Mad Max: Fury Road.

Review #781: Mad Max: Fury Road.

Cast
Tom Hardy (Max Rockatansky), Charlize Theron (Imperator Furiosa), Nicholas Hoult (Nux), Hugh Keays-Byrne (Immortan Joe), Josh Helman (Slit), Nathan Jones (Rictus Erectus), Zoë Kravitz (Toast the Knowing), Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (The Splendid Angharad), Riley Keough (Capable), Abbey Lee (The Dag), Courtney Eaton (Cheedo the Fragile), John Howard (The People Eater), Richard Carter (The Bullet Farmer), and iOTA (The Doof Warrior) Directed by George Miller (#380 - Mad Max, #392 - Happy Feet, #493 - The Witches of Eastwick, and #707 - Mad Max 2)

Review
When it comes to action films, Mad Max: Fury Road will certainly come up as a discussion subject with regards to action movies that truly never let up, from beginning to end. Miller wanted to make a movie that was a continuous chase of cars and action...and he certainly succeeds. But the movie is more than that, it's a wonderland of spectacle and unique action. One of the characters has a guitar that doubles as a flamethrower, but the movie already has enough in terms of interesting characters, with the most interesting not entirely being Max, but Furiosa. Perhaps it has to do with her being a strong character who flat out takes command of the situation (and perhaps the movie) and never lets up in just being a compelling action hero (With a metal arm to boot), with her motive of redemption being especially interesting. Hardy is our new Mad Max, doing a good job at capturing the essence of a man haunted by his past (even awakening from a dream shaking), and thankfully there's never a moment where you're stuck wondering how it would've been with Gibson, which helps the movie gain more and more footing. The rest of the cast also does a good job, especially Keays-Byrne, who makes for an interesting villain. The wives (Kravitz, Huntington-Whiteley, Keough, Lee, Eaton) also do a fine job, interacting well with each other as well as rest of the cast. The movie (much like the other Mad Max films) looks great with regards to the environment and effects. The music by Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL) is also well-done, matching the movie in great unison. It's a movie about survival and redemption, with home being the biggest motivation of them all. Whether it's a sequel or a reboot is irrelevant, the movie is a wonderfully octane experience that has more layers than meets the eye.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

The Witch (2015).

Review #780: The Witch.

Cast
Anya Taylor-Joy (Thomasin), Ralph Ineson (William), Kate Dickie (Katherine), Harvey Scrimshaw (Caleb), Ellie Grainger (Mercy), Lucas Dawson (Jonas), and Bathsheba Garnett (The Witch) Directed by Robert Eggers.

Review
It's been a week since the last review, so on a whim, I decided to look up films in the theater. Of the new ones in release, this one popped up that I hadn't heard of. After a bit of searching over what it was (including the fact that it had premiered at Sundance the year before), I decided to go see this film on a whim. Even though there were only a handful of people there to see with me, the movie was worth the price of admission. The movie (set in the 17th century) certainly has a good atmosphere and setting, while managing to have a fairly entertaining group of characters and not trying cliche techniques to scare the audience. The dialogue (which according to the credits is based off real journals and accounts of the time) takes a bit of time to get used to, but the actors manage to sell the movie and make the characters very believable. The child actors (Scrimshaw, Grainger and Dawson) are not too annoying, and they share a critical scene (Along with Taylor-Joy) that manages to be creepy. The movie certainly does take its time to get going, but the movie eventually gets its footing on the strength of the family dynamic and the interactions between all of them. It's not a movie to watch for blood/gore, but for the creepy tone that it manages to set up with such a simple premise. It's not a great horror film, but it is at least an entertaining movie that keeps itself going from beginning to end.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool.

Review #779: Deadpool.

Cast
Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson / Deadpool), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa Carlysle), Ed Skrein (Francis Freeman / Ajax), T.J. Miller (Weasel), Gina Carano (Angel Dust), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Stefan Kapičić (Peter Rasputin / Colossus), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), and Karan Soni (Dopinder) Directed by Tim Miller.

Review
I didn't know what to expect with Deadpool, but I decided to go with it not only because it had been nearly two months since the last time I went to the theater to watch a new movie, but because I wanted to see how an R-rated Marvel movie (the first one of those in quite some time) would pan out. Yes, a movie doesn't need to be R to be good, but restricting yourself to PG-13 (like some certain movies) doesn't help either, and this movie certainly pulls all the punches needed to make for a really entertaining movie. For all of the years that it took to get Deadpool onto the screen (and an appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine that I (and probably you) have no recollection of), it seems that it certainly was worth it with the end result, with the biggest reason for the movie's success being the script + Ryan Reynolds, both working a great pace to make a really funny, really offbeat lead character, who truly is the "Merc with a mouth".

