Another remake of Kurosawa's landmark film "Yojimbo" (itself suggested by Dashiell Hammet's "Red Harvest"), set in a distant, post-Apocalyptic future. A stranger comes to town and plays one group of badguys against another, kills everybody, walks off into the sunrise. can't go too wrong with a story that simple! The acting is strong, especially that of Hauer, who never realized the promise of his earely career. When action happens, it's neatly handled.
But the pacing just drags. There's not half the action this film needs, and the dialog is way over-wrought.
I did like the use of a quote from Dylan Thomas, and a couple other moments stand out, as when one robot envisions Hauer's character on horseback leading the human race back to triumphal dominance. And this is one of Pyun's better efforts as a director; he just doesn't seem to know how to move a film along - which has always been his main weakness.
Good for a viewing, but unmemorable, and certainly not in a class with Yojimbo.
But the pacing just drags. There's not half the action this film needs, and the dialog is way over-wrought.
I did like the use of a quote from Dylan Thomas, and a couple other moments stand out, as when one robot envisions Hauer's character on horseback leading the human race back to triumphal dominance. And this is one of Pyun's better efforts as a director; he just doesn't seem to know how to move a film along - which has always been his main weakness.
Good for a viewing, but unmemorable, and certainly not in a class with Yojimbo.