The Hitman: Chuck Norris’ Definitive Cannon Films Classic

By
Andrew Babcock
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HITMAN, THE, Chuck Norris, 1991

Chuck Norris brings some major ruckus in The Hitman (1991).

What more can be said about the one and only Chuck Norris that hasn’t already been said? A true legend, and pioneer in martial arts, on screen and off.

I decided to go back and revisit one of my favorites of his that I hadn’t seen since back in the day and it packs just as much punch and grit as I remembered. I’m talkin’ about 1991’s The Hitman, brought to us by the glorious Cannon Films.

Walker, Texas Ranger to Get Reboot (But Without Chuck Norris)

A Norris Brothers Production

Directed by Chuck’s younger brother, Aaron Norris, a familiar pairing – The Hitman opens with Chuck and his partner played by the underrated actor Michael Parks (From Dusk till Dawn/Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2) about ready to dive into a drug bust. In one of the more shocking moments in action movie history, Parks double crosses him, shoots Chuck twice and we see him fall out a warehouse window onto a car. Parks has flipped to the other side of the law apparently and it was his drug shipment that was coming in. We see Chuck in a bad way, near death and then it fast forwards to years later…

Norris now sporting a new look and occupation (or so it seems). He is sporting a long trenchcoat and a sweet mullet, pre-dating Van Damme’s in Hard Target and he is now working for one of the biggest crime bosses in the city as a right hand man, or hit man. We the audience know he is undercover, but the baddies just never see Chuck comin’.

We see Chuck going home after a long day of ‘criminal activities’ and this is where the heart of the movie is. He sees a neighborhood kid locked out of his apartment door, his mom was hard at work at one of her three jobs, so of course Chuck shows his soft side and lets the kid sleep on his couch until his mom comes to get him. Like I said, this is where the real heart of the movie is and one of the best things going for it is Chuck’s growing relationship with the kid. 

The 11 Greatest Chuck Norris Ultimate Action Movies

Chuck Norris Protects America

The kid played by Salim Grant (Saved By The Bell: The New Class) gives a very likable performance as he is getting bullied at school. Chuck shows him some self defense techniques and it works out well as Grant ends up standing up for himself and taking on the bully. The bully’s dad is a real piece of shit, egging it on and of course we get to see Chuck handle his business like we wanted to see him do. He punches the guy through a screen door.

Throughout the film we see Chuck getting deeper and deeper involved with the crime boss and other warring factions. The action is solid, but don’t expect a ton of martial arts. The action is well shot with some memorable entrances. Chuck still kicks ass – especially in one of my favorite scenes of the movie, where he goes into a restaurant to confront the Israeli crime group. He stands right on their table, putting his fingers in their drinks and food and asks them, “Are you afraid to die? Because I’m not.” He proceeds to wipe the floor with them and it’s awesome.

We finally get to see the showdown that we were waiting for as Norris comes face with his old partner turned crime boss, Parks. The fight is solid enough, but how it ends is the most memorable. Chuck ends up tying him to a chair as the chair dangles out the window. Chuck’s police backup shows up and you think it’s over, but then we see Parks has a bomb strapped to him as well. Boom! He gets splattered all over the window. The police chief yells at Norris saying, “We wanted him alive!” and then Norris replies with “Ain’t life a bitch?!”. Epic line to close off this early 90s action classic.

The Cutter: Chuck Norris Shines in his Final Starring Role

A Classic Chuck Norris Performance

What really makes this movie standout is the cool, moody atmosphere it has. Chuck gives his usual tough as nails performance that we all know and love, while the rest of the cast is filled with good, veteran actors, but to me, not all that memorable of characters. Besides the ones I mentioned.

Having said that, The Hitman was one of the last films that Norris did before going into Walker, Texas Ranger mode, and it really is one of the definitive films in his catalog. Who misses seeing Norris on screen? I certainly do. Thankfully he has given us a legacy in entertainment and so many classics to go back to.

Michael Jai White in ‘Never Back Down: No Surrender’ (2016)

By
Robb Antequera
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Michael Jai White Directs and Stars in the powerful punching Never Back Down 3!

In the spring of 2008, we saw the release of Never Back Down, a new martial arts sports teen drama in the vein of The Karate Kid, or if you ask me, a bigger budgeted version of the Billy Blanks DTV martial arts action/teen drama Showdown.

