  The only thing about that is if it were made today the sasquatch would be completely CGI, and that would strip away what makes this movie so good.
     I am gonna make this short and sweet here.  The story is quite good, the acting is quite good, the comedy relief is incredibly good and the special effects are spectacular.  The effects really boil down to Harry's costume.  It was made with all practical appliances and makeup and animatronics for the face.  The actor who plays Harry is really that tall, well he may be 6 inches taller after all the head pieces are in place.  He looks so much like a sasquatch that when you watch this picture you kinda forget that they do not really exist.  The costume really is as good or better then all similar costumes made today without the help of CGI.  His face shows real emotion and that you won't normally get with a mostly animatronic face.
     This movie has to be seen by all and especially by a family.  It is an outstanding film that should keep adults entertained as well as small children with the comedy that's in it.

"Incredibly Long Title" Review!

     

     I originally saw this film when I was a kid so maybe that was about the time it was released on VHS.  I believe I watched it with my father, if I am not mistaken, as he is a big fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs who wrote the novel.  I only remembered one part of it, until today that is.  The part I could recall was Tarzan as a teenager and taking a nice long hearty piss on the mean apes head.  My only guess as to why I remembered this was, it's friggin funny, even for an adult it's a mite amusing.
     So I had been in the mood to watch a good Tarzan movie and for people that are in the know, a good one is very hard to find!  This one with its ridiculously long title is considered by many to be the best of the lot.  I personally haven't seen all of them so I really can't say at this point.  
     Most people know the story of Tarzan either by stories they were told as kids or they went about it the easy way and watched the Disney cartoon of a bunch of years ago.  The Disney one is okay but I wanted live action.  This particular film is acted pretty well on the whole.  Christopher Lambert in his first English speaking role of his long career and Andie Macdowell in her first movie role ever and they both do rather well.  Ian Holm, who plays the Captain that brings Tarzan back to civilization, plays him for the most part well.  There are a few times where he goes a bit on the over acting side but he kinda is an over actor anyway.  The other cast members do a decent job of not sticking out, so i guess that's good because if they stuck out that usually means they were bad.
     All of the effects are completely practical so no CGI at all in this, well because it wasn't really in used yet for drama films and saved mainly for science fiction.  I do believe there is a few real apes in this picture but for the most part they are all people in ape suits and it sticks out badly.  All the blood is very bright so it kinda sticks out like red paint, but that was how things were done in the 80's.
     I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this picture when it took place in the jungle and showing how Tarzan grows up.  Very entertaining!  Then when the film shifts to civilization it kinda gets boring and the time between they skip over a bunch of shit that would have been interesting to the story.  It does have a rather uneventful climax and abruptly ends when I was ready for more jungle activity.
      I have to say that this movie is just okay.   

What Kind Of A Legend Is This Hercules?

   

     I am watching this one as I am writing this because so far there is entirely too much to remember.  About halfway through and I already am of the opinion that this movie sucks ass!  I intend to finish it though because I have a problem in my brain and have to finish the films I start.
     First off, the producers of this film thought it a good idea to make Kellan Luts Hercules! What the Fuck were they thinking?  This guy can't act his way into a non-speaking role in a commercial!  But, it isn't his fault entirely because not one person in this picture even attempts to act.  Most of the people are supposed to be from the same general area yet they all have different accents?  The sad thing about the acting is the best actor in it happens to be Scott Adkins and he is really only an established martial arts master.  
     The special effects and the CGI are completely atrocious to the point of making Tron and The Last Starfighter seem real.  There is way too much green screen!  There isn't enough blood considering that alot of the film takes place in gladiatorial games in arenas.  Way to many slow motion scenes just thrown in to make the 3-D seem cooler but overall fails miserably.  There is a lion during a scene and it looks like a stuffed animal.  All the fire in it is done with computer, what they couldn't afford a fuckin' match?  The effects look bad even for a made for TV movie!
     There are some small positives and those are a couple of the fights scenes are okay.  I mean that, they are just okay.  Some of them also, you can tell they are choreographed.  Especially the times when the people fighting completely miss each other but are meant to look like they connected.  
     This film wears its influences right out in the open.  You can tell it got the slo-mo from 300, the gladiator stuff from...well, Gladiator, and the CGI looks stolen from a shitty version of Spartacus.  
     Now this film is directed by Renny Harlin who is of the Long Kiss Goodnight, Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger fame from back in the 90's.  He did a good job with those few action films but we must not forget that he also made Cutthroat Island!  Island in my opinion wasn't bad although it wasn't remotely good either, it was though, a kind of fun, campy pirate film.  Island did so bad in the theater that it single handedly killed Carolco Pictures, they went bankrupt even before the film got a theatrical release.  Onto my point here,  I wouldn't be surprised if this movie destroys Millennium Pictures!
     At this very moment I am at the end of this film and it just had some of the worst CGI in the entire picture.  If you watch this film just remember the lightning sword!  
     This is by far one of the sorriest excuses for an "A" film ever!  It is 2014 now so there is no reason why this should be made so badly.  There is another Hercules movie on the horizon, being released in June and starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and that reason alone it will be a better film.  I have my fingers crossed still

