Macho Movie Monday #1 - Falcon Rising

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Published on Wednesday, December 24 2014 14:24

Written by Johnny M

Welcome to the first (possibly last) Macho Movie Monday, where I take a look at a favorite lessor known title in the action, adventure and martial arts genres. Hopefully I can make you aware of some new manly movies to enjoy!

I know it isn't Monday.  Let's not nitpick.

What Movie Is This?

Falcon Rising (2014)

How Long Is It?

103 minutes

Where's It From?

USA

What Language Are They Speaking?

English. Duh.

Who Is In It?

Michael Jai White, Neal McDonough, Laila Ali, Lateef Crowder, Jimmy Navarro

What's The Irrelevant Rotten Tomatoes Rating?

43%

What Does It Say In The Official Synopsis Thingy?

Chapman (White) is an ex-marine in Brazil's slums, battling the Yakuza outfit who attacked his sister and left her for dead.

How About A Trailer?

Why Should I Watch It?

You know what's a bad idea?  Leaving a Michael Jai White loved one for dead.  Under any circumstances. Thats the basic moral to this story.  As if that wasn't ill advised enough, his character, Chapman, is a decorated marine suffering from PTSD. Not a great combo.  It shouldn't end well for the bad guys in this film and it doesn't.  Even if those bad guys happen to be Yakuza running a section of the Favela in Brazil.  Don't ask what the Yakuza is doing in Brazil. Just go with it.  They are all going to die anyway. You get the idea.

What you'll get in Falcon Rising is a nice combination platter of action movie staples.  You get healthy servings of gun play, knife fights, explosions, clunky dialogue, top notch martial arts and an amusing array of over-the-top characters with questionable motives.  I enjoyed this cast quite a bit.  White has carved himself out an awesome niche in the DTV action movie market and he shines here with his signature blend charisma and high end fighting skills.  Neal McDonough (Justified) and Jimmy Navarro have an absolutely great time chewing up scenes in their supporting roles.  Laila Ali makes a pretty smooth transition from the fight game to her first real role.  She's pretty believable as Chapman's sister, and the two share a few scenes that go over pretty well.  This was also my first exposure to Lateef Crowder, who plays bad ass cop Carlo.  In the past, Crowder has mostly done stunt work, but he shines in his own fight scenes here.

The story here is better than passable and the action is great.  You'll chuckle at some of the situations and acting, but it's a great time overall.  I hear this is a possible franchise for White and I look forward to the next installment. He always brings his "A" game, and if this blog continues as planned, I'm sure I will choose more of his movies in the future.

Ok, You Sold Me.  Where Can I get It?

This gets a tad bit tricky.  Trickier than it should be.  There is no US blu-ray release for this movie.  I'm not sure why.  The only blu-ray version is a Region B German release.  The English audio track is included, but you would need a region free player to watch it. It is available at Amazon.de.

Here's the upcoming DVD and Amazon Instant Video link, where you can rent or buy it.

See you next time! No promises.

In Macho Movie Monday, John spotlights his favorite lessor known action, adventure, martial arts and assorted B-movies from around the globe.  While the title of the blog may demonstrate superb use of alliteration, it doesn't actually come out on Mondays or any other regular schedule.  

Send recommendations, comments and complaints to John at hhwlod dot com.