Documentary project crowdfunded by people around the world, written and directed by youtuber Oliver Harper, which at 2h20m of lenght, we should had expect that the "In Search of the Last Action Heroes" went deep in that beloved genre that got his pinnacle during the 80's decade, courtesy of such extint Studios like Carolco or Cannon Group, but unfortunnely it only scratches the surface.
I know that Harper tried to contact some of the 80's most iconic action superstars to appear in it via their agents and publicists, but that did not materialized or some of them backed out, leaving some now unemployed and / or nostalgic individuals that their careers stalled, such the directors, Paul Verhoeven ("Robocop", "Total Recall"), Sam Firstenberg ("Revenge of the Ninja", "Ninja III" and "American Ninja I & II"), Mark L. Lester ("Commando", "Showdown in Little Tokyo"), Peter MacDonald ("Rambo III) or Sheldon Lettich ("AWOL", "Double Impact"); writers, Shane Black ("Predator", "Lethal Weapon", "The Last Boy Scout") & Steven E. de Souza ("Die Hard", "Street Fighter"); the legendary Carolco producer, Mario Kassar ("Rambo" films, "Extreme Prejudice", "Red Heat") and some B-movie actors like the forever 'King of the Henchmen", Al Leong ("Big Trouble in Little China", "Lethal Weapon", "Die Hard"); martial artists Cynthia Rothrock ("China O'Brien"), Michael Jai White & Scott Adkins ("Undisputed II - Last Man Standing"); cult actors Bill Duke ("Commando", "Predator", "Bird on a Wire"), Ronny Cox ("Deliverance", "Beverly Hills Cop I & II", "Robocop", "Total Recall"), Jenette Goldstein ("Aliens", "Near Dark", "Lethal Weapon 2", "Terminator 2 - Judgment Day") & Vernon Wells ("Mad Max 2 - The Road Warrior", "Weird Science", "Commando") and the Oscar nominated 'artsy' actor turned 'king of direct-to-video', Mr. Eric Roberts ("Runaway Train", "The Ambulance", "The Specialist") alongside his "Best of the Best" co-star, Philip Rhee.
The interviewed seemed genuinely happy to be remembered at all and talking about the golden age of action cinema, especially an over enthusiastic Al Leong (respect this man); Roberts poking fun of himself and overpraising Sly and Arnold; the legendary Ronny Cox who hates "Robocop 2" and declined to appear in this sequel as the part-Dick Jones / part-machine; the well-spoken 80's 'fanboy' turned B-action star (and probably the best one in the 40's age group), Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White and Cynthia Rothrock that wished to have been in "The Expendables" franchise (and they are right, they deserved it more than the likes of Terry Crews, Jason Statham, Randy Couture and all the millennial boys from "The Expendables 3"), but director Harper couldn't handle the documentary well, giving too much relevance to some forgettable films such as "Street Fighter" or "The Last Action Hero" (just because de Souza and Shane Black were there, and Black should have been silent, because his last efforts, "The Nice Guys" and the awful "The Predator" are an insult to the 80's cinema) and omitting so many action heroes and iconic movies, which is almost criminal for real fans of the 80's extravaganza of action cinema.
First of all, the late great Rutger Hauer wasn't even mentioned, except briefly by his dutch pal, Verhoeven, but about their 'artsy' films they both made in Holland during the 70's, what about Hauer's iconic action vehicles such as "The Hitcher", "Nighthawks", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "The Salute of the Jugger", "Wedlock", "Split Second", "A Breed Apart" or "Blind Fury" ? And where is Michael Paré and its "Streets of Fire", "Space Rage - Breakout of Prison Planet", "Moon 44" or "Instant Justice" ? Where are Gary Busey, Wings Hauser, Frank Zagarino, Jeff Speakman, Brian Bosworth, Brandon Lee or even the A-listers Patrick Swayze or Christopher Lambert? Even Chuck Norris is barely mentioned, just some clips of "Lone Wolf McQuade" and "Missing in Action" when the man made at least 10 equally significant movies to the genre, hail to "The Delta Force", "Firewalker", "Forced Vengeance", "Invasion USA", "An Eye for an Eye" or "Code of Silence". The same goes to Michael Dudikoff, only briefly mentioned by director Sam Firstenberg about his cast audition, but what about his pal, Steve James ? "Avenging Force", "River of Death", "Platoon Leader" ? Where's David Bradley, the star of "American Ninja 3, 4 & 5" ? Even the great 'Swedish Strangler' Dolph Lundgren is only mentioned as Van Damme's co-star in "Universal Soldier", no "Red Scorpion", "Joshua Tree", "Masters of Universe", "Showdown in Little Tokyo", "Men of War" or "The Punisher".
