10 Favourite Backstreet Boys Songs

By Waiching 

Formed in Orlando, Florida, the Backstreet Boys are a 5-piece boy/man pop vocal harmony band with Brian Littrell, who is regarded as the group's best vocalist and singer, as well as lead with Kevin Richardson (Littrell's cousin), Nick Carter, Howie Dorough and AJ McClean rounding up the group. At first, their main set of fans comprised of young teen girls, but over time, the group's latter efforts, in particular Black & Blue, Never Gone, Unbreakable all the way through to DNA, garnered appreciation from elders and some male fans and listeners. Back in 1995, following on from successors, New Kids on the Block and the UK's Take That, a new boyband came to prominence in the U.S, though they first made a name for themselves in Europe with singles, 'We've Got It Goin' On' and 'Get Down (You're The One For Me)'. My sister became and is a huge fan of the Backstreet Boys, citing them as her favourite pop group of all-time and had owned pretty much every album that they released.

Whilst their debut effort, Backstreet Boys was released internationally and for the European market, 1997's Backstreet's Back is accredited for being the BSB's first U.S offering and second major studio LP and an album that sold millions. 

Millennium from 1999 was the album that became the group's biggest-selling and most successful LP and one considered by many and die-hard Backstreet Boys fans as the ultimate album, spawning 4 single releases - I Want It That Way, Larger Than Life, Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely & The One -, which all hit the top 10 in parts of Europe. But one year later, the follow-up, 2000's Black and Blue (3rd U.S studio album and their 4th elsewhere) received mixed reviews, and whilst it is seen by many as one of their weaker offerings, there was a fair amount of songs I enjoyed more so than their first two albums and shall I add, a tad more than Millennium. Black and Blue made history by selling over 5 million copies, worldwide in its first week of sales. 

As they got older, the material and songs showed growth and progression as artists and songwriters as they heralded a massive departure from the teeny-bop and bubblegum pop phases of the early to mid-1990s to early to mid & late -2000s with their brief venture in R&B (Black & Blue and 2009's This Is Us) and settling towards an adult contemporary pop feel. And all with a little help from Swedish Moroccan music producer, RedOne; though both the Cheiron and Max Martin efforts, Millennium and Black and Blue are my 2 favourite albums by the group, with the 2001 effort edging it for me. The latter ditched the bombast of the former in favour of a more R&B-influenced & edgier & flashier style; a decision which paid off, musically in my eyes that is.

Given the Backstreet Boys (or be it men) have endured the test of time, as both a five and four-piece when so many other boy bands have come and gone (namely the Backstreet Boys' rivals, the synonymous and comparative equivalent, N*SYNC) and never returned on the pop scene, is a testament to their popularity, success and appeal, and ability to grow as artists with their ever-dedicated (and ageing) fan base. 

It wasn't an easy decision when I made this list, but there was no doubting that early Backstreet Boys or be pre- mid-2000s Backstreet Boys periods will still live on as the group's and die-hard fans most memorable and defining moments of their 30-year + lasting legacy.

Alas, here, I have settled on my 10 chosen Backstreet Boys songs:

1. I Want It That Way (1998) - Millennium; for many, the iconic and signature song of the Backstreet Boys and one of the definitive '90s pop anthems of all-time, more so than Everybody (Backstreet's Back). It was also the song that cemented the surging popularity of the Backstreet Boys in the 1990s like never before  

2. As Long As You Love Me (1997) - Backstreet's Back; best BSB ballad, best-selling single in the UK, but also their best selling single not to reach #1 in the UK top 40; regardless, As Long As You Love Me put the group on the world map. Musically and lyrically, it is up there as one of their sheer best single releases along with I Want It That Way. If I want It That Way was considered the best of the best, this would come in second 

3. Shape of My Heart (2000) - Black And Blue; their first 2000s EP release and one of their most eagerly anticipated singles, a mid-tempo song about making mistakes and forgiveness, it is Black and Blue's I Want It That Way. The key change struck a chord and alas, it is such a great song   

4. Get Another Boyfriend (2000) - Black And Blue; taken from Black And Blue, a very underrated album and my personal favourite that is sometimes overlooked by many, given their change in musical direction, which gained new admirers but also divided fans at the same time. Yet Black and Blue showcased some of the strongest and best material co-written by the members who each had a hand in penning the songs. Get Another Boyfriend sounds like something that NSYNC would have produced themselves with its upbeat- ness and energy. Of all the upbeat tracks on Black and Blue, this is probably the highlight. Get Another Boyfriend is to the Backstreet Boys as It's Gotta Be Me to NSYNC

