He quickly earned the moniker ‘Big Nasty’ thanks to his sizeable frame and habit of scowling on demand – but that’s all part of his in-the-ring persona, apparently.
Speaking to Men’s Health, Munteanu revealed himself to be a surprisingly friendly and somewhat less intimidating presence in real life. In fact, the interview saw the Romanian grappler lift the lid on the intensive preparations that went into the role of Viktor Drago – a terrifying fighter born into hate.
This was something the film’s director Steven Caple Jr. helped foster long before the cameras started rolling. Prior to filming, Caple Jr. had Munteanu sit down with an acting coach and reveal every painful moment he could recall from his life.
“I had to tell all the dark and deep moments I was living in my whole life. He knew everything,” Munteanu tells Men’s Health.
Once filming began, Caple Jr. would regularly reference these incidents in an attempt at triggering a response from Munteanu – one in keeping with his character, Viktor. On top of this, Munteanu would endure grueling 14-hour days of anger and fight choreography. It came at a cost.
There might not be a more memorably awful acting performance in existence. While Lambert wasn’t any Oscar winner in the original Highlander, his skills were better hid in the Scottish Highlands than in Highlander 2’s future hellscape. Most notably awful in the beginning when Lambert has to play a highly prosthetic-ized older version of Connor MacLeod, Lambert’s choice of delivery is quite… unique… and amazing.
The Non-Ultimate Action
You’d think for a movie with as much hype and budget as Highlander 2, you’d at least get some major ultimate action out of it. While the sets are just about comparable to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Tim Burton’s Batman in terms of detail and function, the action falls absolutely flat time and time again. If you think thousands of pounds of firework explosives can make a fight scene, then maybe you don’t mind the sword fights basically just consist of very slow moving lunges that look like they were taken from a children’s theater production.
The “Fairytale” Ending
We’ll get to the extra-terrestrial elements in a bit, but one big point of contention for Highlander 2 comes from its rough-and-tumble production which apparently stems from excessive interference from the film’s bonding company – and very well never reached fruition.
The “Fairytale” ending was only shown in Europe and apparently offers a different ending which returns MacLeod to the planet Zeist. However, this really wouldn’t help clear much up was apparently rushed itself with a hasty production build-out.
Roger Ebert’s UAMC-worthy Quote
“Highlander II: The Quickening is the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I’ve seen in many a long day—a movie almost awesome in its badness. Wherever science fiction fans gather, in decades and generations to come, this film will be remembered in hushed tones as one of the immortal low points of the genre.”
If I have one hope in the world, it’s that if the great Roger Ebert was still around today, that he’d be a fan of the Ultimate Action Movie Club. While he may be the best film critic of all time, his finger-on-the-pulse lens for what makes movies entertaining or boring, good or bad, was spot on. If he were a UAMC member, his original write up would be absolutely perfect.
John C. McGinley’s Terrible Orson Welles Impression
John C. McGinley has a way of popping up time and time again throughout the Ultimate Action Movie Club extended universe. (FBI Agent Ben Harp in Point Break anyone!?) While his role as David Blake another solid contribution for the volatile actor, his odd choice of taking on an Orson Welles-esque voice impression was arguably a terrible decision by even his own admission.
Is it Really a Sequel?
Throughout Highlander’s long and storied history of film and television, much non-continuity has been followed as to who the highlander immortals are and how they exist. Save for being “immortal” and only being able to die from having their heads cut off, everything else is apparently up for interpretation. Most awfully side-stepped in Highlander 2 is the direct contradictions to the original Highlander where MacLead on Sean Connery’s Ramirez first meeting in Scotland in 1541. In Highlander 2, it shows that they’re actually both from the planet Zeist and have known each other for 500 years already.
Aliens? ALIENS??
Which again, is an absolutely awfully awesome ultimate way to start a DIRECT SEQUEL to one of the most badass action movies (with a killer Queen soundtrack to boot!) by revealing that everything in the first one doesn’t matter because actually… their aliens. Aliens!
