Tango and Cash (1989) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 1st, 2017*

"Rambo's a pussy"

Tango and Cash is a fitting end to 1980's action cinema (It was one of the last films to be released in the '80s). It's a mash-up of everything that came before it. So much stuff is thrown at the wall to see what sticks and the result is a wonderfully demented piece of '80s joy. 

Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell are perfectly matched as two hot-shot cops who are forced to work together after being framed for a murder they didn't commit. They have great chemistry and really carry the film together, leading to one of the greatest film-ending high-fives ever put on screen.

The whole film is balls out the bath insanity, riffing off the decade of action films that came before it. There's shades of Commando, Lethal Weapon and Raw Deal in here, but mashing it all together makes way for one of the most unique and beautiful experiences the '80s had to offer.

It upsets me that this film flopped and was so poorly received at the time. Tango and Cash should have been a franchise with at least 5 films at this point. The first 3 being good, then the 4th and 5th killing the franchise for good before the inevitable reboot/sequel in the mid 2010's riding on nostalgia.

I digress. This film on its own is a masterpiece. Every cheesy one liner is so bad, it's fantastic. At one point Stallone even proclaims "Rambo's a pussy". The action is loud, bombastic and over the top. There's a set-piece towards the end at a construction site (A staple of '80s finales) where the bad guy has a never ending supply of armoured monster trucks, because of course, why wouldn't he? While it is violent, I was surprised at how tame it is and still earned an "18" rating in the UK. I guess the BBFC haven't got round to reassessing it yet.

This also holds one of the greatest moments in cinema history (No hyperbole) and that is the scene where Kurt Russell has to escape from a club by dressing up as a woman. I am not joking. It's this sort of unhinged insanity that makes Tango and Cash a joy to watch. If anyone can send me a link to the music where Kurt Russell's revealed in drag, I will love you forever. Harold Faltermeyer delivers one of the best scores of his career with his wonderfully funky beats.

There's a henchman who is meant to be British, but just sounds Australian and it's hilarious. I even wonder if the filmmakers know what a British person sounds like? The bad guys in general are typical '80s fodder, a power hungry crime boss that would feel more in place within a Bond film.

Speaking of Bond, while Tango and Cash is a buddy-cop film. There's a character who is essentially Q from the Bond films. Supplying Tango and Cash with weapons that are clearly not part of any police officer's equipment list. At one point Kurt Russell walks in on him experimenting with a fake dog that has a gun for a mouth for the purpose of "Senior protection".


Tango and Cash is genius. An essential piece of '80s action cinema with two great leads, great action and an insane amount of absurdity on display. Why don't they make films like this anymore?

10/10 Dans

Tango and Cash is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

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Deepwater Horizon (2016) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written October 6th, 2016*

"Water way to have a good time"

I have a good history with disaster films. I grew up watching them and loving them. Peter Berg’s films on the other hand…. I hated Battleship (like most) and I found Lone Survivor to be a shameless army recruitment film that cashed-in on the lives of soldiers that were lost. Deepwater Horizon is another story. It’s a heartfelt and powerful action drama that pays tribute to the victims of this avoidable incident and gives us some pretty spectacular, but not gratuitous action. Films like this draw a thin towards being “destruction porn” which makes light of tragedy by giving us bombastic action with none of the substance, and that can be taken as tasteless. Deepwater manages to deliver its explosive action and gives us characters to care for. Making Deepwater Horizon compelling viewing.

Mark Wahlberg is front and centre here and he’s as reliable and lovable as he always is. It’s almost impossible not to love that goofy little face and childlike eyes. We’re given the most time with his character, with the opening scenes building up the relationship with his daughter and wife, which rings true and brought an emotional core to the film. It even made way for a very emotionally devastating finale that gave me a gut-punch I never would have expected from a film like this. Wahlberg’s performance in the final moments reminded me of Tom Hanks in the excellent Captain Phillips from 2016. The rest of the cast fare well too. Kurt Russell stands out and John Malkovich gives a strange accent, I’m not entirely sure what he was going for?

Malkovich is also the closest thing Deepwater Horizon has to a bad guy, but he’s really not, he’s just an arrogant guy who makes a mistake. A fatal mistake, but a human mistake. I really liked that about how it was handled, they easily could have given a cartoony bad guy we all wanted to see die, but we didn’t and there’s was a very quick shot of Malkovich that showed in his face the horror and regret of what had happened over the events of the night. It was minor, but it bought a lot to the character. Deepwater briefly explores who the blame was for this incident, but only in fleeting moments, I wish that was explored a little more.

While the build-up to the actual disaster is earned, when things kick-off, it is non-stop. Once that explosion happens, you don’t get a chance to breathe and it has some of the best design and action I’ve seen in 2016. The sets are detailed and feel real, the explosions look genuine and dangerous. I’m sure CGI was used, but everything looked and felt real. The sound design is also wonderful, the score from Steve Jablonsky was really good too, it delivered emotion and intensity without feeling manipulative. Everything mixed together to make for a truly spectacular and beautiful spectacle. While it feels a bit wrong to call a film about a tragedy “Beautiful”, Deepwater Horizon is beautiful. There is breathtaking cinematography in the latter half of the film, the fire was great to look at. The whole film has a gritty and realistic feel to it, but it doesn’t lack in style and visceral action, which is one the few things I agree Berg had a knack for in Lone Survivor. I feel he’s really improved as a director between this and Lone Survivor and I can’t wait to see his next film ‘Patriots Day’ which is about the Boston Bombings and also stars Mark Wahlberg and is out later this year.

Peter Berg directs the hell out of this film, delivering a truly intense, but heartfelt memorial to the victims of the event. Deepwater Horizon is the best disaster film of the year. A powerful, well acted and intense action drama that never feels dishonest and exploiting that tragedy, but instead pays tribute to those who were lost.

8/10 Dans

Deepwater Horizon is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

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