Well, according to its page here on TMDB, it's already made back more than twice its budget, so people seem to like it (haven't seen it myself, not my thing).
Well, according to its page here on TMDB, it's already made back more than twice its budget, so people seem to like it (haven't seen it myself, not my thing).
I remember enjoying those "Give me my daughter back" action flicks of the 80s-90s. Schwarzenegger was the best because his had the best comedy one-liners ("What did you did with Sully?" "I let him go"). I think you really gotta approach the genre with tongue in cheek.
But after you've seen a few dozen you tend to outgrow them. I guess their continued popularity is a testament to a solid crowd pleasing formula. Action, violence, family values, revenge with a heart.
I remember enjoying those "Give me my daughter back" action flicks of the 80s-90s. Schwarzenegger was the best because his had the best comedy one-liners ("What did you did with Sully?" "I let him go"). I think you really gotta approach the genre with tongue in cheek.
But after you've seen a few dozen you tend to outgrow them. I guess their continued popularity is a testament to a solid crowd pleasing formula. Action, violence, family values, revenge with a heart.
Thanks for sharing the link, rooprect! A very funny parody, that I'd not previously seen!
A couple exceptions to the rule:
Edge of Darkness (2010, Mel Gibson as the father):
No happy ending (or beginning, for that matter; right off the bat he's too late for the rescue); but also, to the "no characters have a backstory" quip--
In so many evil villain movies, especially when it involves a corporate angle, you'll often see company security men going "outside the wire" to try to get the good guy; but, after dozens of these guys get killed, there's never any blowback for the company. In "Edge of Darkness", one of the corporate lieutenants informs the CEO that all of these guys' girlfriends and wives are starting to ask questions. Following which the company tries to be more discreet/a little smarter. I liked in this movie how this issue was at least addressed.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019). Sly, as the honorary uncle to his "niece", goes after her after she's kidnapped. But when he finally gets her back, she's been extensively abused and is in really bad shape. I only mention this because it seems that in most of these movies, although there is menace, I think the audience knows that nothing really bad is going to happen to the victim . . . Rambo: Last Blood does not take the easy (or easy to watch) route with this topic (human trafficking).
But I understand, as I do think most of these movies are marketed as simply entertainment with no serious message. Hollywood obviously understands this formula since they've been so successful with it.
I remember enjoying those "Give me my daughter back" action flicks of the 80s-90s. Schwarzenegger was the best because his had the best comedy one-liners ("What did you did with Sully?" "I let him go"). I think you really gotta approach the genre with tongue in cheek.
But after you've seen a few dozen you tend to outgrow them. I guess their continued popularity is a testament to a solid crowd pleasing formula. Action, violence, family values, revenge with a heart.
Thanks for sharing the link, rooprect! A very funny parody, that I'd not previously seen!
A couple exceptions to the rule:
Edge of Darkness (2010, Mel Gibson as the father):
No happy ending (or beginning, for that matter; right off the bat he's too late for the rescue); but also, to the "no characters have a backstory" quip--
In so many evil villain movies, especially when it involves a corporate angle, you'll often see company security men going "outside the wire" to try to get the good guy; but, after dozens of these guys get killed, there's never any blowback for the company. In "Edge of Darkness", one of the corporate lieutenants informs the CEO that all of these guys' girlfriends and wives are starting to ask questions. Following which the company tries to be more discreet/a little smarter. I liked in this movie how this issue was at least addressed.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019). Sly, as the honorary uncle to his "niece", goes after her after she's kidnapped. But when he finally gets her back, she's been extensively abused and is in really bad shape. I only mention this because it seems that in most of these movies, although there is menace, I think the audience knows that nothing really bad is going to happen to the victim . . . Rambo: Last Blood does not take the easy (or easy to watch) route with this topic (human trafficking).
But I understand, as I do think most of these movies are marketed as simply entertainment with no serious message. Hollywood obviously understands this formula since they've been so successful with it.
Edge of Darkness was the one with Ray Winstone playing opposite Gibson, right? Great dynamic there, not just good guy vs bad guy, and like you said it threw enough curves in the standard formula to make it really interesting.
I agree, in recent years Hollywood has been revisiting a lot of cookie cutter ideas but with added depth, and that makes them worthwhile. I haven’t seen the recent First Blood flicks but I like that they’re tackling some heavy subjects like human trafficking & mental trauma which the 80s wouldn’t touch. I suppose back then & before, PTSD was mostly limited to war flicks about shell shock, and it wasn’t until society recognized it as much more inclusive that these topics could be taken seriously in other films.
It’s definitely an uncomfortable thing to watch, so I guess Hollywood will be playing a balancing act between realism & entertainment, otherwise they won’t be filling seats!
Reply by northcoast
on April 27, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Well, according to its page here on TMDB, it's already made back more than twice its budget, so people seem to like it (haven't seen it myself, not my thing).
Reply by rooprect
on April 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
I remember enjoying those "Give me my daughter back" action flicks of the 80s-90s. Schwarzenegger was the best because his had the best comedy one-liners ("What did you did with Sully?" "I let him go"). I think you really gotta approach the genre with tongue in cheek.
But after you've seen a few dozen you tend to outgrow them. I guess their continued popularity is a testament to a solid crowd pleasing formula. Action, violence, family values, revenge with a heart.
SNL did a hilarious parody 11 years ago. Gotta say the Denzel Washington impersonation is spot on! SNL - Give Us All Our Daughters Back
Reply by northcoast
on April 27, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Thanks for sharing the link, rooprect! A very funny parody, that I'd not previously seen!
A couple exceptions to the rule:
Edge of Darkness (2010, Mel Gibson as the father):
No happy ending (or beginning, for that matter; right off the bat he's too late for the rescue); but also, to the "no characters have a backstory" quip--
In so many evil villain movies, especially when it involves a corporate angle, you'll often see company security men going "outside the wire" to try to get the good guy; but, after dozens of these guys get killed, there's never any blowback for the company. In "Edge of Darkness", one of the corporate lieutenants informs the CEO that all of these guys' girlfriends and wives are starting to ask questions. Following which the company tries to be more discreet/a little smarter. I liked in this movie how this issue was at least addressed.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019). Sly, as the honorary uncle to his "niece", goes after her after she's kidnapped. But when he finally gets her back, she's been extensively abused and is in really bad shape. I only mention this because it seems that in most of these movies, although there is menace, I think the audience knows that nothing really bad is going to happen to the victim . . . Rambo: Last Blood does not take the easy (or easy to watch) route with this topic (human trafficking).
But I understand, as I do think most of these movies are marketed as simply entertainment with no serious message. Hollywood obviously understands this formula since they've been so successful with it.
Reply by rooprect
on April 27, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Edge of Darkness was the one with Ray Winstone playing opposite Gibson, right? Great dynamic there, not just good guy vs bad guy, and like you said it threw enough curves in the standard formula to make it really interesting.
I agree, in recent years Hollywood has been revisiting a lot of cookie cutter ideas but with added depth, and that makes them worthwhile. I haven’t seen the recent First Blood flicks but I like that they’re tackling some heavy subjects like human trafficking & mental trauma which the 80s wouldn’t touch. I suppose back then & before, PTSD was mostly limited to war flicks about shell shock, and it wasn’t until society recognized it as much more inclusive that these topics could be taken seriously in other films.
It’s definitely an uncomfortable thing to watch, so I guess Hollywood will be playing a balancing act between realism & entertainment, otherwise they won’t be filling seats!