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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Stupid but fun., January 29, 2006
It's hard to list the many way in which this 1980s blaxploitation film is bad, but here are some:
* Lame comic relief. We begin with a black street punk who snatches a purse from a fat black woman, only to have the woman beat him up with her purse. He's nabbed, taken to the police station, then faints upon seeing Action Jackson (Carl Weather).
* Stereotypical cardboard police captain. He's by-the-books, comes down hard on Action Jackson's cowboy tactics, but is also a hen-pecked hubby who whines about his wife's "parchise night."
* Waaaaay unrealistic street battles. Action Jackson has a gun battle on the streets, screaming at a driver who's waving a gun. Meanwhile, people are walking in the background as though nothing is happening (who directed these extras?) And this is after a car chase in which a truck carrying propane crashes into a car, creating a chain explosion of many innocent people's cars.
* After all this, the police captain doesn't even mention all the dead civilians due to Jackson's cowboy tactics. No one does. It's like it doesn't matter.
* Stereotypical evil rich businessman. When Action Jackson asks him, "Why?" he's planning what he is, he replies, "Power!" then follows it up with a speech glorifying power. Not a very complex motivation, which is also the result of...
* Lazy scripting. When Jackson needs info, he goes to some hairdresser to learn "the word on the street." This sassy woman tells Jackson everything about what the evil businessman has done and is planning. Hey, HOW DOES SHE KNOW?
* Stupid scripting. Jackson enters a billard hall to ask some questions, and is confronted by some tough guys who don't like questions. He's about to be castrated, when Vanity pops in with some lame story about Jackson being her crazy brother. So Jackson starts preaching about God, to convince the tough guys that he's crazy. Which they readily believe. HOW DUMB IS THAT? Of course, once they let go of Jackson, he beats all four of them up.
* Contradictory scripting. Soon after the businessman explains his master plan (in great detail) to Action Jackson, Jackson asks, "What do you plan to do?" Huh? HE JUST TOLD YOU!
* Awful 1980s hairstyles and fashion. One hit man has looooong feather blond hair, looking like a heavy metal singer. (His face looks like Kato Kalin). He dresses in full leather body suits, likes his cohorts. Pretty noticeable, no? Yet these hitmen are called "the invisible men," because of their ability to "blend in" and not be noticed. Yeah, right.
* Vanity is a heroin addict, yet she's smart, sassy, capable, and looks remarkably healthy. Apparently, a heroin fix a day leave no scars, no problem.
* Jackson calls Vanity a "junkie" throughout the film. At the film's end, she's fallen in love with him and says, "Ex-junkie!" Just like that. And just like that, Jackson says, "All right!" Wow. I had no idea it was so easy to kick a heroin habit.
* Lots of "cool sets" used for no good reason (other than that they look cool). Action Jackson sends Vanity into a bar to set up a meeting at a warehouse. When the man arrives, Jackson slides down a whinch chain, for no particular reason. Nor was there any real reason he couldn't enter the bar to see the man.
* In the end, this fiftyish businessman and Jackson each hold a gun in a standoff. So what does the businessman do? He puts down his gun, because he'd rather karate-box Jackson. So Jackson sets down his gun too, and they karate-box. Yeah, that's how most aging businessmen prefer to deal with the police.
* This was after Jackson drove a sports car into the businessman's mansion, up the stairs, and through the wall. (Good thing the hallways were wide enough to accomodate the car.) Nor was there a reason for this; the businessman wasn't planning on going anywhere. I guess it just looks cool to have a car driving through a mansion.
This is film is really bad, with a mindless script and lazy unrealistic acting. Even so, it's dumb fun. Vanity and Sharon Stone (in a small role) are sexy. Sexy eye candy and mindless action, so enjoy.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Action Jackson" is a competently standard showcase for Carl Weathers' superhero cool..., August 6, 2008
Action is a proud man, a high-school track star, a dedicated cop, a sergeant who lost his lieutenant's stripes almost two years ago...
He jostles a conceited, two-faced, backstabbing mass murderer called Peter Dellaplane (Craig T. Nelson). Director Craig R. Baxley has not only carried it off, but makes you believe it... One must also give some of the credit to Carl Weathers whose erect muscular body and his charm and good looks give some credence to the heroics...
The picture contains fun, lots of action, and two sexy women...
Vanity looked so gorgeous when she was shot up with heroin...
Stone met her husband after his first wife died and his son went to prison... She thinks that he may seem greedy and arrogant but he remained loved by everyone, and the whole experience changed him... She also thinks that Jackson is not so different from her husband, that both are stubborn, and both intent on getting what they want...
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Why, Carl, why?, September 8, 2004
Carl Weathers isn't usually at the top of anyone's list of great thespians. But the guy coulda been a solid action movie "actor" a la Arnie. Unfortunately, that was effectively killed by his role in "Action Jackson," a bad action movie even for people who like dumb action movies (like me).
It has the makings of a good action flick. Half the cast of "Predator" shows up here, there is lots of sensless violence, and much-appreciated random nudity from Sharon Stone and Vanity. But it somehow just doesn't work. The script is too stupid, and the directing too pedestrian to result in anything but B-movie filler. It isn't quite bad enough to be fun, though it has some moments that are just stupefying in their ridiculousness, and not good enough to be good.
The problem with an dumb action movie is that you either need to go totally over the top, and embrace ridiculous absurdity, or do it straight, and actually make a competent movie. If you do something in-between, the result is no good. And that is the fate of "Action Jackson."
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