Cal (insert last name here...) (PvtCaboose91)

"I'm not into politics. I'm into survival. "

Mere months following the release of Predator in mid-1987, Arnold Schwarzenegger was back in action for The Running Man; a fast-paced, futuristic action movie which takes a satiric poke at TV, greed, social injustice, and America's preoccupation with violence and game shows. Based rather loosely on the novella by Stephen King (under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman), this movie is chock full of '80s goodness: bad hair, worse clothes, and enough neon to make Las Vegas green with envy. Furthermore, The Running Man is one of the most definitive Arnie movies of the decade - it contains all the necessary violence, bad puns, hammy acting, and of course his signature catch phrase "I'll be back". It has it all! One may think that the movie would have aged horribly due to the inclusion of these aforementioned elements, but there's a certain quality that keeps it all afloat. Like similar action staples (such as and Total Recall), the movie has been imbued with an odd charm that you just can't put your finger on.

The film is set in a totalitarian society in the year 2017. The world economy has collapsed, and the United States has become a military-controlled police state which controls television, movies, art, books, communication and censorship. The most popular television program is a lurid game show called The Running Man, which features convicted criminals who are given their freedom if they manage to outrun and survive a group of heavily-armoured 'Stalkers' who are out to kill them. These violent confrontations are filmed in the destroyed city streets and fed live to a delighted studio audience. Schwarzenegger plays Ben Richards; a government pilot wrongfully framed for the mass murder of innocent women and children. The host of The Running Man, Damon Killian (Dawson), blackmails Ben into making an appearance on the show, and the chase is on. "Hey Killian. I'll be back" is all Ben says before being launched into the arena. "Only in a rerun" is the host's response. Yeah, right...

For this adaptation of Stephen King's The Running Man, screenwriter Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard, Commando) uses the novel as both an inspiration and a jumping-off point; respecting the source material while simultaneously forging a very different piece of work. Naturally, de Souza adds familiar shtick and splatter, allowing The Running Man to merely showcase the Austrian Oak as he bashes his way through a large variety of super-villain characters (who come complete with cheesy gimmicks like chainsaws, flamethrowers, and hockey skates, along with names like Buzzsaw, Fireball, Dynamo and Subzero). And as he did in Commando, the writer supports Schwarzenegger with a gutsy female acquaintance and tonnes of macho one-liners. The movie's fun lies purely in the violence, since it entirely fails as a social commentary (the "television is manipulative" territory was covered more effectively in Network and later in The Truman Show). The message doesn't resonate so well amongst all the shootings, explosions and gore.

The Running Man is less deadly to your brain cells than your standard Arnold fare, but it's hardly a big thinker of a movie. In fact, there are plot holes a kilometre wide. For instance, the cameras which provide footage for the titular game show manage to film the battles from implausible cinematic angles (watch how the show uses close-ups immediately followed by wide shots which reveal no cameras or cameramen filming the mayhem). Furthermore, video cameras of the future appear to magically record everything...even in places where there aren't any cameras at all (there's cinematic footage of Ben in the helicopter when he's framed?). God forbid, one could also try to figure out what (if any) rules the Running Man show follows. But I digress... If we weren't able to suspend our disbelief, the gems of Arnie's career would be restricted to his work with James Cameron (even then, one shouldn't dissect the Terminator time-travel stuff too closely).

The Running Man also offers a soundtrack of typical '80s pop garbage, and some of the best one-liners that Arnie has ever spouted on celluloid (or at the very least, some of the corniest). Indeed, after besting a stalker, Ah-nuld always has something sly to say to their corpse. Nobody has ever accused Arnie of being a good actor, but the star can bring charisma to any scene and deliver any one-liner with the required gusto. The real scene-stealer here, however, is Richard Dawson as the game's smarmy host. Dawson is utterly perfect for the part, which is most likely because he was an actual TV host (having hosted Family Feud for many years).

