Chuck Russellis the quirky filmmaker responsible for movies likeA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,The Blob, andThe Mask. His creative high point came in the late 1980s and early ’90s, though he’s still at it, with his latest film set for release later this year. Russell’s filmography is a bit of a mixed bag,including cult classics, blockbusters, and a few duds, buthis best projects have an infectious energy and a ton of style.
Russell specializes in horror, action, and fantasy, though his films also tend to be shot through with zany humor. He’s worked with big names likeJim CarreyandArnold Schwarzeneggerand also gaveDwayne Johnsonhis first lead role inThe Scorpion King. All this means that Russell has etched his name into movie history, even if not all his efforts have succeeded. With this in mind, here’s every Chuck Russell movie, ranked.
10’Paradise City' (2022)
Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Stephen Dorff, Blake Jenner
“This man is my prisoner!” Representing the absolute nadir of Russell’s filmography isParadise City, an action flick about Ryan Swan (Blake Jenner), who seeks to avenge his father Ian’s (Bruce Willis) death at the hands of a ruthless crime lord named Buckley (John Travolta). Set in the seedy underworld of Hawaii, Ryan teams up with a bounty hunter to take down Buckley and uncover the truth. Despite the star-studded cast,Paradise Citywas mostly panned for its generic plot and cardboard cutout characters.
The whole thing just comes across as shallow and inspired, as if the cast and crew didn’t really care very much about the finished product. Some of the dialogue is especially cringey, like when Travolta says, “The only thing I’m scared of is me. And I am me, so there’s nothing to be scared of.” Fans of Travolta and Willis should avoid this misfire and rather just re-watchPulp Fiction.
Paradise City
9’Bless the Child' (2000)
Kim Basinger, Jimmy Smits, Rufus Sewell, Christina Ricci
“If you believe in God, jump.” This supernatural thriller that centers on Maggie O’Connor (Kim Basinger), who suddenly finds herself caring for her niece Cody (Holliston Coleman), a child with extraordinary powers. As Cody grows older, Maggie discovers that her niece is at the center of a spiritual battle between good and evil, with a satanic cult, led byRufus Sewell’s character Eric Stark, determined to claim her. Here, Russell attempts to blend elements of horror, thriller, and drama, butthe end result is cliched and predictable.
Bless the Childcould have been decent, but it undermines itself with a simplistic good vs evil plot and subpar writing. While the cast is decent, including supporting playersChristina RicciandIan Holm, they are let down by heavy-handed storytelling. This movie has the subtlety of a sledgehammer and plays like something written by a televangelist. Its treatment of religious ideas, in particular, makesThe Da Vinci Codelook masterful by comparison.
Bless the Child
8’I Am Wrath' (2016)
John Travolta, Christopher Meloni, Sam Trammell, Amanda Schull
“Find their families. Find their dog. And kill them all.” Travolta appears once again, this time as protagonist Stanley Hill, a man who takes the law into his own hands after his wife is brutally murdered by corrupt police officers. It’s a well-worn premise of a grieving husband transforming into a vengeful vigilante, but the execution is decidedly lackluster.Drawn-out scenes and tonal confusion quickly turn the movie from tense to tedious.
Indeed,I Am Wrathis only 92 minutes long but feels far longer, thanks to disjointed scenes and underwhelming action sequences. It also simply looks cheap, which is frustrating. The low-budget aesthetic is amplified by a slew of poorly executed aspects, including Russell’s unfortunate overuse of slow-motion. Travolta also doesn’t seem to try very hard, as if he could tell that the project was a dud in the making. Throw in a cartoonish antagonist and it all adds up to a boring, skippable revenge-o-matic.
I Am Wrath
7’Junglee' (2019)
Vidyut Jammwal, Pooja Sawant, Asha Bhat, Atul Kulkarni
“It takes a worthy hunter to match a prey this magnificent.“Jungleeis an action-adventure set in the jungles of India.Vidyut Jammwalstars as Raj, a vet who returns to his family’s elephant sanctuary to discover it is being threatened by poachers. The movie aims to combine martial arts action and wildlife conservation themes, a commendable ambition but one it doesn’t fully pull off.
Other than some breathtaking cinematography and a few enjoyable if over-the-top fight scenes,there really isn’t much to recommendJunglee.Nothing is particularly original or thoughtful. The characters are stock figures, lacking depth or complexity. The lead actor is solid, though asking him to carry the project on his own is a tall order. The anti-poaching message is welcome, but those seeking food for thought should rather watch a nature documentary, while viewers in search of entertaining violence would be better served by a straight action flick.
6’The Scorpion King' (2002)
Dwayne Johnson, Kelly Hu, Michael Clarke Duncan, Steven Brand
“You’ll scream in five different languages, horse thief.” ThisMummyprequel focuses onDwayne Johnson’s character Mathayus, a skilled warrior hired to assassinate a powerful sorcerer. Instead, Mathayus decides to protect the sorceress Cassandra (Kelly Hu), and together they set out to overthrow the tyrannical warlord Memnon (Steven Brand). With the help of an unlikely band of allies, including Balthazar (Michael Clarke Duncan), Mathayus battles to become the legendary Scorpion King.
Aside from a few shaky supporting performances and some abysmal CGI,The Scorpion Kingis a ton of goofy fun. Russell’s direction is energetic and the Rock’s lead performance is enjoyable. The movie is basically a live-action cartoon, but it fortunately doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s content to recycle sword-and-sorcery tropes, and the target audience will be happy to come along for the ride. Indeed, the movie’s action and flavorful riff on Egyptian mythologywent down well with audienceson release.The Scorpion Kinggrosseda solid $180m against a $60m budget.
