degeneraatti

Now after 2+ years of it's theatrical release Mortal Engines is known as the biggest financial flop in cinematic history. The effort to make this movie a blockbuster hit and a start for a franchise are evident throughout: the near constant large-scale special effects and great swells of the orchestral score when yet another "thrilling" action scene is upon the viewer - and they come like clockwork, as if engineered by a commission. There is also not-too-subtle pandering towards the chinese market.

Yet, this movie suffers on many levels. The characters are wafer-thin ("despite" the heavy use of flashbacks) so it is hard to get invested in their fates. The story tries to focus on the two main characters, yet also drags in too many side characters, with all serving a one-dimensional archetype with backstories explained in dialogue. The storytelling never finds any sort of balance, jumping from heavy underlining exposition to jarringly abrupt scenes that I suppose are meant to keep up the suspense, which is nonexistent due to aforementioned lack of investment and the fact that sweeping shots full of CGI stop having any weight or momentum after we've been saturated with them nearly the whole runtime.

I do not enjoy plotholes or pointing out poor screenwriting. Yet I've noticed that if a movie is captivating enough, I do not mind them; while a movie that has no grasp on me seems to shine it's spotlight on its weaknesses. Here it feels like too many set-ups were resolved swiftly enough to be practically discarded, while at the same time many scenes employed a particular deus ex machina where a "surprise" came from something that was off-camera for the audience, even though the characters in the movie should've noticed it. And though the movie is of the fantasy genre, it is very hard to maintain the illusion of disbelief when so much of the plot is forwarded through either overblown reactions of the characters or winning-the-lottery levels of happenstance.

Despite adequate acting and many technical aspects which were not displeasing, I firmly believe we all have better ways to spend two hours than watching this movie.

I don't think I could dislike the movie that gave us both Machete and Zeus.

In all seriousness though, Runaway Train might just be the best film to come out from the crap-factory known as Cannon Group. Unsurprisingly this gem is based on a script by someone head and shoulders above the pack, this being here Akira Kurosawa. But no man is an island, and it takes considerably more than a script to make a movie. Jon Voight and Eric Roberts might provide the best performances I've seen from either one in a chilling setting that beautifully emphasizes the desperation of the characters in both their current predicament and life in general.

In addition to compelling cinematography, this Cannon film also surprises the viewer with yet another aspect sorely missing in many of their films: character development. This films grips the viewer on so many fronts and doesn't let go. The Runaway Train might be without a driver, but the film about it very much in control of its own fate, from beginning to end. I was pleasantly surprised by the way the movie almost poetically wraps itself done before the credits roll like any properly told story should.

It saddens me to realize how often overlooked this movie is. Before the Cannon Group documentary Electric Boogaloo I don't remember any mention of it, even though I've scanned quite some of their catalogue in search of "so bad it's good" b-movies (and boy, do they deliver that in a steaming pile!)

However, Runaway Train is in a completely different category, and despite some minor flaws I do heartily recommend it to anyone even vaguely interested in it. Such poetry in film never comes too often to our screens, so it should be savoured at every chance.

This film is much better than it has any right to be. Made with a modest budget but a loving touch, WolfCop knows to embrace its cheesiness and that of its drive-in schlock predecessors and play to its strengths without taking itself too seriously. Whenever it falls flat, it feels more endearing than broken, which I suppose is due to the makers actually caring about what they were filming, and I'll take a lovingly crafted low-budget slopfest over an a-list blockbuster that wasn't given a single rat's behind by it's authors.

With that being said, there isn't really anything that stands out as exceptionally good. Although the fun had while filming is apparent and the enthusiasm of the effects department (if such can be said to have existed here) shines through, nothing can be graded more than "pretty good, considering". On the flip side of things, I couldn't find anything really horrible here either, as WolfCop is adept at covering its tracks (pun intended).

Booming with b-movie grit and outrageously strange choices of plot elements, WolfCop is a must watch for fans of "so bad it's good" – films and those interested in amateur films. Other viewers might need to take this movie with a grain of salt. And quite some alcohol.