elman Reviews

Ash vs Evil Dead: Baby Proof (2018) Season 3, Episode 5

FantASHtic episode

[10/10 · 27 March 2018]

* Spoiler alert *

This episode packed so much action and emotion. It's one of my favourites in an already incredible third season. If the season keeps up this consistency than it could well turn out to be my favourite season yet. The two focused story lines are both suspenseful and action packed, the one with Ash and the Swedish woman fighting little toddler Ash being more on the funny and grotesque side. This episode featured some big WTF moments which had me laughing hard. I love Pablo's arc with him becoming especial then the sudden and emotional kiss between him and Kelly and to top it of in the other storyline there was the bonding with Brandy and Ash!

Just watch the show everyone, its GROOVY

Contour (2006 Video)

I just witnessed

[10/10 · 20 September 2006]

THE SECOND COMING!

and it has Martial Arts in it and the Stuntpeople.

WoW!!

Where to start my review!

First this:

BEST Martal Arts movie since 'Drunken Master 2'!!}

The exciting eyeopening feeling I got, when I first witnessed Jackie doing tons of versatile excellently choreographed fights with big stunts and falls, was the same when I witnessed CONTOUR!

Stuntpeople really outdid themselves. This movie is highly ambitious without being bloated or pretentious. I really liked a lot of the humor especially when it was fight/stunt related. Situation comedy. (not all the dialog humor worked for me, but that's not really a problem, since the movie has tons and tons of action sequences)

The fights! Well, Like I mentioned , they're very versatile! They all have the thick pizza bottoms (from my theory about a good pizza as analogy to a great fight sequence) which results in; hardcore kick-boxing thickness. And they're flavored with excellent toppings. Like - Insane falls Outstanding fight flow WICKED camera-work (the one that follows the gun in the air is INSANE) Original ideas (the 'tied up' fight, the 'flying bats' fight)

The fights are all super fast and TOUGH, even the fights with girls (which usually, without offense, are the slower and nicer parts in MA movies; people tend to be more gentle toward girls, which is kinda natural of course ) So yeah, Tyler did a great job too! (although her fights can't hold up against the superior level of fights like Eric vs Dennis or Ed vs everyone or Eric vs Andy etc. etc.)

I really see Stuntpeople have developed their own unique style which also explains why I think Contour is one of the best all-time MA movies.

It has a background of 80ies Yuen Woo Ping choreography to it, with Sammo Hung kinda stunts and Janusz Kaminski kinda camera-work. That combined makes for this shattering cocktail of groundbreaking fight-scenes.

Forget Ong Bak! This is a movie where EVERYONE counts. I really think Stuntpeople is the best MA team at the moment, because it's very fair; it does not really pick one of the players as the best, it's team choreography! A thing that is sorely missing these days. As I see Eric Jacobus as main choreographer on the list I think this is his most important input in this style of Fight sequences. Everybody shines.

The bloopers where hardcore too.

The bad things: Well I don't really need to say bad things! I did not fast forward any part! It had so much style, good comedy, witty performances, changing hairstyles in single scenes, and GREAT enthusiasm in it.

You guys are beyond the Hollywood A list, they don't make action like this in Hollywood.

So once again, Props to the entire team Thank you for this good movie and what the future will hold for Stuntpeople.

Rush Hour (1998)

A very funny comedy-action movie

[8/10 · 6 April 1999]

