KCR: Collateral Damage (movie)

Collateral Damage is almost a "last hurrah" for Arnold, as he is no longer acting an action hero, and the movie is basically formula Arnold, with a couple twists and turns that borders on the absurd. However, he's also more... "human", and less action hero. It's not that bad.

Premise: Fireman Gordon Brewer watched his wife and son die in a bombing of downtown LA Pavilion. Despite several warnings from FBI and CIA, Brewer managed to get infiltrate the perp's Colombian hideout, and have to work his way to stop the next bombing, in Washington D.C.

This revenge fantasy basically have Arnold, supposedly just a firefighter, was simply TOYED with by the bad guy, as if the bad guy is amused that some moron dare come after him. It simply makes little sense. In other words, this movie has Arnold running AWAY from fights instead of toward it. It is the most un-Arnold of all Arnold movies. Some even remarked that Arnold looks rather lousy, but then he's not playing an action hero here, is he?

Not quite good enough to buy, maybe watch once.

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KCR: True Lies

True Lies is an action movie with several elements of comedy. It is as hilarious today as it was back in 1994. There are so many impossibilities that makes you go "did that really happen?"  but that's Hollywood for you.

Premise: Harry Tasker is a spy who chases down terrorists and do other spy things with help of his team. He kept his professional life separate from his home life, but he is having trouble at home. He thinks his wife may be having an affair with a smarmy car salesman, and his daughter is apparently a pickpocket and of relatively low morals. Unfortunately, he really has no time to take care of stuff at home when some terrorists may be smuggling in nukes into Florida...  Then everybody in the family got involved, and things got VERY complicated indeed...

The idea of secrets and multiple identities are used for comic relief very effectively in this movie. The scene where Tasker got the truth serum is hilarious.

The movie could be improved on several levels, but it is great fun. And admit it, you don't watch Arnold films to get educated or have deep thoughts...

KCR: 6th Day (movie)

Cover of The 6th Day6th Day, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of those movies that takes a high concept and takes it to the ridiculous extreme, but it sure sounds interesting. It's basically "The One" starring Jet Li, but in reverse, with more plausible sci-fi explanations.

Premise: in the near future, a secret cabal is "curing" almost lethal and disabling injuries and other problems by basically replacing the original with clones infused with memories from the original. A football star broken neck and life-threatening injuries? No problem... Zap his eyes to retrieve his memories, then kill the original, then activate a clone, reload the memories, and voila, he's "cured". Unfortunately for the cabal, this time, they cloned the wrong guy... And this guy will do all he can to protect his family... well... okay, THEIR family...

This movie has all the cliche plots thrown in, with lots of stupid one-liners. There's also more than a hint from Arnold's previous movie "Total Recall" which has a similar high concept: what if his entire life was a figment of someone else's imagination? Or as a critic puts it, both movie has that "Who am I really?" type of soul-searching.

It's also a bit funny about how those three assassins are really energizer bunnies... they keep going, and even when 'killed', comes back for some more. They are heck funny, even more than Arnold.

Not one of Arnold's best works (for that, I still say Commando or Predator) but watchable... once. Not quite enough to own.

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