But that movie is essentially a Karate Kid rip-off anyway, so it all works out. In it, Sean Faris plays Jake Tyler, a temperamental teen who learns MMA from martial arts master Jean Roqua (played by Djimon Hounsou) in an effort to take on the high school jock douchebag who humiliated him in a fight, as well as control his rage.

I liked it. It was predictable in the extreme, but it had its charms, and some neat fights. But it was by no means an action classic. The movie was a fairly modest success, grossing almost $42 million WW on a $20 million budget. So you know what that means??

SEQUEL!!! And in 2011, we got Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown on DVD. This time, it starred Michael Jai White (who also made his directorial debut) as Case Walker, a down on his luck former MMA fighter who agrees to train 4 teenage would be fighters for an upcoming tournament, with varying degrees of success. 

The movie was entertaining enough, and featured great fight sequences, but really wasn’t as good as it could’ve been due to its insistence on following the 4 teens over the most interesting character in the movie: Case. But, the movie seemed to find an audience, which means we would get another sequel.

And that we did, with 2016’s Never Back Down: No Surrender. White would not only return as Case, but director as well. And this time, the movie would be focused purely on him. But would that do the trick? Would we get the DTV martial arts action classic that we were so desperately looking for in this series? Let’s find out!

Triple Threat: An Ultimate Martial Arts Movie for the Ages

Never Back Down: No Surrender

Picking up after the events of Never Back Down 2, former MMA champion Case Walker is on the comeback trail to become champion once again.

So, do we get a classic? Uhhh… No. While all the ingredients are there, the movie stops just a couple of hairs too short of reaching the heights of other MJW classics such as Undisputed 2 and Blood & Bone. But what we do get is a very solid martial arts action drama that will completely quell any cravings you have for ultimate martial arts action!

First off, let’s talk about the incredible cast that was assembled for this one. Aside from awesome performances by MJW and Evan Peters (returning from the first one), Part 2’s biggest detriment is that the 4 main characters ranged from decent to very dull.

We do not have a repeat of that problem here, as we get great performances all around, from not just MJW, but also former UFC fighter Josh Barnett, Gillian White (aka Mrs. MJW) Nathan Jones, and a deliciously evil turn from Esai Morales as the main villain Hugo Vega.

‘Dragged Across Concrete’ is Pure Grindhouse Action Done Right

Michael Jai White as Star and Director

Michael Jai White

MJW also greatly improves as a director, going from pretty solid to damn near stellar in a single bound. The scene where Case battles an arrogant fighter named Cobra O’Conor (Badass name), and it switches to black and white to visualize his next plan of attack is so beautifully handled. Kudos to him for working on his craft to give us some of the best visuals in the series thus far.

Speaking of fights, let’s get to the bread and butter: the action. And my oh my, we get the finest sequences this franchise has to offer! The level of combat on display here is absolutely exquisite, specifically the aforementioned battle with Cobra, and the climactic brawl with Nathan Jones.

MJW and his fight choreographer Larnell Stovall have gone above and beyond to try and give us some absolutely crackling action, and they more than succeeded. Bravo, gentlemen!

Accident Man: Scott Adkins as a Comicbook Action Hero

The Balance Between Drama and Action

Now, onto my issues. The movie, like its predecessors, does get bogged down in its attempts to be dramatic. While it is nice to see MJW and his beautiful wife act together, as they have tremendous chemistry, their scenes kind of get repetitive after a while, as well as Barnett’s scenes where he tries to woo her.

Also female martial arts sensation Jeeja Yanin makes an extended cameo, but it’s all for naught because her scenes are absolutely irrelevant and go nowhere, making her character so absolutely unnecessary to to the movie that you wonder why was she even cast at all.

Nathan Jones is more or less a non-character through it all. He’s set up as the man to beat at the end, but all we know about him is he’s a roided up freak who beats his wife. And that’s it. I mean yeah, he’s a woman beater, beat his ass. But maybe we could’ve used a bit more to him to make it all mean more at the end. Like making him a willing accomplice in some under the table criminal activities performed by Vega. But it is what it is.

But other than that, this was absolutely solid. MJW and team put on a hell of a show, and gave us a damn good martial arts action flick. Now, let’s hope the Black Dragon returns soon and gives us Pt. 4. With the roll he’s on, we just may get that classic we so desperately want with the next one. Time will tell.