What are your thoughts on Highlander II: The Quickening? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
May the original live-action ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ still hold an ultimate place in all our hearts!
The original 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film is still considered a nostalgic favorite by 80s and 90s kids alike. Much attention has been given to the film’s faithfulness to the darker tone of the original TMNT comics, but rarely discussed is how well the film works as a 1990s action movie. In that context, thanks to excellent choreography and a seemingly blasé willingness to brutalize expensive rubber costumes, it actually holds up quite well.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
The story is simple: Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael (voiced by Brian Tochi, Corey Feldman, Robbie Rist, and Josh Pais respectively) are four radioactive, crime-fighting turtles.
Taught all they know by their mutated rat sensei Master Splinter (voiced by Kevin Clash), they spend their days combating criminals, cracking one-liners, and dwelling in the New York City sewers. However, a crime wave conducted by a ninja organization known as the Foot Clan is sweeping across NYC, headed by the mysterious Shredder (James Saito).
Investigative reporter April O’Neil (Judith Hoag) looks into the Foot, only to be shut down by her boss and targeted by Shredder for her trouble. After being rescued from an attack by Raphael, she becomes the Turtles’s link to the topside world. When their sewer home is invaded by the Foot and Master Splinter kidnapped, the Turtles and April resolve to take down Shredder with the additional help of street vigilante Casey Jones (Elias Koteas) and troubled Foot recruit Danny Pennington (Michael Turney).
More Than a Cartoon or Comic
One distinguishing mark of the movie is its dark and gritty aesthetic. The set design and art direction are phenomenal, going for a sense of urban squalor. Everything looks lived in, grimy, even the more whimsical sets. The Foot Lair in particular looks like a 1990s riff on the Pleasure Island of Disney’s Pinocchio, complete with skateboard ramps, neon lights, and arcade games.
I hesitate to say the tone is dark and gritty too, since there are corny jokes and moments of slapstick aplenty, but the story takes itself seriously when it needs to. The script is tight and focused, never dragging out the plot and giving the viewer tons of memorably staged fight scenes in which stunt performers in rubber turtle suits work martial arts miracles.
Jim Henson’s Finest Work
Aside from being fun, the action scenes move the story forward, dragging the Turtles into ever more treacherous territory—so treacherous that some parents felt the movie was too violent for children.
The violence was also decried some of the crew: both Hoag and Jim Henson (whose Creature Shop provided the still-effective Turtle costume and Splinter puppet) were put off by the amount of aggression in the finished product, finding it excessive.
But the violence isn’t excessive—it’s made clear that fights with ninja weapons tend to have major physical consequences, even if you are a giant talking turtle. The best example of this is the rooftop fight sequence, where an outmatched Raphael attempts to fend off a swarm of Footsoldiers before they invade April’s apartment. The choreography is excellent there, imaginatively staged and fluid, which is the case throughout the entire movie.
Fun and Violence – Turtle style!
In fact, the apartment fight scene might encapsulate so much of what makes the original TMNT movie appealing: its heady mix of action, humor, and genuine emotional weight. The fight choreography is great, shot and edited with real verve, infused with some slapstick but not so much that it takes away from the menace of the enemy forces (something woefully lacking from the sanitized, parent-friendly action scenes in the two TMNT sequels).
The first half of the scene cuts between Raphael fending off the ninja army on the roof and April showing her late father’s junk shop to the other three turtles, bonding with them over the loss of a father.
Actually, TMNT has a few pivotal quiet scenes in the same vein which give the audience time to breathe between the major action set-pieces. The script gives the audience time to get to know the turtles, and flesh out their relationships with each other and their human friends, lending the action scenes more weight when we realize just what is at stake. These slower scenes give the film character development which make it a far more satisfying experience than the shallow exercise in money-grubbing it could have been.
