What was the last movie you watched? Part 2

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[Hunter Rider]

It doesn't get much more 80's B movie actioner than this!

6/10

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972)

The second Prisoner Scorpion movie starring Meiko Kaji as Nami Matsushima (AKA 'Scorpion'). Back in prison, Scorpion has spent the last year in solitary confinement. She's physically abused by the guards and taunted by the chief warden, and spends much of her time hogtied. However, (in a great illustration of how unbreakable this woman is) we see she's secreted a metal spoon, and whenever she's bound and alone she holds it in her mouth and over the course of the year slowly sharpens it on the stone floor until eventually it resembles the blade of a knife.

When a government inspector visits the prison the chief warden decides to bring Scorpion out- still bound hand and foot - to take her place alongside the other prisoners in the yard. However, as the inspection party reaches her in the line-up she lunges at the chief warden with the blade, injuring his face and narrowly missing the one good eye he has left (after an incident in the first film). This causes a prison riot, resulting in punishment for all - with Scorpion's being by far the harshest. When Scorpion and six other prisoners are being conveyed back to prison from a rock quarry at the end of one day's 'hard labour' they seize a chance and attack their guards and escape. As the seven women make their way across country they are hunted by the chief warden who has no particular desire to bring any of the women back alive.

Much of this movie is spent with Scorpion and the others on the run. It's almost like a road trip - although there's precious little humour; violence, murder, and rape are all very much to the fore. But again director Shunya Itō goes to town on the surreal visuals and use of colours (including a huge, crashing, mountain waterfall that turns red after the death of one character, and the changing colours of a country landscape following the death of another). It really is beautiful. Meiko Kaji is again terrific as Scorpion, and the rest of the cast (especially Kayoko Shiraishi as Oba, her chief rival) are excellent. Story-wise I prefer the first film, but the visuals here balance that out. 7.5/10

 

[Hunter Rider]

More of the same!

6/10

 

[Hunter Rider]

Pretty unique twist on the 80's buddy action movie formula.

7.5/10

 

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[squeekness]

The Return

 

[Luigi]

For me the best movie in the series, just incredible from start to finish, the entire Paris extraction/chase sequence and the finale are action movie perfection!

10/10

"MI6, why?"

Still my favorite McQ joke.

 

[Luigi]

Final Destination Bloodlines

The Final Destination followed in the steps of the Mission Impossible franchise and delivered one of it's best entries with its sixth film. Great setups and kills, enjoyable characters, and expands the lore in interesting ways.

9/10

 

[ObiWanCon]

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)

 

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[Ash J. Williams]

 

[Brutikus]

 

[KaijuDude1992]

Really enjoyed this especially the performances from Cosmo Jarvis and Joseph Quinn who were the biggest standouts IMO but it's well acted across the board. This is definitely a different kind of war movie though and it was interesting seeing how they worked around having such a limited budget since it is more contained and on a smaller scale than most war flicks.

8/10



I was really curious to revisit this one after watching Warfare and honestly while this film is sort of forgotten its actually a pretty entertaining B action flick. Yeah the acting and dialogue across the board is pretty awful but these guys were never actors anyways and your mostly here for the action which definitely delivers IMO.

I honestly forgot that this was a nice sized hit back in the day and I'm surprised it didn't become some kind of franchise but maybe that was for the best.

7/10



Definitely an improvement over the first movie although I still wish there was a bit more action and the plot wasn't so convoluted at times. I didn't think the subplot with Daniella Pineda's character was necessary at all and I really just wanted to see more scenes between Affleck and Bernthal.

I know that it probably won't happen but I'd love to see an Amazon series or something starring those two as these characters.

7.5/10

 

[Frodo]

 

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[The Caped Knight]

Mission Impossible 1-7

 

[The Caped Knight]

Mission Impossible 8: The Final Reckoning!

 

[Frodo]

 

[emielaen]

 

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[Sculder]

Wicked Little Letters (2023)
Chariot (2022)
Villa Rides (1968)
Black Lotus (2023)
Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
A Working Man (2025)
Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)
At the Earth's Core (1976)
Pond Life (2018)
Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain (2023)
Deadly Record (1959)
Sinners (2025)
Nonnas (2025)
Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1983)
One Remains (2019)
Life or Something Like It (2002)
Shinkansen daibakuha / Bullet Train Explosion (2025)
Dulcima (1971)
Fanatyk (2017)

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973)

Third movie of the Female Convict Scorpion series starring Meiko Kaji - and the last directed by Shunya Itō.

Nami Matsushima (AKA 'the Scorpion) is still wanted by the authorities. Lying low, she tries to integrate into city life with a job as a seamstress. However, whilst riding the subway two detectives recognise her and attempt to arrest her. At this point you kinda want to shout out 'No, don't do it!' You just know it won't end well - but all we can do is sit helplessly by as 10 seconds later one cop is dead, and fifteen seconds after that (following a short chase) the other is missing an arm. This leads to one of the most memorable scenes ever, as Scorpion runs through crowded city streets with the cop's bloody arm still handcuffed to her wrist! It's a hell of an opening.

That set-up had me thinking this might be the best one so far. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie struggles to live up to that, and the next 30 minutes or so are a lot slower, There's some sleaze there (including an incestuous relationship between a prostitute and her brother, and a female yakuza boss forcing abortions on the street girls who work for her), and some nice imagery; but for quite a while it plays out more like a drama. When we do eventually hit the point where Scorpion goes full 'avenging angel' it's pretty much a bloodbath. There's also a great prolonged sequence in the city sewers.

Apart from the low pacing for a large part, the problem (if you can call it that) I had here was that some of Scorpion's responses seem a bit... OTT. I mean, we all want to see her kick ass as she dispatches bad guys in increasingly gory ways, but it's not certain that everyone she targets deserves the final outcome they get. Still, Itō's visuals involving the multi-coloured neon displays of the city look great, and Kaji is as fantastically effective as ever as the unstoppable Scorpion. Not quite up to the previous two, but still a 7/10

 

[KaijuDude1992]

Another banger installment in this long running franchise and a pretty satisfying finale for this era of the McQ/Cruise led M:I films which I doubt will be the actual end but it definitely works as a nice send off for the character IMO.

8/10

 

[Hunter Rider]

Easy to watch, lighthearted adventure fun.

7.5/20