I saw many Chan movies before seeing this one and also knew that his previous American movies were crappy. Those movies, including the two Cannonball run movies, did not let Jackie BE Jackie. Those directors must have seen Jackie showing his stuff in his movies but they treated him like an ordinary "Michael Dudikov". Rush hour director Brett Ratner changed that by letting Jackie choreograph his stunts and action movies, but don't expect 10 minute fights or breathtaking stunts.That "dangerous" final stunt was obviously cheated (you SEE it when Jackie uses bluescreen and the stunt was not shown in one shot).For some reason the filmmakers were afraid that American audience would not accept the long fights, but every body who has seen this movie, including people who were introduced to Jackie with this movie, felt they wanted to see more of the action! So most of all this movie is a comedy a very funny comedy! Chris Tucker is hilarious, Jackie Chan is funny as always and the two as a team is as hilarious as Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in their best funny moments.Whereas all other Jackie flics have great action scenes to remember this movie has great verbal action(you see still action).Jackie saying "Wassup my niggah" with that funny accent is just hilarious. And you just want push the pause-button when Chris shows his badge. But I won't spoil any more of the comedy. There are some short but REAL action scenes which I can write down, because you can talk as much as you want about Jackie Chan fights but you have to see them to get it to be impressed!! Those action scenes are fast funny and the best is the one where Jackie fights the bad guys while trying to save some antique vases. And there are those "how did he get there" and "he's so fast"moments. So check out this movie and for the fans or people who became a fan after seeing this movie:I read some stuff about making Rush hour 2, with more fights, stunts and with a budget of 100mln dollars!!!!!!!

Rumble in the Bronx (1995)

Impressive but not awesome!

[8/10 · 30 March 1999]

Rumble in the Bronx was the first Jackie Chan movie I saw. I saw that the action in this movie, especially the fighting scenes was very new and refreshing to me.The way Jackie uses obstacles and circulates the fights, was a whole new look for me at action movies. But on the other hand I thought the dubbing made it look strange (like the little kid's voice you makes makes you start laughing)and I thought the enemy's of Jackie had really non-stylish clothing as well as those punk teenagers! I also found the ending disappointing. I expected another fight like in the first half of the movie. But I found out a lot of things after seeing this movie: 1:Jackie made very very much movies!! 2:most of them are very stylish and look better than Rumble 3:dubbing sucks I enjoy seeing original versions with every actor/actress his or her own voice: I mean talking is part of the acting and so it's very important to hear the real voices.Also the comedy works much better 4:Widescreen is very very important.A genius as Jackie uses the widescreen very intensely. The action takes place in every corner of the widescreen.So when you see a small version of a Jackie Chan movie you miss half the action(like enemies getting hit, falling painfully, attacking and making those funny faces) 5:the reason why there was no end fight in Rumble(broken ankle) 6:I've become one of his billion fans 7:His early 70's are not good but they helped Jackie learning to choreograph and direct and they were nessecary for him to stay busy and try out new things (like the developing of kung fu comedy)In the 70's he also in starred in two Bruce Lee films 8:He performs all his very dangerous and inventive stunts The highlights for me in this film where- the fight in the supermarket(short but fast with that typical Jackie comment to a guy he just beat up:"Mind the step!") -the fight in the gangs clubhouse(great circulation and very funny, I mean in which other non-Jackie-movie would you see a guy being punched with the doors of a fridge, while another one gets pushed in it and see that one opening the door to be punched in the face!! - Jackie jumping from one building to another -the movie music -the outtakes(ouch) Well Rumble in the Bronx is an enjoyable Jackie flic with some Very great stunts performed by himself of course.It was a great invitation for me to watch all his other masterpieces!!

8/10

Drunken Master II (1994)

action scenes you can watch over and over again!

[10/10 · 30 March 1999]

I think drunken master 2 is a very good example of what jackie chan films are about.The story is as usual simple but effective. They are just necessary for all those excellent action scenes to be a whole.The action scenes are what jackies movies are about.And why do movies have to be about great storytelling,no I think that the way jackie makes action scenes are all about moviemaking.The only way fights can be that good and choreographed is by using different shots and edit them to a magnificent new whole.For example the end fight :jackie versus Ken Lo took months to film, but it looks like all the action is done in one take!Or take the fight in the teahouse, with that much opponents, continuity is very important. This movie showcases jackie as a genie and a superb director. Not only are these fight scenes very well made(technically), > they burst of creativity. The creativity of jackie and also his stuntman crew makes every Jackie chan movie so fresh! You can't say :"well I've seen one so I've seen them all". That's why I have so much respect for jackie. And he works so hard .He made and still makes so many movies and I think therefore he's one of the greatest filmmakers ever This movie has to be seen to be believed, I can't explain how funny fast and brilliant this film is just you CHECK IT OUT!!!