5. Don't Wanna Lose You Now (1998) - Millennium; the quality of this song lifts this into an adult contemporary pop song with its mature lyrics and sound, it's emotional as it is expressive and majestic. A standout from Millennium  

6. What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful) (2000) - Black And Blue; this featured as a bonus track on the UK edition of Black and Blue and on The Princess Diaries movie soundtrack with lead vocals by Howie D. One of the few BSB tracks with lead vocals from other than Brian, AJ and Nick, it is also one of their best that is underrated. It should have been a single released back in 2000/2001

7. More Than That (2000) - Black and Blue; your typical BSB boyband pop ballad, but like with Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely, the Backstreet Boys add that vocal quality to what would have been a below-average song, tinged with a little Spanish Latin flavour. This is one of my favourite ballads of theirs and whilst a lot of people were sceptical of its release as their final single release from this LP, More Than That still does it for me

8. The One (1998) - Millennium; considered one of the weaker songs on Millennium, this is a mid-tempo energetic number, which got the fan's vote after the Backstreet Boys held a poll on MTV's TRL show allowing fans to choose the next single off Millennium. The One is a song that I still liked listening to back in 1998 and to this day in the post-2010s, I still do 

9.  All I Have to Give (1996) - Backstreet Boys; produced and written by R&B outfit, Full Force, it is a soulful offering that showcases the 5-piece's vocal harmonies, it was the final single released from their self-titled debut album  

10. Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely (1996) - Millennium; strong ballad with Latin influences that was selected by the group's then label, Jive as the BSB's third single off Millennium. Musically, vocally, lyrically and structurally, Show Me The Meaning... shows off the strengths of the Backstreet Boys and what Max Martin, with the assistance of Herbie Crichlow, was capable of as a pop lyricist; two decades later he goes on to pen  chart- topping hits for the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry

Honourable Mentions: Anywhere For You, Nobody But You, If I Knew Then, Everybody (Backstreet's Back), Quit Playin' Games With My Heart, Every Time I Close My Eyes, 10,000 Promises, Like A Child, Set Adrift on Memory Bliss, That's What She Said, If You Want It To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself A Bad Boy), Larger Than Life, It's Gotta Be You, Don't Want You Back, No One Else Comes Close, If You Knew What I Knew, The Call, Shining Star, Everyone, Not For Me, Yes I Will, How Did I Fall In Love With You, Treat Me Right (feat. J.C Chasez), Straight Through My Heart, All of Your Life (You Need Love), Drowning, Poster Girl, Something That I Already Know, Masquerade, Best That I Can 

2020 Year In Review: A Year Of Two Completely Different Halves

By Waiching

I, and many others, would never have imagined that 2020 will draw to a close and as we see out the last remaining days of the year: a year, which economically, socially has been a monumental catastrophe and where the world came to a crashing halt by say April, May and has never fully recovered long after that. 

As I saw my chances of travelling to America and Spain dwindle minute by minute and eventually diminish due to the strain of Coronavirus, which got worse, I said to myself, ''that's it, forget about the rest of 2020 and look forward to 2021''. I didn't blog as regularly and frequently: being an essential worker and losing my appetite to blog, as well as watching films, took its toll, and of which as the year wore on, there was a lack of inactivity on this blog. I did, however, discover reggaeton music and have developed a fondness for it. 

2020 will be remembered for many things, but it will also embody the worst aspects of the year; a lost year for some, and a lost year for myself and one that I saw was an opportunity to make up for 2019 and one that overrode everything else that was either sidelined or postponed for next year. The pandemic has laid bare and exposed some of the widening inequalities in society: systemic racism and xenophobia (through the Wuhan origin of Coronavirus), class divisions, poverty and hardship, debates between mental and physical health, divisions between pro-vaccine supporters and anti-vaxxers, Covid deniers and Covid dismissives, rich versus poor, extreme panic and fear, of certain countries & governments ill-equipped in handling a major natural disaster, whilst the U.S presidential elections have been a hostile and contentious affair. 

One might have thought that the pandemic would bring and unite people together, but it just hasn't quite done that. It has thus shown that this is more than just a biological and physical health issue, more than just human lives at stake but where its profound impact has transcended beyond physical health and more towards the sociologically, physiologically, psychologically, emotionally and personal aspects as well. 

