Daron's Weekly Roundup - Week Ending 16/08/26

Lloyd Bacon’s Here Comes the Navy (1934)

A lesser known star vehicle for James Cagney, Here Comes the Navy is an entertaining bit of fluff, with Cagney facing off once again with old pal Pat O’Brien. Unlike Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) it is all played for laughs, with Cagnet adamant he will get one over on O’Brien after he was ridiculed at a local dance. He goes to extreme’s, joining the navy just in the hope that he will come across O’Brien. He eventually does, as well as falling in love with O’Brien’s sister, played by Gloria Stuart. 

Titanic (1997) will no doubt remember Stuart as the dumb auld bitch that drops the big jewel into the water at the end of the film instead of giving it to her family who could have put the money from it to good use. Don’t judge her from that though, she is much younger here and hasn’t lost her marbles. 

Rating: 3/5

Michael Curtiz’ The Sea Hawk (1940)

Possibly my favourite of the collaborations between director Michael Curtiz and star Errol Flynn. This was made at the height of both of their powers, years before Flynn’s turbulent lifestyle would take hold of him. 

Like their earlier Captain Blood (1935), this is another high seas adventure with Flynn valiantly working for the British Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson) to fight against the launch of the Spanish Armada. As much a period piece as it was a propaganda movie to boost morale during WW2, this is still a terrific action adventure movie that holds up remarkably well 86 years later. 

Typically for Flynn, even with all the daring do going on, he still finds time to romance Brenda Marshall’s Dona Marie, who initially hates his guts before predictably falling in love with him. 

It isn’t exactly original, but it's more in how the story is told. Like Robert Wise who I spoke off last week, there wasn’t a genre that Curtiz couldn’t turn his hand to. Comedy, romance, musicals, westerns, drama or action, you name it, Curtiz directed it. He and Flynn had an uneasy relationship, but you couldn’t fault the films they made. Even their lesser output is still worth seeing. 

Rating: 4/5

George Sherman’s Against All Flags (1952)

Further swordsplay adventures for Flynn, with this being MGM’s attempt to emulate the earlier films Flynn had made for Warner Brothers. For the most part they carry it off, but it must be said, Flynn’s hedonistic lifestyle was clearly taking a toll on him, with him looking much older than his age. Even so, he’s still convincing as a romantic lead, with him having some great scenes with the lovely Maureen O’Hara. 

O’Hara was initially wary of working with Flynn as he had tried it on with her years prior, but she changed her opinion of him during filming. O’Hara had gone on record to say that Flynn was every bit the professional at the start of a day's shooting but was pished by 4 O clock. Obviously she didn’t say it in those exact words. This is also clearly the reason Flynn had his contract stipulate that he only had to work till 4, knowing well he would be in no fit state to continue. 

With Flynn’s drinking getting in the way of production, director George Sherman outlawed alcohol on the set. Even so, Flynn was still managing to get rat arsed. It turned out the cheeky bugger was injecting oranges with Vodka. Now that is determination.  

Against All Flags is an enjoyable actioner but it pales in comparison to the films Flynn was making roughly a decade earlier. Some cracking colour photography certainly helps the film make an impression, with ace cinematographer Russell Metty doing typically great work. 

Interestingly, director Douglas Sirk would go on to shoot additional scenes for Against All Flags due to Sherman having to leave the production early. This would be the start of a long time working relationship between Sirk and Russell Metty, working together on 11 films in total. 

Rating: 2.5

Kevin Bridges the Overdue Catchup (2023)

Bridges fifth standup special is another cracker. I know his humour may not be for everyone, but he makes the ensuing 90 minutes whizz by, with one hilarious story after another. Filmed in Cork, he also gets some great feedback from the Irish crowd which leads to some hilarious comebacks. 

There isn't much more I can really say. It’s not like I can speak about the great direction etc. It’s a standup special. If you like that sort of thing, this one’s definitely worth a watch. 

Rating: 4/5

Tom Segura Disgraceful (2018)

Segura’s third Netflix special is another funny stand up about random pish. Some of it does ramble on a bit, but for the most part this is some funny shit. It’s not Segura’s best, but it still keeps you entertained through its relatively swift run time. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Chiara Messineo’s Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026)

An interesting albeit manipulative documentary from Netflix, covering the 2012 sinking of the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia. As tragic as the tale is, I found that director Chiara Messineo went out of their way to drum up more tension and drama from the story. One particular segment has a couple speaking of their daughter, and the filmmakers have chosen to edit together their story in such a way to create mystery and drama rather than tell us the facts. 