Olivier Gruner Stars in Isaac Florentine’s ‘Savate’ (1995)

By
Andrew Babcock
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AKA ‘The Fighter‘ this martial arts western kicks some serious butt!

The pairing of director Isaac Florentine and already established star Olivier Gruner was a dream come true for fans who flocked to the video store shelves in search of their next fix. This kickboxing-western gem is something every b- movie fan should seek out immediately.

Before we dive into the movie itself, let me give you a little background on the action director genius that is Isaac Florentine. He has a certain style and magic to his fight choreography that is just a blast to watch and genre fans can easily pick out when they are watching one of his films. Having a background in martial arts himself, (training in karate since the age of 13), Florentine has brought that knowledge to his filmmaking over the years.

From Undisputed 2-4 with Scott Adkins, to Bridge of Dragons with Dolph Lundgren, to The Shepherd with Van Damme, to Cold Harvest with Daniels and Genesse, it is no secret that he is beloved by martial arts action fans, including myself. One of my TV show obsessions growing up was the series he helmed called WMAC Masters.

Scott Adkins Finds His Ultimate Form in ‘Boyka: Undisputed’ (2016)

Olivier Gruner Deserves Some Ultimate Recognition!

As for Gruner, the guy is a real life tough guy and soldier, as at 18 he joined the Special Operation Forces of the French Navy. He later became the first ever French kickboxing champion and held other titles in the sport as well, before becoming one of the kings of action movies in the 90s.

Now to one of Florentine’s earliest films – Savate, which after finally tracking it down, has got to be up there with his best work, thanks in large part to the film’s star Olivier Gruner.

The film’s western time period setting makes it pretty unique compared to a lot of what was coming out at the time and they execute it well, complete with an epic western music score throughout. The film is set in the year 1865 and sees Gruner as a French officer who finds himself in the states in search of his commander that murdered his best friend.

His commander played by Marc Singer (The Beastmaster), who turns in a hilarious over the top performance, while still getting to show off his fighting skills, as he holds a black belt in kung fu.

Mickey Rourke Takes on Danny Trejo in ‘Point Blank’ (1998)

Farmers, Scream Queens and More!

A supporting cast of familiar faces always makes the movie watching experience so much more fun. In his travels, Gruner crosses paths with a couple of farmers – Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210/Sharknado) and and scream queen Ashley Lawrence (Hellraiser/Outside the Law). Ziering and Lawrence are in a struggle for their home and land as a rich landowner is wanting to take over by any means necessary.

Gruner and Ziering’s scenes together are especially fun to watch as Gruner attempts to train him in the ways of the French kickboxing art of Savate.

Not to directly spoil anything, but one of the two (Ziering and Lawrence) gets killed, so Gruner ends up entering a fighting tournament to get the money for their land.

I should mention that one of the other townspeople is none other than Donald Gibb (Bloodsport) and I loved seeing him in this. He provides one of the funniest quotes in the movie. There is a fly buzzing around and Gruner takes it out near a window with one of his swift kicks. Gibb apparently didn’t notice the fly and this leads him to snicker and say “You’re putting your future in the hands this Frenchman who can’t even break a window?!”

Daniel Bernhardt Keeps the Kumite Alive and Kicking in ‘Bloodsport 3’

But How Ultimate is the Action?

The fights are a plenty throughout and Gruner really shines! I’d go as far to say that this is my favorite role of his now. His roundhouse and jumping back kicks are some of the prettiest and most lightning quick I’ve seen on screen.

He toys with most of his would be attackers and it is without a doubt entertaining to watch. The best tourney fight before the main battle, sees Gruner going up against Erik Betts aka The Panther from WMAC Masters. Very cool that Florentine brought him in for this too where he gets to show off some sweet capoeira moves.

The before mentioned Commander Marc Singer has one of the funniest names in film history…  Ziegfield Von Trotta! Hell yes. The final fight between the two is an epic battle that goes from the ring to a nearby church. It is worth the wait and let’s just say, eye-popping (you know what I mean if you’ve seen the movie).

Rounding out the rest of the cast is the legendary James Brolin (The Amityville Horror/The Expert) as a Colonel as well as Rance Howard (Universal Soldier), Michael Palance and Raleigh Wilson.