The mask-wearing, which would be alien in the Western world under normal circumstances, became an emblem of sorts as it took on a different meaning, as well as an identity of its own and a different type of identity which evoked safety and health, but it also drummed up certain wariness, uncertainty into the unknown; whilst seeing everyone wear masks was almost like a way of conforming, it also brought about unfamiliarity and at times, suspicion. 

It was a year that as the months wore on, the world, society, and many of its governments who have handled the pandemic badly especially, gave up on 2020, gave up on its people... and gave up on themselves: where time at first came to a standstill, with everything closed off and seemed to collapse. Until that a small flicker of hope descended on the doldrums with the announcement of several vaccines: a solution that divided people throughout, but for me personally, I saw it as the only realistic and feasible chance of ending the covid pandemic, & for good. 

We had to adapt to this new reality, adapt to the new norm of doing things, not being allowed to see and visit our families and loved ones, abandoning our traditional and daily methods and routines of doing things we were so used to doing, and to work within and around our confines and the limitations it has brought about. As well as socially distancing from other people, washing our hands and wearing facemasks.

I missed the handshakes, the hugs, the physical contact, the human touch without the fear, worry or concern that I'd be infecting the other person with Coronavirus. And that also brought about the immense challenge of caring for and looking after my mental and emotional health and well-being. Under government and health advice & guidance, we had to make so many sacrifices on so many levels for the sake of preserving our physical health, and with that came the consequences: economic downfall, high poverty levels, high unemployment and loss of jobs, suicide levels spiking, the impact on our mental health. I was and am very unfortunate to be still holding down a job when either I could have a) possibly been made redundant or furloughed, b) my contract was terminated with effect and I was unemployed. Had any of those things happened to me, I would have been devastated and plus, my mental health would have worsened. 

2019 and 2020 seemed to be two contrasting & polarising years from a personal point of view on opposite ends of the spectrum: 2019 was the year when we had no Coronavirus, it was the year before Covid came along and ravaged our lives, but it was a horrible one for me on so many levels. At work I wasn't entirely happy, I got into arguments and fallouts with people, my job was on the line and with that, I was disciplined several times for stupid crap that I became embroiled in and saw people leaving and quitting my department, every 2 or 3 months. Yet Costco, where I worked and still work to this day, was busy. The food court, which is my department, was usually packed with members on the weekend. but in 2020 it was a different story: the food court tables were removed, the exodus of workers continued until Sept, and the Covid situation worsened as months went on. The lowest I felt this year was in May and in some cases, November. Still, I manage to steer clear and out of trouble and not allow my emotions & my reactions to situations to detract from my duties and ignore people who try to set off my emotions and provoke me. 

Even before the Coronavirus came along, I said to myself I didn't want to endure any of the misery, argument, and in-fighting that occurred last year: that if I focus on doing my work and not let people whom I can't control and of whom I don't have control over and to not allow (external) situations and circumstances that are out of my control consume me and to wrestle with my emotions, I'll be fine - & guess what? I did just that, and I feel a whole lot better because of it. Why? Because the issue is with him/her and that it is their problem, getting sucked into their behaviours and mind games are going to make things worse. But for one, or two instances where I messed up, I managed to stay on the straight and narrow. I had to de-clutter the things, and people that did me no good and made me the person I didn't want to be that I became last year. I had to decide and figure out that by limiting my time & exposure to certain people who test my levels of patience, of whom test my resolve, I was doing myself a massive favour. By focusing on myself and improving on myself, my self-care without caring about what people who try to drag me down to their level do & say to me, gives me more confidence to not only not give a damn but focus on being a better version of myself, for myself and by myself.   

I excel when I focus on the work and do the work and do not pay too much attention towards making friends, trying to fit in at work and trying to fix people, who won't fix themselves, or who won't change no matter what. I had to either think of a response that suited the other party, - or stay silent, ignore them and walk away and not deal with their negativity and extremely pessimistic personalities, I didn't get (too) overwrought by their erratic behaviours: that the difference between this year and last. As much as the mask-wearing has its limitations (such as hiding emotions of happiness, sadness, frustration, annoyance, and fear) and provides various challenges from a communication point of view by limiting it, in terms of stifling communication and inciting non-communication and need to not feel compelled to deal or speak to someone, who is either difficult or toxic, wearing the mask (but not in the sense of presenting/projecting a false image of yourself) can act as a relief mechanism, as much as a barrier for myself in this case. When life around me can feel a little weary or I am exposed to potentially difficult individuals, having my mask on is a way of diffusing the problem, & gaining a measure of self-control. 

