There's always something satisfying about an unapologetic genre film that completely knows it's audience. Action and horror movies are good examples of this, as audiences expectations for these kinds of films are pretty obvious. Well Rage, is one of these movies. A supercharged action thriller, Rage races along at a breakneck speed with only a small lull near the end, and I would go as far as to say that it's one of the best action movies of the 90s.
Hear me out. Yes, it's direct-to-video, and yes it stars Gary Daniels, who is not a very memorable action star and is only known for his string of DTV action trash in the 90s. This film is one of those movies, but it just doesn't give a crap. It knows the viewer wants action, and goes all out to deliver.
The premise is quite simple, and more than anything, it's an excuse for lots large-scale action scenes. It's relentless with its action and quick pacing, and it's definitely what I expected Wesley Snipes' much later DTV vehicle Unstoppable (Nine Lives) to be.
The action sequences are above all the reason to see this. The action scenes are large-scale, with an edge and obvious inspiration from Hong Kong action movies. There's an opening shootout, a brief car chase, an awesome fight/shootout in a laboratory, a fight scene in which Daniels takes on a bunch of cops, a remarkable freeway chase, a cool, if weird, house fight scene, a helicopter fight, another small scene in a house, and the final battle in the mall. While it doesn't sound spectacular, it is. The scenes are lengthy and tense, and could rival any mainstream theatrical production with a wider release.
Gary Daniels is pretty good. Although he definitely has room for improvement as an actor, his martial arts skill is undeniable and he seems to be doing many of his own stunts.
A simple premise and inspired and wildly entertaining action scenes make for a great time. A bus and a truck ram into each other with Daniels jumping off the roof, and he fights a man and woman who are both wearing S&M outfits. He hangs off of a building and manages to swing into a helicopter and fight a dude before falling through a skylight and shaking it off like a boss. It's seriously awesome.
Hear me out. Yes, it's direct-to-video, and yes it stars Gary Daniels, who is not a very memorable action star and is only known for his string of DTV action trash in the 90s. This film is one of those movies, but it just doesn't give a crap. It knows the viewer wants action, and goes all out to deliver.
The premise is quite simple, and more than anything, it's an excuse for lots large-scale action scenes. It's relentless with its action and quick pacing, and it's definitely what I expected Wesley Snipes' much later DTV vehicle Unstoppable (Nine Lives) to be.
The action sequences are above all the reason to see this. The action scenes are large-scale, with an edge and obvious inspiration from Hong Kong action movies. There's an opening shootout, a brief car chase, an awesome fight/shootout in a laboratory, a fight scene in which Daniels takes on a bunch of cops, a remarkable freeway chase, a cool, if weird, house fight scene, a helicopter fight, another small scene in a house, and the final battle in the mall. While it doesn't sound spectacular, it is. The scenes are lengthy and tense, and could rival any mainstream theatrical production with a wider release.
Gary Daniels is pretty good. Although he definitely has room for improvement as an actor, his martial arts skill is undeniable and he seems to be doing many of his own stunts.
A simple premise and inspired and wildly entertaining action scenes make for a great time. A bus and a truck ram into each other with Daniels jumping off the roof, and he fights a man and woman who are both wearing S&M outfits. He hangs off of a building and manages to swing into a helicopter and fight a dude before falling through a skylight and shaking it off like a boss. It's seriously awesome.