TMNT: UAMC Approved
I won’t say every criticism of this film is unfounded. The ending confrontation is rather anti-climactic, especially after the excitement and imagination of the previous fight scenes. There are times when you can see through the seams of the turtle costumes (including one horrifying moment where Donatello opens his mouth wide and you can see the actor’s face inside the back of his throat!). These are minor quibbles though.
For those seeking a 1980s/1990s nostalgia fix, TMNT 1990 satisfies. However, if you weren’t raised on turtle power and all you want is a good, unpretentious action flick as exciting as it is hilarious, it works just as well.
Do you remember TMNT (1990)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Back in December 2015, Deadline broke the news that a Rambo TV series titled Rambo: New Blood, was in the works. Die Hard writer Jeb Stuart was set to write the series, which would have explored the complex relationship between Rambo and a new protagonist, his son, J.R., a former US Navy Seal.
The Rambo TV Show
Unlike the short-lived Beverly Hills Cop series that centered on the son of Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley, Rambo: New Blood would have featured Rambo as a key character.
Those initial reports suggested Stallone would take a starring role in the show, which was being developed by Entertainment One and Avi Lerner’sMillennium. Then everything went quiet. Until now, that is.
New Life for Rambo: New Blood
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, David Morrell, the author behind the 1972 novel First Blood which formed the basis of the first Rambo film revealed what happened to those plans for a Rambo TV series.
According to Morrell work had indeed begun on a TV spin-off with the author working closely with Miramax on the proposed project. But Morrell wasn’t happy with the way the project was taking shape.
According to the First Blood author while Stallone would have been present on the show, his role had been scaled back to a supporting one, with the focus instead falling on J.R. The main problem was they just couldn’t agree on how it would work.
So Who’s the new Rambo?
“Rambo would be in his early ’70s now, as Sylvester is,” Morrell told the website. “So you’re not going to have a television series with a man of that age as the star. It’s just not currently what people watch.
“So what they were going to do was have Rambo have a child. And this child was in one of the Gulf Wars, and had returned, and now he was coming back from war the way Rambo had come back [from Vietnam]. Never mind that the whole point is that Rambo had been so traumatised by the war that he couldn’t bring himself to have a meaningful relationship, let alone have a child. But we’ll just forget about all that.
“Basically, [Rambo’s son] was going to be someone in civilian life with military skills who did… what? Right wrongs? Was he going to be a version of The Equaliser? I couldn’t figure it out. So to my knowledge, that never went anywhere.”
RIP the Rambo Show
Rambo makes no mention of a son in the films and, from the looks of it, J.R. isn’t going to be popping up in the fifth and potentially final Rambo outing.
It’s fun to imagine who could have ended up playing Rambo’s offspring. Supernatural’sJensen Ackles perhaps? Just an idea. In any case, J.R. died the minute plans for Rambo: New Blood ended up on the scrapheap. R.I.P.
What are your thoughts on the forlorn Rambo TV Show? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky III is great for many reason, but mostly for Mr. T.
Rocky III (1982) is a powerhouse of a movie, although maybe not as culturally or cinematically important as the first two in the franchise it’s maybe the first truly iconic Rocky movie. The Rocky that’s remembered in the popular imagination. It’s one of the first movies of that glorious decade to really shape the genre of action movies to come. It’s full of style with another top quality script and direction, once again written and directed by Sylvester Stallone.
The movie has one of the most impressive opening sequences in all of action movies, a sequence that introduced us to one of the greatest pop songs of all time, The Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor. The cast’s performances are of the highest standard and the family saga element of the franchise is played brilliantly, especially the heart-breaking performance of Burgess Meredith.
The cast was further enhanced with that special brand of 80s Machismo by an appearance from the legend Hulk Hogan himself. Rocky III is a movie about the perils of success and the dangers of forgetting where you have come from as well as themes of rivalry, friendship and equality as well as fantastic action sequences.
Many parts of the internet are dedicated to discussing this but here at the Ultimate Action Movie Club there is a much more noble task at hand and that’s to highlight the brilliance of the one, the only, Mr. T.