The one lesson I have taken from and learned from the problems of last year and of which I have persisted with throughout the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, is no matter what happens on the outside, no matter what people say or do to you, one must stand firm and rather than react badly or negatively to counter it by performing proactively and to do positive things; it might go down in history and for many as the worst & most tumultuous year in recent times and in history, but for me, how I see each year personally is reflective of what I have been through myself and of my experiences first-hand. No matter what happens outside in the world, my life is separate from that. We have seen that this virus doesn't care about what colour skin you have, what your ethnicity, nationality is or how old you are. The world at this very moment might be messed up with Covid and the world's economies shrinking, & when you experience something like a pandemic hitting you right in the face, it's about stepping up and to continue pushing onwards and upwards and demonstrating strength and resilience during times when the world is on fire and out of control, rather than throwing in the towel; & so does that mean, however, that I have to feel depressive, miserable and drag myself down, allowing all this to affect me negatively and expose myself to people who can do harm or damage to my mental and emotional wellbeing? The answer to that is no, absolutely not...

2020 has been a year of conflicted emotions, but I am grateful that as much as the journey has been a struggle and challenging at times that has played havoc on my mental health, I and many others still made it through to the very end. As the end of 2020 draws near and I reflect on the lessons, it has deepened my appreciation for travel and longing to see the world when it is safe to do so; it has made me more appreciative of my family and the importance of good family values and it has made me taken greater pride in my work and the role that I have played as a key worker and to this day I am still working and the only surviving member of the food court team of 2018. Despite Covid, 2020 has been far from being the worst year and my unhappiest in recent times, rather it has been challenging in ways that I saw fit and challenges that I never shy away from but to confront and tackle, head-on. As key workers, we had to keep pressing on with purpose, and persistence and not let the Coronavirus phase us, despite the health threat posed to us by it. In the midst of all of this despair, there were the healthcare workers, doctors and nurses who represented courage, sacrifice and hope, who endured the worst the pandemic had to offer & worked exceedingly hard to save lives.

We all had to be resilient in the face of this invisible virus and in helping preserve our physical health, as well as the social and racial inequality and injustices 2020 has provided us with opportunities to seek solutions, but to also look deep within ourselves; not just growth, learning about ourselves and of others but for each and every one of us to consider and determine what we regard as the most and least important things that truly matter and refocusing on the things and the people of whom mean so much to us that are irreplaceable and indispensable in our lives. 

Image Credit: FG Trade

I am not going to sugarcoat by saying this was and is one of my favourite years as it wasn't-, and looking back in 10, 20 years, it will never be, & whilst it wasn't and hasn't been quite my comeback year I'd wanted it to be, given a bumpy 2019 that I had, 2020, despite its lows and how much of it sucked & it has been a year like no other in recent history, has been a real eye-opener and one which given I am grateful for; not grateful for Covid itself, but grateful that I learnt I didn't have to feel and choose to feel as crappy and low, rather I am grateful that I stayed on the straight and narrow and done my work to the best of my ability. 2020 was a turning point; not just in terms of Covid and its devastation & that I had to work under unexpected circumstances. I knew and realised I could not revert back to my old self in 2019, or be it the negative aspects, that when I reflect back on them, they just make me wince. 

For once and for a change, much of 2020's woes were not down to me and as a result of my misbehaviours and losing control, but a result of external forces and circumstances that were out of my control in Coronavirus. If I was given the choice to trade in 2019 for 2020 for my least favourite year, I'd say no; contrary to the previous year, I didn't let the problems and situations & crisis control me and alas, I didn't lose control of the situations, and that I didn't let the fear, worry, toxicity unnerve me and throw me off, completely. 

Here's hoping that with the vaccines looming, whilst it is not the solution, it is one part of it; alas, I anticipate that 2021 will be a much happier and prosperous one for myself and everyone.

Retro Review: Hancock (2008)

Hancock
2008

Cast: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Eddie Marsden

Genre: Superhero Action

Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $629 million 

Plot: Hancock is a superhero whose ill-conceived behaviour regularly causes damage in the millions. He changes when the person he saves helps him improve his public image

'A Wasted Opportunity' 

Hancock was directed by Peter Berg who was best known for playing Dr Billy Kronk on CBS's medical drama, Chicago Hope, & CBS's answer to E.R; he pumped out some not so good movies, Battleship, Very Bad Things and several Mark Wahlberg outings in Mile 22, Spencer Confidential, Deep Water Horizon.  

Stubbled superhero John Hancock is loathed by citizens in Los Angeles; fueled by booze and depressed, he jumps at the chance of turning his life around with the aid of PR consultant, Ray, who helps him in his redemption - only to further complicate matters when Hancock reunites/bumps into Mary, Ray's wife - and Hancock's ex-flame.  