The movie works at such a rapid pace (even when focusing on the origin part of Deadpool), and the cast works really together, especially Reynolds-Baccarin, and even Skrein (our villain) gets a few good barbs here and there. The movie is certainly not family-friendly (good!), but it isn't just flat out profanity, especially with the spectacular (if not gruesome) action. From the opening credits, the movie establishes itself as one with no real rules, and it goes on from there, completely going off-the-wall into a territory on a completely different level from other comic book films made by 20th Century Fox (or Marvel), especially when Kapicic and Hildebrand (according to Deadpool, the only two X-Men the studio could afford to put on screen) are in the picture. To spoil the movie is no fun, you need to see the movie in order to at least see if this...unique kind of bizarre movie is for you. And as it should be, stay for the end credits.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Redux: RoboCop 3.

Redux Review #006: RoboCop 3.

Cast
Robert John Burke (RoboCop / Alex J. Murphy), Nancy Allen (Anne Lewis), Remy Ryan (Nikko Halloran), Rip Torn (OCP President), John Castle (Commander Paul McDaggett), Jill Hennessy (Dr. Marie Lazarus), Mako (Kanemitsu), C. C. H. Pounder (Bertha), Felton Perry (OCP Vice President Donald Johnson), Robert DoQui (Sgt. Warren Reed), Bruce Locke (Otomo), Bradley Whitford (Jeffrey Fleck), and Mario Machado (Casey Wong) Directed by Fred Dekker.

Review
Welcome to a Redux Review of the original RoboCop 3 film, which is a revised review meant to say more about the movie as a whole. The rating will stay the same, but I feel that this Redux is necessary (which I could say for a good deal the original batch of reviews). Not to worry, there will be new reviews on the way, but I feel that the upcoming Redux Reviews are necessary to help better the evolution of Movie Night, and to help alleviate the unintentional month long hiatus. Enjoy. 

Yes, RoboCop 3. If you've seen the other two Redux Reviews, I went into a good amount of words to express a variety of opinions for a movie that was really good...and the one that was a disappointment. With this, it's not hard to say why this movie isn't good, or even passable, though the younger me kinda thought it was okay (still, I gave it a 5, but even a mediocre movie can be enjoyable at times). With the third movie, the expectations are extremely low, and the fact that the movie was actually shelved (according to the 1992 copyright) due to the bankruptcy of Orion Pictures. In fact, the movie was filmed in buildings slated to be torn down for the 1996 Olympics (if there's an irony, I hope you find it) in Atlanta. Peter Weller did not want any part of this movie (deciding to do Naked Lunch and not have to deal with the bulky suit once again), and Nancy Allen did the movie only on the condition that she would be killed off (and probably some money too, but hey, I can't imagine why). There is also no more Dan O'Herlihy as the head of OCP, instead being replaced by Rip Torn. The makers decided to make the movie PG-13 oriented (because of the belief that kids were part of the fanbase - which I believe in the sense that kids watched because of their parents) instead of R, which meant lowering the amount of violence (in a sense). Once again, Frank Miller returned to write the story and screenplay (along with Dekker), but it doesn't matter all too much. Despite all of this...I can't say I hate this movie.

Don't get me wrong, it is a movie dead on arrival, with no chance at being anything but a lackluster movie made to try and make money (and failing)...but still. This is a movie where RoboCop not only fights robot ninjas, but also flies in a jet pack for the climax of the movie. I can't even be angry at the nondescript villain (easily the worst villain in the trilogy), because this is a movie that has nothing going for it. Burke is not exactly miscast as RoboCop, but after two movies with Peter Weller that were probably one of the best aspects for both movies, Burke comes off as less memorable and more robotic sounding. and he doesn't have much time to develop any chemistry with any of the characters. Rip Torn doesn't get much to do, but he is at least amusing in a thankless role. C. C. H. Pounder is mildly enjoyable, and Felton Perry does a reasonable (if not brief) performance once again. Of all the actors that had been in the other movies, Robert DoQui is my favorite, and I guess its probably because he just seems more at ease with being in these movies, whether good or bad. Mako is indeed in the movie...for maybe 5-10 minutes. Seriously, he says a few lines about how he will send his robot ninja (Otomo) to deal with the Resistance problem, and he bows to RoboCop at the end of the movie. I had forgotten about Remy Ryan and her computer whiz kid character...at the age of 8. Clearly, it was a preparation for Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace, and I can't figure out which is worse. Naturally there's a character named Lazarus, because either a 9th grader thought of the name after learning it in English class, or because it sounded cool (you decide). Hennessey is okay, but no good (or great) performance can save a movie that looks destined for TV-movie status.