Some other iconic action films from the late 70's to the 80's and until the mid-90's, but filmed in the 80's style, that this 'director' not bothered to mention: "The Yakuza", "The Hunter", "Wild Geese I & II", "Uncommon Valor", "Dogs of War", "Sniper", "Seven" ('79 film), "Hooper", "Sharky's Machine", "Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins", "Outland", "Let's Get Harry", "The Soldier", "Big Trouble in Little China", "Extreme Prejudice", "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man", "Runaway Train", "10 to Midnight", "The Gauntlet", "The Evil That Men Do", "Murphy's Law", "Iron Eagle", "Navy Seals", "Firefox", "Deadly Force", "Exterminator 2", "Vice Squad", "Hell Squad", "Gymkata", "Rage of Honor", "The Presidio", "Blue Jean Cop"(a.k.a."Shakedown"), "No Mercy", "The Running Man", "Road House", "Steel Dawn", "Next of Kin", "Dangerously Close", "Class of 1984", "Class of 1999", "The Hidden", "The Principal", "Blue Thunder", "Vigilante Force", "The Octagon", "Number One with a Bullet", "To Live and Die in L.A.", "Year of the Dragon", "White Line Fever", "Red Dawn", "Off Limits", "The Rescue", "Eye of the Tiger", "Steele Justice", "Death Warrant", "Cyborg", "Double Impact", "Rapid Fire", "F/X", "Man on Fire", "The Challenge", "Southern Comfort", "Armed Response", "Crime Zone", "Future Force", "Assassination", "Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects", "Nowhere to Run", "Target", "Bulletproof", "Fortress", "Bird on a Wire", "Air America", "Midnight Run", "Sudden Impact", "The Dead Pool", "The Rookie", "Out for Justice", "Hard to Kill", "Judgment Night", "Black Rain", "Highlander", "Surviving the Game", "Gunmen", "Roadflower", "The Hunted", "Mortal Kombat", "The Taking of Beverly Hills", "Red Heat", "Shoot to Kill" (a.k.a. "Deadly Pursuit"), "Stone Cold", "Prayer of the Rollerboys", "McBain", "Renegades", "The Chase", "Terminal Velocity", "The Last Man Standing", and the list goes on and on.....
There are so many cult movies left out, that sometimes feels like this documentary was aimed at the millennials generation, and not the generation X that watched those movies in theaters and rented them countless times at the videostores in the 80's peak of home video.
It's always a pleasure to come back to the likes of "Lethal Weapon", "Die Hard", "The Terminator", "Aliens", "Robocop", "Predator", "Cobra", "Rambo - First Blood - Part II" and "Commando" which this doc emphasizes and surely they deserve all the accolades, but a true fan already knows everything about this iconic movies and their stars, several documentaries, interviews were made as extras in the dvd's or bluray special editions, so nothing new here... and the last hour (or so), it's exclusive on the mid to the late 90's and even the 2000's, showing 'modern movies' that ironically killed the 'genre' that this documentary pays homage in the first place, such as "Jurassic Park" (that came out of nowhere), "Aeon Flux", "The Matrix", "Fast 'n' Furious" franchise, "The Terminator" worthless sequels, etcetera.....
This doc jumps from the Big Studios action films that even a 20 years old kid in 2020, who only cares about "Fast 'n' Furious", "The Witcher" or "Joker", knows about their existence, to the C-grade obscure films of Cynthia Rothrock during her stay with the Golden Harvest, such as "Yes, Madam" or "China O'Brien I & II", that even some of the Generation X never watched them.
It all feels minimal, rushed, contrived, partial and a bit fake on that 80's action films devotion that the director / writer tries to advocate.
In short, "In Search of the Last Action Heroes" is a badly structured and edited, overlong 'safe' documentary that did not offer what a truly 80's action fan could expect, it feels bland and sometimes pointless. It deserved (and should) have been so much better....
I give it 4 / 10 in respect for some of the interviewed.
I know that Harper tried to contact some of the 80's most iconic action superstars to appear in it via their agents and publicists, but that did not materialized or some of them backed out, leaving some now unemployed and / or nostalgic individuals that their careers stalled, such the directors, Paul Verhoeven ("Robocop", "Total Recall"), Sam Firstenberg ("Revenge of the Ninja", "Ninja III" and "American Ninja I & II"), Mark L. Lester ("Commando", "Showdown in Little Tokyo"), Peter MacDonald ("Rambo III) or Sheldon Lettich ("AWOL", "Double Impact"); writers, Shane Black ("Predator", "Lethal Weapon", "The Last Boy Scout") & Steven E. de Souza ("Die Hard", "Street Fighter"); the legendary Carolco producer, Mario Kassar ("Rambo" films, "Extreme Prejudice", "Red Heat") and some B-movie actors like the forever 'King of the Henchmen", Al Leong ("Big Trouble in Little China", "Lethal Weapon", "Die Hard"); martial artists Cynthia Rothrock ("China O'Brien"), Michael Jai White & Scott Adkins ("Undisputed II - Last Man Standing"); cult actors Bill Duke ("Commando", "Predator", "Bird on a Wire"), Ronny Cox ("Deliverance", "Beverly Hills Cop I & II", "Robocop", "Total Recall"), Jenette Goldstein ("Aliens", "Near Dark", "Lethal Weapon 2", "Terminator 2 - Judgment Day") & Vernon Wells ("Mad Max 2 - The Road Warrior", "Weird Science", "Commando") and the Oscar nominated 'artsy' actor turned 'king of direct-to-video', Mr. Eric Roberts ("Runaway Train", "The Ambulance", "The Specialist") alongside his "Best of the Best" co-star, Philip Rhee.
The interviewed seemed genuinely happy to be remembered at all and talking about the golden age of action cinema, especially an over enthusiastic Al Leong (respect this man); Roberts poking fun of himself and overpraising Sly and Arnold; the legendary Ronny Cox who hates "Robocop 2" and declined to appear in this sequel as the part-Dick Jones / part-machine; the well-spoken 80's 'fanboy' turned B-action star (and probably the best one in the 40's age group), Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White and Cynthia Rothrock that wished to have been in "The Expendables" franchise (and they are right, they deserved it more than the likes of Terry Crews, Jason Statham, Randy Couture and all the millennial boys from "The Expendables 3"), but director Harper couldn't handle the documentary well, giving too much relevance to some forgettable films such as "Street Fighter" or "The Last Action Hero" (just because de Souza and Shane Black were there, and Black should have been silent, because his last efforts, "The Nice Guys" and the awful "The Predator" are an insult to the 80's cinema) and omitting so many action heroes and iconic movies, which is almost criminal for real fans of the 80's extravaganza of action cinema.
First of all, the late great Rutger Hauer wasn't even mentioned, except briefly by his dutch pal, Verhoeven, but about their 'artsy' films they both made in Holland during the 70's, what about Hauer's iconic action vehicles such as "The Hitcher", "Nighthawks", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "The Salute of the Jugger", "Wedlock", "Split Second", "A Breed Apart" or "Blind Fury" ? And where is Michael Paré and its "Streets of Fire", "Space Rage - Breakout of Prison Planet", "Moon 44" or "Instant Justice" ? Where are Gary Busey, Wings Hauser, Frank Zagarino, Jeff Speakman, Brian Bosworth, Brandon Lee or even the A-listers Patrick Swayze or Christopher Lambert? Even Chuck Norris is barely mentioned, just some clips of "Lone Wolf McQuade" and "Missing in Action" when the man made at least 10 equally significant movies to the genre, hail to "The Delta Force", "Firewalker", "Forced Vengeance", "Invasion USA", "An Eye for an Eye" or "Code of Silence". The same goes to Michael Dudikoff, only briefly mentioned by director Sam Firstenberg about his cast audition, but what about his pal, Steve James ? "Avenging Force", "River of Death", "Platoon Leader" ? Where's David Bradley, the star of "American Ninja 3, 4 & 5" ? Even the great 'Swedish Strangler' Dolph Lundgren is only mentioned as Van Damme's co-star in "Universal Soldier", no "Red Scorpion", "Joshua Tree", "Masters of Universe", "Showdown in Little Tokyo", "Men of War" or "The Punisher".
Some other iconic action films from the late 70's to the 80's and until the mid-90's, but filmed in the 80's style, that this 'director' not bothered to mention: "The Yakuza", "The Hunter", "Wild Geese I & II", "Uncommon Valor", "Dogs of War", "Sniper", "Seven" ('79 film), "Hooper", "Sharky's Machine", "Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins", "Outland", "Let's Get Harry", "The Soldier", "Big Trouble in Little China", "Extreme Prejudice", "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man", "Runaway Train", "10 to Midnight", "The Gauntlet", "The Evil That Men Do", "Murphy's Law", "Iron Eagle", "Navy Seals", "Firefox", "Deadly Force", "Exterminator 2", "Vice Squad", "Hell Squad", "Gymkata", "Rage of Honor", "The Presidio", "Blue Jean Cop"(a.k.a."Shakedown"), "No Mercy", "The Running Man", "Road House", "Steel Dawn", "Next of Kin", "Dangerously Close", "Class of 1984", "Class of 1999", "The Hidden", "The Principal", "Blue Thunder", "Vigilante Force", "The Octagon", "Number One with a Bullet", "To Live and Die in L.A.", "Year of the Dragon", "White Line Fever", "Red Dawn", "Off Limits", "The Rescue", "Eye of the Tiger", "Steele Justice", "Death Warrant", "Cyborg", "Double Impact", "Rapid Fire", "F/X", "Man on Fire", "The Challenge", "Southern Comfort", "Armed Response", "Crime Zone", "Future Force", "Assassination", "Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects", "Nowhere to Run", "Target", "Bulletproof", "Fortress", "Bird on a Wire", "Air America", "Midnight Run", "Sudden Impact", "The Dead Pool", "The Rookie", "Out for Justice", "Hard to Kill", "Judgment Night", "Black Rain", "Highlander", "Surviving the Game", "Gunmen", "Roadflower", "The Hunted", "Mortal Kombat", "The Taking of Beverly Hills", "Red Heat", "Shoot to Kill" (a.k.a. "Deadly Pursuit"), "Stone Cold", "Prayer of the Rollerboys", "McBain", "Renegades", "The Chase", "Terminal Velocity", "The Last Man Standing", and the list goes on and on.....
There are so many cult movies left out, that sometimes feels like this documentary was aimed at the millennials generation, and not the generation X that watched those movies in theaters and rented them countless times at the videostores in the 80's peak of home video.
It's always a pleasure to come back to the likes of "Lethal Weapon", "Die Hard", "The Terminator", "Aliens", "Robocop", "Predator", "Cobra", "Rambo - First Blood - Part II" and "Commando" which this doc emphasizes and surely they deserve all the accolades, but a true fan already knows everything about this iconic movies and their stars, several documentaries, interviews were made as extras in the dvd's or bluray special editions, so nothing new here... and the last hour (or so), it's exclusive on the mid to the late 90's and even the 2000's, showing 'modern movies' that ironically killed the 'genre' that this documentary pays homage in the first place, such as "Jurassic Park" (that came out of nowhere), "Aeon Flux", "The Matrix", "Fast 'n' Furious" franchise, "The Terminator" worthless sequels, etcetera.....
This doc jumps from the Big Studios action films that even a 20 years old kid in 2020, who only cares about "Fast 'n' Furious", "The Witcher" or "Joker", knows about their existence, to the C-grade obscure films of Cynthia Rothrock during her stay with the Golden Harvest, such as "Yes, Madam" or "China O'Brien I & II", that even some of the Generation X never watched them.
It all feels minimal, rushed, contrived, partial and a bit fake on that 80's action films devotion that the director / writer tries to advocate.
In short, "In Search of the Last Action Heroes" is a badly structured and edited, overlong 'safe' documentary that did not offer what a truly 80's action fan could expect, it feels bland and sometimes pointless. It deserved (and should) have been so much better....
I give it 4 / 10 in respect for some of the interviewed.