The film also marked as Will Smith's first film of 2008, which was followed up by the much-maligned Seven Pounds that same year. Hancock is Smith's misbegotten would-be blockbuster and two movies that when combined, the end result is that it isn't very entertaining. A sub-version on the superhero action film as seen in the likes of Marvel Studios and DC Entertainment's offerings, Hancock, is sadly a huge disappointment; besides the main story being stale, Hancock is a mess and under a far more competent director, this would have been up there with other non-DC & Marvel comic book movies such as The Losers, Kingsman, Hellboy, The Crow, Mystery Men. The premise is dark, but the problem is it takes itself way too seriously with limp subplots and an utterly forgettable villain, in a bank robber played by Eddie Marsan, who never seems plausible, thus undercutting the film, and Hancock, himself, doesn't come across as a character one can root for. 

Frustrating, conflicting at times, with a story that doesn't convince and the film truly wastes the cast, most notably Will Smith, Jason Bateman and former Oscar winner, Charlize Theron in what is a poorly developed and written role as the wife and ex-love of Hancock. The latter acquits herself as Mary, but Mary, as a character, is mishandled and as such, her underutilization and misplaced role in the story only exacerbates matters. I'd prefer to have Mary over Ray as the secondary character to John Hancock. It is a letdown to see a good premise being wasted on a mediocre screenplay; with a hodgepodge of ideas, these don't come together on screen as I'd expected and as such, Hancock never has a good storyline for the film to follow through. Smith gives a somewhat stronger account here, playing not quite an against-type role in contrast to his usual good guys, but who is also not the bad guy, yet his character is difficult to pin down and identify. 

Hancock has had a troubled development (that it reportedly cost $150 million to produce) and though it is not as disastrous and awfully bad and the special effects are all right for a film of this type, one just wonders what a far better film this would have turned out with a more inviting, entertaining and witty script and a better director at the helm, say, Zack Snyder or somebody else, who truly knows what makes a superhero-based satire action movie work. 

In contrast to Will Smith's other so-called blockbuster flop, Wild Wild West, Hancock just doesn't know how to have fun in spades and to embrace and let loose its wacky side, as well as for the film to gel and with that, this is one of those movies wherein one would expect a whole lot more and better from this film and of the concept as well. It is a shame as I had considerable hopes this wasn't going to be as terrible as it is; it isn't to the extent to which I hated it, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed and underwhelmed. 

Final Verdict:

As I write this, it has been reported in June 2020 that Charlize Theron would be up for a sequel in Hancock and reuniting alongside Will Smith; I wouldn't mind this if it means a better script this time around, anyone, but for Peter Berg, who understands the action sci-fi genre well, and having both Theron and Smith as the lead stars.  

But insofar as 2008's Hancock is concerned, it just wasn't cracked up to be. 

Overall:

Movie Review: Detroit (2017)

Detroit
2017

Cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Jason Mitchell, Hannah Murray, John Krasinski, Anthony Mackie 

Genre: Period Crime Drama

Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $24 million 

Plot: A civil unrest arises after the Detroit Police Department launches a raid on a group of African-Americans. The public anger reaches its peak as the officials respond with retribution than justice 

'Very Good Movie, Which Also Could've & Should've Been Greater'

Detroit begins on the night of Sunday, July 23, 1967 - one year before the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr by a sniper: a series of violent confrontations between the Detroit police and residents of predominately African American neighbours intensified, after a raid on an illegal party whereby 82 Blacks and several other people were arrested and interrogated at Algiers motel. Resultingly, nearby residents looted businesses and vandalised property and set arson to public property and buildings. The violence dispersed into other cities and resulted in further deaths, injuries and arrests & burned buildings. 

Whilst I found this film to be rather engrossing and suspenseful, I do feel as though that Katheryn Bigelow offers a much narrower version of events that are portrayed than I'd anticipated, as she treads a fine line between nuance and compelling. Which Bigelow does with Will Poulter, Algee Smith and Hannah Murray, yet, unfortunately, Detroit, through her dogmatic and often partisan direction, underplays John Boyega's character, which as good a performance as he gives here, alas, the ambiguously spurned Melvin Dismukes isn't afforded more screentime for Boyega to stamp his mark. 

I couldn't fault it in terms of keeping me glued to the screen as the nail-biting tension mounts up, scene after scene, and as impressive as Detroit attempts to be, this should have been a tale that was multifaceted and far broader in its development of the characters involved and of their eventual fates. In terms of being behind the camera, Bigelow never shies away from portraying the truth in a gritty, no-nonsense way that isn't dressed up and glamorised.  

