The greatest movie ever!

Excellent, smart action film.

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I remember fondly when this came out. I remember that it was an HBO production, and most importantly, that it was directed by Anthony Hickox, who I was as big fan of at the time. I loved the premise too, cops who turn into werewolves and dispatch vigilante justice in L.A.. But it's primarily an action flick, and above all else, that's really what sold me. And in that department, boy does this deliver the goods. I remember enjoying it initially, but I can honestly say that I haven't seen it since. So we're talking a good 24 years now, and I was hoping that this still lived up to those positive memories. And as chance would have it, I watched this during our much hyped Full Eclipse, but instead of going outside to view that, I decided to watch this "other" Full Eclipse instead. I think I made the right choice. Let's dig in.Did Full Eclipse live up to my expectations? The answer is a big fat YES. I have to be honest, I'd watched a few films before this that just didn't do anything for me, so watching this one completely made up for that. It was everything I wanted in a film like this and more. The best way I can describe it is that it's like an early 90's John Woo flick, only with werewolves. There is a ton of action in here, and it's hyper-stylized in a way that is very John Woo on steroids. And I have to give it to director Anthony Hickox (Waxwork 1 & 2, Hellraiser 3). For someone who's stuck primarily to horror up until this point, he does a fantastic job handling the action sequences. In fact, I'm sad he didn't end up becoming a bigger action film director or sticking to this very specific style of directing . But much like other directors, his visual style and approach began to change and he just never carried the same aesthetic or visual tone that some of his better earlier films had. Looking at his filmography, and their comments, reviews and ratings are tough to see. The guy and a lot of his DTV films have been slaughtered and savaged by bad reviews. But I guess I should judge for myself and check them out at some point. All I know is that I attempted to watch one of his later films once (forget which one), and I just couldn't get through it. It was a hand-held shaky-cam mess and I couldn't believe it was the same guy who I admired so much up until that point. I mean, this is a guy who has done some amazing things visually with a lot of his early films, and I just can't stress that enough with Full Eclipse, a film that blindsided me with it's visceral punch of hard-hitting action and spectacle.While this film carries elements of both the horror and action genre, it's really in the action where Full Eclipse excels. There was never a single moment during the action sequences where Mario Van Peebles wasn't shooting two guns at the same time while simultaneously flying through the air a la Face/Off or The Killer wearing a black suit and tie and landing on his stomach or back as he continues to shoot off rounds Chow Yun Fat style. Amazing. And again, it's also in Hickox's compositions and framing. Each scene, whether it be in the action or anything else, are so slickly realized and composited. It's hands down one of the slickest looking action films I've ever seen, and easily his most visually satisfying work to date.While Mario Van Peebles was excellent as the lead, special attention must be made to the lead villain here, played by none other than resident bad guy Bruce Payne, and oh my word is he just amazing here. His attempt at an American accent is one of the most mind-blowing things I have ever seen, and really makes the experience all the better. It's bad, cheesy, over-the-top and quite simply, amazing. The rest of the cast is pretty solid too, with no weak links. But again, the real star of this film is Payne, and he steals every single moment he's on film.While there's an insane amount of satisfying action, it's also a werewolf film, and in that regard, it also doesn't disappoint. I really have to give Hickox and HBO props for going the practical effects route on this one, because they could so easily have gone with lame CGI in it's infancy and it would have been absolutely dreadful. But I shouldn't really be all that surprised. After all, Hickox is the main who gave us the excellent Waxwork. Remember the werewolf design in that film? If you liked it, then you won't be disappointed here. Again, mad props to the team for going the old school route and not giving into the CGI fad.This was a blast from start to finish, and a ton of fun. Much like other 90's films I've recently revisited such as Timecop and Freejack, Full Eclipse is an awesome example of this very specific type of action film, the 90's kind, and I really hope it gets a Blu Ray release someday. Though I will say that this DVD, even though it's from 2001, looks really good. The transfer was better than I was expecting, so I'm not complaining. Plus, I still dig those sweet snap- cases. If it's been a while, or if you've never seen it, it's absolutely worth your time to check it out.www.robotGEEKSCultCinema.blogspot.com

I just borrowed this on VHS and I'm regretting the effort of carrying it home. I still have to return it, although the lender seemed suspiciously keen to see it leave his house. Hmmmmmmmm. Van Peebles is no Chow Yun Fat, and his lame attempts at flying two gun action had me in hysterics. I was hoping a truck would hit him when he did a totally unnecessary barrel roll in the middle of a busy street. Patsy Kensit is her usual minging talentless redfaced self, but with an American accent straight out of the Doris Day school of gangsterism. Harrrrrrrrd! The rip and shred action in the drug lab was OK, despite the lack of any convincing slashing or arterial spray. Everything else seemed to be a bit half-hearted. The long distance night vision massacre was lameness on a stick. The full on giant hairy wolfman only showed up for about a minute in total, and it struck me as a bit cheap to assume that some rubber fangs and pointy knuckle extrusions were somehow indicative of extreme lupine behaviour. For its day, it might have seemed like a clever way to burn a few million dollars, but Troma do it gorier, funnier, and more knowingly for a fraction of that. The white wolf in the zoo effortlessly outperforms the entire cast. I'm sure I heard it begging to be put down.

Full Eclipse is an excellent spin on the classic werewolf tale and just a fun, cheesy B movie. From the get-go you feel as though you're watching Lethal Weapon 7. There's even the "I'm getting too old for this..." line. Then the "Bionic X-Men" show up in the form of a secret werewolf police squad and it turns into one of my guilty pleasure werewolf flicks. It doesn't touch "The Howling", but it's on the right track. Bruce Payne and Mario Van Peebles are hamming it up a bit but it fits the tone. I always enjoy watching both of those guys. This may be director Anthony Hickox's last good film (besides Warlock: The Armageddon which was made the same year). If so, it's a great way to cap off an impressive but short-lived horror career. Full Eclipse is a little hard to find, but well worth it for a good mix of action, horror, and cheese.

The title explains it all.If you get a bunch of friends together, on a rainy Saturday night and all of the new releases are gone from the shelves, make you own horror festival: BLADE, VAMPIRE$, FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN and this kick butt flick. Like the aforementioned movies, it is a purely escapist fantasy, done just well enough as to not insult your intelligence TOO MUCH. A good sense of humor, some snacks and some suspension of disbelief will help make this movie more enjoyable.There is some sex,plenty of gore, fangs, claws and guns...The cast seemed to have had a blast in this movie. If you like this kind of stuff, you will enjoy this film.