Many people love those ’80s action movies for the wrong reasons.
Yes, the genre’s unapologetic action remains a draw, witness the favorable reaction to the ’80s inspired hit “The Expendables.”
But is “Red Dawn” really a great movie? Or “Commando?”
A movie’s “cheese” factor often wins it points over time. Bad dialogue turns to Parmigiano. Silly effects become just more Gorgonzola.
Which is why “The Expendables” will likely age like a nice brie.
But what about “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World?”
You won’t find much cheese there. Sharp dialogue, solid acting and neat-o special effects means the movie wants to be taken seriously.
And even though audiences reacted indifferently to the film in its opening weekend, it stands the best chance of any recent movie of becoming a cult hit.
Why? It doesn’t speak to the masses, but to a very small slice of the movie going public with its lightning fast storytelling style and addiction to both retro vibes and modern technology.
The end of any summer movie season rarely produces gems. But this August delivered two films – in just one weekend – which will enjoy long shelf lives for very different reasons.
(Photo: Sylvester Stallone pulling double duty as star and director on the set of “The Expendables.” Lionsgate)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
“Commando” and “Dawn” hardly are great films by any measure, but they ARE entertaining to many of us, and more importantly, remain entertaining after repeated viewings over many years – and is the provision of entertainment the Sine qua non of Hollywood?
Only a similar temporal distance will tell the same for “Expendables” and “Pilgrim.”
~ D.
There’s something to be said about a movie that endures over time – no matter how technically sound it might be …