Detroit is a good film, and an important one to watch and view in light of the murder of George Floyd and incidents of police brutality that have been the talking point of 2020, besides the Coronavirus; harrowing and powerful and conveying a bleakness that seeps through, yet I also couldn't help but wonder that as much as they focused on the characters, individually, there wasn't much depth in terms of how they were written. Performance-wise, it ranged from very good to great with Poulter, the standout. Sitting through the hallway scene as the helpless victims line up outside, as the bent cops shoot them one by one, was nail-biting. But after that, there were signs whereby with Detroit, I wouldn't say lost its footing completely, rather that momentum from the middle third wasn't sustained all the way through. & yet Bigelow's insistence to cover any further ground, besides the hallway scene and killings, was an opportunity that was being squandered. It just didn't provide much of a backstory surrounding the riots or the characters. The film descends into a SAW-like survival horror telling of events, through Bigelow's use of horror and thriller tropes to extract that psychological feel, which isn't something I have against. Though some will question the victimisation of the Black male characters and White female characters as being helpless and of whom exist as inconsequential, throwaway types, as well as the fact there is not a single lead African- American female character to be found during the entire film. 

It is, like I said, admirable... but when it comes to the characters themselves, it seemed like rather than this being an emotionally resonating character-driven piece, Detroit focused more on the story and the killings. I think with a drama with a story such as this and the issues such as systemic and institutionalised racism, of racial inequality, police brutality, of course, these things need to be highlighted. Yet it shouldn't also mean negating the characters as they are a vital piece of any story, be it film, TV and in any genre, which is why in that respect, with the writer and Kathryn Bigelow, it is a little disappointing that whilst the characters galvanise the story, it still feels there is so much more left that could have been done with them by fleshing them out further. 

Final Verdict: 

Besides that, this was still a really efficient film; better than 1990's haphazard and brazen mess, Blue Steel, but also not as thrilling as 1995's virtuoso effort, Strange Days. Yet, I wanted this to be far gritty, greater and better than it should have been. It can be argued that Bigelow's take on Detroit is both opportunistic and nihilistic, which this is, and doesn't fully present ways in which racism functions, and with that in particular, I could see to it why this film isn't to everyone's tastes and why they won't be and aren't enamoured by and for it.

Overall:

Mini Retro Review: Taxi (2004) #badmovies

Taxi
2004

Action Comedy

Humourless, poorly casted, gags are unfunny, Taxi was a massive flop; a remake of the 1998 French film and one that was so successful it spawned 4 more movies. Written and produced by Luc Besson about a cop and a cab driver who, in this version, team up to bring down a group of female Brazilian bank robbers. Supposedly an action-comedy, the humour is non-existent with stunts and action propping up the movie. Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon, years before he became the host of The Tonight Show, are a total mismatch as a buddy pairing, it just didn't work. Most of it doesn't work, it's so inept, it is surprising it was penned by Besson himself. A laugh-free comedy, the misery ended after 40 mins when I stopped tuning in. 

Is It Worth Watching?

No

Overall:

Retro Review: No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)

No Retreat, No Surrender aka Karate Tiger 
1986
Cast: Kurt McKinney, Jean-Claude Van Damme, J.W Fails, Ron Pohnel, Peter 'Sugarfoot' Cunningham
Genre: Martial Arts
U.S Box Office Gross: over $4.6 million

Plot: A karate kid wannabe seeks a master to bring his skills to the next level to avenge his father, and finds it unexpectedly in the spirit of Bruce Lee 

'Hong Kong Karate Kid'

Seeing these films in reverse order, 1986's No Retreat, No Surrender, is the first film in the series, & thus is the conclusion to my critique of the No Retreat, No Surrender trilogy. 

The first No Retreat, No Surrender is in the vein of the Karate Kid: released two years after the hugely successful martial arts drama starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, this action- drama was directed and penned by Corey Yuen-Kwai and is noted for being his first English-based film. 

After some bad guys threaten the father and threatening him to fight in a tournament, he gets injured and they end up closing the gym. His son, Jason summons the spirit of Bruce Lee, his hero, who teaches him Jeet Kune Do and it isn't long until he puts those skills to use to save his dojo, as well as friends from Ivan and his crew of cretins. 

