Predator (1987)

Deep in the Central American jungles, the hunters realize they're being hunted by invisible creatures using thermal imaging vision to track their every move. 

I've never been the biggest fan of the Predator franchise, yet there must be something about it that keeps audiences coming back. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers head this sci-fi/horror fest, which lend to its lasting appeal. There's no denying the creature designs are cool, but it's a shallow action flick that was not able to be matched by its lesser sequel. The whole thing feels so clearly inspired by Aliens, they would eventually do battle together one day.

3 CHOPPAS out of 5

Last Action Hero (1993)

A satire of the action genre that starts out with genuine promise but gradually pisses it away, to the point where I found it almost insufferable.
It mocks movie cliches playfully, but is itself reliant on them. The situation was perhaps intended to be further commentary on the same, but it fails to be convincing onscreen and instead of being deeply ironic feels astonishingly stupid. It doesn't help that the script ignores its own rules when in a setting that's supposed to be governed by logic. A final nail in the coffin is that the movie didn't seem to know who its target audience was; it's Rated 15 but more often feels awkwardly assembled to fit the template of one closer to 12. Ultimately, it's a mess of half-baked ideas and poorly-defined intentions.

2 ticket stubs out of 5

DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE [1995]

Number 3 in the Die Hard series changes things up a bit by adding a With A Vengeance to the title.
John McTiernan returns to the director's chair after stepping out from the second film and with him he brings back the fun something fierce.  Sure it runs around without a point for the first half hour or so but once it decides which way it's going the action is non-stop brainless entertainment with Jeremy Irons and Samuel L. Jackson tossed in for extra "fuck yeahs".   Basically the film winds up with some great punches and leaves without so much as a bruise.  Good times.  Good times.

3½ riddles out of 5

The Hunt For Red October (1990)

Tom Clancy's classic work of military industrial complex porn has been humanized with actual characters, who have depth, arcs, relatable behavior, and most importantly, subtlety. The proceedings get off to a quick start and the pace doesn't slow down until the end credits. This is a conventional Hollywood studio film that earns its stripes the old fashioned way, with clean, solid, professional work on all levels.

4 pings Vasili. 4 pings only out of 5

Die Hard (1988)

Die Hard has been my favorite Christmas movie for years. As grumpy as I may get about general Christmas festivities, I still feel the need to do something vaguely Christmas-y, and Die Hard satisfies that urge without ever descending into the things I dislike about holiday movies.

In some ways, Die Hard feels like a very violent live-action cartoon. It's so over the top and high energy, and at times devolves into full-on silliness. Rickman is exceedingly charming and wonderfully evil, and Willis' banter is a blast. It's easy to see why this movie led to him being a full-on superstar. It's a fun twist on the buddy film genre, and pretty much the perfect action movie. It's got bloody shoot outs and explosions, and makes me feel happier every time I watch it. And, when it comes down to it, that's what a Christmas movie should do.

5 machine guns out of 5. Ho-Ho-Ho.