Tubi Thursday: Ong Bak 3 (2010)

 After making the Film, its Star became a Buddhist Monk for a year.  Will you?

Let's find out...

For starters, that Cover is a lie.  It's him from the first Film...not this one.

Anyhow, he survives, I guess, his death in the last Film.

He's punished and kept around to be tortured by the King.

Said King is having his own issues.

He's been cursed by a former Associate and is tripping more balls than a Character in one of those 'Pot is evil' Films/TV Shows.

Jaa is spared and rescued- hurray.

After nearly dying (again?), he is reunited with his love interest and learns inner peace through dancing.

Oh shit- is he going to have to win a Tournament to save the Youth Center?!?

Nope.  The evil Raven Guy we saw at the end fight of the last Film has been promoted to top villain.

He rebels against the evil King because, well, he's evil.

Also, he likes to curse people.

Can Jaa maintain his newfound inner peace to save the day?

Or will he give in to violence for violence's sake yet again?

To find out, stream Part 3 now.

Is this as bad as so many people say?  To me, no.  That's the short answer.

Now for the long answer- I get it. The Film's Pacing and build-up is very different than the 2nd Film.  This one is all about breaking down the last Film and why it was not good for Jaa's character.

Look at it- he sought only revenge and what was his reward?  Pain, betrayal and death (well, kind of).

The Film has a message and it is not subtle.  So if you can't stand Jaa not kicking people's faces in for a good chunk of the Film, it will not be for you.  In many ways, you can compare this to Kill Bill Vol 2 vs. Vol 1.

Vol 1 had the setup, all of the big fights and a partial, yet satisfying Ending.  Vol 2 had lots more Plot in it, no fight as big as the Crazy 88s and ultimately wrapped up things.

This Film also focuses more on Buddhism, which is probably an issue for others.

If viewed as a whole, the Film is a nice counterpoint to the previous one with less fighting just to have it (although there's still plenty) and a Plot to actually tie it more strongly together. 
I'm at peace with that.  

A divisive Film, which was answered with, for better or worse, a return to the norm in his next Film.  For what it's worth, I don't hate this like so many others do.

My Crazy Youth: The Time That The Batman Defeated AI...in 2006

 As WB-Discovery tries to scrape together some more dough, they've brought more content back to Netflix.

Let's take a look at an underrated Cartoon that tackled a prescient topic- Artificial Intelligence!

Dr. Hugo Strange- Batman's first real Villain in the Comics- creates an ultimate Crime Computer to analyze the behavior of criminals and learn how to stop them.

It immediately goes rogue, downloads itself out of the building and into a Robot Body.

Didn't Ultron do this too?

His new body allows him to be DAVE aka Digitally Advanced Villain Emulator.

He has to commit the perfect crime to prove itself, as it thinks that it is literally all of the Villains whose attributes were download into him.

The Batman- who will get his sidekicks next Season- tries to stop DAVE and has no luck.

It has considered every possibility and our Hero is not ready for this!

After 2 defeats- with DAVE not wanting to kill Batman, but expose him instead- Batman has to try a new approach.

He learns that DAVE's actions were actually programmed in by Strange, who says that DAVE now knows who Batman is!

Can he stop his most intelligent villain?  Stream the Episode- Season 3, Episode 13- to find out!

A good Episode that really makes the most of the concept.  In many ways, DAVE is like Ultron (the Comics Version) with a Batman twist.  The fact that it wants to expose Batman is definitely a DC thing.

It is worth comparing DAVE to Ultron given that this Episode predates the Film Version by about a Decade.

As a young man, I enjoyed this Show quite a bit.  The Creators of this worked on another Show that I liked- Jackie Chan Adventures.  There were some people who didn't like this, as the Show was the first to feature now Paul Dini or Kevin Conroy (RIP).

It's a big hurdle to clear- no question.

For a lighter, but still serious and action-packed Show, give this one a look.  Amusingly, it also falls into the same trap that Batman and Superman did by the end on the other Shows- trying to set up the Justice League.  More on that later.

