The thing is, I'm an action movie buff. I've seen them all, from big-budget Jerry Bruckheimer fares to Golan-Globus cheese-fests. I borrowed this movie from my cousin because I was curious to know what Christian Slater made before he went DTV, and watched it finally one rainy afternoon.
I can tell you this: it's an average movie made good. I mean, the acting is pretty average; even by Morgan Freeman, who looks like he's having a blast playing the bad guy, and especially Christian Slater, who repeats his "Broken Arrow" routine here. Randy Quaid gives a good albeit repetitive performance as the sheriff, but Minnie Driver is tolerable in her "church-girl" performance.
So why is it good? Well first off it pays off homages to not only one, but TWO - genres of movies. The first genre is the western (action movies wouldn't be here if not for it). I mean, can you not notice? A small town miles away from civilization. The hero (Slater) protecting the money. The honorable outlaw (Freeman) and his bandits surrounding the hero the get the money (without hopefully killing innocents). The all-too-good sheriff (Quaid). The damsel in distress (Driver). The queer folk of the town (Richard Dysart and Betty White in hilarious performances). The "heroes 'n outlaws" story looks like it was told in the fashion of "Gunfight at the OK Corral", and "Rio Bravo" among others. Shootouts and mayhem occur, and they are perfectly paced and thrilling. Not to mention Slater wielding two guns at the same time! The other homage is what really gives the movie it's credibility, in which is pays homage to the disaster movies of the '70s. It's refreshing to see an entire city set flooded for real instead of using backdrops and CGI. And with all that rain pouring down on them, I can't really blame them for missing almost every shot they shoot! And for the final disaster sequence, it is spectacular (albeit pushing logic to the limit). It's as if a John Wayne westerner suddenly got thrust into an Irwin Allen spectacle. It's actually a lot of fun to watch these two scenarios combine, and you don't see a lot of movies like these nowadays.
The action sequences and cinematography are nicely filmed and choreographed (courtesy of cinematographer-cum-director Mikael Saloman); for example there is an exciting jet-ski chase through the flooded hallways of a high school which was very impressive, considering the painstaking effort the cast and crew went through (Slater did most of the stunts himself). The music by Christopher Young just screams of excitement and danger awaiting, and the editing is not to shabby.
Overall, this is a hugely entertaining action movie, and an unusually good one at that, given the circumstances faced. I was shocked to know this was a box-office bomb (clearly the critics are missing the point). I felt like this was a sure-fire hit. So, if you're a fan of action, westerns, or disaster movies in particular, give this movie a try. You definitely will NOT be disappointed.
Entertainment value: 10/10
Overall: 7/10
I can tell you this: it's an average movie made good. I mean, the acting is pretty average; even by Morgan Freeman, who looks like he's having a blast playing the bad guy, and especially Christian Slater, who repeats his "Broken Arrow" routine here. Randy Quaid gives a good albeit repetitive performance as the sheriff, but Minnie Driver is tolerable in her "church-girl" performance.
So why is it good? Well first off it pays off homages to not only one, but TWO - genres of movies. The first genre is the western (action movies wouldn't be here if not for it). I mean, can you not notice? A small town miles away from civilization. The hero (Slater) protecting the money. The honorable outlaw (Freeman) and his bandits surrounding the hero the get the money (without hopefully killing innocents). The all-too-good sheriff (Quaid). The damsel in distress (Driver). The queer folk of the town (Richard Dysart and Betty White in hilarious performances). The "heroes 'n outlaws" story looks like it was told in the fashion of "Gunfight at the OK Corral", and "Rio Bravo" among others. Shootouts and mayhem occur, and they are perfectly paced and thrilling. Not to mention Slater wielding two guns at the same time! The other homage is what really gives the movie it's credibility, in which is pays homage to the disaster movies of the '70s. It's refreshing to see an entire city set flooded for real instead of using backdrops and CGI. And with all that rain pouring down on them, I can't really blame them for missing almost every shot they shoot! And for the final disaster sequence, it is spectacular (albeit pushing logic to the limit). It's as if a John Wayne westerner suddenly got thrust into an Irwin Allen spectacle. It's actually a lot of fun to watch these two scenarios combine, and you don't see a lot of movies like these nowadays.
The action sequences and cinematography are nicely filmed and choreographed (courtesy of cinematographer-cum-director Mikael Saloman); for example there is an exciting jet-ski chase through the flooded hallways of a high school which was very impressive, considering the painstaking effort the cast and crew went through (Slater did most of the stunts himself). The music by Christopher Young just screams of excitement and danger awaiting, and the editing is not to shabby.
Overall, this is a hugely entertaining action movie, and an unusually good one at that, given the circumstances faced. I was shocked to know this was a box-office bomb (clearly the critics are missing the point). I felt like this was a sure-fire hit. So, if you're a fan of action, westerns, or disaster movies in particular, give this movie a try. You definitely will NOT be disappointed.
Entertainment value: 10/10
Overall: 7/10