Author Archives: Henry McKeand

Wanted Man (2024) Review

Director: Dolph Lundgren Cast: Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Michael Pare, Aaron McPherson, Christina Villa, Roger Cross, Michael Worth, Bourke Floyd, Gabriel ‘G-Rod’ Rodriguez Running Time: 86 min. By Henry McKeand It’s a new year, and Dolph Lundgren is still making movies. Really making them, too. His latest film, Wanted Man, is his seventh as a director. He also produced and co-wrote the script along with Frank Valdez and DTV legend … Continue reading

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Sanak (2021) Review

Director: Kanishk Varma Cast: Vidyut Jammwal, Rukmini Maitra, Neha Dhupia, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Chandan Roy, Adrija Sinha, Kiran Karmarkar, Arsh Merchant Running Time: 117 min. By Henry McKeand Early in Sanak, as our hero Vivaan (Vidyut Jammwal) grabs something in his living room, the camera lingers on three carefully placed DVDs: Die Hard, Speed, and John Wick. More than just an unsubtle nod to director Kanishk Varma’s influences, this feels … Continue reading

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Ghost Station, The (2022) Review

AKA: Ghost of Oksu Station Director: Jeong Yong-ki Cast: Kim Bo-ra, Kim Jae-hyun, Shin So-yul, Obon, Kim Kang Il, Kim Soo Jin, Kim Kwang Hyun Running Time: 80 min. By Henry McKeand “Write a provocative article with a clickbait headline!” This is one of many pieces of questionable advice given to Na-Young, the journalist protagonist of Jeong Yong-Ki’s The Ghost Station. Played by Kim Bo-ra, she’s the standard cinematic reporter: … Continue reading

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Warhorse One (2023) Review

Director: William Kaufman Co-director: Johnny Strong Cast: Johnny Strong, Athena Durner, Raj Kala, James Sherrill, Siya, Todd Jenkins, Danny Augustus, Michael Sauers, Xander Gòmez, David Ibrahim Running Time: 125 min.  By Henry McKeand Is the POW-MIA action film making a comeback? It’s been nearly four decades since John Rambo went back into the jungle to retroactively win Vietnam, but “The War Ends When I Say It Ends!” flicks seem to … Continue reading

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Boudica: Queen of War (2023) Review

Director: Jesse V. Johnson Cast: Olga Kurylenko, Clive Standen, Peter Franzén, Lucy Martin, Nick Moran, James Faulkner Running Time: 101 min. By Henry McKeand One thing you could never call Jesse Johnson is complacent. Just a few months ago, his 21st-century western, One Ranger, was released. Now, he’s delivering Boudica: Queen of War, a film that swaps out Johnson’s typical pulpy crime narratives for a blood-soaked take on the story … Continue reading

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Fist of Fury (1972) Review

AKA: Chinese Connection Director: Lo Wei Cast: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, Tien Feng, Robert Baker, Paul Wei Ping Ao, Lo Wei, Riki Hashimoto, Lee Kwan, Feng Yi, Wong Chung Shun, Alexander Grand Running Time: 108 min. By Henry McKeand You can’t take your eyes off of Bruce Lee.  This is by design, of course. At the funeral that opens Fist of Fury, he’s the only one in a small sea … Continue reading

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Kill Shot (2023) Review

Director: Ari Novak Cast: Rib Hillis, Rachel Cook, Bobby Maximus, Mara O’hara, Mark Murphy, Xian Mikol, Joe Cebula Running Time: 94 min. By Henry McKeand Kill Shot. Now there’s an unoriginal title. In fact, when I was asked to review Ari Novak’s upcoming action thriller, I had to check to make sure I hadn’t already seen it. The cover, featuring generically attractive actors dressed up like special forces operatives, didn’t … Continue reading

