Review of Sadgati (1981) by Mary R — 12 Apr 2009

DELIVERANCE: It's a bit odd throwing [i]Deliverance [/i]into this very lazy pile of action-movie reviews, because its not really an action movie. Sure, [i]Deliverance [/i]is essentially a river-rafting adventure film, but done in such a nightmarish, realistic way that its really more horror and drama than action. In addition to just being intense and disturbing on the surface level, [i]Deliverance [/i]subtly shows the devastating effects that these horrific events have on the lives of the characters. If you can handle the disturbing content, then [i]Deliverance [/i]is a definite must-see.

TRUE LIES: Good cheesy fun. [i]True Lies [/i]never takes itself seriously, and is all the better for it. Just sit back, and enjoy the creative action and corny humor.

BREAKDOWN: An awesome surprise of a thriller. [i]Breakdown [/i]packs in plenty of action and non-stop thrills, one of the most intense and underrated action films of the 90's.

SNAKES ON A PLANE: I actually wanted this one to get even crazier and more over-the-top - [i]Snakes on a Plane [/i]never achieves the ridiculous-fun thrills of something similarly tongue-in-cheek like [i]Planet Terror[/i], but it's still pretty entertaining. I couldn't have cared less about the characters, but the snake attacks are fun, enjoyably absurb, and surprisingly brutal at times. I'm barely giving [i]Snakes on a Plane [/i]a fresh rating, but it does offer up a decent amount of laughs and thrills, and makes for an enjoyable rental.

VANISHING POINT: There are aspects of [i]Vanishing Point [/i]that I really enjoyed - the visual style and laid-back 70's soundtrack give off a nice atmosphere, and there are a couple of car chases near the beginning that are kind of fun in their own relatively unimpressive way. Despite some bright spots, [i]Vanishing Point [/i]isn't really worth viewing. The main character is unbelievably dull, the plot is incredibly thin and gives us no reason to care, and there are a few brief but ugly scenes involving rape, racism, and homophobia that left a bad taste in my mouth. Skip it.