On top of all this, The Running Man also presents a derivative dystopic vision of Los Angeles which resembles Ridley Scott's Blade Runner from afar, and the Mad Max series when examined closer. One shouldn't expect groundbreaking visuals from a Schwarzenegger action vehicle, after all. Another thing: the whole film is hopelessly predictable since all the narrative threads culminate in the most foreseeable way possible. And it'd be for the best if the laughable dialogue wasn't discussed in any great detail...

The mind-numbing glut of modern game/reality shows have already entered the realm of the grotesque, with contestants being ambushed by hunters with paintball guns (in the short-lived 2001 show Manhunt) and people getting verbally castrated by judges on those ghastly Idol programs. Witnessing people as they are stalked and killed seems like the next logical step, and The Running Man offers a template. The crew behind this flick can give themselves a pat on the back for the precognitive way in which they mocked a pop-culture convention about 15 years before it started. The Running Man is, after all, not much more than Survivor with weapons. Surprisingly, this movie has actually proved somewhat influential over the years - the premise has been modified for use in such action films as The Condemned and Gamer.

Aside from its botched social commentary, the large serving of formula, some appalling dialogue and a rushed ending, The Running Man is a blast of pure fun that always keeps you entertained. All the greatest science fiction movies are those that stand the test of time, and while this movie may not be Arnie's best, it works even better nowadays than it did upon original release. The Running Man is thoroughly exciting, colourful, and at times very funny.

"I give up. This whole thing's very Russian."

By the time Red Heat was released, Arnold Schwarzenegger was already a well-established Hollywood star, and the mismatched buddy cop flick had become a popular action subgenre. And at the helm of Red Heat is none other than Walter Hill, who practically invented the buddy cop genre with his 1982 hit 48 Hrs. (which he directed and co-scripted). In spite of the ostensibly genius pairing of Arnie and James Belushi, this is just a standard genre film with violent action, a dash of cheesy one-liners, a generic police movie storyline, and nothing truly groundbreaking. Apart from a few changes, the plot is extremely similar to 48 Hrs. - right down to the hackneyed "outsider must prove himself" plot element.

The Schwarzenegger role in Red Heat is Russian policeman Captain Ivan Danko. After witnessing the death of his partner at the hands of drug boss Viktor Rostavili (O'Ross), Danko is sent to Chicago where Rostavili is waiting to be extradited. Upon his arrival in America he's assigned two LAPD escorts, and develops a rocky friendship with detective Art Ridzik (Belushi). But the routine extradition turns into a bloody mess as Rostavili escapes and Ridzik's partner ends up in the morgue. With the dangerous Rostavili on the streets, Ridzik and Danko must overcome their mutual distrust and cultural differences in order to bring him to justice.

In case you haven't already guessed, there aren't many surprises in store and the plot is both thin and familiar. Throughout the course of the proceedings, Ridzik and Danko become fast friends. The bond develops partly because Rostavili killed both men's partners, and also because they're men - they share the same ideology. Once the hunt for Rostavili begins, the film offers nothing but a solid chain of action. While it's endowed with an abundance of exciting set-pieces, Red Heat is unable to rank as one of the best of its genre simply because it's quite undistinguished, and the merger of action and comedy fails to gel. It certainly delivers action, but the comedy is virtually non-existent.

Red Heat is one of a string of '80s movies produced by Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna for Carolco Pictures, and those familiar with their other efforts (the Rambo and Terminator movies) can expect the same "feel" - that is, the action is violent and gritty, it's adamantly old-school, and it's very watchable. Director Walter Hill has crafted some terrific action sequences for which he deserves high praise. The final showdown in particular (which contains Arnie playing chicken against Rostavili with buses) is wonderfully over-the-top. Red Heat is also the first movie to be filmed in Moscow's Red Square - the filmmakers failed to obtain a permit, so they dropped in for a one-day shoot with a camera, the required cast members and two crew members.

As we all should know, Arnold Schwarzenegger has never landed a role based on amazing acting abilities. In fact, if there's an actor who's picked on extensively for lack of talent, it's the prestigious Governator. Awful Russian accent aside, he's perfectly suited to the character of Ivan Danko - it's the role of an emotionless Russian officer with broken English; giving Schwarzenegger the chance to submit another of his brilliant physical performances. Then there are the action sequences - Arnie nails them all. Sure, he brings nothing new to the table, but Arnie is Arnie, none more so than throughout the late '80s. What you see is exactly what you get, and what you get is a rock-solid action performance from a rock solid action professional.

