Movie Review: Kickboxer - Vengeance

Way back in 1989 Jean Claude Van Damme was a rising star. He had already shown audiences his considerable screen presence and charisma in Bloodsport and Cyborg. His followup was Kickboxer, an action revenge flick that saw Van Damme head to Bangkok to avenge the brutal death of his brother at the hands of underground fight champion, Tong Po. That film proved to be a hit a spawned a number of sequels. Now, we are faced with a reboot of the franchise. Why? I could not say. Even stranger is that it was sent the direct to video route and is a decidedly lackluster outing.

Movie Review: Deadpool (2016)

So, Deadpool came, saw, and conquered the box office. Seriously, who thought it would open as big as it did? If you say you knew, I bet you are lying. No one could have seen this coming. A cultish comic book character with mature leanings in a hard R-rated movie in the middle of February, there is no way it is going to connect with a widespread audience. Now, I am not trying to talk down about the movie or its audience, it is just an unlikely choice for a huge opening. Perhaps as unlikely as a NWA biopic. Oh, wait. That turned out pretty well, perhaps movies like this are a sign of an impending shift. I would not be against this.

Movie Review: Fast & Furious 6

Whenever I learn that another Fast and Furious movie is being made, I cannot help but shake my head. It is a franchise that just refuses to die, and in some ways is actually improving itself. I have never been the biggest fan of the series and can scarcely remember any specifics from earlier films. Still, here we are, six movies in and a franchise that is experiencing more life now that when it first appeared. So confident are they in the continued relevancy that they leave this movie off with a pretty substantial tease for a seventh film. When was the last time a seventh movie in a franchise (not based on a books series) ad this much anticipation?