For people in the generation of the golden age of action movies it’s almost impossible to believe there was a time before Mr. T. One of the world’s first real multimedia stars came from humble beginnings. Having distinguished himself in the U.S Army, worked as a Bouncer and bodyguard for the rich and famous including boxing personalities such as Ali, Leon Spinks and Joe Frasier.
Mr. T first came to Stallone’s attention in the T.V show Games People Play where T appeared on a segment as America’s toughest bouncer. After a long casting process in which Morgan Freeman was considered for the role of Clubber LangMr. T was cast. Originally a role with just a few lines, Lang’s part was expanded on and it’s just as well as it was because Mr. T’s performance as Lang did not only make him one of the most memorable antagonists in the franchise but also in the history of action films.
One of the most compelling elements of Rocky III is the contrast between the supporting characters of the film. Apollo Creed who, in the Ali style, was portrayed in the franchise as the gentleman pugilist. Creed’s character arc developed from him being Balboa’s most challenging opponent to his friend and coach.
Creed is clearly drawn from a school of boxing which is all about discipline, honour and sportsmanship whereas Mr. T’s Performance as Clubber Lang comes from a very different place. It’s easy to see in Clubber Lang the inspiration of boxers such as Sonny Liston, Larry Holmes and George Foreman. Fighters who came across as heels if you will, aloof and aggressive. Fighters who had superior confidence and were so media aware that they knew that actions in the ring spoke louder than interviews.
The boxers that make up the DNA of Lang’s character were brawlers who could take a hit and then give it back tenfold. OK – maybe we hadn’t quite reached the era of the dirty fighter but the performance of Lang and the real life figures that inspired his creation gave brutal performances that would shape the future of boxing.
One of the defining legacies of the the Rocky films is that they are a commentary on the world of boxing at the time the movies were made.
Mr. T’s performance is absolutely outstanding, he comes across as a real credible threat and is right up there in the highest ranks of legendary movie villains. Every second he is on screen is memorable, thrilling and electric.
Mr. T’s career in the public eye absolutely skyrocketed after Rocky III, “I pity the fool” is, to this day, a quote that goes down in action movie history. (And was never actually used in the A-Team) Mr. T would become beloved by children the world over for his no nonsense attitude, aspirational moral code and huge presence on screen. Rocky III may have cemented the legend of the Rocky franchise but it gave birth to the myth that is Mr. T.
Where does Rocky 3 stack up on your ultimate franchise list? Let us know in the comments!
Sylvester Stallone is turning detective for his new action movie Backtrace (2018).
The first trailer for – Backtrace – the new crime thriller from Lionsgate has just landed with Sylvester Stallone facing a rather unusual predicament this time around.
Stallone plays Detective Sykes in the new high-concept heist actioner that sees the veteran muscleman on the trail of a bank robber with a very bad memory.
On the Backtrace
Written by Mike Maples and directed by Brian A. Miller, Backtrace centers on criminal mastermind MacDonald, played by Matthew Modine who winds up locked up in a psychiatric prison ward with a bad case of amnesia following a bank robbery gone wrong.
Years later, fellow inmate Lucas (Ryan Guzman) breaks MacDonald out of prison and, with a little the help of war doctor Erin (Meadow Williams), forces the veteran heist man to undergo experimental treatment in order to regain his memory.
It turns out that, prior to his arrest, MacDonald successfully squirreled away the millions of dollars he stole in that original heist. The only problem is that he can’t – or couldn’t -remember where he hid it.
Stallone’s Detective Skykes
It’s up to Stallone’s Detective Sykes to stop that happening, but he’s not the only veteran lawman on the case.
Tough-as-nails FBI Agent Franks, played by Happy Gilmore’sShooter McGavin, Christopher McDonald is also on the case and willing to do whatever it takes to get his man – with or without Franks’ help.