Belushi hasn't been mentioned yet, and that's for a good reason. As previously mentioned, while Red Heat is a perfectly serviceable and enjoyable switch-your-brain-off actioner, the comedy is generally flat (a few notable one-liners notwithstanding). The pairing of Schwarzenegger and Belushi (which echoes the Eddie Murphy/Nick Nolte partnership in 48 Hrs.) doesn't amount to much - it's without a necessary comic spark. Whenever the film focuses on the relationship between Danko and Ridzik, the pacing drags. To round out the cast there's the enormously appealing Peter Boyle (R.I.P.) as the police commander (whenever he raises his voice, it's impossible not to get images of Everybody Loves Raymond), the lovely Gina Gershon as the damsel in distress, the menacing Ed O'Ross as Rostavili, and a young Laurence Fishburne who makes a brief appearance as Ridzik's superior officer.

Red Heat (which arrived 3 years after Sylvester Stallone gave the almighty Soviet Union a bloody nose in Rocky IV) works as a superficially entertaining action-thriller. It doesn't deliver a great deal of comedy (an ingredient that could have ensured this film a place in the buddy movie hall of fame), but what it does deliver is a bunch of pulse-pounding action set-pieces. This is a must-see for Arnie's most devoted fans.

"The battle of Helm's Deep is over; the battle for Middle Earth is about to begin..."

Through my eyes, Peter Jackson's much-anticipated and much-glorified The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the paradigmatic example of a perfect movie. The cinematic journey that initiated on Boxing Day 2001 and quickly received worldwide acclaim ultimately came to a conclusion with this final instalment. Personally, my passion for the Lord of the Rings trilogy never ceased and to this day I continue to view them frequently.

Just like its two precursors, The Return of the King was met with a congregation of positive reviews and of course recognition from the Oscar committee. I was ecstatic during the Oscar season at the beginning of 2004 when I discovered that the film was recognised with 11 Oscar nominations. Needless to say, I was even more ecstatic when Peter Jackson and his crew walked away with all 11 in their possession. The Return of the King won literally hundreds of awards worldwide and above all it accomplished a Box Office landmark: breaking the $1 billion milestone and becoming just the second film in history to do so. With this film walking away after sweeping the Oscars and sitting at a convincing second on the worldwide box office (as of mid-2008), this is indeed a rare event when it comes to a film offering of the fantasy genre. The technical proficiency is purely the finest that money can buy. Jackson's team at WETA workshop single-handedly created and rendered all special effects shots using software they had designed themselves.

This is by far the longest instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy; however it never feels too long. While many will complain (endlessly complain) about the length, I see the film in a completely different light. The way I see it the length is necessary to maintain a sense of fidelity to the novel and to successfully wrap everything up. If anything, I hate it when filmmakers rush things and end up with a missed opportunity on their hands. Peter Jackson had a modest budget and some astronomically amazing special effects on his side, so the work in every other department had to be top notch. Jackson's supreme gift is that of total immersion; the breathtaking lands of Middle Earth remain vibrantly alive. The film's pace may be reasonably slow for some, but the beauty soars with opulent layers of architecture, geography and complex storytelling.

Just like both entries thus far in the trilogy, The Return of the King reinvents the word "epic" completely. Many of the battles throughout the film display rich texture, and awe-inspiring showcases of visual effects. The action is emphatically extravagant and brought to life on an exorbitantly impressive scale! But what separates this from most fantasy epics is the heart at its core. Whenever there's a battle, you'll always find a satisfying serving of emotionally-charged moments featuring intimate scenes with the central protagonists. This coupling of visceral special effects and moving moments that display deep camaraderie is absolutely spellbinding!

