Movie Stakeout Reviews 25/07/20-31/07/20

All the latest Movieland investigations from detectives Dick Japowski and Joey Arizona.

The Many Views of Detective Dick Japowski
The Oily Maniac a.k.a. You Gui Zi (1976)
The Shaw Brothers take on the superhero genre, where a disabled man gains the power to turn into a sludge monster and then seeks vengeance against those he sees wronged him.
It's a curious one that feels like the prototype for the toxic avenger, and although it has a short running time it does drag as the repitition of the story rolls on. Some good creature designs make this worth checking out if you're a fan of such things.
First watch: 2.5 Doughnuts

The Arizona Game Files
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (2020)
Pretty much the same plot as the 1995 movie, fighting tournament to decide the fate of the realm, but this time as well as following Earth saviors Lui Kang, Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage, it focuses heavily on Scorpion's backstory, which was always the most interesting in the game.
Ridiculously bloody, just as nature intended, with plenty of references to the games, with every character getting in their signature moves. The art style didn't always do it for me, and Joel McHale's cage gets a touch annoying, but it's a pretty solid effort.
First watch: 3.5 Doughnuts

The Arizona Game Files
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
A hedgehog from another world finds himself on Earth, hiding out so nobody can claim his powers for their own. Enter a super intelligent government agent hellbent on locating him, and a small town cop determined to protect him.
Not gonna lie, I really enjoyed this, it's a lot of fun, and I chuckled away several times to the on screen antics. I also think this is possibly one of Jim Carrey's best performances, playing the rather unlikable Dr Robotnik with relish.
First watch: 4 Doughnuts

Japowski's Game, Boy!
Street Fighter (1994)
Maniacal dictator Matthew Bison has all the hostages and if he doesn't get his 20 billion dollars it's game over for them. Enter Guile Van Damme to recruit his playlist of favourite characters to thwart this turkey.
This movie will always be associated with me as the time I tried to smuggle a 2ltr bottle of lemonade into the cinema but got caught and almost missed the bus home!
That's the most memorable moments for me of this movie.
Luckily my cousin made it in with his large bottle of fizz and had straws so I would take suspicious sucks from between his legs when thirsty!
Raul Julia is fun as Bison but yeah the movie was disappointing for a 13 year old and a slog for this old dog to. I wash my hands of this Buffalo!
Rewatch: 1 out of 5 bits

The Arizona Case Files
Palm Springs (2020)
While attending a wedding at a Palm Springs resort Nyles finds himself reliving the same day over and over, things start looking up though when another wedding guest gets caught in the loop.
Obviously this will be compared to Groundhog, much in the same way Happy Death Day was, it's inevitable, just like Nyles repeating his day. The main difference here is when we first meet Nyles he's already lived this day more times than he can count, and come to terms with his new existence. It gives Palm Springs a far more melancholy feel.
First watch: 4 Doughnuts

Have you witnessed any of the movies we've investigated? What's the verdict? Let us know in the comments below.