Have Netflix lost their moral compass? I wonder. This is a celebration of the extremes in an "action thriller" with more innocent victims of collateral damage than there are characters in many films - more violence, more gore and, of course, more action. But then, in its last ten minutes the film crosses a moral line. Although the gore is less in evidence, that's not the issue. Suffice to say that I believe the scene does not belong in a movie targeted at a mainstream audience.
So in all honesty I'd recommend skipping this film altogether. But you could get a pretty good flavour for the action and car chase side of things by watching the first twenty minutes - which is basically a homage to The Italian Job... Or you could go on to about forty five minutes in, by which time you'll have seen all the main characters (from several angles), had your righteous indignation stirred and you should be in a position to predict the remainder of the plot with reasonable ease. You may also have noticed the pace of the movie beginning to stutter and the continuity becoming a little disjointed as we wait for the next action sequence.
Other reviewers have suggested that it's OK to enjoy the whole film if you maybe disengage your brain first. I'm not so sure that is OK, because some people's brains may not disengage so effectively. The formulaic building of (righteous) indignation is taken as justification for an orgy of grisly revenge - but what if the taste for revenge is not so righteous?
The action sequences are good though, and Ryan Reynolds is good. In fact most of the cast throw themselves into the project with gusto. But it's just not quite enough to make up for the downsides.
The director here (who I'm not going to name) apparently has a bit of a reputation for this kind of movie. But I'd suggest that it's time his wings should be clipped. Maybe this should be his last of this type. 4/10
So in all honesty I'd recommend skipping this film altogether. But you could get a pretty good flavour for the action and car chase side of things by watching the first twenty minutes - which is basically a homage to The Italian Job... Or you could go on to about forty five minutes in, by which time you'll have seen all the main characters (from several angles), had your righteous indignation stirred and you should be in a position to predict the remainder of the plot with reasonable ease. You may also have noticed the pace of the movie beginning to stutter and the continuity becoming a little disjointed as we wait for the next action sequence.
Other reviewers have suggested that it's OK to enjoy the whole film if you maybe disengage your brain first. I'm not so sure that is OK, because some people's brains may not disengage so effectively. The formulaic building of (righteous) indignation is taken as justification for an orgy of grisly revenge - but what if the taste for revenge is not so righteous?
The action sequences are good though, and Ryan Reynolds is good. In fact most of the cast throw themselves into the project with gusto. But it's just not quite enough to make up for the downsides.
The director here (who I'm not going to name) apparently has a bit of a reputation for this kind of movie. But I'd suggest that it's time his wings should be clipped. Maybe this should be his last of this type. 4/10