Florentine had a thing for martial arts movies in a western setting. With his first film being Desert Kickboxer, to Savate to Cold Harvest. I’ll be getting to the other two for you UAMC readers in the future, but right now, I am telling you to grab your six-shooter and seek out Savate!

Watch the Original ‘Terminator 2’ Alternate Ending

By
Jourdan Aldredge
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Is this the “true” ending to the original Terminator franchise?

I’m sure I saw this back in the day, but for some reason forgot it existed until recently – and it’s pretty appropriate to discuss right now with the Terminator franchise being in the news right now.

With all the hoopla made over the actually very ultimate and awesome Terminator: Dark Fate as a direct sequel to the original two Terminator and Terminator 2 movies, this ending would stand in stark contradiction.

But let’s recap the ending of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. 

Exploring the Multimedia Legacy of Terminator 2: Judgement

The Released Terminator 2 Ending

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 destroys the T-1000 and makes his ultimate hero’s journey sacrifice by lowering himself into a vat of molten steel to “self-terminate”. (Queue robo-thumbs up emoji!) We then get Sarah Connor and John driving down a highway as she talks via voice over.

“The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it for the first time with a sense of hope. Because if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can, too.”

However, as we can see below, this was at least originally, not always supposed to be the case for the ending.

Watch: Sylvester Stallone Deep Fake Added Into ‘Terminator 2’

The Alternate Terminator 2 Ending

In this version, we get not only the information that Judgement Day came and went with no issues (along with the crucial bit of cultural relevance that Michael Jackson turned 40… which is not ultimate action movie news so we won’t touch that), but that we have older Sarah Connor as a grandmother and John Connor as a politician of some sort.

Obviously, this would stand in stark contrast to what we see in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and alternatively in Dark Fate for what the future would hold. But in some ways it would have at least wrapped up Terminator 2 as the end of what possibly should have been just a duology.

What do you think though? Would you have been happier with this ending now after we’ve seen the sequels and the latest reboot sequel? Chime off in the comments below…

Matt McColm in the Cannon Films-worthy ‘Subterfuge’ (1996)

By
Andrew Babcock
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If only Matt McColm’s Subterfuge had come out a decade earlier!

The 80s and 90s, aka the golden age of action movies, it is safe to say everyone reading this on UAMC has fond memories of it and still love popping in your favorite DVD or VHS tape, escaping to another time.

A time when things were simpler and just more fun. There is so much to discover and I especially love to shine the spotlight on the lesser known stars and movies. The DTV (direct to video) arena if you will. I’ve already brought you film reviews from Bernhardt, Speakman, Bradley, Griffith and others… today, it is time to get to another underrated action hero – Matt McColm.

His earliest film roles include appearances in classics like Cyborg and They Live, McColm prominently made his living as a stuntman in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Above The Law and many more. He is probably best known for starring in the superhero TV series, Night Man, but to me he has always followed in the footsteps of someone like Jeff Speakman, as he holds a blackbelt in kenpo karate.

Today I would like to present to you one of his starring roles, Subterfuge.

Daniel Bernhardt in Sheldon Lettich’s ‘Perfect Target’ (1997)

Odd Title, Ultimate Action

The film sees McColm starring as an ex-military man, turned beach bum, who is now running a scuba diving business in California, with his younger brother, played by Jason Gould (Say Anything/or probably best known as the son of Barbara Streisand).

The beginning of the movie sees a plane carrying US civilians being accidentally shot down by the Russians. Or was it an accident? The US blames Russia and Russia blames the US for setting them up. McColm and Gold are roped into the race to retrieve the black box from the plane that is located somewhere in the Black Sea. Joining them along the way is the lovely Amanda Pays (Leviathan) as a decorated agent herself.

The trio all have fun chemistry together and it just works. Gold kind of gets a bit annoying at points, always complaining about his big brother bullying him. His comic relief and personality makes up for it though. McColm and Pays have a growing relationship as well, when reading about her credentials; as she went from a Playboy bunny, to a marine to a CIA operative, McColm says “This girl is deadlier than Charlie Manson!”

Mickey Rourke Takes on Danny Trejo in ‘Point Blank’ (1998)

Matt McColm Simply Knows Action!

The exotic locations in the water and the surrounding areas provide a nice backdrop for the action that ensues. The action. Probably the most critical thing to these movies right? So lets get to it. There is plenty of it! We get the first fight scene early on and it’s a bar fight! One of the classic staples that we never get tired of in these kind of movies!

