Category: REVIEWS

REVIEWS

Review: PANAMA- Cole Hauser, Mel Gibson & Their Tough Guy Bravado Headline Director Mark Neveldine’s Slow Burn, Political Action-Thriller Ripped from the 80’s

By: John M Jerva When it comes to action cinema and most notably visceral action cinema, one filmmaker definitely comes up every time there’s a conversation. From co-directing such influential action films as the Crank movies with Jason Statham to helming Gerad Butler in Gamer, Mark Neveldine is one movie maker that knows how to put a different kind of high-octane film on the screen. … Continue reading Review: PANAMA- Cole Hauser, Mel Gibson & Their Tough Guy Bravado Headline Director Mark Neveldine’s Slow Burn, Political Action-Thriller Ripped from the 80’s

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REVIEWS

REVIEW: MESSAGE MAN Delivers Loud and Clear with Ultra-Violent Action for Genre Fans (Reprint)

(Original Publication Date: February 25th, 2019) By: John M Jerva REVIEW: MESSAGE MAN STARRING: Paul O’Brien, Verdi Solaiman, Aji Santosa, Agni Pratishtha and Mike Lewis DIRECTED BY: Corey Pearson OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: MESSAGE MAN  follows an ex-hitman (O’Brien) whose violent brutality resurfaces when his past catches up to him, leading the assassin on one final killing spree to make things right. THE REVIEW: From director Corey Pearson comes the ultra-violent … Continue reading REVIEW: MESSAGE MAN Delivers Loud and Clear with Ultra-Violent Action for Genre Fans (Reprint)

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REVIEWS

Review: THE BATMAN- Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight is a Brave & Boldly Dark New Take on the Iconic DC Character

By: John M Jerva It seems that every time a new actor is announced to play Batman, fanboys go into a tailspin because they feel that the powers that be have made a colossal mistake in casting. I remember when Michael Keaton was announced back in the 80’s, everyone pretty much couldn’t see the actor as the Dark Knight. Then we had Val Kilmer and … Continue reading Review: THE BATMAN- Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight is a Brave & Boldly Dark New Take on the Iconic DC Character

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REVIEWS

Review: GASOLINE ALLEY Radiates a Dark 80’s Crime Noir Vibe with a Standout, Down & Dirty Performance from Devon Sawa.

By: John M Jerva Devon Sawa is one of my favorite actors working in the industry today. The versatile actor has been around for years and nowadays, he’s one actor that can really bring some depth to a film whether it be action or other genres. I first really took to Sawa after watching his stint on the cool CW action series Nikita and he … Continue reading Review: GASOLINE ALLEY Radiates a Dark 80’s Crime Noir Vibe with a Standout, Down & Dirty Performance from Devon Sawa.

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ACTION REWIND, REVIEWS

Review: SILENT ASSASSINS- Looking Back at the Time Tommy Lee Teamed with Flash Gordon for Glorious 80’s Action Excess!

By: John M Jerva Back in 1982, the guiltiest of guilty pleasures was released when Flash Gordon was unleashed to an unsuspecting world. Starring newcomer Sam J. Jones and featuring some of the most insane dialogue, situations, special effects and over the top acting, this Sci-Fi opera was poised to make Jones a star in Hollywood. Even with its severe production problems that plagued it. … Continue reading Review: SILENT ASSASSINS- Looking Back at the Time Tommy Lee Teamed with Flash Gordon for Glorious 80’s Action Excess!

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REVIEWS

Review: MONSTERS OF MAN Delivers Some Impressive Hard R Action Wrapped in a Decent Indie Package!

By: John M Jerva Review: Monsters of Man Starring: Brett Tutor, Jose Rosete, Paul Haapaniemi and Neil McDonough Written & Directed By: Mark Toia MONSTERS OF MAN is an action packed, suspenseful sci-fi thriller that reveals the terrifying dangers of sophisticated AI robotics used for military applications when a corrupt CIA agent (Neal McDonough – Minority Report, Captain America, Netflix’s 1922 and Altered Carbon)conspires with … Continue reading Review: MONSTERS OF MAN Delivers Some Impressive Hard R Action Wrapped in a Decent Indie Package!

