Retro Review: Rising Sun (1993)

Rising Sun
1993
Cast: Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, Harvey Keitel, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Kevin Anderson, Mako, Tia Carrere, Steve Buchemi
Genre: Crime
Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $107 million

Plot: When an escort girl is found dead in the offices of a Japanese company in Los Angeles, two detectives act as a liaison between the company's executives and the investigating cop

'Don't Let This Sun Go Down On Me'

I have not read the book this film is based on, like with many Hollywood adaptations, but Rising Sun is an overly complex offering that is fraught with issues and which is too intricate for its own good, as well as the audiences' tastes. 

The year in 1993 was a big one for Michael Crichton, author of numerous novels that were given the big-screen treatment: Jurassic Park became one of the highest-grossing movies as it topped the charts. Then came the follow-up, Rising Sun, which was a best seller in 1992. Crichton was critical of the changes, director Phillip Kaufman made for the film. & as mentioned, whilst I have not come across the book, I can see why he wasn't happy - that, and, as a general espionage thriller, Rising Sun is sorely lacking in all departments. 

A prostitute named Cheryl, who was also one of the guests, is found dead in the office building of a Japanese conglomerate and atop a table in the boardroom of Nakamoto headquarters. Her murder is under investigation by boorish LAPD Lt. Graham and because of his instant dislike towards the Japanese quickly pins the blame on Eddie. Detectives Lt. Web Smith is partnered up with the older and more experienced John Conner and the two try to make sense of who was responsible for Cheryl's death. With Conner, who is a specialist in Japanese culture, after discovering surveillance footage of the attack had been tampered with, both Smith and Conner suspect that the circumstances and motives behind it may run a lot deeper than they originally thought.

The story degenerates into an overlong, convoluted yet excruciatingly bland whodunit, which goes in all sorts of directions, but without a proper resolution, Rising Sun hasn't aged well and in watching it in 2019, this is an utterly trifling bore of a movie. The film presents itself as a mystery, yet I find it mystifying that no matter what avenue or route it headed with each storyline, either none of them made sense or that they came to an unsatisfying conclusion. Rising Sun lacks a focus; that and the lack of genuine tension and thrills for a so-called thriller makes it a huge disappointment. The mystery itself is sadly underplayed and so underwhelming, much to the film's detriment and it is conceived in a way that is not very enticing. But what compounded Rising Sun as a confusing mess is the sudden change of identity of the killer towards the end. The manner it happened and how Kaufman did this took me out and thus, it just didn't make an ounce of sense.

The buddy cop rapport between Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes doesn't work as well and having the latter function as a comic relief, lighter sidekick doesn't suit the movie's serious tone. The performances, as a whole, are okay, but they were burdened by an ineffective & plot-holed filled script. 

As far as Michael Crichton adaptations go for me, this is not up there with Jurassic Park, but it is not as bad as say 13th Warrior, Congo, Timeline. Heck, I'd take the much-maligned, Sphere of 1998 over Rising Sun.

Final Verdict:

Despite ending 1993 as the 17th highest-grossing film in the U.S box office, as a thriller it still underwhelms in every department; and by 2019 standards, Rising Sun, which is so utterly void of depth, just hasn't improved over the years.


Overall:

Mini Retro Review: Out Of Sync (1995) #badmovies

Out of Sync
1995
Genre: Crime Drama

Shot in under 1 month for around $1.5 million, Out Of Sync tries to be a nitty-gritty, urban crime thriller, but with its straight to video values and barebones plot, with more effort put in, this would have been a certified cult hit. An ex-drug addict now DJ (played by LL Cool J) is forced to work undercover for a cop to get info on a drug pusher - only to fall for the pusher's girlfriend. After years behind the camera with the Fame TV series and The Cosby Show spin-off, A Different world, choreographer/actress/director Debbie Allen's feature film debut seeks to tell the story competently, but, even with the odd sex scenes, it still has a makeshift TV episode feel and with that, Out of Sync lacks any sense of style and excitement to ramp up interest. Allen, herself, also makes a short appearance as a manicurist, her husband Norm Nixon as a basketball player, as is Gene Anthony Ray, who co-starred with Debbie Allen on the TV show, Fame as one of the thugs with Sister Sister's Tim Reid as a cop. It's too lightweight, lacking in punch with action scenes few and far between and as much as it tries to be a serious drama, is just not convincing enough. 



