Reviews

A colleague of mine showed me this promotional film as it seemed to be doing the rounds of Sydney businesses. After several viewings, I was just staggered. What an amazing display of talent from both sides of the camera. Firstly, exquisitely directed, shot and edited. This is adrenaline charged film making from a group of highly skilled individuals; unsurpassed mastery of their collective crafts. Secondly, the on-screen brilliance from Bren Foster and action film veteran Richard Norton is breath-taking. Where has Bren Foster been hiding? This young man is incredible. Chiselled features and physical skill beyond that of us mere mortals. I have no doubt that Mr. Foster will emerge soon as a huge star and I have been privileged to witness the beginning of a brilliant career.

According to the box office link, this film cost $7000 to make. If true then the film makers should be applauded. Putting that to one side, this film becomes one of extremes. It goes from good to bad then back again which makes the overall viewing experience a frustrating one. Some of the acting is very good but this is overshadowed by several poor performances. The sidekick character is one noticeable culprit, as is the love interest. The fights also suffer from extremes. The first brawl and the villain's back alley fight against three toughs are fast and exciting, but unfortunately when it really counts, the standard is sub par. The fight where the leading man kills his opponent and his final confrontation with the villain are exceptionally weak and these are the fights which should have been the strongest. Overall, the film is a mish mash of ideas that lack consistency. The bizarre narration is poorly written and leaves the viewer scratching his head while many of the confrontational scenes work quite well. The leading man is physically awesome but one dimensional, the bad guys are good as are some of the smaller character parts. Where this film stands out though is in the camera direction and editing. With such a low budget, maybe my criticism is too harsh because there are big budget films out there that don't match up to this one. To wrap up, this film is good on a technical level but it's a shame that some of the on screen talent just weren't up to scratch.

This short film came across my desk recently and my initial thought was, terrific, more mindless brutality. I am pleased to report though that this is exactly what the viewer gets. Muay Thai champion John Wayne Parr hands out some heavy treatment which is superbly shot and edited. Amongst the violence, the whole piece has a controlled smoothness which is highlighted by a atmospheric score and bone crunching sound effects. Not being completely verse in the genre's requirements, I can confirm that the office staff were mesmerized by Parr and his ability. I was too. An amazing athlete who if handled correctly, can make his mark in the world of action cinema.