RokurotaMakabe

When a movie is titled Rawhead Rex, you already get a few indications as of what to expect: low production values, a silly premise and most likely some really bad acting. Having set my expectations accordingly, I have to say that this movie is a fun way of spending a rainy afternoon.

The plot of the movie revolves around an ancient demon who is set free from the underground prison where he was trapped, allowing him to go on a killing spree in the Irish countryside. Early in the movie, it is foreshadowed that the only person who might be able to stop him is an American photographer who is in Ireland along with his family, gathering material for a book he is writing. Their story lines are told in parallel until they collide, setting up a violent finale.

The monster itself is laughable. It looks cartoonish and is too lumbering to be even remotely scary. This is a direct consequence of the low budget – Predator came only one year later and its title character made for a much more believable monster –, but the silly monster is part of the charm the movie has. One particular scene that stands out is near the beginning of the movie when the monster attacks a middle-aged couple in their home, killing the man and then proceeding to thrash the house. The way it is shot and the awkwardness of the actor in the monster suit almost make this scene MST3K worthy.

Turning to the positives now, there are flashes of brilliance in Clive Barker's screenplay, with some one-liners that are particularly witty. The Irish setting is picturesque and the way tension is built in some scenes almost makes up for the obvious flaws the movie has in terms of direction. Acting wise, David Dukes delivers a decent performance as the leading character, but there is also the obligatory overacting from some of his counterparts, Ronan Wilmot as the possessed priest being the first that comes to mind.

Rawhead Rex is a well-paced movie that delivers on its silly premise. It provides solid entertainment for B movie fans, but all those expecting anything else might end up being disappointed.

I'll start by saying that this is probably the greatest killer croc movie ever made, but then again, the majority of the movies in this genre are mediocre at best. Rogue rises above them thanks to a good cast and some excellent production values.

The movie starts off at a slow pace, but this helps to build some tension for the part when the crocodile eventually shows up and causes mayhem. The slower beginning means we also get some character development and the leading actors put in some decent performances, most notably Radha Mitchell, who does a really good job with her character.

Rogue is by no means a groundbreaking entry in the monster movie genre. Most of the usual clichés are here and there are moments when the movie can't avoid not being predictable. On the other hand, there's not much that the movie does wrong as it provides solid entertainment throughout. The movie is also fairly realistic, from the croc to the situations that are depicted. Another plus is the cinematography, which is stunning at some points.

I prefer this flick over Black Water, which was released in the same year, because I find it to be the more entertaining of the two. If you're into this kind of movies, you should probably give both of them a shot, but in terms of production values and the sheer entertainment it provides, Rogue is definitely the superior one.

With Outrage, Takeshi Kitano returned to his filmmaking roots and he did not disappoint, bringing to the audience one of his signature yakuza movies. Its follow-up, Outrage Beyond offers more of the same as it focuses on a larger scale conflict this time, a conflict that is the direct result of the events in the first film.

The action here revolves around Takeshi Kitano's Otomo and the way his actions lead to a war between two rival yakuza gangs. We find out that Otomo is alive and well, but still in prison after surviving the aftermath of the bloodbath in the first film. His premature release from prison leads to tensions between the two organizations and the apparent peace between them is disrupted. Thus the fight for power begins and the conflict is spiced up by the involvement of a police detective who has interests of his own, all leading to an explosive finale.

The film does not fail to deliver, although it is not in the same class as some of Takeshi's other yakuza efforts. It represents an improvement on Outrage in terms of storytelling, there is less focus on old school action and more emphasis is put on the conflict between the characters, which is a good thing since it adds more dimension to the story. The characters themselves are well developed and the acting is what you would expect. On the other hand, the film lacks some creativity and some artistic touch in order to be truly great. All the elements of a Kitano film are here, but they do not stand out as much as they should, even his trademark deadpan humor is served in smaller doses. All things aside, the film is good in its own right and the only reason for it not being on par with Takeshi's best efforts is because those films have set such a high standard.

While it does not break any new ground, Outrage Beyond is an entertaining film to watch whether you are a fan of the genre or not and it represents a good addition to Takeshi Kitano's filmography.