This third and final instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy starts off almost exactly where The Two Towers ended. One must remember that all three of Tolkien's novels were written to plainly be one enormous piece of literature, and it was his publisher that insisted the novel should be split up the three shorter, more convenient components. In essence, all three additions to the cinematic Lord of the Rings trilogy can be edited together and the transitions would be seamless. The films are identical to the situation with Tolkien's novels: one big chunk of storytelling that's separated into three parts. You can never watch The Return of the King without first watching the initial two parts as this was never meant to be a standalone movie.

The first section of the plot here is concerned with Frodo (Wood), Sam (Astin) and the creature Gollum (a digital character played by Andy Serkis). As they move closer to the dark lands of Mordor, towards the fire of Mount Doom where the One Ring must be destroyed, the ring is becoming a heavier burden for the troubled young Frodo. As the quest perseveres, Frodo is becoming severely tested. Faith has been placed in Gollum to lead the Hobbits to Mount Doom despite the constant mistrust that Sam holds for the former Hobbit. On the outside this seems like a simple physically straining journey, but it's also an emotionally tiring journey on the inside for the three companions. While this story unfolds, the focus also alters to the remainder of the original fellowship. Sauron's eye has shifted to the city of Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, as the next target for his rampaging army. The fall of Gondor will mean the end of Men and the completion of his objective to clean Middle Earth of the species. A portion of the original fellowship, along with a horde of newer characters, move to the city of Minas Tirith to help build up defence for the impending attack and possible destruction of the White City. We find Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom) and Gimli (Rhys-Davis) through their more diverse journey into the cursed mountains to summon the legendary Army of the Dead.

This brief synopsis barely breaks the surface of this grandiose, all-round extremely satisfying epic film.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is an unprecedented milestone of contemporary moviemaking. If The Two Towers raised the bar with its epic battles, then The Return of the King knocks the bar cleanly out of the ground! This is so much more than just a simple fantasy epic, in fact this is multi-faceted tale about the strength of character, friendship, loyalty and love. Each shot is sizzling with visual elegance...the special effects are nothing short of breathtaking! Every battle is truly monumental in its sheer scale, as well as exciting and intense. Previously, I briefly touched on the emotionally-straining moments that this film has to offer. The cast pull off these moments beautifully and I was extremely close to tears more than once during the movie. There are several truly moving moments that still give me goose bumps at the simple thought of them. These moments are fuelled by not only the motivating performances, but the score courtesy of composer Howard Shore. The composer was recognised with an Oscar and I plainly cannot quibble with this decision. The music retains the elegance of the visuals, and even makes the epic battles look even grander.

There are only a few new additions to the cast that are introduced here, the most notable being Australian actor John Noble as Denethor who rules Minas Tirith with an iron fist. The Oscar committee barely gave any recognition to the actors (only awarding Ian McKellen with a nomination for Fellowship). I guess with so many people in the cast it'd be impossible to choose one or two for a nomination. Andy Serkis is one member of the cast that deserves particular credit. He's hidden behind digital make-up, but each line he delivers is potent and really hits home. The acting from Elijah Wood is truly a triumph to behold. His performance required a great degree of emotion to portray the ring's power to corrupt. His performance was critical in order to display the ring's influence, which needless to say is absolute. Each character has their own personal demon to confront, and each undergoes their own inner journey. Every cast member does their job stunningly.

The Return of the King has of course been filmed in Peter Jackson's homeland of New Zealand. The Kiwi landscape is vast and beautiful. Whenever one views the film we're taking a step inside the gorgeous land of Middle Earth. Peter Jackson is a visionary, and like all the preceding films the attention and care to every conceivable detail is incredible.

The Fellowship of the Ring is a build up with an even share of action and exposition. The Two Towers is more exposition and build up followed by some action. With The Return of the King, the build up is definitely worth it...every second. The exposition has already been established in the other films, so this film is short on exposition and instead stocks a great supply of action scenes that are truly a cinematic marvel. The battles are lengthy but never suffer from over-length...each second is as intense as the one preceding it. Then the conclusion to the film is wholly satisfying. Some people complain about "too many endings". Okay, so there were many instances when the film could have ended but instead moved onto something else. Fair enough, but I mean this trilogy has already gone for like 9 hours...they can't wrap everything up in a hurry and leave plot holes or stories that haven't been concluded. Instead of rushing everything, each second is lovingly created in all aspects: filming, editing, colour scheme, special effects, acting, scripting, etc. The best part is that this end remains faithful to Tolkien's original novel. Thus the fans needn't worry...for the novel has been properly transferred to the medium of film.

