Black Moon Rising

Score: 7/10 — A Cheesy, Entertaining B-Movie Elevated by a Killer Score

You can feel the John Carpenter influence in this one, which makes it a damn pity he didn't direct it. It would have been a much slicker movie. The story is simple, the production is nothing fancy, and the dialogue is hella cheesy. The acting is surprisingly bad in places, though it's hard to blame the cast when there's only so much you can do with material this pulpy. But for all its flaws, Black Moon Rising is a thoroughly entertaining 1h 40m.

The Carpenter DNA

The film's story was written by John Carpenter, one of three credited screenwriters. While he didn't direct, that job went to Harley Cokeliss, you can feel his fingerprints throughout. The anti-hero protagonist, the cool, unflappable thief Quint (Tommy Lee Jones), feels like a prototype Carpenter hero. The sly, witty dialogue bears his signature cheeky humour, and the dystopian edge to the corporate corruption plot echoes Escape from New York.

But what it needed was Carpenter's directorial style. Without his signature visual flair and tension building, it remains a fun but somewhat flat B-movie.

The Good, The Bad, and The Cheesy

Tommy Lee Jones is in full "cool, calm, and collected" mode, a role he could play in his sleep—and he's genuinely charming as Quint, dropping one liners and playing the anti hero with a laid back charisma. Linda Hamilton, fresh off The Terminator, is an appealing co lead, though her character is underwritten. The supporting cast is an eclectic mix of familiar faces: Robert Vaughn as the slimy villain, Bubba Smith as the federal agent, and Lee Ving as Jones's relentless nemesis.

The plot? It's exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. A thief hides evidence in an experimental supercar, which is then stolen by a car theft ring. What follows is a series of predictable but enjoyable chases and heists. And yes, the body doubles in the stunts are obvious, but it's part of the 80s B-mov...