Falcon Rising

As much as I think MJW is highly under-appreciated as a action star.. this film was poorly executed with minimal production, feels more in line with a TV production, with action sequences and panning equivalently equal to a modern day show like NCIS. You cannot simply vote this high, even if you are a MJW fan, for the most part he does"OK" but its a boring convoluted plot line, that adds nothing to the actual development of the film. The entire thing is dragged down and there isn't enough action sequences to overcome the stark reality of how mediocre the actual story is. I was brought to the film by MJW, but he cannot make more like this and expect me to return to his films.

John "Falcon" Chapman (MJW) is a suicidally depressed ex-Marine with PTSD whose emotional problems are exacerbated by alcohol abuse. That may seem dark, but things start to look up for Falcon when a new mission gives him renewed purpose in his life. Unfortunately, though, the mission involves his sister Cindy (Ali), who was attacked and hospitalized while in the favelas of Brazil. Falcon arrives in Sao Paulo and proceeds to beat up a bunch of people in his quest for answers. Teaming up with old contact Manny Ridley (McDonough), as well as gaining some new friends and foes along the way, Falcon discovers some surprising revelations about the crime syndicates of Brazil - the Japanese Yakuza is all over the place. Will Falcon find out who his sister's attackers were without getting himself killed in the process? We love Michael Jai White, or MJW as we call him, and we're happy to report he's still "got it". His Martial Arts abilities are cool, brutal, and top-notch. By far the best thing about Falcon Rising are the fight scenes, all of which involve White. Unfortunately, the movie AROUND it isn't so hot. The plot is paint-by-numbers and you don't get hooked in to the storyline like you could or should. We know a lot of people criticize action movies, saying that they're dumb and the plots are perfunctory window dressing so that the action setpieces can exist. In the case of Falcon Rising, that's a valid observation. If you take another DTV movie we watched recently, Green Street 3, it doesn't compare to Falcon Rising at all, because GS3 works any way you slice it - with action, without action, low budget, high budget, whatever. It's just a good movie that satisfies the viewer. The acid test for action is - would the movie be good if you took out the action scenes? In the case of GS3 the answer is yes. In the case of Falcon Rising it's no. Director Barbarash was responsible for the Van Damme films Assassination Games (2011) and 6 Bullets (2012) so he should know the rules by now. And he commits another no-no… We don't like CGI bullet hits. We don't like CGI blood. We don't like CGI anything. "Speeding up" the action to cover it up doesn't work, and turning the blood into a "mist" is not a valid masking device either. Is doing this less expensive than squibs? Is it somehow an improvement in the development of mankind that nerds on a computer can now hit Alt-B for blood and Alt-E for explosion? This is considered acceptable and good? Especially when you have a charismatic and talented Martial Artist like MJW at the helm, CGI stuff should be eschewed. Michael Jai White fans - and action fans in general - will appreciate the action scenes, which are quite good. The movie around it, not so much.

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK) Rating: 3.9/5 stars That old saying about first impressions being the most lasting? Well, it certainly holds true with . In all aspects, "Falcon Rising" is the very definition of a B picture - low budget, predictable plot, second tier actors, with the exception of a popular leading star, yet a generic star at the very best. It's a straightforward vengeance tale with no other ambition than to entertain, and entertain it does in copious amounts along with indulging us with a tough-as-nails leading action hero to root for till the very end. That said, it has something. And that something is evident in its opening minutes, when the Director astutely pans on the close-up of a hand dropping bullets into shot glasses, and then pouring whiskey over them. Then the camera shows the man with the hand drinking that high-caliber cocktail, after which he spits the bullets out, loads a couple into a revolver, and plays some Russian roulette. The audience is also given glimpses of our hero, John Falcon Chapman's PTSD- induced flashbacks that he suffers from the carnage witnessed in military combat. Shortly afterward, finding himself in the middle of a convenience store robbery, he invites a robber to shoot him. Demands it, in fact. "You either shoot me, or stop wastin' my time," he says, and then proceeds to beat the guy silly. Clearly a tormented soul here. That friends, is an opening, especially when this particular tormented soul is played with the charisma and conviction that star Michael Jai White brings to the role. In fact, it's reminiscent of the wild-eyed conviction Mel Gibson brought to a similar opening situation in the first "Lethal Weapon" movie. Crazed charisma, grabs the attention every time. Thus grabbed, one is willing to follow White's character, a muscled wedge of a man with a bad case of post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in Iraq, to the slums of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where his social worker sister (Laila Ali, Muhammad Ali's daughter) has been beaten and left for dead by unsavory characters. Falcon flies to Rio, calling in help from an old war buddy (Neal McDonough) who works there in the U.S. consulate. Director, Barbarash thrusts us into the chaotic and colorful atmosphere of the sprawling favela (slums) in Sau Palo, where Falcon begins his own investigation into his sister's attack, asking uncomfortable questions in the favela, and uncovering a corrupt in the city's seedy underbelly that includes a world of drugs, the sex trade, corrupt cops, and organized crime syndicates battling for control. "Falcon Rising" is a welcome throwback to 1980s action films, with strong men at the center going up alone against an unambiguously evil foe - a Japanese Yakuza outfit in this case. In colorful Brazilian surroundings, White's character, a deadly martial artist, brings acres of pain to legions of unsavory characters. Nothing new here, but well-directed by Ernie Barbarash, and White's electrifying performance coupled with some crackling one-liners makes it all seem somehow fresh. "Falcon Rising" is an entertaining film with a thrilling physical performance from its star, Michael Jai White.

Very good action movie. White was epic in this one ...already looking forward to Falcon Rising II. Would have liked to see Laila in more scenes though however she probably might have stolen some of the thunder away from White which was obviously not the directors plans. Brazil is always a great backdrop for action movies as some gritty hardcore action flicks (City of God etc.) have all come out from Rio. For the next movie i would hope an even more hardcore approach to ramp up the violence and intensity and hopefully continue keeping the sex and profanity at a minimum. I give this movie two thumbs up and i personally would rate it 7.0 instead of 5.7.

OK action movie but there is some confusion concerning the place of action. You can clearly see the typical views of Rio DE Janeiro and not a word about Sao Paolo. Maybe it is a small detail to most viewers - thou I doubt it, but right is right. It happens in Rio and not in Sao Paolo, OK? Otherwise an entertaining movie, recommended. After that we can go on to say few words about the movie itself. It seemed a little like Jason Statham plot - remember Jason's "Homefront?" The Brazilian police couple for ex. was a little too obvious to me, but not surprising at all. The action is quite interesting as it takes us beyond the Favela and gets us to take an additional quick look into the world of trafficking. All in all really good acting on most characters and nicely photographed too, Thomas K.