Review of The Sweeper (1996) by Gabriel Arthur P — 04 Mar 2015

If "stunt" was its own separate genre of film, "The Sweeper" (1996) would be canon. Maybe in the distant future when everybody is in virtual reality all the time and life is just a computer-generated fantasy, they'll look back at stunt work and call it barbaric savagery.

Until then, we'll be allowed to enjoy films like this one. This b-grade is top-notch, 11/10, and it's quite obviously a labour of love. Not only are the stunts quite memorable, and the pyrotechnics and other practical effects rather stunning, the camera work is phenomenal.

Amazing dolly shots, crane shots, trailer shots, and even aerial shots, punctuated with truly smooth hand held shots like nobody does any more. Great lighting, great outdoors filming, amazing work. A really interesting score and all the sound is beautifully equalized and mixed.

The acting is really good, too. The dialogue and story are just slightly better than what I expect from "a-grade" action fare, and the actors and actresses deliver their lines with relish. It's also really pleasant to see so many powerful female characters, and several women on the top of the credits.