It starts off by McColm changing the channel from an action movie, back to the news, saying “if you’ve seen one action movie you’ve seen ‘em all right?”. Some guys don’t take too kindly to that and here we go! He gets to show off and ends up breaking a pool stick in two and using it to his advantage. Remind you of anyone? (Speakman).

The next fight scene happens later on the beach and it is probably the best or most extended of the film. He gets to throw some really nice kicks and ends up finishing the job with a knife.

Dolph Lundgren at His Absolute Best in ‘Army of One’ / ‘Joshua Tree’

Ultimate Fight After Ultimate Fight

There is also an underwater fight scene, if you can call it that and then the finale is pretty solid as well. It sees him shooting while swinging from a chain and jumping after the main bad guy played by Richard Brake (Doom/Batman Begins). Brake did okay with his role, but was far from the greatest of foes McColm faced in his other films like Ron Perlman and John Savage – we will get to them at another time.

The final fight between McColm and Brake was fairly quick, but we got to see some more of his kenpo moves, so it was cool with me. To me, McColm had the “it factor” and gives a very likable performance and makes me wonder why he only got a handful of starring roles.

Subterfuge didn’t come out until 1996, when film companies like Cannon were already gone, but Subterfuge channels the fun spirit of Cannon without a doubt, proving to be an action adventure gem. Also with a tagline like “The Cold War Just Got Hot Again!” – maybe it would have fared a bit better if it were released a decade earlier?

The Most Ultimate Sports Documentaries of All Time

By
Jack Beresford
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‘I Am Duran’ and some of the most ultimate sports documentaries

To celebrate the home release of critically acclaimed documentary I Am Duran, the amazing true story of four-time World Champion Panamanian boxer, Roberto Durán, we take a look back at some of the all-time greatest sports documentaries.

With I Am Duran boasting an amazing blend of world history and sporting action, plus compelling interviews with Roberto Durán himself and Hollywood movie icons Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, boxing legends Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis, Marvin Hagler, Ricky Hatton and more, it’s the must-see sports film of this year. Here are a few more for your watch list…

Pumping Iron (1977)

Back when it was first released, this small independent documentary seemingly came from nowhere, though it was inspired by a book by co-director George Butler and Charles Gaines.

It would introduce a whole generation and the global community to the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger, an already-established bodybuilding star, who would soon make in-roads into acting.

Focusing on Arnold’s Mr. Olympia rivalry with underdog favourite Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) and a cast of colourful personalities in and out of the gym, it’s the ultimate tribute to the sport of bodybuilding.

Hoop Dreams (1994)

In this critically acclaimed but underrated basketball documentary, two ordinary inner-city kids dare to dream the impossible, professional basketball glory, in this epic chronicle of hope and faith.

Filmed over a five-year period, we follow Arthur Agee and William Gates as they navigate the complex, competitive world of scholastic athletics while fighting to overcome the intense pressures of family life and the hard realities of their urban environment.

Solely for its storytelling style, Hoop Dreams has been hugely influential for many sports’ documentary filmmakers.

When We Were Kings (1996)

On 30th October 1974, arguably the most famous heavyweight championship boxing match of all time took place in Kinshasa, Zaire. It was the “Rumble in the Jungle” and paired champion George Foreman with challenger Muhammad Ali, considered by many to be past his prime.

Through historical footage and new interviews, this film explores the hype and anticipation behind the fight, as well as the political and cultural impact. Praised for its documentation of sporting history, it’s a must-see.

Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)

In the early 1970s, young surfers from a tough Californian neighbourhood took up skateboards and launched a counterculture phenomenon. These twelve “Z-Boys” (including one girl) created a lifestyle that carved a niche for “extreme sports” and integrated into American punk rock culture.

Narrated by Hollywood star Sean Penn, it’s an entertaining look into an underappreciated side of American youth sports. The documentary was also the inspiration for the biopic feature, Lords of Dogtown, starring the late Heath Ledger.

Senna (2010)

This is the true story of Brazilian motor racing legend, Ayrton Senna, who many believe was the greatest driver who ever lived. Spanning his epic Formula One career, the film charts his physical and spiritual journey, both on the track and off; his quest for perfection and his

transformation from a gifted novice, who exploded into F1 in 1984, to myth after the tragic events of Imola in 1994. It was the first official documentary feature about his life, featuring previously never-before-seen archive material.