And yet, I can't help but laugh at the ridiculous aspects. For example, the jet pack scene. There had been foreshadowing (or outright hints) of it throughout the movie, and though it is first used as a way for RoboCop to charge himself (not as a phone, mind you), you just know it is coming. When it does happen (in the midst of a battle between OCP and the Resistance/cops), RoboCop takes his sweet time in getting to the crux of the fight (which already had punk mercenaries and a granny packing an Uzi)...and he promptly fires a rocket into an OCP tank that blows it up (and fires a few shots at some mercenaries), which apparently wins the battle. But my particular favorite is his confrontation with not one, but two ninja robots (because one's not enough, and I guess Kanemitsu sent 3 robots and not one as it implied)...and the kid programmer and Lazerus program two robots with swords to chop each other off in a matter of seconds. Remember how I said logic is dead? RoboCop 3 resurrects it, then it kills it all over again, complete with 90's cheese. Afterwards, RoboCop has to escape the self-destruct that activated when the two robots destroyed each other (okay), and the villain is stopped...by the flame discharge by the jetpack, which means he can't stop the self-destruct. The fact that this villain is such a non-threat that never comes off as having any sort of personality or brutality in him means you can barely enjoy his defeat.

Basil Poledouris does at least return to score the music, and while a good chunk of it is from the first film, it is refreshing to hear that main theme once again (after RoboCop shoots up his roof with his gun - yes I'm serious), even if the movie has no sense of emotional depth. At least it doesn't reset RoboCop to having to find his human side again, but I'm amazed at the ineptness of OCP still having to get Delta City off the ground, but the idea of a Resistance fighting off against corporate bad guys is exactly what you think it is. I can understand someone really hating the movie, but for me personally, it's a stupid (but silly) movie.

And so ends my Redux Recap Trilogy on the three RoboCop movies. I hoped you enjoyed the reviews, and I promise you there will be more material (including Redux Reviews on another famous trilogy covered once before), but especially new reviews, coming soon. Stay tuned.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Redux: RoboCop 2.

Redux Review #004: RoboCop 2.

Cast
Peter Weller (Alex Murphy/RoboCop), Nancy Allen (Anne Lewis), Belinda Bauer (Dr. Juliette Faxx), Dan O'Herlihy ("The Old Man" / OCP President), Felton Perry (OCP Vice President Donald Johnson), Tom Noonan (Cain), Willard E. Pugh (Mayor Marvin Kuzak), Gabriel Damon (Hob), Galyn Görg (Angie), Stephen Lee (Officer Duffy), and Robert DoQui (Sgt. Reed) Directed by Irvin Kershner (#114 - The Empire Strikes Back)

Review
Welcome to a Redux Review of the original RoboCop 2 film, which is a revised review meant to say more about the movie as a whole. The rating will stay the same, but I feel that this Redux is necessary (which I could say for a good deal the original batch of reviews). Not to worry, there will be new reviews on the way, but I feel that the upcoming Redux Reviews are necessary to help better the evolution of Movie Night, and to help alleviate the unintentional month long hiatus. Enjoy. 

RoboCop 2. For me, it might actually be more disappointing than the third one because of the fact that even though it is better than RoboCop 3, the level of expectations/care is way, way less in that film than in this, a movie that resets Murphy into fighting (internally) the man-or-the-machine conundrum...that had been dealt with in the first film. The mood in this film is significantly more darker, and the violence is certainly more prevalent this time around. I do like the effects, especially with the climax, which is very impressive to watch. The movie does at least retain the Media Break/commercial interludes (my favorite being the one about Sun Block 5000, a blue sunscreen that causes skin cancer with frequent use), but it feels somewhat lacking in the most critical component: RoboCop.

