Air America.

Review #1205: Air America.

Cast: 
Mel Gibson (Gene Ryack), Robert Downey Jr. (Billy Covington), Nancy Travis (Corinne Landreaux), Ken Jenkins (Major Donald Lemond), David Marshall Grant (Robert Diehl), Lane Smith (Senator Davenport), Art LaFleur (Jack Neely), Ned Eisenberg (Nick Pirelli), Marshall Bell (O.V.), David Bowe (Saunders), and Burt Kwouk (General Lu Soong) Directed by Roger Spottiswoode (#171 - Tomorrow Never Dies and #191 - The 6th Day)

Review: 
Perhaps this film was made at the wrong time. The film's development began with director Richard Rush in 1985 in an attempt to be the first comedy about the Vietnam War, writing a script that at one point was slated to star Sean Connery in the lead role, with various actors thought of for the other main role ranging from Bill Murray to Kevin Costner. In any case, a new direction was taken that led to the hiring of John Eskow to make changes, for which he received a co-writing credit. The film is loosely based off the non-fiction book of the same name from Christopher Robbins. As a action comedy, the only interesting thing about the movie is how it manages to flounder in two genres. This should seem surprising with Gibson and Downey Jr heading the cast, but it becomes apparent by the halfway point of its 113 minute run-time that the film doesn't have the energy to drive many laughs or thrills to carry a whole movie. The film tries to have it both ways - it has its bits of gags and oddball characters, such as ones who like to dangle sleeping people on a rope while flying or playing with coloring books while also trying to show dramatic elements (namely involving the war or the nature of their trade, including a fictionalized portrayal of an actual Laotian general), but it never truly clicks together in making something that actually seems interesting to follow along with. Perhaps the makers of this film really thought that a mish-mash of genres would serve the material well, but it just feels disconnected most of the time, where the implications never really seem to make an impact or matter. Wondering how factual the film is to real-life events is probably a bit more useful a task to do instead of giving the film too much effort. At least there is some decent plane action. It sure is nice to see Gibson at least, and he sure tries to make this maverick type seem interesting to follow along with, but he just seems to be going through the motions by the time his character arc suddenly turns up in the climax. Downey is fine with making some snide reflections, but he doesn't really seem to be interesting enough for the audience to go with when the film wants to try and present some sort of dilemma for its climax. Travis (in a role originally meant for Ally Sheedy) is fairly forgettable, with the oddball pilots somehow standing out better. Grant and LaFleur are a bit amusing for their patches of showtime, but they can't help the film gain footing because it just seems aimless with or without them. Obviously I wasn't expecting something loaded with action, but by the time it tries to reach for some sort of moral ground, it's easy to not care and lose oneself in awaiting the credits, the last thing one wants in a action comedy. It serves best as a time-waster, one that will generate a few chuckles alongside a possible yawn or two that makes this more of a disappointment than a complete disaster.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Last Man Standing (1996).

Review #1091: Last Man Standing.

Cast: 
Bruce Willis (John Smith), Bruce Dern (Sheriff Ed Galt), William Sanderson (Joe Monday), Christopher Walken (Hickey), David Patrick Kelly (Doyle), Karina Lombard (Felina), Ned Eisenberg (Fredo Strozzi), Michael Imperioli (Giorgio Carmonte), R. D. Call (Jack McCool), Alexandra Powers (Lucy Kolinski), Ken Jenkins (Capt. Tom Pickett), and Ted Markland (Deputy Bob) Directed by Walter Hill (#1072 - 48 Hrs)

Review: 
The film is a remake of Yojimbo (1961), directed by Akira Kurosawa, with the screenplay done by Ryūzō Kikushima and Kurosawa. It featured Toshiro Mifune as a rōnin (a samurai with no master) that arrived in a town with competing crime lords vying for supremacy that was set in 1860 in Japan. An unofficial and unlicensed remake followed in 1964 with Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, but Last Man Standing is an official remake that gives Kukushima and Kurosawa credit for the story, with Hill providing the screenplay. With all of that information, how does this movie manage to be a dreary failure? It certainly is consistent with its tone of dry entertainment, in that it has its share of brutal action sequences and a look from Lloyd Ahern II that will certainly test the eyes of how many times the color orange dominates the screens - for better or worse. Even comparing its style to the film noirs that it seems to emulate goes against the movie's favor, since it isn't as alluring as those. It isn't so much that this is a boring thing to watch, it's just that it is a disappointing thing to see play out, with one-note characters and an execution that likes to throw its situations all over the place but not have them be readily interesting. Willis delivers a performance that seems to match the film in that it shifts between mild grinning and stale wanderer type. He may seem best when doing action sequences, but he doesn't seem to feel too comfortable in making this character seem less than stale. Dern is fairly decent, although he doesn't have too much time on screen. It is nice to see Walken when he's on screen, but there is something about the character (whether due to him or the writing) that doesn't really make him as menacing as you'd probably expect, which makes the final showdown seem less interesting than it probably should've been. The other cast members come and go with their performances, for better or worse. That's not to say that the movie would've been better if it had comedy bits, but there is certainly something lacking in terms of excitement, where one can't really revel in its attempts at trying to be compelling. In its 101 minute run-time, this isn't a terribly long slog to go through, but even as a bad film it isn't fun to pick at, more of a thing to just look at and ponder in its mundane nature.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.