Will the two put their differences aside in order to nab their man or is Agent Franks out to score a big payday for himself? You’ll have to watch Backtrace to find out.
But with an impressive cast of familiar faces on offer, this is one action effort Sly fans won’t want to miss out on.
Classic Sylvester Stallone
A neat throwback to previous Stallone efforts like Demolition Man and Cobra, Sly looks to be back in his element as a no-nonsense detective who spends his days kicking ass and taking names.
Due to be released in theaters and on demand come December, this looks like a must-watch for fans of the ultimate action movie legend.
What are your thoughts on Stallone’s Backtrace from this look? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Jonathan Brandis’ tragically short career boasts plenty of memorable credits. There was his starring role in the underrated TV adaptation of Stephen King’s IT, the gender-swap soccer comedy Ladybugs and the underwater adventure series seaQuest DSV to name but a few.
But if you were to ask any action movie fans growing up in the early 90s to name their favourite Brandis film, you might find a few mentions of Sidekicks.
‘Sidekicks’ Place in UAMC History
On the one hand, Sidekicks wasn’t an especially original premise. A film about a loner high school kid learning martial arts under an Asian mentor sounds suspiciously similar to the plot of an earlier effort, Karate Kid. In fact, it’s exactly the same.
However, Sidekicks was elevated above such mediocre status thanks to a charismatic central turn from Brandis, coupled with a clever storyline that weaved the action stylings of a certain Chuck Norris into proceedings.
A worthy rival to Macaulay Culkin as one of the best child stars of his time, Brandis played Barry Gabrewski, an asthmatic and lonely kid living out in Houston, Texas with his widowed and father Jerry (Beau Bridges).
Bullied at school where he’s something of a loner, Barry escapes his reality through vivid daydreams that see him teaming up with his hero, Norris, to dispatch his enemies using Chuck’s familiar brand of high-kicking, gun-slinging justice.
An Aaron Norris Flick
Directed by Chuck Norris’ movie-producing brother and stuntman Aaron Norris, at its heart Sidekicks was your standard against-all-odds karate story.
Eager to take up karate and emulate Norris, Barry path to glory is fraught with problems that begin when Joe Piscopo’sKelly Stone refused to let him train at his dojo, deciding he is too weak for the world of martial arts.
It takes the belief and mentorship of Mako’sMr. Lee to give Barry the impetus and belief required to make it in the sport, with Mr. Lee successfully channelling Barry’s love of Chuck into a training regime that feeds his body as well as his imagination.
Mako audited for the role of Mr. Miagi in Karate Kid, narrowly losing out to Pat Morita and was evidently keen to put his own spin on the familiar character archetype.
A familiar enough narrative, Sidekicks’ strength came with its ability to not only lampoon the familiar cinematic efforts of Norris in a family-friendly way but also incorporate of a positive central message.
Barry starts the film as a distant daydreamer but through inner-strength and determination, spurred on by his hero, ends the film as the karate champion he always hoped to be.
The Chuck Norris Thumbs Up
Where once he needed to escape to the world of Norris and his movies to find his strength, the film’s conclusion sees him thanking Chuck for his support before the action movie legend disappears with one of his trademark thumbs up.
The action, meanwhile, is plentiful and while there are firefights and fisticuffs, the bloodletting is minimal though not to the detriment of the film’s overall action vibe.
This, after all, was a time when filmmakers still felt they could expose children to ‘proper’ action. The kind of action noticeably absent from the film efforts of Dwayne Johnson and the like these days.
“Sidekicks is No Citizen Kane”
SIDEKICKS, Chuck Norris, Jonathan Brandis, 1992, (c)Triumph Releasing
Let’s be clear: Sidekicks is no Citizen Kane. There are better action movies, better Chuck Norris movies and better karate movies – Karate Kid, being one of them.
It’s simplistic in places, follows a clear structure and doesn’t rock the boat too much in terms of characterization or plotting.