Is It Worth Watching?

If you are into movies like this, possibly but I found this one to be dry


Overall:

Retro Review: In Too Deep (1999)

In Too Deep

1999

Cast: Omar Epps, L.L Cool J, Nia Long, Stanley Tucci, Pam Grier, Hill Harper

Genre: Crime Thriller

U.S Box Office Gross: over $14 million

Plot: An ambitious young police academy graduate undertakes an undercover mission as a drug dealer so he can infiltrate the organisation of a leading drug dealer in Cincinnati 

'Doesn't Go Deep Enough'

A young undercover cop, Jeff, who is a recent police graduate, is chosen to infiltrate a narcotics ring and to help bring down a charismatic drug lord by the name of 'God'. But soon he finds his loyalties are divided and thus, he is torn between protecting and serving and upholding the law and the police and being a friend to the drug lord. 

Despite 2 somewhat violent scenes (one involving the use of a pool cue), In Too Deep is struck down by an anaemic script that doesn't make full potential of both Epps' Jeff and LL Cool J's antagonist character, God and in developing the drama and nasty side of his ego to its fullest. It is a crime drama that becomes a downtrodden and hollow viewing B/C-movie Donnie Brasco and Martin Scorcese's The Departed, with In Too Deep never managing to go much further than it should and ought to have done. 

The situations themselves are both disingenuous but these are also conceived in a way that, to be frank, I didn't fully buy into. Lead Omar Epps is okay but he lacks screen and leading man presence to carry it off; that, and it was difficult for me to feel anything towards Jeff, and as the movie fails to dig deep into his behaviours, situations, feelings and why he does the things he does. LL Cool J sheds his usual good-guy image by playing the big guy baddie, God. However, as much as he tries to inject a heavy and fierce presence and fieriness to his character, in a less than typecast role and one where it is rare to see him as the villain, it doesn't quite come off as well. 

Pam Grier is terribly underutilised and as one of the fellow cops, I wondered exactly why the writers didn't have her play a more integral role in the film and have her coming to the aid of her partner. Though to have In Too Deep waste the talents of Grier and Stanley Tucci- both established actors by relegating them to supporting roles wherein they could have easily elevated the movie further, is a poor move by the director and casting director in charge. Seeing as they also bring some quality presence, despite their (woefully) underwritten roles. The needless onscreen romance between Epps and Nia Long further impedes the pacing of the film. Also featured in the film are then '90s hip hop and R&B stars, rapper, Nas and singer, Mya. 

Funnily enough, the opening credits declare that ''this is based on a true story'', but Australian director Michael Rymer is unable to rouse any real or believable grit, hostility, tension and believability and with a poorly underdeveloped and flatlined script, it can be argued that none of the cast makes the grade with their performances.

This is a run-of-the-mill, watered-down New Jack City/Donnie Brasco/The Departed, lacking in depth when it comes to action, suspense, intrigue, thrills and characterisation that it can't escape from its B-movie/direct to video/DVD status values.

The good guy, who is torn between right and wrong and who has split allegiances with both parties, has been done to death before and after In Too Deep, and done far better in most instances. For a crime movie of this type, it plays out as a tired, repetitive offering that never really finds its rhythm, nor doesn't do much of anything that is good to surprise or entertain, whatsoever. 

 

Final Verdict:

In Too Deep paints a sloppily bland and far from compelling picture of the (un)loyal cop that contrary to the main title stays within its confines and doesn't try to be bold and adventurous. By trading in good old-fashioned gunplay and decent action for an underwritten story and with little to no genuine traits found in crime and cop-based dramas, this becomes a run-of-the-mill and also weak crime movie.

And one that is easily forgettable. 


Overall:

Retro Review: Barbershop 2: Back In Business (2004)

Barbershop 2: Back In Business
2004
Cast: Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer, Eve, Michael Ealy, Troy Garity, Kenan Thompson, Queen Latifah, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon
Genre: Comedy
Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $65 million

Plot: The owner of a historic South Side Chicago barbershop is pressured into selling out to a land developer, but must face the impact this would have on his close-knit community

'Not A ''Cut'' Above, Rather Much On Par With The First Movie'

Barbershop 2 was the follow-up to the first film, which became a box office sleeper hit, starring Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer, rapper Eve and Sean Patrick Thomas leading the ensemble and much like the first movie, it's more of a sitcom, rather than an out and out comedy movie set in a barbershop.

Calvin's barbershop, which has been a mainstay in the Chicago African American community for many years, has a new rival on the block in Nappy Cutz that is more high-end and state-of-the-art and is opening just opposite the road from each other, as part of a redevelopment plan.

One of the flaws of the second film is that its runtime is almost 2 hours long, it feels awfully padded with the subplots feeling less consequential than the last and plus, it has none of the spunk and spontaneity of Barbershop 1.  

Kenan Thompson's character was unnecessary, Cedric the Entertainer is less effective here than he was in the first film as he rambles on and on incessantly, whilst the subplot of him falling for Garcelle Beauvais's Loretta doesn't really fit into the plot, nor fully ties in around the other supporting characters. And the love triangle, again, isn't necessary. The characters are again an interesting and diverse bunch, personality-ish wise, but the way they are developed and written doesn't leave a discernable impression and there isn't one standout or star performance, whatsoever. Cedric mumbles and almost 90% of the time, it was so inaudible I couldn't make out what he was saying. Queen Latifah's character as Gina (Calvin's ex-girlfriend), and in a role that is far too brief, serves more as a supporting role, which in itself becomes an extension in the spin-off, Beautyshop, which was subsequently released in the same year as this movie. The movie is at most, passable and the interactions are playful.

It's fair to say that again, Barbershop 2 plays things a tad safe in terms of its direction; having said that, it did have 2, 3 moments and situations that made this instalment a little-and not as greater as the first Barbershop film. As most of it treads on the same path and rather than reinvent the wheel of Barbershop, the sequel sticks to the same narrative beats and is a rerun of that movie. Which is a little disappointing for me; it needed more anarchy, riotous laughs and better comedy. Instead, it is too earnest for its own good. 

The flashback scenes and transitions involving young Eddie are not as well assimilated into the film & nor are they as smooth, resulting in a feel that is muddled and this provided a disjointed flow within the story. 

I think when the sequel tries to be overambitious to the prequel and attempts to outdo it, whilst it doesn't find ways to be different and entertaining, it loses a little bit of its heart - and that is what succumbs Barbershop 2. It just doesn't pop when you expect it to. The rivalry between Calvin and Nappy Cutz and the threat the latter tries to pose against the barbershop is executed in an all-too obsolete fashion.

In fact, I'd say I prefer Beautyshop, the female spin-off over this one. 

Final Verdict:

Granted, the little scenes such as Cedric facing off against Queen Latifah were all right, but the subplots were not written as well as I'd hoped, the film is too static for words and the Cedric and Loretta storyline was blandly conceived. Though still okay, Barbershop 2 is hackneyed in places and is, like I said, on par with Barbershop that doesn't truly do enough as a film sequel to differentiate itself from, as well as go one better than its predecessor.

Overall:

Mini Retro Review: Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2008) #badmovies

Paul Blart: Mall Cop
2008
Genre: Comedy

If you have a comedy film that barely makes you chuckle within 90 minutes, then that is a sign it is not going to be good. The story takes ages for it to get going and I couldn't believe how bored I was during the 45 + mins of it. It fails to elicit laugh out loud humour on practically every level and the lack of laughs and comedy made this a sheer chore. Not one joke landed. Paul Mart: Mall Cop was an attempt of Kevin James's of making a name for himself as a comedy movie star, but low- par efforts such as this just show why he hasn't been able to establish himself as the next best comedy and stand-up performer to successfully transition onto feature films. House's Jennifer Morrison is in this one and her talents are put to waste in a forgettable support role that in one scene has her blurting out F-words: she must have wanted to erase this out of her memory. The fat jokes and pratfalls eventually wane as the film goes on, the swearing feels out of place in certain scenes and it seems like the writers thought that making homophobic references and spewing F-words constitute as funny. Mall Cop has nothing else left that could have made it better and funnier. Costing $26 million to produce, this is yet another one of the worst comedies to come out of the 2000s. I've seen bad comedies but even some of the ones that have garnered a negative reception made me laugh hard in places. Paul Mart: Mall Cop, on the other hand, is not one of them. This is almost an embarrassment for all those involved. 



Is It Worth Watching?

Not unless you are a massive Kevin James fan 


Overall: