I have a soft spot for modest B-movies; Wesley Snipes's European films are surprisingly entertaining, in part because Snipes or his production guys keep hooking up with low-budget but remarkably inventive and fearless stunt coordinators. (That Snipes has unstoppable charisma doesn't hurt.) RISE seems to be an experiment in that vein, but with more name talent; I think Liu would've done better to go make a movie with Snipes, rather than be in the directorial debut of one of the guys who wrote SNAKES ON A PLANE.
The best part of RISE? One of the previews on the disk is for a knock-off of Hitchcock's THE BIRDS. Only with crows, and a small number of 'em because the film couldn't afford too many. The name of the movie? KAW.
ETA: Okay, RISE picks up a little as it goes along, mostly because of Michael Chiklis; he knows he's in a C-level flick and delivers a workmanlike but very effective performance. Liu never steps up and delivers the kind of performance she's capable of, which is unfortunate. One thing that is nice is that the minor actors pretty much all get good scenes for their reel -- yeah, the scenes aren't great, but they have dialogue and close-ups, and that's a good thing.
Best line of the movie is the stupidest. Liu has suffered a cut to the throat, and is rescued by Chiklis, who ties cloth around her neck.
CHIKLIS. "This'll hurt." *tugs cloth*
LIU. "Ow! What is that?"
CHIKLIS. "It's a tourniquet."
AWESOME.