Michael Jackson and breakdancing, this is a mish-mash of Breakin' with Karate Kid, with a bit of Rocky, some of the scenes are cringeworthy and the story is not very well developed or written, thus lacking in any depth. The fight scenes, however, looked pretty good, as I'd expected quality-wise, from a Hong Kong-based martial arts movie. The one at the end was good between Ivan and Jason, but too brief. When there wasn't a fight or martial arts scene, it was so drone-worthy and dull. It was comically bad. 

Far from resembling the tone and edginess of the No Retreat No Surrender: Blood Brothers and Raging Thunder instalments, the original No Retreat, No Surrender was more of the Z-grade Karate Kid with teen characters, namely the evil fat kid who eats a lot, a white kid was a nasty looking plaited ponytail, the young love interest and the Black kid, RJ with the Michael Jackson Jheri curl, who Jason befriends, and so-called comic relief types. There is even a Bruce-Lee poser, or be it actor passing off as Lee as inspiration for Kurt McKinny's character, Jason, which I found to be a little odd. Van Damme, who at the time was in only his third-major English language film - appears in only two scenes as Ivan, Jason's nemesis, including the end fight. Like Arnold Schwarzenneger in 1984's The Terminator, Van Damme made his big-screen breakthrough (somewhat) as the villain. The Jason character whines a good deal in this film, and as the main protagonist, is bereft of charm and dare I say it, likeability, although Kurt McKinney is passable in the role. 

The difference between Hong Kong produced martial arts flicks and those produced in America, is that the former focuses more on the action and less so the drama and story; most of the time, this works as the quality and quantity of action precedes over the poor or lacklustre narrative, other times this doesn't: No Retreat, No Surrender falls into the latter category as it descends into teen drama fare. Yuen-Kwai was probably influenced and impressed by The Karate Kid and wanted to capitalise on its popularity and success; unfortunately, No Retreat, No Surrender barely manages to scrape the barrel. 

The original NRNS is somewhat of a blip on Corey Yuen-Kwai, who is usually competent; his previous film before No Retreat No Surrender, the Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock- led, Yes Madam! was terrific fun, whilst She Shoots Straight, that came out in 1990, also had some amazing fight scenes and choreography. A hit-&-miss filmmaker when it comes to his American output (DOA: Dead or Alive, The Transporter), as well as some of his Hong Kong efforts (So Close), this can be glaring to see. 

In the last scene or two, Corey Yuen hands over the reins to Van Damme; with that it concludes on a strong note, saving the best 'till last as he adds some needed fire-power and fireworks to a one-dimensional story carried by a one-dimensional lead protagonist. 

The follow-up movies, were not continuations of the Jason/RJ/Jean-Claude Van Damme Russian bad guy storyline, thankfully, as they invest in some grit but retaining its upbeat-ish tone, thanks to Loren Avedon as the lead. The third had more weight, and for me, is my favourite out of the No Retreat series. Who knows how the No Retreat movies might have turned out, had Van Damme and Kurt McKinney reprised their roles; if anything, their omissions might have been what the No Retreat movies needed. Particularly as unlike the Kickboxer offerings, these films got better with each release. 

Final Verdict:

The extra mark is for the final fight; I will say that fights-wise and in terms of action choreography, this is a whole another level to The Karate Kid with better scenes and martial arts; this is a B-movie Karate Kid and No Retreat, No Surrender is better than say, Gymkata. Yet the story and levels of melodrama can be cumbersome to endure and it isn't great either. Personally, as a Karate Kid-type martial arts film, the first No Retreat is all right at best, but as an action martial arts film it isn't as well-executed.

Some might say it is worth tuning into for Jean-Claude Van Damme, but even as the antagonist, he is underused. 

One can skip this movie and watch the sequels. 

Overall: 

Retro Review: Hard To Kill (1990)

Hard to Kill
1990
Cast: Steven Segal, Kelly LeBrock, William Sadler, Frederick Coffin
Genre: Action
Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $59 Million  

Plot: Left for dead with his wife in their house, an L.A detective will have to make a quick recovery, expose those behind the murder & take revenge 

'Not Quite Hard To Endure, But Lacking In Edge'

Mason Storm is left for dead after he and his wife and kid are shot and killed by some goons, well, it is presumed that Mason is dead, when, in fact, he miraculously survives and awakens from a coma, 7 years after the attack. With the help of a nurse who aids him in his recovery, Mason goes out of his way to find the people, in some crooked cops and a corrupt politician, responsible and bring them to justice. Mason becomes a cop who is hard to kill, hence the title, a tough nut for the bad guys to crack, the cop of whom the villains can't outmuscle or defeat. Hard To Kill was Steven Segal's second major feature film, following on from 1988's Nico/Above The Law. 