The movie seems to focus more on the impending bankruptcy of Detroit (the movie did at least get one prediction true)...or the police strike...or the building of RoboCop 2...or the rise of Nuke, or pretty much anything that involves RoboCop being not as prominent this time around. Sure, he does get butchered into pieces and promptly gets restored...inputted with so many directives. I understand the idea behind it (example: RoboCop shooting at spots near a dude until he drops his cigarette...actually, that's just weird), but it barely goes anywhere due to RoboCop promptly frying himself and all of his directives. I guess its interesting that he does this willingly, but by that point, I was just waiting for RoboCop to be involved with taking down Nuke...which he does, technically. The movie isn't very enjoyable to watch, because there isn't much to root for, aside from RoboCop. I can't care too much for OCP and their troubles, and I can't care for the city's problems when the mayor resorts to taking drug lord money to pay off a debt...I could care about the police strike, if it wasn't for that it kinda just ends after RoboCop fries himself. The music by Leonard Roseman isn't terrible, but after a riveting score in the first film, having a theme in which a chorus sings out RoboCop's name is a bit much, don't you think? This isn't the 60's Batman theme (which is meant to be campy), you know. At least the movie continues the tradition of being filmed in Texas (this time being filmed in Houston - I guess Texan cities double well for Detroit?).

The acting this time around is fine, and I do like Weller, who seems like he really is trying to make the movie work, although he evidently had gripes with the third act, particularly with the lack of morality, in his words. Bauer is okay, but as for her character...I'll get to that shortly. O'Herlihy gets a chance to ham it up this time around, even yelling "BEHAVE YOURSELVES" to the two RoboCops near the end. It is a bit jarring to see the Old Man turn out to be evil, but I guess the plan of engineering a police strike to make the city default is one you have to conceal very well. Noonan does an alright job, but he doesn't have as much memorability as the previous villain. Granted, he does become RoboCop 2, but by then it's almost too late. And of course there's Gabriel Damon playing a foul-mouthed teenage member of Cain's gang that's also (probably, never counted) a murderer.

The idea of having the character in the movie comes off as both silly and flat-out ridiculously over-the-top stupid, especially when he takes over Cain's "empire" near the end. Actually, the worst scene is his death sequence, a scene that is absurd in the idea that anyone could feel any sympathy for this character - especially after he uses a lunch-box gun against cops. Sure, he's a kid that was killed (by Cain no less), but...nope, the sympathy card doesn't go that far. I'm aware that Frank Miller was hired to write the film, but his script (deemed "unfilmable" by the producers) was changed, though some of his ideas (such as Hob) stayed. I wonder whose idea it was to have RoboCop confront Cain (the second time) and have him play chicken with him on a motorcycle, though. Miller's words on the movie: "Don’t be the writer. The director’s got the power. The screenplay is a fire hydrant, and there’s a row of dogs around the block waiting for it."

My other gripe with the movie is the idea of putting a drug lord's brain into a cyborg body, using the drug as a way of controlling him (?!), because you can totally control someone who's bigger and stronger than you and is completely insane (you'd go insane if you were took off your ventilator and promptly see your head with only your eyes and brain to watch. Because what could go wrong-Yea, everything goes wrong for OCP really fast (what did you expect?!). Sure, the rest of OCP (minus Faxx, who picked the brain) probably didn't expect the result they got, especially after they sent the thing to murder the mayor and a group of city councilmen when trying to make a deal to save the city (I do like  Of course the Old Man displays a canister of Nuke right in front of RoboCop 2 when making a presentation about how the cyborg will rid the drug from the streets...and the crazed robot goes right for it. Logic is dead. Technically you could say the Old Man and Faxx get their comeuppance...in that they might go to jail. Whoopee, because that makes all of this mean-spirited mess worth it. It would be like if Boddicker went to jail instead of getting the sendoff that he got in the previous film (you know, the one that knew how to treat its characters).

For all the times I compare it to the first film, the movie isn't inherently terrible. It's just a very scrambled mess that comes off as too cynical and probably a bit too long (nearly 2 hours), while managing to be only mildly successful. It does have its moments, but it begs to be made with more competent storytelling, and that is the greatest crime of all.

We all know about the third one. And if you don't...you'll see. 
For the record, I didn't intend on writing over 1000 words for an inferior sequel, it just happened.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

The Longest Yard (1974).

Review #778: The Longest Yard.

Cast
Burt Reynolds (Paul "Wrecking" Crewe), Eddie Albert (Warden Rudolph Hazen), Ed Lauter (Captain Wilhelm Knauer), Michael Conrad (Nate Scarborough), James Hampton (Caretaker), Harry Caesar ("Granny" Granville), John Steadman (Pop), Charles Tyner (Unger), Mike Henry (Rasmussen), Jim Nicholson (Ice Man), Bernadette Peters (Miss Toot), Pepper Martin (Shop steward), Robert Tessier (Connie Shokner), Richard Kiel (Samson), Anitra Ford (Melissa), and Ray Nitschke (Bogdanski) Directed by Robert Aldrich (#105- What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?)