There are far too many pointless and vain arguments between the haters and the lovers of the trilogy. The bottom line is that we're all entitled to our own opinion, and we can't all agree. Thus labelling Peter Jackson's masterpiece as "overrated" only proves that you are too narrow-minded to accept the fact that you are just a component of the minority that disagrees with the majority.

Overall, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the crowning achievement of the fantasy genre. In terms of a conventional fantasy with wizards, magic and mythical creatures, this is as good as a fantasy film can get! Since 2003 this film has been my favourite of all time. In the number of years since the first time I saw it, I have never seen a film that can top the quality and escapism of this masterpiece. All three Lord of the Rings films score top marks from me, which is a rarity when it comes to a trilogy or series. All three films are truly an unfathomably excellent work of art. J.R.R. Tolkien's legacy that was preserved on pages is now preserved on film for the audiences of the contemporary age. The Return of the King is one of the most finely tuned and cinematically perfect films ever made. Winner of 11 Oscars including Best Picture 2003, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup, Best Score among others. Also available in an extended edition that adds 50 minutes to the experience.

In the common tongue it reads "One Ring to Rule Them All. One Ring to Find Them. One Ring to Bring Them All and In The Darkness Bind Them."

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring marks the first ambitious film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's highly praised and acclaimed series of fantasy novels. Naturally, transferring one of the world's greatest fantasy novels to the screen would subsist as a daunting undertaking. For the die-hard fans of Tolkien's legendary novels, uncertainty was always an issue when small-time New Zealand born director Peter Jackson took the reigns. Although Jackson is an accomplished director who had previously helmed such films as Heavenly Creatures and Bad Taste, no-one knew for sure if the Kiwi was up to the task. The results are absolutely outstanding: a ripping yarn of a fantasy film rich in extraordinary production values, astounding special effects and never a dull moment.

The hordes of Tolkien fans must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring thundered across cinemas worldwide and became an instant hit. The film grossed millions of dollars globally and was being met with cavalcades of acclaim including mountains of positive reviews. What's more - the film also scored 13 Oscar nominations and subsequently walked away with 4 wins. Although previous stabs at adapting Tolkien's novels to the big screen yielded embarrassing results, Jackson's prior experience and familiarity with the fantasy genre translated into a respectful, lavish, gorgeously-mounted production that breathed fresh cinematic life into Middle Earth.

This first instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy introduces the characters and establishes the story. An ancient ring of power was forged several centuries ago by the Dark Lord Sauron (Baker). Sauron's master ring, known as the One Ring, was filled with Sauron's sinister power and contains the capability to rule all peoples of Middle Earth. After an impressive opening montage that recaps the integral events of Middle Earth that have occurred thousands of years ago, the story then picks up at Hobbiton: a village that is largely inhabited by the Hobbit race.

After being lost for centuries, Sauron's One Ring is picked up by a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Holm). Fast forward a few decades and it's Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday. As the celebrations rage on, Bilbo should be happy but feels empty as his life is seemingly winding down and there are still a lot of things he wants to do before shuffling off. Bilbo departs Hobbiton, leaving the One Ring to be inherited by his nephew Frodo Baggins (Wood). Frodo soon learns that this ring is Sauron's master ring, and it must be immediately destroyed. Now Frodo must embark on a journey to the fires of Mount Doom. Only in the flames of that mountain can the ring be destroyed. If he fails and a resurrected Sauron reclaims the ring, he will bind the other 9 subservient rings to his will and cast a pall over the lands of Middle Earth.

The film's subtitle, The Fellowship of the Ring, is drawn from the milestone in Frodo's journey to Mount Doom that occurs: Frodo collects a band of companions who swear to aid in the quest and protect Frodo at all costs.

