Reviews

After I have seen and heard awful reviews, this movie was quite a surprised to me. Sure it does not feature Paul Walker or Vin Disel!? Lucas Black did a good job filled in to the main role. As we all know, Street racing and customized street car with unique painting originated in Japan, and I thought it was brilliant idea that this movie took a place in Japan. Sure it has a quite a few flows as American kid never ended up going to Japanese traditional public school. And Lucas Black's military dad never had to live in that pig stay. They do have a nice western houses for them to live either on base or near base, but never lived downtown area where 30 miles off from base... The drive sequels are great as first two movies in different way. It was such a treat to see them on street of Tokyo. And Those unknown Asian actors contributed quite a depth of characters to make this eyecady/popcorn movie more realistic. It still amazes me that The Fast and Furious movies always have been meant to guilty pleasure/pop corn movies, but it always has great and strong character developments and cultural portraits.

Aren't you tired of today's Horror film that makes us believe it is so realistic, gore, super intense, and makes us feel like we just got traumatized when you walk away from theatre...... I am. And I can not help myself thinking about those 80's cheesy horror that I such kicked out of watching at theater Saturday after noon when I was kid. Slither is the horror movie that carries such a traits. Movie takes a place in small country town, and aliens/slugs became devastating threats to local people. Only help they can get is local sheriff played by Nathan Fillon. This movie contains very strong graphic violent as bad as today's standard horror, but goofy humor toned down the edge of reality and intensity to make this film as great 80's style fun splter movie. Nathan Fillon effectively use his goofy side. Old school Micheal Rooker was great for mayor of the town. If you looking for innocent stupid fun at the theater on any week days, this could be a wise choice to see.......and don't you dare forget getting popcorn and jumbo size soda!!!

There are so many TV shows getting canceled regardless how good those shows are.....Firefly on FOX network was one of them. Instead of just terminate the production, they made a future film called Serenity...... This movie futures none A-list movie actors what so ever. I recognized Adam Baldwin, Nathan Fillion from 90's sitcom Two guys, a girl and Pizza Place!? but it didn't stop to make a great film here. All characters were well developed and all actors contributed their A games to this film. The film has little bit of everything such as Western, kung Fu, Japanese Anime, we recognized from 70's and 80's throw back space battle scenes from Star wars. The script is very serious and intense, and yet Fillion and Baldwin delivered some what goofiness and humors. Yes, this movie barrowed so many aspects from other type of films and yet turned into something very original.

I had a such a opportunity to see this film on Advanced screening presented by Sony last night. There have been very controversial and negative gossips and publicities about this upcoming film ever since Sony pictures announced Daniel Craig for new James Bond. After the screening ended I felt very strange. Well, movie was great. It has great physical actions, less explosions and CGI, and focusing on characters great plots, great lines with surprisingly great delivery. It clearly portraits where James Bond was coming from. So as sake of the criticism of the film, it was darn good film. The movie was darker and more realistic than previous James Bond sequels, besides On her Majesty Secret Service (which is also great film) but those elements made this film great. My cons on this film would be: Daniel Craig's bodybuilders body. I always except old-fashioned hero as James Bond with natural athlete's body. Like Once Sean Connery possessed. And he does not have cookie cutter elegance and charm of Bond. It does not make him a terrible Bond just to be fair. I just didn't like to see James Bond is transforming into something different. Just because of movie got realistic and darker, it lost it's corniness and fantasy aspects of film which is the charm of the franchise, but I think it was inevitable to make this good film. For the best or worst, this franchise has evolved something different, and we all are gonna be judge of this updated Bond franchise..........

This movie had a bad review, and honestly, it did not surprise me at all. Just because David Ayer who wrote The Training Day directed this movie, expectation was very high from the beginning. Please do not built high expectation or compare to Training Day because it is unfair to the Street Kings. Yes, this movie is not as good as the Training Day, but does it mean this is a bad movie to see? I say "NO". Keanu Reeves was taking a lot of blames(from his early years Dude....but DUDE, that was like 20 plus years ago!!! Give him a break!!!) In my eyes, keanu Reeves was very believable. His good looks makes his alcoholic, out of control, bad cop believable as he is invisible/untouchable. Oscar winner, Forest Whitaker seems over acting through the movie. Chris Evans was great additional character to spice up the movie. This movie is looks oriented violent action movie with good/decent acting so keep that on your mind, and then you may have a good time with Street Kings.........