Game of Thrones Season 4 Premiere!

   

     I finally get my yearly dosage of crack!  No, not the actual drug, I am talking about Game of Thrones.  Every year when the show begins a new season it only lasts about two and a half months.  Then you get to wait another ten months for a new season.  I believe each season has been worth the wait but it really is bullshit we all have to wait almost a year for a fix!
     The season 4 premiere was last night and I was expecting to see a few things as I have read all the books and I knew that season 3 ended a bit early for me.  I seem to remember the third book, A Storm of Swords, having a huge shift in the narrative and a massive cliffhanger.  So last season I had planned on seeing this happen and it did not, so naturally I half expected it to take place in this first episode, but it did not.  I guess what we all should come away from this with is, in Game of Thrones don't ever expect anything because most likely it won't happen! 
     I will not have any spoilers for any episode I write about so people can know that I am not into ruining the show for anyone as I would also hate it.  Even though I have read the books and know generally what is gonna happen, the producers of the show are doing their damnedest to keep even the book readers on their toes.
     So, with all that said I get to a small review of the premiere episode of season 4.  It was pretty uneventful for me, mainly because maybe I was waiting for that big thing to happen that just didn't.  I suppose it was completely uneventful because obviously there are some big things that happen in each episode.  This show isn't into filler episodes like most other shows that have ever aired.  This has big shoes to fill especially seeing as how the previous season ended.  So it's understandable that the producers would want to give you a break from all the shock and awe.  
     Every single actor in this show is cast about as perfect as can possibly be imagined.  They all do an outstanding job with a few special standouts being Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Jack Gleeson.  I say Jack Gleeson because regardless what people have to say about his character they all have to be in agreement of one fact...everyone absolutely hates him!  So either that is a very young and gifted actor or he is a fucking dirtbag in real life and not acting at all.  I am leaning towards gifted.  No matter what happens in the show I am of the belief that young Mr. Gleeson's career is over after this show because he has played such a hateful and hated character that noone will ever be able to believe him in anything else.
     Great story throughout, as is the case with all the episodes ever of this show so basically what I really want to say is if you have seen the show then you won't miss this episode and if you haven't watched any of the previous seasons then....What are you waiting for?  This show is easily one of the best to ever air!

40 Years Later: Remembering Texas Chainsaw Massacre

     As most that know me know that I love all movies.  And most that really know me know I have a very long and loving relationship with horror movies.  Not just the ones that the majority of the world watch, meaning the theatrical American films.  I happen to love all horror movies whether they are big A films or your run of the mill B films.  I mean there are a few out there that are really shitty but I love them, maybe because I saw them during my early teenager stage when I was developing my love for film to begin with.  I also love foreign pictures, mainly because they are raw as raw can be.  
     So, onto the point of this post.
     I don't remember when I first saw this film, I do remember which part I first saw.  I was young at the time and my sisters and brother and I went to the movie theater closest to where we lived at the time.  Since my brother and I were too young to watch this type of film we had to watch something else.  I don't even remember what we had watched, only what we were not supposed to watch.  What I do remember was our film had ended and we had to wait for my oldest sister and maybe her boyfriend or some shit like that.  we started to wait in the hallway outside the screen this film was being played in.  My other sister that was with my brother and I may have gotten restless so the three of us went just inside the door of said theater.  I will never forget what I saw on that screen.  There was a fuckin' huge man with a jacked up face standing in the middle of the road swinging a chainsaw around, meanwhile a girl in the most hysterical state I can think of sitting in the back of a truck,  then the credits.  That was all I saw, but it was enough, I was hooked.  It wasn't until a few years later when I met my best friend that I would even find out the name of the film.  His parents owned a video store and we were able to take any movie for any amount of time.  So we were looking through the shelves of horror movies when I came to Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  I knew at that moment I would finally be able to see the film that haunted (in a good way) my dreams.  This is what I found on the shelf covered with VHS tapes...