The documentary, as the majority of those produced for Netflix, is well polished and put together. It also sheds light on a  story that many may not know much about. At the end of the day, this tragedy led to the deaths of over 30 people and many more who were injured, so it is good that their story is being told and the arsehole Captain, who felt it acceptable to leave the ship before most of the passengers, is held accountable.

Rating: 3/5

Chan Chuen’s Chinese Cop Out (1989)

Chinese Cop Out is just one of many similar Hong Kong actioners to come out of the territory at the time. However, what sets this one apart is that the leads aren’t played by typical Hong Kong superstars like Chow Yun Fat or Andy Lau. Rather, the lead roles go to the great Melvin Wong and the seriously underrated Wai Lam. 

It’s great to see the two of them in the leads, where most of the time they would either have supporting roles or be cast as the villain. Instead, it’s the villain that is played by a Hong Kong superstar, coming in the shape of Simon Yam. This was earlier in his career, but he is suitably evil, even if nowhere close to what he would play in such films as Dr Lamb (1992) and Run and Kill (1993). 

Director Chan Chuen keeps things moving at a fair pace, with a decent assortment of hand to hand fights, gunplay and car chases interspersed throughout. There is the odd cliche as well as scenes clearly copied from more famous Hollywood outings, but this is still an entertaining, albeit lesser, Hong Kong actioner. 

Rating: 3/5  

Jeff Tremaine’s Jackass: Best and Last (2026)

This is essentially a best of compendium, with some never before scenes thrown in for good measure. There is still a fair amount of new footage included which is all good fun, even if it doesn’t come close to the craziness these guys used to pull off. 

It could be seen as self indulgent, but the Jackass boys have built up enough goodwill through the years, I was more than willing to let them have this send off, even if it is essentially a cash grab. They certainly have earned it. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Joel Schumacher's Falling Down (1993)

Joel Schumacher’s career was somewhat tarnished by his helming of Batman and Robin (1997), and to a lesser extent Batman Forever (1995). The failure of Batman and Robin even made Schumacher feel like he had to make a public apology. Personally, I always found this ridiculous. Sure, Batman and Robin is mostly shit, but before he directed it and even after, he directed several Hollywood classics. 

Movies like The Lost Boys (1987), Flatliners (1990) and the Client (1994) all showed how talented a director he was. Even in between Batman Forever and Batman and Robin he managed to pull off the terrific A Time to Kill (1996). However, as great as these are, I think his best film is Falling Down (1993), with psychologically complex characters and social commentary making it one of the most prescient films of the 90’s. 

Featuring a never better Michael Douglas as a man at the end of his tether, taking out all his frustrations on society. The film looks at the disintegration of the American dream and the hypocrisy of society at large, while at the same time being hilarious doing so. 

Douglas is given more than capable support from Robert Duvall, seemingly the only sympathetic cop in the entire LAPD. Well, him and Rachel Ticotin I suppose. Duvall is due for retirement, and it would be very easy for the film to fall into the typical cop movie cliche’s, but thankfully Schumacher resists this, with Duvall’s cop feeling incredibly authentic, helping to ground what could be seen as the more ridiculous aspects of the film. 

Excellent cinematography from Andrzej Bartkowiak also raises the film up even further. You can almost feel the heatwave through your screen, with the humidity almost being a  character in itself. It amazes me that such a skilled DOP would go on to helm absolute shite like Street Fighter: the Legend of Chun Li (2009) and Maximum Impact (2017). 

Gareth Evans’ Havoc (2025)

I remember this film being hotly anticipated at the time, due to how popular Gareth Evan’s The Raid (2011) and its sequel had been. The expectation that it would somehow live up to Evan’s Indonesian shot actioners was no doubt what led to many people’s disappointment. 

Personally, I still thought Havoc was a cracking action thriller, with several bravura action scenes that would put most action filmmakers to shame. The film is slightly let down by some extremely piss poor CGI, especially during the opening car chase. What dampened its impact was the thought that this was the kind of action that Evan’s would have done for real in the past, rather than relying on computers. 

