WATCH NOW
In Falcon Rising, we see John Falcon Chapman (Michael Jai White) as something of a recluse, the only friend he keeps is a goldfish who shares the dimly lit apartment with him. The self-torture by Russian roulette is a strong statement of his current living circumstances, combining a post-comatose state shaped by doubtful flashbacks. The psychological trauma is not perceived as new to him, but there. In other words, it is enough to state that he is an alcoholic now and that is the state he lies in. Watching Rocky confirms nothing, he seems to be at a therapy center. Being in that state of mind and an apartment trying to fit into the backdrop of his own mind shatters everything else. It is bleak beyond comprehension.
All the darkness lifts up in a swish of scorching anger as Falcon flies to Rio after finding out some social worker had torn his sister’s (Laila Ali) whole face, implying something must have gone wrong. To add on losing a sibling is no walk in the park; in dire straights call in his ‘savior’, a friend from the army who has high statuses in the US Consulate. To add more icing on the cake, his sister’s attack sets him on a path to a self-dug rabbit hole with the corrupt system covering up the incident in the Rio Favela. Corruption runs deep under these territories and forgetting that implanting it in this finger can lead to terrifying results is Falcon’s worst idea. Despite it all, he proves to be America’s living embodiment of the Rocky themed excelsior, flying to suffocate his helpers as he fights the oppressive powers in a self sacrificing attempt. In other words, the aura transcends into something captivating, watching in terrifically paired stunning colors. Michael Jai White definitely knows how to put on a show.
Barbarash places us in the vibrancy of the favela in Rio, children’s voice floating around and soccer being played, fruit stands as thick as the waves crashing on the beach at the end of the alley, and shrines for the dead. It is teeming with people but is occupied with community distrust, a culture of paranoia where the police force has a strong presence. Falcon works with the millie Ruperto, an officer who does security detail for the favela. Unlike the other officers, Millie knows all the residents, trying to gain their trust. She’s compassionate, unlike most western perspective cops like Tiagho Santero, who views the favela people as animals, and is hostile until proven otherwise.
Falcon suffers from severe PTSD, his condition so crippling that the noise from gaining cars leads him to pull a gun. Nevertheless, he remains able to fend off the roving group of evil Japanese gangsters and the child prostitution ring. He does sit at his sister’s bedside using the pain and revenge of his world as a mask while lost in the investigation. Stripped down and unflinching, it is a commanding performance.
Somehow, many of the action sequences include Michael Jai White, and this is certainly a less is more’ situation. There is an incredible scene in which Falcon goes up against five Japanese thugs at once. The thugs have guns or swords strapped all over them, and Falcon is armed only with his fists. He also has a hard briefcase which he swings around like Thor’s hammer. In direct juxtaposition from the gloom of the opening, Michael Jai White is leaping, spinning and kicking during his dialogue. It’s breathtaking. Barbarash does not apply a fast cutting style of editing during these action scenes and it is one of the things that makes them so amazing to behold. What you are witnessing is truly spectacular fight choreography which was done by world-class people (Larnell Stovall was the stunt coordinator and fight choreographer) so well.
There is little doubt about it, but Falcon Rising does not require ambiguity. Everything it requires is a story, a few good fight sequences, and a modicum of emotional tension. It has all of that, and his heart is in the right place when Chapman plays the main character. Falcon is a hero’s hero, or rather a hero in the film’s sense, a person who wants to stay out of any action until the film begins. But as things begin to look dicey and the gangsters start to close in, he not only gets involved in the whole affair on a personal level, above and beyond reporting the crime, he gets into the business of self-defense and self-survival at a very instinctive level. The essence of the Falcon franchise is in the hands of the Falcon himself. But more importantly, is the character worthy enough for a sequel, only time will tell, but Falcon Rising is a sign that things might be changing for the better.
To watch more movies like Falcon Rising (2014), visit 123Movies
Also watch for more movies like:
