DISSECTING THE DIRECTOR: Chuck Russell

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

“CHUCK RUSSELL”

Get The Scorpion King on DVD here
Get The Scorpion King on Blu-ray here

I’m sure you know his name as director Chuck Russell first showed up to the scene back in the 80’s. He left his mark on Freddy Kruger and went on to direct a number of vastly different films throughout his career. The man can do all sorts of genres; he hasn’t blocked himself into just doing the same thing. Each film is different and for the most part so much fun to watch. I was actually surprised to find just how versatile he is, and I wasn’t aware he directed some of the projects that he did. It’s time to take a journey into the world of Mister Chuck Russell.

BEST WORK

Get A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 on DVD here
Get A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 on Blu-ray here

I really enjoy Russell’s work and what he has to offer; honestly for the most part he’s remained rather solid all these years. I’d say there are two (very different) films that fall under his absolute best and those would be A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: THE DREAM WARRIORS and THE MASK.

Let’s go with some good old Elm Street first up as the third entry into the franchise marked Russell’s feature length directorial debut. After the poorly received second entry, New Line was hoping to right the wrongs. Taking on some new blood was a risk, but it was a risk that paid off as history shows. Not only was the film good, but it fast became a fan favourite. It went back to the roots of the original but expanded upon the idea like the first sequel should have. The young cast and director seemed to form some kind of understanding, and everything else seemingly fell into place from there. Despite the behind the scenes issues, the film came through and delivered.

While not as scary as the original film, it boasts some of the best deaths in the series. Adding in the ability to pull each other into dreams, those sequences really came alive. Robert Englund also showcased his talents and Freddy became a more vibrant character than ever before. All the elements at play here worked; this is one of the better sequels of the franchise and altogether one of the best genre films from the mid 1980’s.

Now for THE MASK, this became one of the key films in Jim Carrey’s early 90’s career that made him a huge star. The crazy comedy was the perfect vehicle for Carrey to showcase his huge range of talents; the film really does belong to him. It is a fun film to watch, between Carrey and his antics to all the vibrant scenes and colourful characters, it is a riot. The main character is one of those push over’s that when he finally gets to be who he wants to be through the mask it is like living out a fantasy. How many of us want break out and just go insane? Oh yeah, I know I do! Russell has a flare for fun, adventure, comedy and it all breaks through with this film. It remains of the best comedies of the 90’s, one that still gets quoted to this day. Ssssmokin’!

WORST WORK

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BLESS THE CHILD is not an awful film but it isn’t a great one either, and easily the weakest thing Russell has done. The film is a product of its time, these types were all the rage in Hollywood and unfortunately it did not really offer anything new or substantial.

Russell I think did a fine job as director but really the script lets it down more than anything else. The cast are all very capable and I think they too struggled under the script. Perhaps if it was stronger the film would have been better, but even the most talented people can do average work when something isn’t right. Overall it is silly, it’s quite the chore to try and take it seriously and it isn’t particularly scary or engaging. The cast do try to elevate it as Basinger isn’t bad at all and neither are the likes of Angela Bettis, Jimmy Smits, Rufus Swell and Ian Holm.

This really is run of the mill stuff, I remember when this came out and I was in my mid-teens and even I thought it was average back then. Upon watching it again my feelings haven’t changed at all, and it is just sad that more effort wasn’t put into this type of sub-genre, it is one I really enjoy and there isn’t enough quality in it. So in other words it is quite a bore.

TRADEMARKS

Get The Mask on DVD here
Get The Mask on Blu-ray here

It is so difficult to actually pin-point specific trademarks of Russell’s because each film is so different to the next. I mean would you have guessed that the guy who directed THE MASK also directed ERASER or THE BLOB? Yeah I wouldn’t have guessed it right off the bat; he manages to keep everything unique from film to film. With that said, the man does tend to do a few things the same, and I am going to call these his trademarks.

First off the man likes adventure; most of his films have a real sort of adventure feel. Whether it be in the dream world, escaping from something alien or running from the crooked government, he finds a way to make things happen and keep it exciting. He uses a lot of colour, his films are never dull to look at, and the scenes tend to spring to life. He makes use of great cinematography, everything is well lit when he needs to be, and even in the dark it just looks fantastic. Then we have the humor as he always likes to inject some with a bit of fun to be had with everything. It works for what he does, and he has a natural ability to just use it and run with it when deemed appropriate.

HIDDEN GEM

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I am sure I will get some flak for this but yes up until last week I had never seen THE BLOB. It always used to stare at me from the shelves of the video stores, but I never was bothered to pick it up. Perhaps I didn’t think a blob film could be interesting or perhaps I hadn’t had anyone recommend it. Well I righted that wrong, and I gotta say THE BLOB is a neat little film.

While not as good as his debut, THE BLOB is still a lot fun with some great FX and gore to boot. I felt that beginning really let it down, it just didn’t take off right away but once it did and the blob arrived, it took no prisoners and ran with it. I really enjoyed Shawnee Smith and Kevin Dillon as the leads, they were fantastic in their roles and they really brought life to the characters. Kevin Dillon’s epic mullet certainly kept my attention throughout!

This is definitely one of the better remakes I have seen, perhaps it didn’t take enough risks for my liking but it certainly rises above the other mediocre efforts. Again this is a film I wish that I hadn’t waited so long to watch, but it will now hold a place on my yearly re-watches list. Well done Mr Russell, well done sir.

NEXT PROJECT

Well according to sources Russell is attached to direct ARABIAN NIGHTS, with Liam Hemsworth to star. Whether this is actually going ahead is unknown, as Liam Hemsworth recently got tapped for THE EXPENDABLES 2. It seems like this kind of project is a natural progression for Russell after THE SCORPION KING, which did fairly well at the box office and remains a guilty pleasure film for me personally. It feels like Russell gets attached to everything and then when he does direct something it isn’t what we had thought.

OVERALL

Get Eraser on DVD here
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I am a fan of Chuck Russell and proud to say so. He’s done a stand up job with a majority of his films and he managed to keep them fun and fresh. His resume is a weird one with all different types of films and working with such a large array of actors. He’s the kind of director whose films I can easily watch over and over and still have a good time with. He’s come a long way since battling Freddy Krueger, and no matter what film he makes next I’ll be there with bells on.