Unlike The Raid, Havoc seems much more like a homage to Hong Kong actioners, especially when he uses music straight out of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow (1986). With a stronger focus on gunplay than martial arts, this is very much a heroic bloodshed film like those of the 80’s and 90’s. 

Tom Hardy throws himself right into the action, with him seriously bruised and bloody by the film's end. Timothy Olyphant(astic) is also great value as Hardy’s friend and possible enemy. The only main cast member that is mostly wasted is Forrest Whittaker, who only appears in a handful of scenes. Still, he brings a bit of class to proceedings. 

Havoc won’t go down in the pantheon of action classics like The Raid, but it's entertaining as hell and shows Evans hasn’t lost his touch for unleashing bloody mayhem. 

Peter Hyams’ Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)

Peter Hyams update of Fritz Lang’s film noir could have been a great crime thriller if it wasn’t for the fact that he decided to cast charisma vacuum Jesse Metcalfe in the leading role. The original film had Hollywood heavyweight Dana Andrews, and Metcalfe is just a pale imitation. 

Clearly Hyams must have known this, as the always welcome Michael Douglas appears as the corrupt district attorney that Metcalfe is trying to bring down, with girlfriend Amber Tamblyn caught somewhere in the middle. Douglas is the most engaging actor in the film, so much so that I was hoping that he would ultimately defeat Metcalfe and get away with his crimes. He honestly acts everyone else off the screen.   

Amber Tamblyn does okay, but isn’t given enough screen time for us to really care about her when the film switches its focus to her. 

Being a Hyams film, it is all professionally done, and he even includes some particularly well done chase sequences, but this is nowhere close to his best work and far removed from his previous collaboration with Douglas on the Star Chamber (1983). 

Brian G Hutton’s Where Eagles Dare (1969)

Easily one of the best action/war movies ever made. Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood’s different acting styles work perfectly together, with their uneasy alliance adding to the overall tension and drama. Sure, the plot is overly convoluted, but that is part of what makes this such a standout, with it as much a spy film as it is a war movie. 

Hutton takes the first half of the film to introduce us to the characters and their supposed mission, before pulling the rug out from under us and revealing what is really going on. After this, the last hour is relentless, filled with shootouts, explosions, fights atop cable cars and a thrilling bus escape. 

Clint Eastwood is a killing machine, killing anyone who gets in his way. Burton doesn’t shy away from the action either, even if his character uses his wits more than his fists. The likes of Mary Ure, Derren Nesbitt, Ingrid Pitt and the fantastic Patrick Wymark are just some of the actors making up the supporting cast. 

Brian G Hutton would follow this up with another Eastwood WW2 adventure, the equally great Kelly’s Heroes (1970). His career may have never reached these heights again, but there are directors who have been working for decades that will never make a film as good as either of those mentioned. 

Rating: 5/5

Jay Chandrasekhar’s Dukes of Hazzard (2005)

This film pissed off a lot of fans of the original series when it was released. I can understand their disappointment, as it bears very little resemblance to the original show, essentially being just another of Chandrasekhar’s Broken Lizard movies, with more of an interest in crude humour than the show ever had. 

However, this focus on crude humour isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually what makes this such an enjoyable film. And for those fans of the original show, but sorry, it really was shit. Try watching it now and it does not hold up well.

Both Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott do great in the lead roles, sharing a likeable chemistry, with the two of them getting more than their fair share to shine. Scott slightly pips Knoxville, but that's more because he is a proper actor. 

Jessica Simpson isn’t really called to do much other than look great, which she more than pulls off. Willie Nelson and LInda Carter are fun in smaller roles, but it is Burt Reynolds that truly makes an impression as Boss Hogg, relishing the chance to play a total dick of a man. The casting of Reynolds isn’t co-incidental, as much of Dukes of Hazard plays like the films Reynolds made back in the 70s with Hal Needham, with this too having its own fair share of quality car chases and stunts. 

It’s the film’s old school approach to the action scenes that really sets this apart, with a strong focus on practical stunts rather than the now normal CGI. Obviously there is the odd bit of digital trickery at play, but nothing like we see nowadays. 

Rating: 3.5/4