"Dragon Eyes" Teaser Poster
I think we can agree we all could use a little more puncking and kicking in our lives. Thankfully, After Dark has us covered. They’re known for their yearly selection of horror films but for 2012 After Dark is launching their very first ActionFest – and it starts today!
At select theaters across the country and On Demand right now, you can check out a stellar line-up of new action flicks featuring fan favorite stars like Scott Adkins, Jean Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, and Cung Le. Don’t believe me? Just check out the lineup of films:
Dragon Eyes – the new film from director John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Regeneration) features MMA champ Cung Le and martial arts icon Jean Claude Van Damme in a rip-roaring action yarn: Watch now at Amazon.
El Gringo – Scott Adkins of Undisputed III fame finds trouble South of the Border in a movie co-starring Christian Slater and a whole lot of empty bullet cartridges: Watch now at Amazon.
Stash House – for the first time in years, Dolph Lundgren is back to playing a bonafied Bad Guy with a capital “B” as he terrorizes a young couple who accidentally move into his prized drug den: Watch now at Amazon.
Transit – Jim Caviezel (yes, Jesus himself from The Passion of the Christ) learns how far he’ll go to save his family in this tense thriller that sees the action spill on and off the road: Watch now at Amazon.
Philly Kid – a MMA flick about one young fighter’s Rocky-esque climb to fame. Featuring an appearance by Michael Jai White!: Watch now at Amazon.
I saw Dragon Eyes and it was mediocre, I enjoyed El Gringo better. These films I’ve noticed so far have a copper looking tint to them which I personally don’t like because it takes away the color and makes everything in the same shade. I’ve noticed also in these films when a character is introduced it’s usually by a wording title onscreen. Van Damme is in the film for just a little while maybe 7 minutes at the most. Cung Le is the main star and he does good but I think they could of made better choreography than most of the mediocre fighting that is on display in this film. Cung has a few cool fights most the choreography is mediocre tho. Guys like Bruce Lee, Kuo Choi, Yuen Biao still seem far superior than Cung and his abilities. I expected it to be better than what it was, but those interested in Cung Le and Van Damme might want to check it out.
Oh and I forgot to mention there is lots of hip hop music in the movie(some may like, some may not). Also the training sequences between Van Damme and Cung Le are some of the worst I’ve ever witnessed in any martial arts movie. Van Damme’s appearance in this movie is more of a cameo than anything. John Hyams did say the plan on using him more for the sequels, but I’m not sure if this film even deserves a sequel.
I watched Dragon Eyes the other night (review forthcoming). I had a lot of issues with it but I thought Van Damme was one of the best parts of the movie. It was cool to see him play the mentor character for a change and he seemed to really love the dialogue he was given. I honestly felt it was one of his best performances…very philosophical a la “JCVD,” even if he had minimal screentime.
I like the idea of Van Damme being a mentor, but I didn’t like the training sequence and where he trained Cung Le. I felt the training sequence could of been better, and I thought he would put Cung Le through more hell than he did. Also Van Damme looked like a nerd in those dorky glasses he was wearing lol.
Just saw Stash House and I must say it was again mediocre. The film is based around this lovey dovey couple that’s constantly sucking on each others faces, overacting in certain areas. The film is based around 4 people the whole time, 2 inside the Stash house and 2 outside. The films seems it was made on a very cheap budget. Dolph plays a heartless like Frankenstein type character, again nothing special from his performance. There were some corny parts in the movie that made me roll my eyes. This film is a thriller more than anything, keeping you kind on the edge of your seat type movie. It’s kind of creepy in a way, almost like a horror movie inside the creepy Stash house with the badguys wandering around outside while the couple is trapped inside. It makes you wonder how they get out. The film is dark, and is directed by the same guy that did El Gringo which I think takes the cake so far from the 3 out of 5 films I’ve seen from this Dark Actionfest.