![]() Happening on a robbery in a liquor store, as is the all too frequent occurrence in these sorts of vehicles, he taunts one of the thugs by grabbing his shotgun and putting it in his mouth before quickly dispatching him. White’s character, John “Falcon” Chapman, is the latest in a long line of emotionally scarred action heroes, in this case an ex-Marine suffering from frequent PTSD flashbacks who in the film’s opening minutes plays a game of Russian Roulette (with bullets soaked in a shot glass filled with whiskey, no less). Set in the Brazilian slums that inspired its original title Favela, Falcon Rising is a by-the-numbers thriller that mainly serves as a showcase for its star’s considerable fighting abilities, showcased in an endless number of kick-ass set pieces. We can only hope that Falcon Rising is one of them.Michael Jai White ( Spawn, The Dark Knight) makes another bid for action movie stardom with this film so determined to spawn a franchise that its ending sets up a sequel, with distributor Freestyle Releasing already promising two more installments. With his recently launched Jaigantic Studios production company, MJW has announced that he will be making sequels to some of his previous hits, like Blood & Bone. Who knows why we didn’t? There is hope though. What’s So Wrong With ‘Universal Soldier: The Return’?īut yeah, we definitely should’ve been on Falcon 3 by now. They were probably saving her for the next one… Damn. They could’ve at least showed her getting down during her attack scene (Which happens off-screen. And it’s in these scenes where MJW proves why he was deserving of the title of the Black Dragon.Īny issues? I was disappointed that they cast Laila Ali as his sister and didn’t utilize any of her boxing skills at all. Only with multiple assailants at the same time. And how do they do that? By only putting him in one vs many fight scenes! The man does not have a single one on one fight with anybody. What I liked most is how amazingly they showcase MJW’s skill level. Director Barbarash and ace fight choreographer Larnell Stovall combine to design some truly expert action. The fight scenes contained in Falcon Rising are some of the best sequences of MJW’s career. And this is where the movie shines brightest. ![]() ![]() Now, on to the main attraction… the action. Triple Threat: An Ultimate Martial Arts Movie for the Ages This is definitely one of his best performances.Īnd Millie Ruperto, Jimmy Navarro, Laila Ali (in her feature debut) as well as ultimate action movie regulars Neal McDonough and Lateef Crowder all give great supporting performances. ![]() MJW is commanding as always in the lead, bringing that stark warrior attitude that you’re used to by now, but also a fierceness to the sincerity in the scenes where Chapman deals with his PTSD as best as he can. It has everything going for it: great lead performance from MJW as Chapman, tight direction from filmmaker Ernie Barbarash, awesome locations, a fast pace, and fantastic action sequencesīut first, let’s talk about the cast. Yeah, Falcon Rising should’ve definitely been a franchise. John Chapman is an ex-marine in Brazil’s slums, battling the yakuza outfit who attacked his sister and left her for dead. The Top 10 Ultimate Michael Jai White Action Movies Such were the hopes for the Michael Jai White action adventurer Falcon Rising. But every now and then, producers will take a chance and put out something original (so to speak) in hopes that it will hook audiences into coming back for more. Studios are more eager to stick with what they feel are guaranteed successes than try their luck with something original. Such a tricky thing to maintain in this day and age. The most ultimate Michael Jai White franchise that never was…Īaaah, franchises.
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