Review
Yes, I'm aware of the timing to be back. In any case, The Longest Yard is a movie I had wanted to review, but I only had recently got the chance to finally watch the film, and what better way to do it on Sunday? In any case, The Longest Yard has a gallery of characters that generate a good deal of laughs, especially Reynolds, who seems to be perfectly at home with this character, filled with that expressionist grin. It's a movie that pulls all the punches, having a good deal of fun, with its own edge of football violence that anyone can associate with the sport. One of my favorite scenes is where Reynolds and another inmate exchange pleasantries (if you'd call it that) of stacking mud onto their pants, with the two getting into a mud-fight. Somehow, seeing the Captain coming out of the car gets them all laughing (even the guards laugh), and I can't help but crack up at everybody having a good laugh in the middle of a swamp. I do love the introduction to the football game, complete with split images of multiple shots. This is a movie for anyone looking for a good time with Burt Reynolds and a bunch of inmates who while being pretty criminal (including at least one murderer), are at least interesting to watch try to play some football, which is fine by me. It's a brutal film, but it is a movie that knows what its doing, and it knows how to make you laugh.

Football players in this movie (because why not?): Joe Kapp, Ray Nitschke, Mike Henry, Pervis Atkins, Ernie Wheelwright and Ray Ogden.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Redux: RoboCop (1987).

Redux #002: RoboCop.

Cast
Peter Weller (Alex Murphy / RoboCop), Nancy Allen (Anne Lewis), Ronny Cox (Dick Jones), Kurtwood Smith (Clarence Boddicker), Miguel Ferrer (Bob Morton), Dan O'Herlihy ("The Old Man"), Paul McCrane (Emil Antonowsky), Ray Wise (Leon Nash), Jesse D. Goins (Joe Cox), Calvin Jung (Steve Minh), Michael Gregory (Lt. Hedgecock), Robert DoQui (Sergeant Reed), and Felton Perry (OCP Executive Johnson) Directed by Paul Verhoeven.

Review
Welcome to a Redux Review of the original RoboCop film, which is a revised review meant to say more about the movie as a whole. The upcoming Redux Reviews are necessary to help better the evolution of Movie Night in all that has changed from its inception in 2010 to the present age - enjoy.

The initial thing that can be said about RoboCop, released on July 17, 1987, is that it showcased more than the sum of its parts from what you would have expected in its era, with layers of satire and emotional depth to make for a compelling movie. The action and violence is certainly entertaining in that goes over-the-top with great results. I remember seeing the scene where Murphy gets gunned down when I was barely a teenager, and even all these years later it still manages to leave an imprint on my mind because of how striking it is. One effect that certainly still ranks high on the memorability scale is the toxic waste infested Emil, right down to the collision with a car. The effects also are pretty well done, and the fight between ED-209 and RoboCop is impressive, right down to the end result (sure, the stairs part is cute, but the moment where one sees the eye of RoboCop exposed is just as striking). The music by Basil Poledouris is brilliant, being both triumphant and emotionally reaching at the right times, using synthesizer and orchestral music very well, with the music at the climax of the move working just right. Of course, there is plenty to say about the movie besides what one can say was enjoyable in imagery, because it is a movie that strikes at the heart of the age it was made in that still strikes a chord today because of how Paul Verhoeven and company succeeded in what they aspired to do despite the hard conditions of filming. The film was written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, with the former being a junior story executive at Universal Pictures before aspiring to write screenplays, as inspired by him seeing the production of Blade Runner (1982); Miner came on Neumeier's radar because of a student video he did, which led to his idea of a robot-themed rock music video converging rightly with Neumeier's idea. Verhoeven, a Dutch director who had just moved to the States best known for films such as Soldier of Orange (1977) and Flesh+Blood (1985), was approached about directing the film after a handful of names dropped out of doing it, and he actually rejected it before his wife encouraged him to give the script a chance - the scene at the abandoned house hooked him onto doing it. The film was made for under $14 million and made roughly $53 million on original release, with its legacy growing in stature in the wake of analysis over its themes involving humanity and corporate policies.

