Tag Archives: trailer

“Chain of Command” With Steve Austin and Michael Jai White

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chain

Directed by Kevin Carraway and starring Steve Austin and Michael Jai White, Chain of Command was released on DVD. I am not surprised because the movie is not very good, with nothing original about the plot. It is about a military man, played by White, who works to expose those responsible for his brother’s death because it is his duty and his need to get revenge.

I have seen White in better movies like Black Dynamite. That I highly recommend. Another recent movie, Skin Trade, starring White stars and Tony Jaa, is quite good, too. Watching him in a movie like Chain of Command is painful because it’s so bad.  White is talented, and he should pick better movies where he can let his talent shine on screen.

The movie doesn’t do justice to Austin either. His scenes are lengthy tirades with no substance to back him up.  That adds up to being boring with a big yawn.  All in all, this movie is not worth watching.  It is about Special Operative James Webster. He just returned home from duty, only to witness the brutal slaying of his brother.

Webster immediately tries to retaliate and hunt down the perpetrators, but as he delves deeper into the secret world of corruption and murder, he finds himself at the center of a deadly conspiracy that cuts deep inside the walls of the US Government.  The most ruthless military assassin, played by Austin, is hot on his trail.  Webster must expose the corrupt high-ranking officials before he becomes just another victim of the evil plan to destroy.

“The Dead Land” History of New Zealand

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deadlands

The movie takes place in New Zealand before colonial times when Maoris ruled New Zealand. Polynesian people are the ancestors of the Maori. They originated from Southeast Asia and migrated to New Zealand. The movie is about two Maori tribes that have an ancient rivalry.  The conflict has been resolved, and the tribes live in harmony.

Until a young war chief, Wirepa, covets the glory gained in battle by rekindling the ancient rivalry. He violently attacks the other tribe. The Chief’s son, Hongi, survives with a few other members of his tribe. Hongi goes after them with full out assault on revenge.

As a strategic plan, they decide to cross through the `Dead Lands’, hence the movie’s name, The Dead Lands, where it is believed that a warrior spirit lies in wait. The spirit will devour any person who trespasses, adding a haunting tale to the storyline.

The rest of the movie is an action-packed outing, with a bunch of martial arts fighting, blood splattering and other violent plundering. The movie’s backdrop is a beautiful tropical forest, which provides a stark contrast to the story, and the music adds a fair amount of intensity. A standout actor in the upheaval is Lawrence Makoare as the Warrior, who drives his role with vim and vigor, emotion and pure charismatic presence.

The movie is entirely in Maori with English sub titles. Don’t get caught up in the subtitles, just watch the movie, and the story will unfold. I recommend this movie if you enjoy real violence in a rather barbaric fashion that gets under your skin.