Fun fact: this is a slight update of Heart of Steel from Batman: The Animated Series.  Who voiced HARDAC- that one's Robot- you ask?  The same guy who voiced DAVE.  Neat.

For sure, a fun and oddly timely Episode for one made in the mid-2000s.  This Show really is the black sheep of the franchise, but it shouldn't be.

Forgotten Sequels: Ong Bak 2- The Beginning

 A work week feel like you got kicked in the head?  Well, here's a Film that is chock full of actual head kicking.

Tony Jaa was on top of the World after the original Ong Bak and The Protector.  After that, he got a big bidding war over this project.  Unfortunately, lots of stuff happened- a mix of stress, pressure and inexperience- to make this one what it should have been.

Is it bad though?
Well, I got it for $1.99, so let's find out...

A young Royal is being taken to safety by his Guard, but the latteri s killed.

The boy survives, but is taken by Slave Traders.

He is tortured and abused.

He is forced to fight in a Pit.

He is even forced to fight a Crocodile!

American Stunt People see this and go 'Not going to Thailand anytime soon!'

He's rescued by a disparate group of Bandits, which includes a Japanese Swordsman, an Indian Fighter and other foreign nationals.

The blind Sensei- since every group has one- feels that the boy is strong, so they train him in a Montage.

He proves his worth by beating a series of his Masters in a long fight Scene that involves sword fighting, a bit of aikido and, as you can see, a bit of Wrestling.

As a WWE fan, is it weird to see Tony Jaa do a headlock takedown?  Yes.

Throughout the Film, events cause Jaa- playing the grown up version of the Royal- to have flashbacks.

They involve a girl he befriends (who seems like she'll be more important), his family being in peril and, finally, his Parents' death before he flees.

He's made the second-in-command of the Gang and his first act involves taking out the large man that abused him.

Cue another long fight, this time with a bit of Drunken Boxing mixed in.  Why not?

He's offered the chance to run the gang, but his Mentor knows that he must finish his quest for revenge first.

He confronts the Ruler who had his family killed at a big event- which includes a long, filler Dance Number- before slashing the guy repeatedly with a sword and kicking him into a pit.

Revenge over.

He goes back to his old Village to reminisce and gets attacked.

The final 20 minutes or so are this- a long, violent fight between him and multiple opponents.

It's not an Ong Bak Film without Elephant stunts, so enjoy this run up, flip kick involving a pachyderm

Ohhh...

Shit!

However- Plot Twist!

The bad guy pulled a Bret Hart and put metal under his shirt to protect him earlier.

He finally gets Jaa down after a seemingly-magic Warrior and forcing Jaa to battle a surprise opponent.

He seems to die, whereupon the English Narrator tells us that we can 'wish hard enough' to get his spirit back to his body.

See what happens in Part 3- most likely later this week.  The End.

It's a Film that isn't quite sure what it wants to be.

Is it an Historical Epic?  Not really.  Despite the ancient Setting and backstory, it is too precise in focus.
Is it a full-on Action Film?  Yes and No.  The random breaks for backstory aren't bad, but they do take away from what certain viewers are expecting from this.

Yes, Ong Bak had a Plot.  Was it just an excuse to string together the Action Scenes?  Mostly.

I'm not saying that this is bad- it's not.  I'm just saying that they seemed to be going for something big, which we only get a taste of.  Was this due to the production issues?  Maybe.

In summary, it is a mixed bag.  It has lots of fighting, but also random plot interruptions and historical details that don't feel quite in sync with the vibe otherwise.

As a bonus, it weirdly credits 'Dan Chupong' as 'Dance Chupong.'  Huh?

To see the conclusion to this tale, see the next Tubi Thursday.  To see what I actually do next, check back soon.

Tubi Thursday: Scream and Scream Again (1970)

 Continuing our break from Giant Monster Films and China, let's stick to the '70s.

Here's a Film with a good Director, three Stars...and a Plot that barely uses any of them.

It is...

A man runs during the Stop and Start Credits.  Just run them or don't, Movies!