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ACTION REWIND, REVIEWS

Review: The 2004 Actioner MOSCOW HEAT Channels RED HEAT and Throws it Back to the VHS Heydays of the 80’s & 90’s

By: John M Jerva I love a good movie that delivers an action vibe that rivals anything we’ve ever gotten from the lost era of VHS. Movies like that will always be inviting and bring me back to a simpler time when all I had to worry about was teaching the Martial Arts and watching anything that went boom or kicked you square in the … Continue reading Review: The 2004 Actioner MOSCOW HEAT Channels RED HEAT and Throws it Back to the VHS Heydays of the 80’s & 90’s

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REVIEWS

Review: FISTFUL OF VENGEANCE Delivers Exactly What the Title Implies for Genre Fans Looking for Their Next Martial Arts Fix

By: John M Jerva Caution: I go into some spoilers here so if you haven’t watched yet, stop reading. Fans either loved or hated Netflix’s Wu Assassins when it hit a few years back and even though the supernatural element was a tad silly, there was enough fight action throughout the first season to make viewers happy. The cast was a dream team as well … Continue reading Review: FISTFUL OF VENGEANCE Delivers Exactly What the Title Implies for Genre Fans Looking for Their Next Martial Arts Fix

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REVIEWS

Review: Liam Neeson is Solid as Usual but BLACKLIGHT Offers Nothing New for Action Cinema

By: John M Jerva In the last few weeks, we saw Tom Brady retire from the sport he loves as the GOAT and action icon Jean-Claude Van Damme has even mentioned that he is set to sail off after he makes one more action epic. Sticking around passed your expiration date is one thing I would think that people would like to try and avoid. … Continue reading Review: Liam Neeson is Solid as Usual but BLACKLIGHT Offers Nothing New for Action Cinema

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REVIEWS

Review: Adrien Brody’s Passion Project CLEAN is a Slow Burn Homage to the Brutal 70’s & 80’s Vigilante Thrillers with Unapologetic Results

By: John M Jerva Adrien Brody is one of those actors that immerses himself in his roles. Mostly known for dramatic fair, Brody has dabbled in action in the past with Predators being his most known attempt at being an onscreen bad ass. The versatile actor will probably never officially go full on action, but the art house thespian can definitely visit there from time … Continue reading Review: Adrien Brody’s Passion Project CLEAN is a Slow Burn Homage to the Brutal 70’s & 80’s Vigilante Thrillers with Unapologetic Results

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REVIEWS

Review: LAST LOOKS is a Sun-Lit, Neo-Noir Murder Mystery with an Action Film Vibe!

By: Anthony Francis Director Tim Kirkby’s “Last Looks” is a sun-lit neo-noir murder mystery with an action film vibe. Each character moves through a world where one couldn’t survive without being a badass. There is tough talk, a few fist fights, and one character gets punched by almost everyone he meets. The excellent Charlie Hunnam is Charlie Waldo, a disgraced ex-cop from L.A. who has … Continue reading Review: LAST LOOKS is a Sun-Lit, Neo-Noir Murder Mystery with an Action Film Vibe!

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REVIEWS

Review: Amazon Prime’s REACHER Delivers 80’s Style Action with a CSI Flair Mixed with Crowd Pleasing Brutality

By: John M Jerva I’ve literally been spending the past few weeks rewatching old school action flicks as today’s society have a stick up their ass. I so want to go back to those glory days when unapologetic films flooded the market and audiences gobbled them up. Sure there’s a few films out there nowadays that bring the old school vibe but there’s nothing like … Continue reading Review: Amazon Prime’s REACHER Delivers 80’s Style Action with a CSI Flair Mixed with Crowd Pleasing Brutality

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ACTION REWIND, ESSENTIAL ACTION, HOME RELEASES, REVIEWS

Action Rewind: Dolph Lundgren’s THE PUNISHER (1989)-The Essential Umbrella Entertainment Special Edition Blu-Ray Review

By: John M Jerva It was the early 80’s when I started to develop my love for Marvel Comics anti-hero gun toting vigilante The Punisher. From his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man to his subsequent break out mini-series, younger me was hooked pretty much from the get-go. The character came into my life at the perfect time as I was starting to develop my love … Continue reading Action Rewind: Dolph Lundgren’s THE PUNISHER (1989)-The Essential Umbrella Entertainment Special Edition Blu-Ray Review

