nerph20

Here's a movie that knows its place and doesn't kid itself in trying to think it's anything intelligent or well-written. "Solo" simply wants to be a fun action movie, and it succeeds. Looking a lot like 2005's "Stealth," only with lesser special effects, "Solo" (made almost a decade before "Stealth") is a one-man army movie to the extreme. It stars Mario Van Peebles (remember him?) as Solo, an android built by the army that goes renegade and helps a group of farmers save their village. But the army wants their billion dollar project back, and will stop at nothing to get it! I enjoyed "Solo" on the grounds that you don't have to think very hard, and yet it still entertains. Mario Van Peebles does a fine job as the android, and I also noticed Adrien Brody as his programmer. "Solo" was bashed mainly because it was years behind its time. Had it been released the same year as "Rambo," it may have found a wider audience. But if you like action and don't want things like plot or character development to get in the way, see "Solo." It's a good action movie, and a fun 90 minutes.

I first saw this film in theaters when I was about 8 years old and a Mario fanatic. It was one of my favorite movies back then. Now, I'm proud owner of the DVD and have watched it numerous times. Even in my twenties, I still love this film and have no complaints about it. It delivers on all counts. Bob Hoskins is the perfect Mario. Dennis Hopper plays Koopa with campy charm. And I even love the two goofy guys who play Spike and Iggy. There is so much in this film that I love. It is a rare film from my youth that hasn't gotten old yet, like the first two "Ninja Turtles" films, or "The Sandlot." "Super Mario Bros." is a great action/sci-fi/comedy for any kid inside all of us. Forget the fact that it's loosely based on a video game. I did when I was 8, and as a result I still love the film today. So many people bash this movie unfairly, and I have yet to see a reasonable argument against it. I like what that guy from "The Washington Post" said, "It's A Blast!" That it is.

"Mercenary for Justice" has one heck of an opening. It starts on a war-torn battlefield with Seagal and a group of mercenaries fighting a legion of French soldiers after having kidnapped and killed the French ambassador. Director Don E. FauntLeRoy, who did the so-so "Today You Die" with Seagal, proves his worth with this sequence as the action is fluid and crisp and looks like it cost way more than the reported $15 million it actually did. It's clear with this film's opening: Seagal is hearing the fan's pleas for better films, and he's going to start trying better. Another thankful gesture to his loyal fans in this film is Seagal actually does his own fighting, and while the fight scenes are less impressive, at least it's him doing it. The plot is ridiculous and silly and most of it doesn't make a lick of sense, but since when did it have to in a Seagal movie? What matters is that the film looks good and makes Seagal look good. Having been a Seagal fan for a while, I must say I was pleased by this film.