Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 17, 1995 TAG: 9506200011
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
My own pick of the litter is "Darkman II: The Return of Durant. In the tradition of the great Universal horror series of the 1930s (particularly "The Invisible Man"), it's a sequel to Sam Raimi's 1990 original. Typically, it begins with a flashback to refresh viewers' memories. Brilliant scientist Peyton Westlake, you will remember, was hideously disfigured by sadistic gangster Robert Durant and left for dead. But Westlake survived, and working in a secret laboratory, developed astonishing powers. As he tells us in a voiceover introduction, "I choose to live on as a creature of the shadows - as Darkman!"
Durant (Larry Drake) has chosen to live on, too, even though he was turned to toast in the helicopter crash at the end of the first film. But villains as good as Durant are hard to come by, so he miraculously survived and has been in a coma. Now, he's back and meaner than ever.
Meanwhile, Westlake (Arnold Vosloo, ably taking over for Liam Neeson) is still working on a formula for synthetic skin that will last more than 99 minutes. To get his own operations back on track, Durant is developing a particle beam assault rifle, powered by "plutonium carbide batteries," that he's going to sell to a bunch of rabid right-wing gun nuts. (The Constitution is mute on particle beam assault weapons.)
Director-cinematographer Bradford May captures the energy, black humor and comic book spirit of the original, but this film lacks that extra spark and attention to small details that mark the best of Sam Raimi's work. That's not to say this one isn't enjoyable in its own right - it is. And it's probably the beginning of a fine video series.
"A Cop for the Killing" is much more subdued, and though the title suggests otherwise, something more than a conventional shoot-'em-up. Writer Philip Rosenberg tells the story of an LAPD narcotics squad (played by Steven Weber, Susan Walters, Harold Sylvester and Charles Haid) led by Lt. Wiltern (James Farentino). They're an effective and closely knit unit until one of them is killed in a drug bust that goes bad.
The real focus of the film is not on the violence of their work, but on the emotional toll it takes, particularly on Wiltern. Veteran director Dick Lowry neither glosses over nor sensationalizes the physical action. Still, he's much more interested in its effects on the survivors and on those who commit violent acts. Though police officers have become familiar stereotypes in popular entertainment, these are treated seriously. If the cast lacks star power, it's an ensemble of accomplished character actors who do uniformly excellent work. In many ways the film is similar to another recent release from France, "L.627," but with a stronger plot. All in all, "A Cop for the Killing" is a sleeper.
"The Dangerous" is also a sleeper, but for entirely different reasons.
First and most obviously, there's the title. "The Dangerous" what? "Dangerous" is an adjective, not a noun. But perhaps the producers were using it as a subtle tip-off for the linguistic curiosities within the film itself. (More about them presently.)
The story is about brother and sister ninja assassins who come to New Orleans from Japan to avenge the death of their sister at the hands of drug dealers. At the same time, a guy named Davalos (Robert Davi) is blackmailed into working with Random (Michael Pare), a cop.
Who is Davalos? What does he have to do with anything or anyone else in the movie? Don't ask me. I had to read the press material to figure out the plot and still don't get it. But that's all right.
Also involved are Elliott Gould as a film projectionist; John Savage as half of a knife-wielding pair of assassins who seem to have learned their moves at the Bolshoi ballet; O.J.'s ex-squeeze Paula Barbieri as a hooker who works for the bad guys but used to love Davalos; and Joel Grey as an informant with a bizarre accent.
The credits state that writer Rod Hewitt co-directed with Maria Dante and perhaps that explains the nutty excesses. The violence is graphic, imaginative, filled with continuity mistakes and so preposterous that it's silly. Much the same could be said of the acting and dialogue, too, in both Japanese and English, resulting in the following memorable line.
Near the end, when one noble character has been mortally wounded at the New Orleans Art Museum, he says before he expires, "I have always believed that if a man has been a true warrior, when he dies those around him can feel a wind from his body."
Now, when I heard that, two interpretations came to mind immediately - one spiritual and one intestinal - and given the context, they were about equally appropriate. "The Dangerous" is one of those alternative gems that's full of wind and other things.
Next week: Holograms and hot bids.
New releases this week:
Dumb and Dumber 1/2 *
Starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly. Directed by Peter Farrelly. Turner/New Line. 102 min. Rated PG-13 for graphic bathroom humor, strong language, mild violence.
What an unfortunately accurate title. Sub-genius humor hits a new low with Lloyd and Harry, two dim bulbs who go from Providence, RI, to Aspen, Colo. to return a mysterious briefcase. Lots of potty jokes accomplished through graphic sound effects. To be fair, a few of the throwaway lines are snappy, and there is something inherently funny about a van that looks like a big dog.
Street Fighter ***
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Wes Studi, Raul Julia. Directed by Steven de Souza. MCA/Universal. 95 min. Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence, mild profanity.
This martial arts action flick has been jazzed up with smoke and mirrors and an unusually large ensemble cast. The pace is quick and the tone is strictly tongue-in-cheek. In the end, it's a cheerful crowd-pleaser for the young male target audience. Sure to be a big hit on tape.
Murder in the First ** 1/2
Starring Kevin Bacon, Christian Slater, Gary Oldman. Directed by Marc Rocco. Warner Home Video. 120 min. Rated R for violence, subject matter, strong language, sexual content.
Seen as a legal/prison drama, this is a gritty story that puts good intentions above entertainment value. It's driven by three convincing performances from the leads, and a well-realized sense of pre-war Alcatraz and San Francisco. On the negative side, the characters are reduced to models of goodness or evil, and director Marc Rocco never misses a chance to show off.
THE ESSENTIALS
Darkman II: The Return of Durant ***
MCA/Universal. 93 min. Rated R for strong language, violence.
A Cop for the Killing ***
Concorde/New Horizons. 95 min. Rated R for violence, strong language.
The Dangerous **
Orion. 96 min. Unrated and R-rated for violence, strong language, brief nudity, sexual material.
by CNB