The Two Escobars (2010)

A gripping true story about the intersection of crime, sports and nationalism in 1990 Columbia. At a time when drug money fuelled the sport known in the underworld as narco-soccer, the fates of Andres Escobar, the captain of Nacional, and Pablo Escober, the notorious leader of the Medellín cartel, were permanently linked.

When Andres was murdered 10 days after scoring an own goal against the US in the first round of the 1994 World Cup, it cost his country more than a shot at the title. Complete with never-before-seen footage from the personal archives of Pablo’s relatives and new interviews with Andre’s teammates and family, The Two Escobars is a complex, gripping film which many have labelled as the best football documentary ever made.

I Am Duran (2019)

Boxing icon Roberto Durán is known and idolised as a titanic figure straddling five epic decades as a fighter, and still ranked as one of the most entertaining, controversial and finest of all time.

A one man wrecking-ball who took on the world, he transcended his sport and helped inspire a nation to rise up against its CIA funded dictator to achieve independence. From his days shining shoes on the street, to packing out arenas across the world, this is the story of modern Panama and its most celebrated child.

Featuring candid, reflective insight from the great man himself, with many star contributions, including his fearless opponents, everyone agrees that Durán is one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Dazzler Media presents I Am Duran out now on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital

How Tall is Sylvester Stallone?

By
Ultimate Action Movies
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Because you want to know if you’re taller than Sly!

Don’t ask us why, but apparently many fans of the great Sylvester Stallone care about how tall the man is. Yes, he is ultimate action movie royalty. Yes, his physique is a huge part of his legacy. But he’s a movie actor – so does it really matter?

If the answer is yes, then you’ll be happy to know that Sylvester Stallone is five foot ten inches tall (or approximately 177.8 in centimeters).

How Old is Sylvester Stallone?

Sylvester Stallone at 5 Foot 10 Inches

But don’t let that number fool you, Stallone at his peak was a force to be reckoned with. From his Rocky boxing days to his Rambo buff-ness to his mountain climbing exploits in Cliffhanger, Stallone often comes off as much larger than life on the big silver screen.

His weight and physique have also changed from role to role as Stallone is a notorious gym hound who keeps himself in top physical shape and ready to go for any variety of roles (or character reboots).

What is Sylvester Stallone’s Net Worth?

All Hail the Japanese Ultimate Action Breakout ‘Hydra’ (2019)

By
Robb Antequera
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Masanori Mimoto delivers 77-minutes of ultimate action!

An action lover’s quest to find great new action movies may come off like a game of roulette most of the time. Sometimes, you hit big and get a new action classic on your hands, but a lot of the time you end up with a big old dud. It is what it is, though.

I know not every action movie is gonna be the next Commando or Die Hard or even John Wick: Chapter 3. But sometimes, great action may land right in your lap when you least expect it. And that’s exactly what happened to me when I was given the chance to view a new action movie from Japan called Hydra.

First Love: The Heartfelt Hyper-Violence of Takashi Miike

UAMC Hails Hydra!

An assassin for a secret organization keeping Japan safe from underworld threats finds himself targeted by evil forces aiming to unleash an unstoppable criminal syndicate upon Japan.

Before I get started, I want to give a big, special thanks to Lee B. Golden over at Film Combat Syndicate for presenting me with the opportunity to watch this. When he contacted me, I had never heard of this movie, so I had no idea what to expect. But, he said he knew I would enjoy it. I guess what I’m trying to say is… Mr. Golden is psychic, because enjoy this one I did!

This was such a splendid piece of asian action cinema! Quirky and abstract, as well as dark and brutal, with a final fight that will definitely become an all timer in the years to come, Hydra left me with a genuine feeling of action satisfaction once the credits started rolling.

Japanese Trailer for New Steven Seagal Actioner ‘General Commander’ Drops!

Masanori Mimoto Stars as Takashi

The reason for the success of this is totally due to the characters, especially the central one. Lead actor Masanori Mimoto, who plays the main character Takashi, interjects him with such a wonderful blending of awkward and dangerous to give us an incredibly soulful and charismatic performance. 

Takashi struggles with a past life he know longer wants to be a part of, and just wants to disappear into a banal life. But is confronted with the dark forces of that past life and is forced to face it head on. Truly a remarkable performance.