He wakes up in a Hospital and they cut off one of his legs.
Enough of him now...until we randomly cut to him later to show him losing more limbs.

The Police investigate a Murder.  The woman is found dead, but there's no blood!

Where's Count Yorga?
Is that Racial Profiling?

We sometimes cut to a fictitious European Country where the Police go after some people, attack another and then Peter Cushing arrives.

He tells the man behind the attack that he'll deal with him later...and he's promptly killed.

As the Police case goes on, we are shown that Christopher Lee is the Captain.

He doesn't do much...but he's here.

At least he's not dead yet.

The killer turns out to be this cross between Keith Moon and Mick Jagger.

He kills another girl and is caught in a Police Sting Operation.

He escapes...for the world's second longest Police Chase.  He's no OJ.

He shows off some super strength and endurance, biting off his own hand to escape some cuffs.  After another long chase (this one on foot), he ends up diving in a Vat of Acid...owned by Vincent Price (who's only shown up once- briefly)

It ended better for Rick & Morty.

How do these Plots- a Fascist Country, a Vampire killer, the amputations and the acid- connect?

Well, Scientists like Price are making robots (not the last time either) to replace us with our stupid, stupid minds (stupid!).

He...ends up fighting the Police's Doctor and then the bad Foreigner...before he meets Lee (for their only Scene) and dips himself in the acid too.

Oh and Lee is secretly an Alien- at least in the Book.

Did that info dump at the end seem like allot?  Well, it was just like that in the Film.

This one is...hard to rank.  On one hand, it has a complex narrative that eventually (mostly) comes together.  On the other hand, it takes the whole Film to make sense...and it still barely does.

It is a Film that I probably won't forget for quite a while though.

It's a shame that the Film used a scandalous Title (it was originally called 'The Disjointed Man') and three Horror Icons in random, small Roles to draw in the Audience.  It's still not a terrible Film.  Just don't expect straight Horror- it is more a Conspiracy Film that would be all the rage in the coming years.

See it with an open mind, but be prepared for lots of long, drawn out shots.  Just take them in...

A mis-marketed Film (by design) with is confusing as all get out.  It's...something.

Poor Bastards of Cinema: The Shadow (1994)

 After lots of random death in Italy, let's go back to America.

In 1994's The Shadow, the Hero's archnemesis comes to America.

He takes a Taxi to what will be his hideout, only to find out that the Driver is going to log the stop in his Logbook.

He's obviously not happy- since it is supposed to be a SECRET hideout- so he puts his mind powers to use.

Does he make the guy forget the trip?
Does he make hm write the wrong address?

There are so many options with his- let's be honest- unlimited powers.

No, he makes him think that an arriving Gas Truck is a Gas Station instead.

This makes him drive there at high speed- as you do- and crash!

Maybe he'll be....oh, never mind.

He's very dead.

So did he need to kill this guy?  No.
He could have just made him think that he was a chicken or something.

Instead, he chose fiery death...which you think would draw attention to this location.  This...never comes up.

The lesson- never use a Logbook.  It kills more people that cigarettes (don't look that up)!

Next up, another poor bastard from The Shadow.  They'll never learn!

Tubi Thursday: The Incredible Melting Man

 A Film that was met with lots of terrible Reviews and featured on MST3K... but keeps getting updated video releases (now in 4K).

What's the deal?  Let's find out...

A group of Astronauts fly around the Rings of Saturn and are exposed to serious radiation.

Back on Earth, two of them die and the third one is forever changed.

He's less Mr. Fantastic, but more The Thing...if he was melting and not rocks.

He freaks out and kills the Nurse- after she runs away in slow motion to pad out the runtime- and wanders off.

He kills a Fisherman- after a long setup- and scares a kid- after another long setup.

That's basically what happens from here on out.  

He wanders around, people eventually get attacked (and usually killed).
It's like Son of the Blob, but he's slightly less runny.

Between those Scenes, we get Melodrama involving the Doctor who was treating him and his Wife.  
Joy.

It all comes to a head as the Doctor and the Sheriff confront the titular being at a Power Plant.