The Scorpion King
5’Eraser' (1996)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams, James Caan, James Coburn
“You’ve just been erased.” Arnold Schwarzenegger leads the cast of this action hit as U.S. Marshal John Kruger, a specialist in witness protection who erases the identities of high-risk witnesses. He is assigned to protect a woman named Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams), who has exposed a conspiracy involving illegal arms deals. As they are hunted by corrupt officials, including a duplicitous colleague (James Caan), Kruger must use his skills and state-of-the-art weaponry to keep Cullen safe and expose the truth.
Schwarzenegger is typically charismatic here, doing a lot to carry the movie.He’s helped by the talented supporting cast, particularlyJames Coburn. Although the plot is straightforward, Russell’s flair for spectacle and Schwarzenegger’s star power makeErasera quintessential ’90s action film, blending suspense with over-the-top excitement. As a result, this was one of the last successful “beefcake” action movies, as the genre transitioned away from the stories that had been so popular in the 1980s.
Eraser: A U.S. Marshal in the Witness Protection Program must secure the safety of a vital witness and expose a dangerous conspiracy within a defense contractor. As adversaries close in, he employs advanced tactics to outwit those who threaten her life, ensuring her survival and the protection of critical evidence.
4’Witchboard' (2024)
Sydney Sweeney, Madison Iseman, Tony Todd, Emmanuelle Vaugier
“There are powerful forces at play.” Russell’s most recent project is this horror about a group of friends who unwittingly summon a malevolent spirit through a Ouija board. From there, the protagonists become embroiled in a grim odyssey involving demons, witches, and occult experts.Witchboardis a remake of the 1986 cult film byKevin Tenney, which was praised for its craftsmanship and treatment of gender politics.
Russell’s version opened to positive reviews, though it has yet to receive a wide release. While some critics had complaints about a few subplots being unnecessary, most viewers seem to have appreciated the psychological tension, lead performances, and kill scenes. It’s interesting that Russell is remaking a movie from a decade in which he was himself active. “For me, it felt a little bit like the original [version of]TheBlob, in that it was a resonant piece of pop culture for the time and yet it still [today] has a lot of fans,“he saidof it.
Witchboard
Witchboard centers on a group of friends who unwittingly unleash a malevolent spirit while playing with an old Ouija board. As the spirit’s power grows, they must uncover the board’s dark history to survive.
3’A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors' (1987)
Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Patricia Arquette, Craig Wasson
“Five, six, grab a crucifix.” Stepping into an established franchise can be tough, but Russell did a solid job withA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, his feature debut. It follows a group of teenagers at a psychiatric hospital who are terrorized by Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) in their dreams. With the help of Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), the teens discover they can use their dream powers to fight back.
The secondNightmare on Elm Streetmovie opened to mixed reviews, butthe franchise bounced back with this one, thanks to its dark fantasy vibe and the creative dream sequences (like the monstrous Freddy Krueger snake and the memorable TV death scene). A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 is ’80s to the max in the best way, from the fashion and slang to the special effects and metal anthem theme song. As a result, the movie quickly became a fan favorite, with many considering itone of the very best installmentsin this iconic franchise.
2’The Blob' (1988)
Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch Jr., Jeffrey DeMunn
“It creeps, and leaps, and glides and slides across the floor.” Another ’80s (and itself a remake of a ’50s film),The Blobtells the story of a small town under siege by a gelatinous, flesh-eating organism from space. The story follows Brian (Kevin Dillon) and Meg (Shawnee Smith), as they attempt to survive and warn others about the growing threat. As the blob consumes everything in its path, the townspeople must confront not only the creature but also the government officials who are hiding the truth about its origins.
The film’s combination of body horror, dark humor, and fast-paced action sets it apart from typical ’80s creature features. In particular,the blob effects here are great, elevating the concept of a gelatinous menaceto shockingly grotesque heights. AlthoughThe Blobopened to a lukewarm reception in 1988, it has since developed a cult following. It’s still enjoyable to watch today, and breezes by at just 95 minutes long.
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1’The Mask' (1994)
Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene
“Smokin'!” When it comes to Russell’s most entertaining project, it’s hard to top this gonzoJim Carreyvehicle. He turns in an iconic performance as Stanley Ipkiss, a meek bank clerk who discovers a magical mask that transforms him into a zany, cartoon-like superhero with reality-bending powers. As Stanley’s alter ego wreaks havoc and attracts the attention of a gangster named Dorian (Peter Greene), he must learn to balance his newfound confidence with the chaos the mask brings.
Bursting with energy,The Maskboasts cheeky humor, over-the-top antics, a breakout appearance byCameron Diaz, and outrageous special effects (which earned an Oscar nomination). It’s all incredibly stylized and frenetic, but the viewer can’t help being swept along with the chaos. The movie’s secret weapon is undeniably Carrey, who was the perfect performer for the part. It all adds up to one of the defining blockbusters of the ’90s, and far and away Russell’s most commercially successful movie.
Based on the comic series, The Mask is an action-comedy movie that stars Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss, a mild-mannered bank teller with bad luck regarding life and women. However, his fortunes are reversed when he stumbled upon a mythical Mask said to belong to the Norse god of mischief, Loki. When Stanley puts the mask on, he becomes a cartoonish, comedic, and violent troublemaker with powers out of this world.
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