The world that he inhabits is also completely immersive. Director Kensuke Sonomura (Re:Born) brings this fascinating world to delightfully morbid life. Half filled with sunny people, the other half with shadowy characters, all of it off-beat and unorthodox, this universe definitely gives the one in the John Wick series a run for its money. And I’m hoping we get to visit it again.

COPYCATS! Double Impact (1991) vs. Twin Dragons (1992/1999 U.S.)

But How Ultimate is the Action?

But now we get to the crème de la crème of this movie, and that is the action. And good lord, does this one pack a punch! This is truly some of the most fantastic fight choreography I have seen all decade! I may even go out on a limb and say this is some of the best fight choreography I have ever seen. It’s that exceptional. 

There are 2 extended fight scenes where I was just completely wowed. Just pure wide eyed stunned silence as I watched. I was in complete awe. The very best in hand to hand combat. When I said the final fight scene is destined to become an all timer, I promise you I was not being hyperbolic. I genuinely think it’s that great. 

It absolutely takes its place among great fight scenes such as Donnie Yen vs Wu Jing in SPL, Jackie Chan vs Benny “The Jet” Urquidez in Wheels on Meals, even Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon. I want to endlessly go on and on about how great this fight is but there are just not enough words in the english language to help me convey just how amazing it truly is.

The True Heir to Bruce Lee is Sonny Chiba in ‘The Street Fighter’

A Short, Sweet (and Ultimate) Actioner

Were there any issues? Sure. The aforementioned world these characters inhabit is unfortunately massively underexplored. It’s so fascinating, you want to see more, but the movie’s very brisk 77 min running time doesn’t really leave much for exploration. Maybe they’re saving that for the sequel? Who knows? But I’d love to see more. 

Also, the movie isn’t packed to the gills with action, either. Although the movie is filled with tension and dread, those two fight scenes I mentioned earlier are primarily the two biggest sequences of note in the movie. I mean I didn’t have a problem with it, because I understood what the filmmakers were trying to accomplish, but I can see others having issues with that. It’s ok though, the movie is ONLY 77 minutes, so you won’t have to wait long. And trust me, those scenes are worth the wait.

But all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this. This was definitely something I’d want to not only see again, but something I’d love to see more of in the future. Hopefully, we get a full fledged franchise out of this. I mean I hope so, because I’m already ready for Hydra 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, The spinoff, the tv series, the comic book tie-in…

Watch Arnold Schwarzenegger in ‘No Country for Old Men’

By
Jourdan Aldredge
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Hasta la vista, friendo…

This one is for all those ultimate action movie fans that watched the Coen Brothers classic neo-western crime thriller No Country for Old Men and said: “this is great, but you know what would make it even better… more Arnold Schwarzenegger!”

Well, if that exact scenario didn’t happen for you, it apparently did for the Youtuber Ctrl Shift Face who did his Deep Fake magic on one of the most iconic scenes from Old Country to replace the diabolically great Javier Bardem’s portrayal of merciless hitman Anton Chigurh with an age-appropriate deep faked Arnold.

Some may be familiar with a similar method being used to superimpose Sylvester Stallone into several famous scenes from Arnold’s Terminator 2 to create a shocking, and at times creepy, effect of watching a Sly T2.

Watch: Sylvester Stallone Deep Fake Added Into ‘Terminator 2’

Arnold in No Country for Old Men

So what’s cool about this latest Deep Fake version isn’t just the oddness of Arnold playing a straight character these days (he’s been on a pretty self-aware and cameo-based streak in his latter years). But we also get some great Arnold voice acting (credit to Joe Gaudet).

It honestly also just makes you remember what a fantastic movie No Country for Old Men is. It’d be hard to make the argument that anyone besides Javier Bardem could have played Anton Chigurh, but I do love the idea of Arnold going back to his bad guy roots in what would actually be a pretty similar performance (but obviously much more nuanced) to his original Terminator role.

An Ultimate Action Coen Brothers Movie

Let’s be honest, the Coen Brothers might be terrific filmmakers, but their work wouldn’t often be classified in the “ultimate action movie” genre. However, one could easily argue that their sensibilities would do well with the genre. The original merciless killer biker from Raising Arizona comes to mind as certainly being worthy of an entire UAMC movie.