The film's easy-going first hour quickly transforms into a heart-stopping, exciting, powerful and violent saga that is truly difficult to find boring. Although audience reactions were mixed and many complained about the film's length, I frankly cannot imagine myself being bored.

To say that I loved this film is a gross understatement. Not only is Tolkien's novel one of the greatest books ever published, but Jackson's film adaptation now confidently places itself amongst the greatest movies of all time. This first instalment in Jackson's trilogy is a labour of love - he and his team were determined and worked endlessly to accomplish the best possible product. Jackson's first LOTR film is visually astounding, as well being outstanding in terms of audio and atmosphere.

While so many battles were created using computer technology, this is the blueprint of "epic". Over the years we've seen "big" films like Titanic and Braveheart, but this film simply dwarfs most movies in terms of sheer production size. Every facet of the movie has been done to perfection - every chair, every sword, every location. Why has it taken so many decades to finally get this ambitious project off the ground? Simply because the sheer scope and size of the production would cost far too much. Even in the age of advanced digital technology and big-budget epics, it took countless years to finish. It's refreshing to see so much determination to reach perfection. The descriptions of everything in Tolkien's novel are brilliantly matched by the ideal creative team.

Pale imitations like Harry Potter are a regularity. In the years succeeding this film's release the world was exposed to failed fantasy epics like Eragon, just to name one. The brilliance of Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy will always remain unmatched. To quote a music reviewer, this film is the "blueprint for a trillion inferior facsimiles." With the aid of contemporary filmmaking technology and the diverse New Zealand landscape, the visual result is simply impossible to match.

Special recognition must go to Howard Shore for composing the music that won an Oscar! I own the soundtrack CD and can't get enough of the music. It's exciting, intense, grand, passionate and even heart-breaking at times. This is the cherry on top.

The film is astronomically elevated by the marvellous cast. Elijah Wood makes an exceptional Frodo Baggins. This is an emotionally challenging role for the youthful actor, and nevertheless he nails it perfectly. Sean Astin plays the exigent role of Samwise Gamgee. The role called for an endless assortment of diverse emotions that Astin strikes faultlessly. Ian McKellen is utterly flawless as Gandalf the Grey. McKellen was acknowledged with an Oscar nomination for playing Gandalf with equal parts of underhanded humour and shrewdness. McKellen IS Gandalf and there is no doubt about that. Viggo Mortenson convincingly pulls off the dashing Aragorn: a ranger who becomes determined to help Frodo. Credit must also go to Sean Bean. I am a great admirer of Bean, and must mention his outstanding performance. His versatility is tested with this challenging role: like many other additions to the cast, a collection of emotions are pivotal. Bean passionately pulls off the role of Boromir.

I'm not even halfway through mentioning the cast! Orlando Bloom got his big break playing the loyal elf Legolas. This is the single role that Bloom was meant to play. The character is flat and emotionless...and this describes the nature of every single Orlando Bloom performance. John Rhys-Davis is sublime as the dwarf Gimli. This is one of the veteran actors included in the cast. I couldn't imagine anyone better suited. Finally there are great portrayals from Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan as two Hobbit companions, in addition to sublime elf portrayals from such actors as Hugo Weaving and Liv Tyler. The cast is truly a wonder to behold!

Overall, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring will forever be one of my absolute favourite movies! I still recall the first time I saw this movie: it was Boxing Day 2001 and my favourite uncle dragged me along to the cinema with my brother and cousin. We had booked tickets in advance and it's a good thing we did as there was a sign outside that strictly read "LOTR sold out!" Ever since that first screening I viewed, I subsequently saw it many more times at the cinema (about 5 more times, actually) as well as watching it at marathons and in the comfort of my own bedroom where I can watch the DVD.

Peter Jackson and his creative team have achieved a cinematic marvel! Even with characters and segments of the book being removed, this will remain the definitive cinematic vision of Tolkien's novel for many decades to come. One of the most anticipated cinematic events in history has finally transpired and in my opinion it is completely worth the wait! Some will love it, some will hate it: I will always be part of the former. Critics and audiences alike will always praise this film, and who's to quibble? It's a fine movie! Winner of 4 Oscars. Later released in an extended version.