I am just now learning how to relax again, and that I may not brown like I use to. Sunburn flakes from the forehead can be quite distracting as you handle transactions. Was the punishment worth being a predominately cis-white male two rows back from Bikini Kill headlining a major festival? Fuck yeah! I was sure there was space along the rail in case "girls to the front" was invoked.
Perhaps it was not really punishment. Perhaps no professional wrestler tans well ("The Boondock Saints' 7-11 Rule" still allows me to claim that as a profession, and I still have two weekends of full gear in my Altima's trunk.). This may explain the smudgy appearance of the stock used to shoot "Firepower," an early Gary Daniels film that promises us a kayfabe heel Ultimate Warrior versus Chad McQueen, Johnny Lawrence's number two henchman from "The Karate Kid".
After the 1992 riots, it was probably not a stretch of the imagination for Los Angelinos to imagine that the city would eventually resort to just letting the slums fend for themselves and quit risking peace officers lives. Ten years later (You may need to watch "Wresting with Wregret's Warrior versus Sting" video to get an even more accurate synopsis. This film has no Wikipedia page.), you have the Personal Freedom Zone. Crime rates decreased initially, but with a lack of resources as the exchange for lawlessness, the criminal element needs to expand beyond their borders. The criminal element's primary money maker is distributing a counterfeit AIDS vaccine. LAPD sergeants Darren Braniff and Nick Sledge do not want to return to the practice of safe sex, so whenever the thugs come out to steal pharmaceutical supplies, they are ready to pounce.
One night, a failed robbery results in two of the top villains being captured. One of them is the presumed leader of the conspiracy, the rage and testosterone-filled Swordsman. The Swordsman's gang immediately breaks him out of prison and almost equaled the T-800's 1984 body count in the process. Braniff and Sledge crave their pound of flesh, and ignore the rules of the freedom zone to attempt to recapture the too buff for 1994's WWE monster. They are able to track him to the "Death Ring", a nightly death match competition, that seem to where all the plans and schemes are based out of.
Since the Swordsman is champion, Braniff determine that there is only one way to reach them. They must go undercover and fight their way to him. If they offer to spare his life, maybe he will let them in on the drug ring. The police chief and Braniff's wife are opposed to it, but with Sledge's headstrong nature, they reluctantly allow the boys to proceed. It is an all or nothing proposition and that may be the only attitude that will allow you succeed in the Kill Zone (per the movie poster).
"Firepower" has a dystopian made for DVD action movie premise that I love, but the direction and production fail everyone who actually puts an effort into the project. The three actors worth billing on the box, including James "Warrior" Hellwig give their best, but director Rich Pepin fails to lets us truly appreciate acting near the Keanu Reeves's level. With that said, Gary Daniels needs to be in "John Wick: Chapter 4."
Outside the most interesting characters, the rest of the cast is there for a pay day. And perhaps they got it. That would at least explain why there is only one fight scene that is shot with any cinematic intention, there are virtually no shots from inside the cage fights, and the constant reuse of the same special effects and driving shots in drawn the overly drawn out car chases.
You may ignore those elements because the film stock looks worse than a parody of a Barbara Walters interview. Warrior was out of the pro-wrestling game at the time, so feeling the need to tan was not there. It may not have been the stock. Perhaps if the director would have taken the time to light the scenes properly, the film would not look like it was used by Warrior as a means to blow his nose. If you can afford a couple of explosions, you should be able to afford lights. Because you only needed one explosion due to the tendency to reuse shots, there is no excuse for the lack of lights.
"Firepower" is deserving of a shot-by-shot made for YouTube remake, but if you are not going to devote that time, it otherwise deserves no attention. It is sad because Warrior could have avoided becoming a motivational dick/speaker and the fight scenes could have given us a good Jean-Claude Van Damme knock off. Instead, we have to wait another three years for Gary Daniels to be Britain's Joe Pantoliano of action. Unless you are Spielberg, Tarantino, or an Anderson not married to Milla Jovovich, do not tease the audience with greatness.
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment