I remember being semi-stoked when this movie hit theaters back in September. The trailer looked pretty sweet, and, its got Jason Statham in it.....what could be better? I'll tell you, Jason Statham AND Robert De Niro AND Clive Owen, all in the same film. Would any other movies made after this one even matter? Well, I got a chance to watch it this weekend, so I am here to give you the answer........
You can analyze this movie through two scopes: The first, as a film purist , or the "I just want to see people get shot and shit blown up" one. If you view all films with the first option in mind, you will probably end up self-immolating yourself after watching this one. The acting and the writing are really some of the worst that I have ever seen; the lines sounded like they were written by Rick Perry (ZING!). I don't expect much from Statham, but De Niro is obviously De Niro, and Clive Owen ain't half bad. Well, De Niro, who really wasn't in all that much of the film (Statham is in the lead role), sounded like he was reading his lines from a sheet of paper the whole time, and Owen's line were apparently ripped from "The Grand Encyclopedia of Cliches". I know these guys can do better, and I know you can't just make Oscar contenders all the time, but it is disappointing to see top actors take on what I call "paycheck roles". A film of this type should be reserved for Statham and his ilk, De Niro should stick to better stuff. Then again, he did make those "Meet the Parents" flicks. The story, about a mercenary performing a big job for a client who is holding his partner hostage, is supposedly based upon a true story. The story in itself, if in fact true, is pretty neat, but was portrayed in the film somewhat confusingly, and some elements were not explained at all.
However, we didn't come here for the acting did we. Lets face it, this movie is quite the ride. Its virtually non-stop action from the very beginning, and I do have to give the choreographers credit, the action is well done, and some of the fight scenes pretty exhilarating. If you are taking this into account, the rest doesn't really matter a whole lot. It makes for a fun 2 hours, even if some of the lines are almost painful to listen to. Jason Statham really is not a very good actor (I'm sure I have said this before), but credit where credit is due, his stunts and action sequences are second to none. There are some good hand-to-hand scenes in this film, and even De Niro gets in on the action a few times. Its a pretty shitty piece of film making, but for the loads of action is carries, it certainly has entertainment value, and it gets the job done. I suppose you could argue that there are tons of action films to choose from, and that is true, but this one does have a somewhat unique story line to back it up at least.
Verdict: If you can stomach what amounts to some pretty awful acting, then its worth a look for the mindless fun/action. It is a good way to kill 2 hours on a cold, rainy night in upstate New York, that is for sure. I am actually gonna say see it. Grade: D- from an orthodox standpoint, but the action gets an A.
If you liked this movie you might also like: Google "Jason Statham movies". That should give you a solid start.
You can analyze this movie through two scopes: The first, as a film purist , or the "I just want to see people get shot and shit blown up" one. If you view all films with the first option in mind, you will probably end up self-immolating yourself after watching this one. The acting and the writing are really some of the worst that I have ever seen; the lines sounded like they were written by Rick Perry (ZING!). I don't expect much from Statham, but De Niro is obviously De Niro, and Clive Owen ain't half bad. Well, De Niro, who really wasn't in all that much of the film (Statham is in the lead role), sounded like he was reading his lines from a sheet of paper the whole time, and Owen's line were apparently ripped from "The Grand Encyclopedia of Cliches". I know these guys can do better, and I know you can't just make Oscar contenders all the time, but it is disappointing to see top actors take on what I call "paycheck roles". A film of this type should be reserved for Statham and his ilk, De Niro should stick to better stuff. Then again, he did make those "Meet the Parents" flicks. The story, about a mercenary performing a big job for a client who is holding his partner hostage, is supposedly based upon a true story. The story in itself, if in fact true, is pretty neat, but was portrayed in the film somewhat confusingly, and some elements were not explained at all.
However, we didn't come here for the acting did we. Lets face it, this movie is quite the ride. Its virtually non-stop action from the very beginning, and I do have to give the choreographers credit, the action is well done, and some of the fight scenes pretty exhilarating. If you are taking this into account, the rest doesn't really matter a whole lot. It makes for a fun 2 hours, even if some of the lines are almost painful to listen to. Jason Statham really is not a very good actor (I'm sure I have said this before), but credit where credit is due, his stunts and action sequences are second to none. There are some good hand-to-hand scenes in this film, and even De Niro gets in on the action a few times. Its a pretty shitty piece of film making, but for the loads of action is carries, it certainly has entertainment value, and it gets the job done. I suppose you could argue that there are tons of action films to choose from, and that is true, but this one does have a somewhat unique story line to back it up at least.
Verdict: If you can stomach what amounts to some pretty awful acting, then its worth a look for the mindless fun/action. It is a good way to kill 2 hours on a cold, rainy night in upstate New York, that is for sure. I am actually gonna say see it. Grade: D- from an orthodox standpoint, but the action gets an A.
If you liked this movie you might also like: Google "Jason Statham movies". That should give you a solid start.
Quit slagging Statham, broski! Official warning!
ReplyDeleteOn a serious note, I do feel terrible when movies like The Expendables are made for fun (thanks Goodness, I haven't seen either of them)!