Natural Black & White Killers

Rating: 9/10 (17 April 2005)

For Joe Schmo Viewer: Boy, this is silly, nonsensically violent (numerous people are borderline invincible), and hilarious in a grim way. It is also the best eye candy anyone who likes black and white images could ever dream of. If you don't like random religious bashing, seeing what has to be hundreds of people dying, mild cop bashing, and a few bits of female nudity, I recommend this heartily. (I can't wait to see it again, personally) For Noir Nerds: This movie is clearly modeled after INDIANA JONES: it's nostalgic, it shows the traditional Hollywood feature of having many disposable characters, which is a shame. Rodrigeuz and Tarantino did much better with El Mariachi and Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs: those are smaller, more intimate stories with characters you connect with a bit more. Here, villains are set up only sothat they can be taken down in short order by sexy "heros/anitheros" who defy deaths better than Batman.
Still... well, damn it, I LIKE LOOKING AT IT! Even if the sound was off, this would be an enjoyable movie for me. A non-pc one to be sure, but enjoyable as hell. (Despite all the "nudity" stuff you hear, there's no full frontal stuff, which rendered the whole thing in my mind to be no worse than a trip to the beach.) I don't really think the movie degrades women any worse than Disney nonsense which portrays them as being obsessed with material goods or shallow as Satan: at least the women here have goals in life you can get behind.
There was some great lost potential here: too much time is spent showing the heros flashing their guns and such things: a lot better would have to show the politics behind their framings a bit better, or the female psychology of being sexually abused (as happens constantly) This movie has too much testosterone, I think that summarizes its problems.
Plus, what the hell was with the swastika? I recommend it to nerds, people who like black and white, horny teenagers, dirty old men, and people who fastforward to the good parts of anything.