Maybe, if this Deep Fake video goes viral enough, Arnold and the Coen Brothers will take notice and think of a cool idea to collaborate on. Maybe the Coen Bros could take over the Terminator franchise now that it’s a box office wash, or do an anthology of hitmen as school teachers series for Netflix. We can always ultimately hope!

For further odd, ultimate, creepiness, here are some more screen grabs from the video below.

Mickey Rourke Takes on Danny Trejo in ‘Point Blank’ (1998)

By
Andrew Babcock
-

Mickey Rourke vs. Danny Trejo in a Die Hard-In-A-Mall situation? Where do I sign up?!

In 1998’s Point Blank we got just that and how it wasn’t “theater worthy” is beyond me! One of those DTV 90s action movies that were every bit as good as a lot of things that hit the theaters.

I’ve always been fan of Mickey Rourke. I think he always has a certain old school movie star presence to him, always underappreciated in the acting department and is just plain cool no matter what kind of movie he is in.

UAMC readers, lets dive in….

VHS Vault: Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

The Most Ultimate ‘Point Blank’

The movie starts off with a group of convicts being transported on a bus. One of them being corporate criminal Howard played by Paul Ben-Victor – one of those actors whose name might not ring a bell at first, but one you will surely recognize when you see his face.

His resume includes everything from True Romance to Daredevil, Tombstone to Red Scorpion II. Here he gives a surprisingly slick and cold-blooded performance as the mastermind behind the breakout. Sitting alongside him are fellow prisoners Wallace (played by Danny Trejo who needs no introduction), Michael Wright as Sonny (who is actually produced and wrote a song that was part of the Lionheart soundtrack) and Kevin Gage as Joe Ray (Heat) who plays the brother of Rourke. A layer to the movie that gets more and more interesting as it goes.

Anyway, it wastes no time for the bullets to start flying in a successful breakout attempt. They end up taking over a local mall in brutal and decisive fashion, killing many, before taking hostages and making their demands.

Nicolas Cage in ‘Con Air’ – The 90s Action Hero We Never Knew We Needed (Part 2)

Mickey Rourke, Texas Ranger

Enter a muscled-up Mickey Rourke, an ex-Texas ranger who is spending some quiet time with his father played by James Gammon (Major League/Silverado) when he finds out about what’s going on. His father encourages him to go in and get his brother out of there, so he sets out to do just that.

The movie takes some time to let you give you some backstory of each of the convicts, attempting to make you sympathize with them, but to no avail. I still couldn’t wait to see Rourke come through and take em all out one by one and he did just that. Well, almost all of them.

This was a time in Rourke’s career where he was also delving into professional boxing in the real world, so he was in tip-top shape. This also comes off the heels of going up against Van Damme in Double Team. I heard he got to train in some martial arts around that time and here in Point Blank, he gets to lay down his own brand of Van Damage.

Yes! He dishes out the punishment with some nice kicks, strikes and takedowns that would make Van Damme proud, while on the other hand, makes Trejo go apeshit as he at one point says “Who are you? Bruce fucking Lee?!”. There is a lot of cool slow-mo gunplay and some memorable kills involving shooting knives and suffocation by plastic bag while hanging from the ceiling.

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Mickey Rourke vs Danny Trejo

The showdown between Rourke and Trejo is satisfying as they tear down the walls of an area of the mall that is under construction. Until another one of the baddies comes up and shoots Trejo for a reason I still don’t fully understand. You think he was dead until he resurfaces at the end all covered in blood and paint wielding two guns yelling “Where are you goin’ with my hostages?!”.

Oh Danny Trejo! What a national treasure he is. Fans of his won’t be left disappointed here either as he gets to do what he does in nearly every movie he is in – snorting coke while a topless woman dances for him! He turns in a great, over the top performance like only he can.

More noteworthy cast members include Frederic Forrest (Apocalypse Now/Crash Dive), Robert Zachar (Star Trek First Contact/Swelter), Yolanda Williams (RoboCop), Werner Schreyer, and Nina Savelle, who really hasn’t done much else besides this, but she was the main female lead here.

The plot is straight forward but damnit, it is so damn fun! Some cheesy lines, but in the best way possible. There’s still some good action movies being made these days, but they forget to inject a certain fun factor like they did in the good ol days of action cinema.

That’s why I still love the 80s and 90s era so much. If you are like me… a sucker for Die Hard type movies, then I have no doubt that you will have a blast with Point Blank too!

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