But there’s also a lot to enjoy here in a film that pokes fun at Norris’ star persona while encouraging youngsters new to Chuck to check out more of his work.
A Box Office Surprise
Fans evidently agreed too, with Sidekicks scoring a solid $17,180,393 at the box office, where it peaked at no.2 – not bad going for a kids’ film. In some ways, Sidekicks as ahead of its time too.
The idea of spoofing the on-screen efforts of an action movie hero would later be lampooned again, to more biting effect, in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Last Action Hero. Jonathan Brandis should be remembered for so many different things and undoubtedly will.
But 15 years on from his passing, Sidekicks still holds a special place in hearts of a select few action movie fans who grew up on a strict diet of karate movies and are old enough to remember a time before they knew about the magic of Chuck Norris.
What are your thoughts on Jonathan Brandis / Chuck Norris / and Sidekicks? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Copycats is a bimonthly column about popular action movies and the low-budget films they inspire. Each column, we take a popular action movie and find its cinematic doppelganger, revel in their similarities and dissect their differences. Some of these copycats are good enough (or strange enough) to earn their place in action movie history, but most are being chronicled here to preserve their existence – for better or for worse.
Copycat:L.A. Vice, 1989, starring Lawrence–Hilton Jacobs and William Smith, directed by Joseph Merhi
Synopsis of both films: Two cops – one black and one white, become unlikely partners while pursuing criminals in Los Angeles
Copycat Comparison:
Martin Riggs (Gibson) is a cop on the edge. With the painful memory of his recently deceased wife pushing him to the brink of suicide, he finds himself partnered with Roger Murtaugh (Glover) – a family man who is playing it safe as he creeps toward retirement. While they are an unlikely duo, Riggs and Murtaugh systematically and effectively bust up a drug ring that is plaguing the city. In the 31 years since its release, Lethal Weapon has become the iconic blueprint for buddy cop movies – even though it borrowed a formula made popular on television most recently (in 1987) by Miami Vice’s Det. James “Sonny” Crockett (Don Johnson) and Det. Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas).
Fittingly, L.A. Vice combines elements from both, but we’re going to focus more on the Lethal Weapon comparison. Like Lethal Weapon, Det. Jon Chance (Hilton-Jacobs) is unhinged. He plays by his own rules, and he’s a little crazy. When kidnappers take the daughter of a newspaper magnate, Chance is the only person for the job – but he won’t do it unless the recently retired Capt. Joe Wilkes (Smith) backs him up. So, here’s the thing (SPOILER ALERTS) the younger cop in this movie is black while the older cop is white. Also, the older cop doesn’t ever get to say he’s “too old for this” line of work because he dies five minutes after his character is introduced.
So, even though Smith got second billing, Chance’s second partner – a black Indian named Bear (Jastereo Coviare – who also composed the music for L.A. Vice) – has way more screen time. Made by PM Entertainment (which used the same formula for Shotgun), L.A. Vice isn’t so much a Lethal Weapon knockoff as it is a knockoff of the Lethal Weapon poster.
Which is better?
While I personally believe that Tango & Cash is a better buddy cop movie, Lethal Weapon is the reason Tango & Cash exists. While they didn’t invent the formula of partnering up multi-racial cops with conflicting personalities (during the same decade 48 Hrs. partnered Eddie Murphy with Nick Nolte and on TV Miami Vice teamed up Don Johnson with Philip Michael Thomas), Gibson and Glover perfected it. As a movie, it still works today – even after spawning three sequels, a television series and countless imitators. As a cheap knockoff of this (and, come to think of it Miami Vice), L.A. Vice falls short. It’s watchable, but its pacing is uneven. For an action movie, it needs more action.
Other notes: While L.A. Vice feels like a standalone movie, it’s actually the third film in the unofficial Joe Chance tetralogy – which begins with 1989’s L.A. Heatand Angels of the City and is followed by 1990’s Chance. And, if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can see three of four movies! Lucky you!