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Unleashed (2020) Review

Director: Ambrose Kwok Co-director: Ka Hei Kwok Cast: Sun Zhen-Feng, Ken Lo, Zheng Zi-Ping, Venus Wong, Sam Lee, Raymond Chiu Running Time: 84 min.  By Henry McKeand There’s something quaint about Unleashed, the 2020 kickboxing film from Kwok Ka-Hei and Ambrose Kwok Yat-Choi. Then again, in a modern action climate dominated by assassins and digital blood spray, maybe there’s something quaint about all movies concerned mainly with competitions and training … Continue reading

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One Ranger (2023) Review

Director: Jesse V. Johnson Cast: Thomas Jane, Dean Jagger, Dominique Tipper, Jess Liaudin, Rachel Wilde, Nick Moran, Patrick Bergin, John Malkovich, Alena Gerber, David Sakurai Running Time: 95 min. By Henry McKeand Once upon a time, One Ranger, the latest from DTV titan Jesse V. Johnson, would have been a reliable box office draw based solely on the strength of its logline: A crusty Texas Ranger named (Thomas Jane) is … Continue reading

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Sound of Summer, The (2022) Review

Director: Guy Cast: Kaori Hoshino, Shinya Hankawa, Keita Kusaka, Kiyomi Kametani, Kuromi Kirishima Running Time: 75 min. By Henry McKeand The Sound of Summer, the first full length effort from the Japan-based, British-born director known as “Guy,” opens with a transformation. A cicada sheds its skin in unsettling close-up; it’s akin to seeing an alien parasite burst forth from a suffering host. Against a black background, it looks uncanny, almost … Continue reading

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The Siege (2023) Review

Director: Brad Watson Cast: Daniel Stisen, Lauren Okadigbo, Yennis Cheung, Byron Gibson, Phillip Ray Tommy Running Time: 87 min.  By Henry McKeand At one point in this year’s The Siege, the hitman protagonist played by Norwegian bodybuilding champion Daniel Stisen says those three magic words: “I’ll be back.” If you’re not already reminded of Arnold when you see Stisen’s hulking frame tearing through baddies, this line ensures that you make … Continue reading

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Hell Dogs (2022) Review

Director: Masato Harada Cast: Junichi Okada, Kentaro Sakaguchi, Mayu Matsuoka, Miyavi, Kazuki Kitamura, Shinobu Otake, Satoshi Kanada, Mai Kiryu, Arisa Nakajima, Kyoko Running Time: 138 min. By Henry McKeand What happened to the good old-fashioned Yakuza flick?  Japanese underworld tales were a dime a dozen pre-Y2K, but they’ve started to fade into the background along with gangster films the world over. Maybe meat-and-potatoes crime stories just don’t stand a chance … Continue reading

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My Flying Wife (1991) Review

Director: O Sing Pui Cast: Sammo Hung Kam Bo, Tommy Wong Kwong Leung, Fennie Yuen, Yu Li, Roy Cheung, Shing Fui On, Terrence Fok, James Ha, Frankie Ng, William Ho Ka Kui Running Time: 90 min.  By Henry McKeand The legacy of Sammo Hung’s work with Jackie Chan is so massive that it’s easy to forget what a diverse filmography he has. In a sense, there are many Sammos. You have … Continue reading

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John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Review

Director: Chad Stahelski Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane, George Georgiou, Marko Zaror, Aimée Kwan Running Time: 169 min. By Henry McKeand Midway through John Wick: Chapter 2, the titular boogeyman guns his way down a subway escalator and passes a blink-or-you-miss it poster that reads: “The Only Way Out Is To Go Through.” Like so … Continue reading

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A Family (2020) Review

AKA: Yakuza and the Family Director: Michihito Fujii Cast: Go Ayano, Hiroshi Tachi, Machiko Ono, Yukiya Kitamura, Hayato Ichihara, Hayato Isomura, Shun Sugata, Suon Kan, Ryutaro Ninomiya, Taro Suruga Running Time: 135 min. By Henry McKeand “Lately, I’m getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over.” It’s been nearly twenty-five years since Tony Soprano, perhaps America’s last real mafia icon, said these words in … Continue reading

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