     After watching it I knew that I had found the holy grail of horror movies.  I am now 36 years old and this movie has stayed with me longer then any other that I've seen.  Today being 2014 and we now have a handful of sequels and the ultra-violent remakes of a few years back, but none have ever come close to the original!

     Now I am gonna go into a little story that happened to me in the year 2006. 
     I had been living in southern California for about 10 years at the time and I decided to move back home to a small town in Maine.  I got a job at a restaurant as the kitchen manager on Mount Desert Island, in a town called Northeast Harbor.  I had gone for a walk one day just to see the sights that surrounded me and I happen to be walking by a house and I noticed a Ford Focus.  Now normally I wouldn't have taken a second look but it just happened to be the same as mine just different color.  So, I looked a bit closer at this vehicle and I have a little problem in my brain that if I see a license plate cover I have to read it.  This car had one that read "What Would Leatherface Do?".  Naturally I thought to myself, wow, that's pretty weird!
    A few days had passed and I was talking with the owner of the restaurant and she was telling me all the famous people that live or lived on the island.  She went over a ton of names but one stood out, Gunnar Hansen!  I got excited!  She noticed my excitement and she asked if I knew who he was.  I said "Ummm, Yeah!".  It's weird to me that someone that has lived there their whole life didn't know what a famous person living there, also for along time, was famous for.  I schooled her.  My last day on that island I made a decision to do what I had been trying to get the courage to do the entire time since I found out he lived there.  That decision was to knock on his door and annoy the shit out of a famous person at their own home.  So, on this day I took a couple things with me and I stood on his porch outside his house for what seemed like hours but it was actually about a minute.  I was just hoping that he didn't freak out and tell me to get off his property and stop bothering a man at his home.  I knocked.  The door opened and my heart skipped about 12 beats at that very moment.  This man took up the entire doorway, he is a mountain of a man!  Or maybe it was just celebrity status that made him seem like it, but I think he is just a big ass dude.  
     He says to me, "Can I help You?".  
     I come back with, "Are you Gunnar Hansen?".  
     He answered with a simple "Yes".  
     I then asked, "As in Leatherface-Gunnar Hansen?".  
     He then answered with another "Yes".  
     "I know this is very annoying to have someone come to your house like this but I gotta know if I could get your autograph?"
     "Sure, come on in."  I follow him into his house and we go into his, what looks like an office/library room.  "What ya got for me?" he asked.
     I opened my bag, "I got my copy of Texas Chainsaw on DVD and Leatherface #1 comic book."  I hand them both over to him and he just looks at the comic and says, 
     "I've never seen this before!"
     "I've had it for years." I replied.
     He signed both things for me and I apologized to him for coming to his home and all he said to me was, not a problem.  To him, I can only imagine, the memory of the guy showing up at his house is not even a memory.  I can almost guarantee, that he does not remember that, but to me, that is one of my all time favorite memories and now 2 of my favorite pieces of film memorabilia I own.  
     I would like to thank Gunnar Hansen again for even answering his door that day and I want to leave this post with a picture of the DVD he signed for me.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Short Review

   

       I just got done watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier and well I can say this right at the beginning that is is friggin awesome.  Yeah I know, it kinda ruins the surprise.  
    I am a fan of comic book films for the most part but the first Captain America movie is by far my favorite one made so far.  This sequel to that film a very close second.  In this we finally get to see Cap do what he does in the comics and the cartoons, afterall he is kind of an acrobatic martial artist, but he gets to do all of it finally.  He was barely in any action in the Avengers film and the first Cap he was really just getting to know himself.  There is alot of action, hand to hand and a bit of bullet dancing and it's all choreographed very well.
     We get a new addition to the Marvel family in Falcon and I gotta say all Anthony Mackie's actions scenes are quite exhilarating and he is comic relief for the entire film.  Then we have the other title character in The Winter Soldier.  He has a cool little back story to explain where he came from 
     All the acting is done very well in my opinion, but I am also comparing it to the other Marvel phase films.  But it is acting quite well, all is believable all through it.  The story is quite engaging and seems at times kinda like a Bond film, I really mean that.  
     I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys comic movies or like an awesome government espionage type film.  It is easily one of the best Marvel movies to date.