![]() In whatĪ rather arresting opening vignette, Falcon is seen not just contemplating suicide, but taking proactive, if somewhat "ambiguous", steps toward itĬourtesy of a game of Russian Roulette. John Chapman (Michael Jai White) who has been given the nickname Falcon, and who is an ex-Marine still haunted by his war experiences. Well as anything that this effort didn't really offer enough of anything new or different to spark a lot of interest. Supposed Brazilian locations (Puerto Rico evidently stood in for things aside from some establishing shots) and the generally excellent fightĬhoreography, but the fact that Falcon Rising never spawned any kind of follow up film that I've been able to track down may indicate as The use of a kind of weirdly international cast helps enliven things, as do some of the Series that might have at least featured some exotic locales. Falcon Rising has the dual (and linked) ambience of being an "origin story" for aįeaturing an action paragon, albeit of the wounded psyche variety, and the feeling of being the pilot for a kind of by the numbers television Passing similarity to at least some aspects of this film). Traumatic stress disorder who nonetheless has been able to maintain his "particular set of skills" (to referenceĪnother action franchise which bears more than a Parazi wanted to revisit Rambo territory with Falcon Rising, since this film, like the Sylvester Stallone franchise, is focused on a veteran with post It seems pretty evident that screenwriter Y.T. Parazi’s screenplay gifts the deadpan McDonough with the best lines, such as when, upon being reunited with Chapman, Manny ironically observes, “I see you’ve stopped working out.” Among the supporting players, Japanese star Masashi Odate ( The Last Samurai) makes a strong impression as the sort of villain who tests the sharpness of his sword by slicing open the stomach of his nearest underling.Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman, May 28, 2021 Although he indulges in the typical frenetic cutting endemic to current action movies, director Ernie Barbarash films the fight scenes cleanly enough to maintain physical coherence, showcasing his star’s dazzling physical movements with the proper slavish devotion. When his sister Cindy ( Laila Ali, Muhammad Ali’s daughter, here not given any opportunity to show off her own pugilistic skills) is brutally beaten while working as a social worker in the favelas of Brazil, our hero rushes to Rio de Janeiro-cue the obligatory aerial shot of the Christ the Redeemer statue-to track down the bad guys who did it.Īided by local street cop Katarina ( Millie Ruperto) and a former military buddy, Manny, ( Neal McDonough) now working for the State Department, Chapman quickly cuts a wide swath through a variety of hoodlums, crooked cops and even the Japanese Yakuza, uncovering a sex-trafficking ring in the process and occasionally resorting to shooting down his opponents as if he was playing a violent video game.īut the rudimentary plot is merely an excuse for the incredibly buffed and muscled White to display the impressive fighting prowess that has netted him 26 martial arts titles. ![]() 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. 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. ![]()
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