Article by Eric LaRose – a Wisconsin-based connoisseur of action, horror and sci-fi movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s. A former journalist and podcaster, Eric wrote the ending to the Toxic Avenger Part 4, but the only person who will back up that claim is his wife.
What’s your thoughts on this COPYCAT! showdown? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Iko Uwais is looking pretty ULTIMATE in ‘The Night Comes For Us’ (2018).
Netflix users are spoilt for choice when it comes to action movies but one new Indonesian effort starring The Raid’sIko Uwais is worth seeking out ahead of the others.
The Night Comes For Us, from writer/director Timo Tjahjanto, is a stylishly violent action thriller to rival the likes of Keanu Reeves’ John Wick – but even that doesn’t do justice to the bloody thrill ride that unfolds.
Iko Uwais: A New Action Star
It follows Ito (Joe Taslim) a legendary triad enforcer who, after one truly horrific job gone wrong, decides to turn his back on criminality in order to help a young girl called Reina escape their clutches. In his way stands a raft of gangland rivals and former allies armed to the teeth and willing to fight to the death in order to stop him.
Ito soon finds an ally in Uwais’s Arian, another triad member having doubts and eager to repay the loyalty shown to him by his friend by putting his own life on the line. A violent and chaotic action movie ensues, with Ito and Arian fighting tooth and nail to ensure Reina’s safe passage.
The Night Comes For Us
Four years in the making, The Night Comes For Us arrived on Netflix earlier this month. It earned rave reviews, with critics praising the movie’s plot and characterisation while noting the occasional penchant for excessive violence.
“A no-holds-barred bloodbath that hits the ground running and barely lets you catch your breath before throwing you into the next sequence of out-of-control violence,” Adam Paterson of Film Pulse wrote. “The Night Comes for Us is the movie for those who thought The Raid was too tame,” Sean Mulvihill of Fanboynation.com adds.
Some Pretty Ultimate Reviews
IGN Movies’ Rosie Knight meanwhile adds: “Uniquely violent, stylish, and engaging, The Night Comes For Us is an exciting prospect that delivers on all fronts.”
Josh Martin of Film Inquiry, puts it best though: “It’s insanity. And I loved every second of it.” The critics aren’t the only ones praising the film either, with users giving it the thumbs up with an 87% rating. Netflix users might be spoilt for choice on the action movie front but there are few movies out there quite like The Night Comes For Us and it seems like critics and audiences alike agree.
Have you checked out ‘The Night Comes For Us’ yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page!
VelJohnson reprised the role of Sergeant Powell in Die Hard 2, albeit in a reduced role because of his other job working on the sitcom Family Matters.
But, with Die Hard getting another chance with Die Hard 6 set to go into production soon, he’s open to potentially returning to the character that not only defined the first Die Hard film but also his own career.
Speaking in an interview with Forbes, VelJohnson admitted he would reprise the role “in a heartbeat” provided “they came up with the right story.”
“When I did the second one I was involved in my TV series, Family Matters, and so I couldn’t do the entire film. Joel Silver was very upset because I couldn’t do as much on the second one as I had on the first one. He was kind of angry with me,” he said.
“If they came up with another idea for my character I would certainly do it because Die Hard gave me my career, it gave me my life, and so I have love and respect for everyone involved in that movie.”
Die Hard 6 2020?
Die Hard 6 is set to feature a younger version of John McClane, through a series of flashbacks, alongside the older, wiser version played by Bruce Willis.
And while a Sergeant Powell return is far from confirmed, VelJohnson is open to any and all suggestions, including a potential spin-off focusing on the beloved character.
Officer VelJohnson’s Legacy
“Would I consider it? I played a police officer on TV in Family Matters, and that’s because one of the producers saw me in Die Hard playing a cop,” he told Forbes.
“I’m open to it. If they asked me, I’d seriously think about it. I love Al Powell.”
How does UAMC feel about VelJohnson’s Sergeant Al Powell Die Hard legacy? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