Can the Doctor turn things around?

Oh right- it's a '70s Film.  
He dies.  Everyone dies and we send more people to Saturn.

What a depressing Decade.

The Film is...not great.

First, the positives.  Rick Baker's work here on make-up is the real draw.  I've never seen a person *actually* melt (just in this and Light Blast), but this is a pretty good facsimile.  It sure is gross to look at.

Other than that, the Film is a confusing mess.  Granted- that's partially by design.  The original Script was a Satire- which shines through in some parts- but was changed via rewrites and reshoots (without the Director/Writer) to be more of a normal Drive-In fare. 
I guess it was too early for a Lost Skeleton of Cadavra just yet.

So what you have is a Film that has random comedic interludes, serious drama, a mutant killing and EATING PEOPLE, melodrama and some light action.  Does that all seem like it goes together well?

This is one of those Films that, honestly, might be worth Remaking.  I mean, could you do it worse?  Take us away, German Poster...

A disgusting, goopy mess.  Also, the Title Character is melting.

Forgotten Sequels: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2- Freddy's Revenge

 Let's give this bastard child of the Series some love.  Can it be as bad as so many people say?

Freddy's Revenge was made a year after the last one and there were many changes made.  The original Stars weren't planned to return- yes, even Englund.  After shooting for 2 weeks with the Stunt Man (because Englund wanted an understandable pay raise), they gave him what he wanted.

The Plot involves Jesse having nightmares involving a figure trying to kill him.  He doesn't know who it is or why he's having them.  All he knows is that they started after his family moved into their new home.

As he learns the truth about Krueger, people around him start to die.  Is he the cause?

The Film is known for 2 things- 'breaking' the lore and being 'the gay one.'

Is it 'the bad one' though?  To find out, read on...

In the Intro, Jesse and some students are on the bus...when it drives off of the road and into the desert, nearly killing them before he wakes up!

What's funny is that people on IMDB once said that this was a Plot Hole...forgetting that it was a nightmare.

Jesse is having nightmares in his new home and hasn't even unpacked all of his boxes.  He wakes up screaming from every one of them.

So it really messes with him when his friend says that murders happened in their house!

He continues to have nightmares and is one night confronted by Fred(dy).  He says that he wants to take Jesse's body!

Is this different from the first Film?  Yes.
Is it different to make changes in the 2nd Film (see Halloween II making Michael her brother) than the 7th Film?  Yes.

Do I like this Plot point?  Yes.

The nightmares cause Jesse to have blackouts and he's found one night naked on the highway.

This follows after he seems to spot the Coach at a Gay Bar and then see him killed by Fred in the Showers.

He never seems to wonder why he's in the Showers in the middle of the night, I guess.

He's invited to a Pool Party by his platonic lady friend- who was allegedly cast due to looking like Meryll Streep) and they start to get busy...until he can feel himself turning into Fred(dy)!

He goes to see his male friend and, yeah, that was probably supposed to be subtext.
The Bar and S&M- not so much.

Sadly, he can't stop the change and kills his friend as Fred(dy).

This leads to the controversial climax where she tries to free Jesse from Fred(dy) and he kills a bunch of people at the Barbeque.

This fully formed Fred(dy) can affect reality in the waking world...until he's stopped by the power of love.

...and then another dream ending.  Sigh.

I don't hate this Film.  Is that a hot take?  Should it be?

The Plot is different, but I can actually see it working as an extension of the first Film.  In that one, his weakness is being pulled into the real world.  With 5 years passed on Earth (is time different in the Dream World?), is it impossible to imagine him trying a new tactic.

With a human body, he's less restricted.  If this had been followed up on, it might have been good for this Film's reputation.

The gay stuff.  The elephant in the room.  If that bothers you, fine.  Just don't use that as your excuse to dislike the Film and ignore it as part of the Franchise.

For better or worse, Freddy's Revenge takes risk, changes things up and is a unique (and enjoyable) entry in the Franchise.  I'm cool with that.

Next up, I make another dent in my DVD pile.  More Horror or Action?  Stay tuned...