Most of Stephan King's movies have been victim of bad criticism. Bad adaptation of the book, another King's cookie cutter movie, not scary, predictable...... The Mist was quite a surprise for me. The movie created the illusion of I was also trapped in the super market with them. It made me think and wonder what those people going through this mysterious traumatizing circumstances, and what I would and should do. One of the reason this movie turned out be better Stephen King movie is it was about us. It was not much about the mist nor the monster in it. It was about monster in us (human nature, mind, behavior, instinct, invulnerability, insecurity that turns us into the monster to herm and kill in order to survive in extremely traumatizing survival circumstances for best or worst) I think because of strong acting from each casts (especially from Marcia Gay Harden and Thomas Jane) brought up this movie to next level like something equivalent to Lord of Files has accomplished.

Have you seen Tao of Steve? If you have, you would like Tennis anyone. Don't let the title fool you. There are a lot of good tennis scenes but this is more than a tennis movie. This movie is about two friends(one actor actor played by Donal Logue and the other one Tennis instructor who teaches Hollywood producers and directors played by Kirk Fox), their lives and figuring out themselves and lives. Donal Logue did great job both writing and acting in this independent small budget film. Just because of this movie is independent film, actors in this film were not holding back, and that makes this movie very funny and unique in many levels. Donal Logue has not had major break through with major studio film just yet, but he seems enjoy doing his own things by incorporating his talents (writing and acting) into independent films where he seems comfortable and successful. I really like the film. It seems very real (as plot, deep development of characters) and has a heart. It got me thinking that "is it based on Donal Logue and Kirk Fox's real life??" After all, I totally saw that his tennis skills were improved through the film. Finally, Donal Logue is quite a good tennis player! It is coming from me, a tennis instructor,. ;) For the conclusion, I later found out that Donal Logue and Kirk Fox actually met on the shooting of Mel Gibson's epic film Patriots from special features of this DVD. So this turned out be based on real friendship among them. "Cool!!!"

Sasha Baron Cohen stars Borat is extremely hardcore, politically wrong, offensive, wicked in many levels. If you are the person who is sensitive those issues or won't be able to get pass them to see what really underneath this film, it is unfortunate, but this film is not for you........ I never laughed and seen many people laughing there butts off since last year's Wedding Crushers or 40 Year's Old Virgin. If you are open minded person, you are in treat my friend. Fortunately, I am the one who can take it. My goodness, this film and Sasha Baron Cohen is Brilliant!!!!! When I saw preview for the first time, I was very prejudice about this movie. I fond myself by saying I don't care about his country, Kazastan, and I was very much annoyed by him. Boy I was wrong..... This movie is actually all about us. He uses Borat to get out our boxes and realize us how our societies, cultures, and we are........he incorporated the movie into in our/your face comedy and he did not leave anything at all on the table. Borat clearly shows and proves that sometimes making fun ourselves could be the funniest thing that we can experience.

If you see names like Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher on Movie credits, many people may write off the film because of them for the best or the worst. Kevin Costner has been doing just tremendous jobs to reinventing his career for last few years in such movies as Upside of Anger, Rumor Has It, and Open Range by carefully choosing well written and developed roles and he became very mature and smart actor. I always thought he was amazing actor and Director but just because of his huge success in 80's, he became a victim of his own success (Water world, Postman, Wyatt Earp that I personally adore those films) Kevin Costner plays USCG rescue swimmer turns into a teacher after he lost his team in rescue mission, and Ashton Kutcher is for his student. I really impressed by the way movie portraits instructor student relationships and training. Sure it has been done so many films, but Kevin Costner has been a master of playing someone's mentor as we all have seen in Bull Durham (He played veteran catcher who mature the rookie pitcher played by Tim Robins. How about Frank Farmer who is trained/disciplined ex-secret service agent) In away, he has been playing this type of character through his career, but it is just getting better and better with his age. Ashton Kutcher's character, the hot shot high school swimming champ requires a strong cockiness, and he perfectly delivered it. Some magazine ripped this film as G.I. Jane meets Perfect Storm. Yes, It has been done in G.I. Jane, Officer and Gentleman. Sure CGI has been done in Perfect Storm, but no one can take well written characters and great performances by both Kevin Costner and Ashton Catcher away from this film. Ironically, the movie title The Guardian didn't really click me prior to see this movie, but after the ending, awwwwwwwww, I got it........So do not let name of Costner and Kutcher fool you. You may get something you never expected. Something good!

