In Search of the Last Action Heroes

On the one hand, this stiffly sympathetic project deserves praise for the fact that, unlike a number of documentary films with a similar focus, it does not attempt to squeeze itself into pre-standardised runtime. Thanks to this, the filmmakers also manage to incorporate a full range of aspects of their subject, such as the VHS era and the subsequent transformation of action films in the 1990s and 2000s, though a lot of things still apparently wound up on the cutting-room floor (particularly Hong Kong and Asian action films, which were mentioned in the trailers but are only marginally covered in the documentary itself). The filmmakers do not conceal their fanhood, which makes their their work pleasing, but on the other hand it offers nothing new or rather nothing that hasn’t been said in greater detail elsewhere (with a few exceptions). In the end, what is left is an excursion into the bitterness and sorrow of the stars of third-rate straight-to-video productions such as Matthias Hues and Cynthia Rothrock, while the minimal inclusion of Al Leong is regrettable and it is absurd how much space is given to the hack Sam Firstenberg and his overblown exaggerations. On the other hand, however, the accounts given by Carolco founder Mario Kassar are outstanding and Scott Adkins rightfully comes across as the nicest guy around. If we are satisfied with the fact that this is intended to be a melancholy tribute to the big and small hits of the 1980s US strain of the action genre or the filmic result of one fan making himself happy and visiting most of his stars, then the result can be satisfying. For those who also want some informational value or inspiring insights from a documentary, there is the French project on the same topic, ’80s Blockbusters: When Hollywood Played Tough, which characteristically offers the commentary of more film critics and historians. (05/04/2020)