Culture news “What is that ?” : this John Wick 4 star destroys the action scenes of this Amazon original film with Jake Gyllenhaal
Long-awaited, the remake of Road House has just been released on Prime Video: Jake Gyllenhaal is the headliner for well-felt fights, but nonetheless full of special effects that don’t really have anything more to do with them. everyone…
Fighting and nothing else
The 80s are full of cinematic gems of their own and there is no shortage of typical action films: among them, we obviously find Road House, released in 1989 and directed by Rowdy Herrington. We followed the adventures (and fights) of James Dalton, a nightclub bouncer and martial arts expert played by the famous Patrick Swayze, caught in the clutches of the local mafia.
After a discreet sequel in the 2000s, the series has just returned in the form of a remake of the same name: here, the hero is Elwood Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal), a former UFC fighter also becoming a nightclub bouncer before finding himself confronted with organized crime.
A version refurbished under the blazing Florida sun and which drinks like whey: so much so that it is the most watched film of the moment on Prime Video, where it is offered exclusively. However, the feedback is not unanimous and for Scott Adkins, star of John Wick Chapter 4 (and not only that), certain effects leave something to be desired.
Fake fights
Scott Adkins is an actor specializing in action and martial arts films: he himself is a stuntman and a black belt in quite a few disciplines, which has earned him a great reputation in the Hollywood industry. We saw him in Danny the Dog, Vengeance in the Skin, X-Men Origins Wolverine, Expandables 2, Doctor Strange, Ip Man 4 or in John Wick Chapter 4where he plays the character Killa.
In short, he knows battles and he didn’t always like those of the recent Road House, which makes use of computer-generated images at many moments. This did not prevent him from nevertheless appreciating the film in its entirety:
I really liked “Road House”. Excellent work by Doug Liman who subverts the genre and Gyllenhaal in an incredible way, respect! What a debut from Conor McGregor, I’m happy when a film like this does well because it’s really my hobby… But come on, what are these CGI fight scenes? Patrick Swayze didn’t need it.
Digital retouching is now legion in the cinematic landscape, including to bring dynamism or brutality to fights. However, still according to Scott Adkins, Road House is lagging behind in this regard:
For those who were impressed by the new Road House fights, let’s not forget that Johnny Nguyen had already done it in 2006 with the very low budget of ‘The Rebel’. It blew me away when I saw that (that there was CGI, editor’s note). When used in moderation, it can have an incredibly powerful effect.
Brief, you now know what to watch: Road House yes, but also The Rebel. Fighting evening in anticipation.
Buy The Rebel on Blu-Ray on Amazon
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