Steve McQueen's The Hunter did not receive great criticism, but who cares!!! It was McQueen's last film. It was all about him. It was all about him doing what he does best(acting real, tough, and yet vulnerable) McQueen is one of the last old school action movie star who possessed such a qualities. Look at those modern action movie stars today, they have no character what so ever, and they are just superficial iron pumping bodybuilders who is not even athletic in actions. McQueen was perfectly cast as real life bounty hunter, Ralph, papa, Thorson. It was the perfectly portrayed as what real tough guy used to be like. It is sad for America that they just don't make them like McQueen anymore, I can only imagine/dream about how he would be developed as an actor if he didn't pass, and yet making The Hunter would be greatest thing for his last standing...... This move also features Old cowboys like Ben Johnson, Eli Wallach (co-star of The Magnificent Seven), beautiful Kathryn Harrold, and TV Roots, LeVar Burton. I really don't think McQueen could not ask anyone better than them.

I remember seeing this film at theater in 1981. I own VHS version and I could not wait to DVD with decent quality to be released. This DVD quality is total joke. It is worse than recorded from TV or transferred from VHS to DVD. I understand this movie was not produced nor distributed by major studio. This is Canadian produced film marketed as an American film. Does it mean this movie is never gonna be released with decent quality on DVD!? I hope not. This movie had a potential to be very powerful thriller film, but script was very one dimensional and failed to develop the story. However seeing late Robert Mitchum and Movie stardom hungry Young Lee Majors was priceless as guilty pleasure here. Even 25 years later, I like to pop this VHS into my old VCR and I can not help thinking about how time has flied so quickly......

I remember seeing this film at the theater with Robin Williams' Popeye" as afternoon double feature movie matinée when I was kid.

This was low budget Canadian film marketed as American film (Lee Majors made a couple of Canadian movies like this in early 80's such as Agency with late Robert Mitchum)

The shortage of oils leading into ban of automobiles, epidemic wiped out the populations, and people are forced by government to live in suppressed society with ridiculous rules and restrictions. The Six Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors, plays former race car driver who rebuilds his Porsche that was hidden underneath of his garage and breaks free to California where people are start living in free society like used to be. Former World War jet fighter played by late Burgess Meredith is after him to kill.

This movie has so much potentials and a good plot , but it gets lost or misguided to make a solid movie. It just failed to develop those interesting issues/setups/surprisingly great characters into some what successful movie. However that didn't stop this movie to become fun/enjoyable vintage guilty pleasure low budget sci-fi action flick. Movie stardom hungry Lee Majors with mullet, wearing silver racing jacket (I think stunt man, Mike, from recent Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof might be got the idea from Lee's character, Frank Hart. Well, looks wise....) did his own car stunts with red Porsche racing car. The cross country chase between Porsche and jet was all old school stunts, and it also captured beautiful Denver/Rocky Mt. No CGI on this!!!

This movie also features Chris Makepeace from My Bodyguard and Vamp. I really like to see this movie available on DVD sometime soon!!!

The Six Million Dollar Man plays The man of Steel. How perfect is that?! This movie took a place in Lee Majors' actual home town Kentucky. It was reported that they used actual under the construction building (Kincaid Tower) at the time and build the set on top roof of Eastern Kentucky University building for the shooting.

This was not critically claimed nor big box office hit, and yet it is the one of the best action drama Majors ever produced and stared. Steel surely shines in his life long acting career. It defines what kind of actor he was, and he had great qualities to play this type of role (well, best or worst). He was man's man, but not in egoistic way. He was the kind of the guy let his action speak itself, tough in both physically and mentally, and yet vulnerable, respect and honor his friends, trying to do the right thing.

Mike Catton (Lee Majors) as foreman gathers craziest crews in skyscraper business to fight against all odds to finish up the building to meet the deadline. It is race against time! I still love this 70's ultimate guy movie because it portraits what real American men were used to be like.

Majors made a couple of films such as Agency with late Robert Mitchum and The last Chase with Late Burgess Meredith after Steel. Those two films did not take off, and Majors came back with huge success of TV Fall Guy.

Finally, Lee Majors was not the only man of Steel in this movie. Steel features other men of Steel. Academy Award winners: Art Carney (Harry & Tonto) and George Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke) The film was dedicated for A.J. BAKUNIS who did stunt for George Kennedy's free fall scene from top of the building.

Steel is one of the 70's infamous movie that should be available on DVD.