Surviving the Game

I admittedly, watched this for IcedT, Hauser, Dutton and the theme of Humans hunting Humans. But I had no idea, it was the Most Outstanding Action movie with a frightening theme that seems to be relevant with today's epidemic level of Humans killing humans. I watch action flicks frequently, but this was way more. psychologically intense, a great intrusive look at sick men with money, an idea done since 1932,The Most Dangerous Game from the short story around the same time, which started this theme in cinema. This one>>>different in many ways. Why these men do such heinous acts, yearly, to undeserving, unfortunate men who are nothing to them but mere prey, never diagnosed. Boredom, testing skills to the ultimate level, harder to hunt than an animal's brain, I don't think so. With my psych background, I'm always trying to decipher the brain of animals or humans and why their certain behaviors surface and continue. This flick gives us a glimpse into rich privilege,the plight of homelessness(unhoused) and exactly "what- would -you -do -to -survive", all in one with a smudge of what happens when you become the devious, vicious, hunter that's hunting you? It's the age old question, can any human become animal when necessary? The cast was more than effective, the direction was the best I've seen, in well, forever, with timing so perfectly introduced and played, so that it draws you in, so you can't take your eyes off the screen, not for 1 second. The booming sound quality probably cost the most in this film, but so few action movies do this as expertly, so editing here plus direction must have been done with knowledge beyond comparison. If I was a techie, I'd rave more, but I don't know enough explicitly to discuss, just the fundamentals, but I do know sound quality. Hopefully you'll have uninterrupted time with a great picture quality and a powerful sound bar to truly absorb and be absorbed by this 1994 flick. The 90s, never fail me with quality movies, acting and direction, but this still stands out way above them all. Iced T( Mason) did a phenomenal job as the main protagonist, a homeless dude who's life dissolved along with a fire in his ghetto apt that took his wife and baby. The movie touches on a few backstories of guilt, protection of loved ones, not being there in a time of need, and blaming others for societal unjustness. The young son of one hunter displays the normality of the human brain, where the acts of hunting humans as prey, does not compute, so it brings us back to some sense of normalcy, only to quickly entrap us in the thick, mulky swamp brains of the hunters involved. We see and feel when Mason mind transforms into theirs as he dives deep into kill or be killed, no holds barred. The choreography of the fight scenes,getting through treacherous woods and white waters, all awhile fleeing determined hunters who both marvel and detest Masons' survival and crafty skills that keep outsmarting these "professional" killers, is beyond perfection. Realistic and tight, it adds to the perfection of this film, whether computerized or stunt done Don't pass on this one and give yourself a chance to truly absorb all the implications that society has always been savage and continues to be. You will thank me later.

I really like this movie, a good take on the 'greatest game' story. Rutger Hauer, Garey Busier, and others makeup a great cast