You have to understand that the era of the 1980s had corporate people who were not above reading Japanese texts about killing more effectively. So, a movie involving a corporation taking the task of running a police department and trying to deploy products to rid crime like it was a cancer isn't exactly too off the deep end (one of the writers termed the movie as "fascism for liberals", so take that for what it is worth). The occasional newsbreak/commercials also help to serve the satire in its excesses and absurdity as well, considering that coverage of an ambush of cops with one gravely injured in the attack closes with a broadcaster going "Good luck" to them. The segments lighten up the movie when compared to the violence, which actually was toned down because of the MPAA deeming it an X rather than the R rating targeted...eight times; one can see the un-rated cut on home video now, fortunately.  Eventually, the movie also looks upon the humanity that starts to shine through the title character despite the attempts to strip it away and present it as product, one that results in a soulful and sobering film that could also be construed in religious tones, and Verhoeven has referred to the execution of Weller's character as like a crucifixion.

Weller had spent time studying mime after he managed to be cast in the film, one that had struggled to find a right lead actor because they wanted someone who was both a suitable size that wouldn't look awkward when the suit would be designed around them and also have a good jawline (of course, acting without having the face shown for most of it didn't exactly attract much help either). The studying did not help him much when the actual suit (made of flexible foam latex, polyurethane, and fiberglass) came around, because its bulky nature and long makeup time led to discomfort, complete with dehydration. Eventually, he worked out a more deliberate moving style to help deal with the costume, and it is evident to see how he managed to turn all of this into an excellent performance. He handles the one extended human sequence with warm gusto that you would expect from a cop drama before segueing into the main course handily; the humanity that was thought lost starts to come in bits and pieces that he handles with calm effectiveness, whether that involves him traversing through an abandoned house or the scene where he sees his own face in a reflection before wishing to be left alone. Allen (cast after Stephanie Zimbalist dropped out in preproduction) proves a fitting partner for certain moments to show his lingering humanity in earthy grace. 

It is the adversarial side that makes it all come together of course. Cox may have been known for nice-guy roles, but he sure chomps on this material for all of what it is worth, striking the heart of a great villain in believing in their righteousness to the bitter end no matter who gets struck in their wake. Gang leaders may be tough, but one hasn't seen nothing until he spooks a cocky executive with a few calm words and a hair-pull. O'Herlihy doesn't have a lot of screen time, but he certainly makes his presence felt as the head of corporate sharks. One of my favorite quirks is that Jones regards to the death of an employee via the ED 209 as a "glitch", and the Old Man is more angry at the "temporary setback". Ferrer elevates a corporate wolf-in-sheep's clothing into something charming in its smarminess, one that might have been an adversarial stooge in a different movie but instead ends up something different for satisfaction. Last but not least, Kurtwood Smith does a wonderfully evil job of making Boddicker more than just a cop-killer, with a look that was actually inspired by Nazi leaders. Sure, the execution sequence is a clear highlight, but my particular favorite occurs within a standoff during a negotiation, which involves a line like this: "Oooh. Guns, guns, guns! C'mon, Sal! The Tigers are playing... *slaps table* …tonight. I never miss a game." He has a manner to him that makes him more than just a common street thug, one who controls any scene he is in with confidence (later on, the character spits blood on his booking in jail, as suggested by Smith). The showdown at the end of the movie is riveting, showing the lasting conclusion of Verhoeven's "American Jesus" to its logical endpoint that Smith and company handle well.

The 102 minutes pass by with great execution by Verhoeven and company, as Rob Bottin and his special effects team (which included folks such as Phil Tippet) lend a great hand in making over-the-top spectacle in effects go hand-in-hand with the locations (shot in Dallas, TX alongside Pennsylvania and Long Beach) in seamless style. Sure, some might have had a problem with the violence, but I think it is necessary to understand our own human nature, as if satire is just something you can present in a vacuum or that the darkness of the human spirit isn't lurking within us. I didn't wince at the violence when I saw it years ago, I sure as hell don't see how one can wince at it now. Over three decades later, the legacy of the film is that none of the follow-ups that have passed in its wake have managed to top it in all of the aspects that made the original so striking. The 1990 sequel, with no Verhoeven or the original writers present, proved quite absurd in its continuation of corporate avarice while failing to reach the soulful highlights presented by the original in favor of ultra-violence that lacked a real third act. The 1993 sequel, now without its main star, was an ill-advised attempt at sanitizing the material for younger audiences that made for one hell of a movie to pick apart as a franchise killer. At any rate, the original 1987 movie aimed not for the strings of franchise-making or ultra violent fun but instead for a parable about how far one's humanity reaches even with the confines of a metallic body flung into pursuit for justice. It is a great action film, but it is also a well-done satire that still reaches the mark in corporate insanity and violent absurdity that makes it a movie for all time.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.