Stereotyped actors in Hollywood throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s never really took chances. Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, and (yuck) Steven Seagal played it close to the chest. Later in their respective careers (sans Seagal), they would occasionally step out of their genre, but more often than not, they stayed with characters they were comfortable with. The only one of these types of actors who really tried to do things differently was Arnold Schwarzenegger. He broke the mold with films like Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and End of Days.
Jericho Cane (Arnold Schwarzenegger) lost his job, family, and seemingly, his drive for life. Bobby Chicago (Kevin Pollak) and Jericho Cane spend their days as armed security for bigwigs throughout the five boroughs. Their latest job is to protect The Man (Gabriel Byrne), and when the job goes seriously wrong, Jericho and Bobby are thrust into a world much darker than they could have imagined. A war of good versus evil comes to light as Jericho finds himself to be the sole protector of Christine York (Robin Tunney). Will they succeed and fend off the devil? Or will this all lead to…the End of Days?
From writer Andrew W. Marlowe and director Peter Hyams, End of Days is a fart-rock-fueled blockbuster of epic proportions. We truly don’t get many films like this anymore. Marlowe’s story is a wonderful David-versus-Goliath story with a modern setting propelled by Arnold’s willingness to give into the role. Some digital effects don’t meet current standards; however, they’re used sparingly and work well with the practical effects.
A Broken Hero in a Dark, Supernatural Thriller
Arnold is the lifeblood of End of Days. Gone are his badass action zingers and his machoman attitude is replaced with a broken man at the end of his ropes. Arnold struts around Manhattan fully clothed and un-oiled, delivering lines in a way he hadn’t until this moment. The only moments of this film that genuinely don’t work (for me) are when Marlowe writes some Arny-like lines. Thankfully, there aren’t many of those lines. Arny starts the film with a gun in his mouth, which is a visual you could never imagine from the characters he’s previously portrayed, and it’s almost breathtaking.
End of Days fills the screen with a beautifully gritty New York with shots we haven’t seen in over a decade. Images that would be filmed on a green screen studio take place in a crowded Midtown. Helicopters fly inches away from buildings, bombs go off, and bullets reign. Interestingly, there is only one glimpse of the Twin Towers. Movies that take place in New York around this time usually made sure to get a few full frames of the Twin Towers. But that’s neither here nor there.
Christine’s birthmark is another interesting point. It’s in the shape of the Lululemon logo, or should I say, the Lululemon logo is in the shape of her birthmark. Does that mean Lululemon is also a conduit for the devil? Personally, I would consider Chip Wilson a demon for the number of lives he’s ruined with his awful pyramid scheme.
End of Days Legacy: A Rare Gem in Action-Horror History
With all of that said, Peter Hyams brings an excellent blend of horror and action throughout End of Days. If you’ve ever wanted to see Arny and Miriam Margolyes fight in hand-to-hand combat, then this is the film for you. Surprisingly, the scenes of action revolving around Gabriel Byrne are the most engaging. Beyond the action, Marlowe’s script brings verbal action between Byrne and Arny and between Byrne and Udo Kier. Their verbal back-and-forths with Bryne is a level of fighting that rivals many of the scenes in some of the best ‘80s action films you could name.
End of Days marks a time in cinema when big actors weren’t afraid to take chances, and studios cared about making something practically. Action horror isn’t a subgenre that gets made often, and End of Days feels like a needle in a haystack. The film’s ending concludes the story, so we won’t be getting a sequel. As someone who is on the fence when it comes to reboots, if they could do a fully practical reboot shot on location, I think I’d love to see this film remade. That is, as long as they kept Rob Zombie on the soundtrack.