The first half opens up with a vicious and riveting 20 mins or so, but then comes to middle third when the film begins to sag, as it goes down the lull route with the boring back-and-forth interplay between Kelly LeBrock and Segal dominating the film's proceedings and the action heating up in the final third - only to come to a sluggish end, - and one that was also a cop-out.

I was never big on Steven Segal, I mean, sure enough, he has the skills (Aikido to be more precise) and he is no slouch in the fight department, but as a movie star, an action movie star with screen presence and charisma, he just never wowed me and it just comes across in his performances that there was that vibe that looked brooding-yet bored and showing less enthusiasm. His movies also ranged from okay to half-decent to forgettable and bad direct-to-DVD showings. Under Siege is (arguably) the high point of his ever-fluctuating movie career.

There is something about Steven Segal in a fight scene, whereby he always gains the upper hand and rarely gets smacked or kicked around, which is what happens to Jackie Chan, Slyvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Jean-Claude Van Damme. His characters, or be it Segal himself, are so zoned in he would stroll through his roles by beating the hell out of them in a fight scene, with no fear, with sheer confidence, and his opponents have no way to counter-attack Segal. At times, it's entertaining to watch, other times this becomes aggravating this will bother many viewers. Of course, Mason gets killed earlier on, unlike so many of Segal's characters, but he comes back to life to exact his vengeance. 

The fight scenes themselves are at times, flashy looking, but nothing to behold, but rather basic as well and the action was done better elsewhere. Back in 1990 and in the early '90s, I would have been all right with Hard To Kill; If I saw this during the early 1990s, I wouldn't have thought too much about it, but in seeing this today in 2020, it underwhelmed. Hard To Kill is by-the-numbers as action films go and whilst there are 2 or 3 decent action sequences, the drab storyline, co-written by Segal also, and the pacing of it dragged and took up way too much time. The romance with Steven Segal and then-wife Kelly LeBrock was unconvincing as they had no onscreen chemistry, whatsoever, whilst her performance wasn't much to write home about, in fact, there weren't any real standouts. There wasn't even a proper toe-to-toe fight with William Sadler's meanie character; instead, that was reserved for Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2: Die Harder, released in the same year as Hard To Kill. & whilst these are two very different action films, both in terms of plot, story and main characters' motivations in going after the villain, Renny Harlin's Die Hard 2 reigned, big-time. 

Hard To Kill's final third, but for the limp ending, is worth sitting through, and it's a shame that the first half wasn't bad and yet the middle of the movie felt pretty lacklustre. Alas, the story was just so forgettable and so lethargic, you couldn't care when it tried to tell the story, & the action scenes were, well, for me, I expected a whole lot more and with more quality, but this just didn't transpire.  

Final Verdict: 

Hardcore and ardent Segal fans will get plenty of bang for their buck, but for everyone else, there are better action films out there that excel much more so than Hard To Kill. This is serviceable stuff, at best, otherwise, it's lacklustre but not as bad as his latter straight- to- DVD offerings. 

Overall:

Mini Movie Review: Welcome to Sudden Death (2020) #b(ad)movies

Welcome To Sudden Death
2020
Action

*Image credit: Netflix

I dunno if this is supposed to be a remake or reboot or be it an alternate version of Sudden Death, the 1995 Jean-Claude Van Damme film that had a Die-Hard formula, and one that I enjoyed a good deal, but Welcome to Sudden Death wouldn't have been so bad, if the script didn't go down the TV show ABC Family - route. Like many post-1990s low budget action B-films, it has a TV movie/TV show feel going for it; at least with the original Sudden Death, it still felt like a cinematic Hollywood experience under Peter Hyams, who tried to inject some style and suspense into the proceedings, - yet this film was obviously aimed at the VOD audience and with that it becomes a family-friendly film. Whilst the film's plot is identical to the original, with it set in Phoenix, the actual movie was filmed in Canada, it's almost like a race-swap version of the original with a Black family in place of a white family. It gets one additional mark knocked off for not having a mascot fight, just like with the Jean-Claude Van Damme version. Michael Jai White gets by with some brutal kills, but everything else is so watered down, and the villain played by Michael Eckland lacks any sort of nastiness that Powers Boothe had. Sudden Death was daft and silly but also overly decent. Pound for pound it follows the same narrative beats, & it's not terribly bad, but Welcome to Sudden Death is a needless film that just one film was enough.

Is It Worth Watching?

For Michael Jai White fans only

Overall: