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'Ride or Die'. I was saving this for a 'New Blaxploitation' article I had planned but one thing led to another (basically a hard disk problem) so this movie made it higher up the schedules. The first thing to say is that I am a real fan of the Private Detective genre and even more so when a film has a super-cool black guy slant. However this film disappoints badly. Duane Martin plays Rad McCrae who has a very fetching sidekick in the form of Lisa (Vivica A Fox). When his boyhood friend is killed Rad is a bit smarter in the cops in recognising it was murder
Before long Rad is up to his ears in Chinese gangs, rappers, video directors and of course the obligatory double crossing woman. However the film doesn't really know where it is going and whether it is a straight thriller or not.
The film staggers to its end in the obligatory warehouse where the characters reveal their agendas and we finally get the bad girl showing her true colours. To be fair the wait for the ending is just about worth it for femme fatale fans but it would have been nice if the rest of the film was as entertaining. Film Rating 4/10 and Gun Moll rating 6/10.
'Zoolander'. When this film hit the UK it was universally panned. Whether it was a backlash against Ben Stiller or whether the critics expected Academy standard film making I'm not sure but whatever the reason the criticism is largely unjustified. The film is actually quite funny and was obviously a big risk for Stiller who, as well as starring, also produced, directed and co wrote this film. Ben Stiller plays Derek Zoolander a male super model definitely lacking in the brains department who is brainwashed into becoming an assassin. Along the way there are various adventures always underpinned by Zoolander's stupidity and vanity and you have to wonder if the caricature is closer to the truth than we think. The gorgeous Mila Jovovich plays Katrinka the rubber suited henchwoman to the chief villain. Film Rating 6/10 and Gun Moll rating 3/10.
'Thrillseekers'. It isn't often that I am surprised by a low budget movie. Science fiction done on the cheap can be good but too often is let down by the over ambitious use of special effects which don't match the ambitions of the story. Though firmly in the sci-fi thriller mould this film wisely stays clear of any spectacular stunts and instead concentrates on the story. Tom Merrick (Caspar Van Dien) is a reporter who's inquisitive nature is alerted when we discovers photographs of the same man at some of the biggest disasters of the 20th century. After averting one of the disasters he is arrested by the police on suspicion of being a hijacker but that is the least of his problems - he is also being pursued by agents from the future who are keen to stop him disturbing the future by preventing any more disasters.
His main opponent is Agent Cortez (Theresa Saldana) who is determined that a disaster at a sports stadium will occur but, with his son being located at the stadium during the scheduled time for the disaster, Merrick is determined to change the course of 'what should happen'. There isn't a lot of femme fatale interest apart from the Cortez character but we do get a thought provoking film with some decent acting from most of the cast. Saldama looks the part and, unlike many female action actresses, is believable as a gun toting character. Film Rating 7.5/10 and Cortez the Killer rating 2/10.
