Action Bits - Twin Effect

A BETTER TOMORROW II (1987)

Making a sequel to A Better Tomorrow was a bad idea. After all, it ended with a tragic final note that underlined its moral themes; crime doesn't pay and revenge will bury everyone involved. Where else was there to go when all the main heroes were either dead or in prison? Of course following up a hit movie like this with an under-developed and convoluted sequel is what Hong Kong cinema does best. John Woo's idea of what to do next seems to have been push deeper into melodrama, make the action more outrageous, and simply re-name any characters he wanted to bring back. As a result the final product is a ridiculous movie in more ways than one.

Review Roundup - Ecstacy of Gold

SISU (2022)

Many years ago, almost nine at the time of writing, I recall covering a film called Big Game. Perhaps under-rated and probably under-seen, it was a mixture of Jalmaris Helander's European sensibilities and a lot of Hollywood action movie tropes. It was an odd change of direction for a film-maker that had previous made the eccentric holiday horror movie Rare Exports. But his fondness for the genre was evident in a story where a Finnish youth and an American politician had to join forces. It's this kind of mix-up which returns here in an English language war film set in war-torn Finland, which focuses more on outrageous spectacle than real world detail. It's a grim backdrop with a lot of gruesome moments, but it's a story told with a firmly dark sense of humour.

Monster Bites - The Duel

GAMERA VS BARUGON (1966)

While the Gamera films are generally considered fare made for children it's interesting to look back and see exactly when that transition came around. The original film mixed up the typical kind of city-wide death and destruction with some elements of this, but overall it's a pretty straightforward monster movie. The next two sequels on the other hand? Well it's interesting that the first entry I'm looking at here doesn't include a child actor at all. In fact it's more in line with the kind of stories that spawned from King Kong, in which creatures are brought back to the modern world from the unknown parts of the map. The next instalment on the other hand... well I will get to that in good time.

Scorecard

AUGUST

FILM OF THE MONTH: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three ☆☆☆☆