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REVIEWS

Review: The New WWII/Horror Film WARHUNT is a Mash Up of Genres that Aims High with Mixed Results

By: John M Jerva When one delves into lower budgeted B movie mash ups, you have to usually take the finished product with a grain of salt. Most of the time, when filmmakers combine genres, they are usually aiming high for a desired effect and more times than not, the movie that is a result is a mixed bag. Case in point, we have the … Continue reading Review: The New WWII/Horror Film WARHUNT is a Mash Up of Genres that Aims High with Mixed Results

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ACTION REWIND, HOME RELEASES, REVIEWS

Blu-Ray Review: Vinegar Syndrome’s TIGER CLAWS Trilogy is a Must Have for Fans of 90’s Martial Arts Action1

By: John M jerva First of all, I must send out a very heartfelt thank you for my brother in action Eoin Friel of The Action Elite for getting me a copy of Vinegar Syndrome’s new 4K restoration of the cult 90’s martial arts franchise Tiger Claws which just recently hit. To say that I’ve had struggles last year and into 2022 would be a … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review: Vinegar Syndrome’s TIGER CLAWS Trilogy is a Must Have for Fans of 90’s Martial Arts Action1

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REVIEWS

Review: THE COMMANDO- Michael Jai White & Mickey Rourke Headline the Action-Drama that Delivers Solid Fisticuffs but Suffers from a Lack of Adrenaline

By: John M Jerva At first glance, the new action-thriller The Commando which stars Michael jai White is another action pic that features our star doing what he does best. When you see the trailer, there are ample sequences of White dishing out some punishment with guns and, of course, his hands and feet and audiences will think that this one will feature more of … Continue reading Review: THE COMMANDO- Michael Jai White & Mickey Rourke Headline the Action-Drama that Delivers Solid Fisticuffs but Suffers from a Lack of Adrenaline

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REVIEWS

Review: RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY Strips the Franchise Down to its Horror Roots with Lackluster Results

By: John M Jerva Growing up and to this day, I have only really been a casual video game player. I did play them more when I was younger, but the appeal never really wore off on me. There are those classic games that I gravitated to of course which were the usual suspects in Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil. To be honest, … Continue reading Review: RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY Strips the Franchise Down to its Horror Roots with Lackluster Results

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ESSENTIAL ACTION, REVIEWS

Review: COBRA KAI Season 4 Continues the Near Perfect Mix of Nostalgia, Humor, Heart and Action!

By: John M Jerva It recently dawned on me that I have never done a review for any of the seasons of the hit Netflix series Cobra Kai. Maybe I didn’t because I was such a fan of the show that I wanted to watch it for the sheer fun of it without having to dissect it for the site. This show which brings back … Continue reading Review: COBRA KAI Season 4 Continues the Near Perfect Mix of Nostalgia, Humor, Heart and Action!

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REVIEWS

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT 1st Episode Reaction: An Entertaining Small Piece to a Bigger Puzzle

By: John M Jerva The highly anticipated The Book of Boba Fett finally debuted its first episode yesterday and even though I have yet to watch the rest of Hawkeye to complete my review, I figured I’d give my initial first reaction thoughts to the premiere episode which features the triumphant return of the most feared bounty hunter in the Star Wars universe. Temuera Morrison … Continue reading THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT 1st Episode Reaction: An Entertaining Small Piece to a Bigger Puzzle

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REVIEWS

Review: THE GARDENER with Robert Bronzi & Gary Daniels is a Serviceable DTV Action Film that Unfortunately Suffers from Missed Opportunities

By: John M Jerva After watching Robert Bronzi’s last action effort Escape from Death Block 13 which was an exercise in over-the-top 80’s style excess, I was very curious about how his next offering would stack up. After all, this one has him locking horns with martial arts/action star Gary Daniels in a savage home invasion thriller called The Gardener. At first glance, this film … Continue reading Review: THE GARDENER with Robert Bronzi & Gary Daniels is a Serviceable DTV Action Film that Unfortunately Suffers from Missed Opportunities

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