Dangerous (III) (2021) User Reviews

Who says a sociopath can't be useful in a crunch?

[lotekguy-1 · 5/10 · 5 November 2021]

Scott Eastwood stars as a guy who has been incarcerated under psychiatric care for many years due to a violent nature that's been given plenty of exercise throughout his life. He learns of his brother's untimely death and rushes to the remote island off the Washington coastline that was his final home and project. The former WW II defense facility features a large, rambling house he was restoring as a resort hotel.

Upon arrival, he's greeted with venomous hostility from his mother (Brenda Bazinet), who mourns the loss of her "good son", and has hated Eastwood for all the troubles and embarrassments suffered on account of his years of misconduct. He's taking meds and receiving on-demand counseling from a shrink (Mel Gibson) who urges Eastwood to control his urges, even beyond the point of reality. The rehab plan is sorely tested just after he gets there when a gang of thugs takes control, searching for something that none of the few captive residents know about. The rest of the film involves gradually learning more about Eastwood, his brother and their histories with this vicious group - especially their smugly sadistic leader (superbly played by Kevin Durand) in a cat- and-mouse exercise in survival.

Oh. I forgot that dashing off to the island violated his parole, adding pursuit by an angry FBI agent (Famke Janssen) to Eastwood's burdens. What's relatively unique to this spin on a common setup is Eastwood's sincerely clueless struggle to overcome the sociopathic side of his nature. That's enhanced with a darkly comical series of phone calls to his shrink, seeking help coping with the increasingly dangerous conditions and choices facing him. He really doesn't want to undo his progress from years of therapy by killing any more people, even when circumstances are screaming for him to reactivate his ... shall we say... particular set of skills.

That element of grim character humor and the smarmy psychopathy of Durand's character elevate this somewhat above B-movie norms. Eastwood's internal struggles come across believably enough to arouse our empathy, thereby supporting engagement in the suspense of learning what the bad guys expect to find that's worth this much trouble, and who will survive the ordeal. Credit also goes to the location scouts and set designers who provided such a wonderfully complex and ominous locale for events to unfold. This is no dramatic masterpiece; nor was one intended. But if you're in the mood for grimly violent crime fare, you could do a heck of a lot worse. I know that because I've done so on many, many occasions.

Looks and voice simply not enough

[A_Different_Drummer · 5/10 · 5 November 2021]

Scott Eastwood both looks like and sounds like a younger version of his famous father who at one time was the #1 most popular movie star in the entire world. Unfortunately that is not nearly enough to rescue this production which, according to the IMDb notes, was shelved for several YEARS (!) due to funding issues. The story about a "reformed" sociopath sounds clever ... until the viewer realizes that the reforming means said sociopath is unwilling to kill or seriously harm anyone, even though almost every other character in the story is trying to kill or seriously harm HIM. Even viewers willing to settle for a mid-level action romp will be equally disappointed because the opening scene -- where Eastwood does his daily workout by literally attacking the furniture in his own apartment -- is about as violent as his character ever gets. Yes, there are a few A-listers in the cast, but they too seem as lost as the star. Mel Gibson (also at one time one of the most popular actors on the planet) seems to think he is in a sitcom, and adjusts his performance accordingly. And the actor playing Scott's mother consistently yells out all her lines as though the Director had warned her that her mic was bad, and she was determined to compensate for that. The only real suspense is wondering what happened to the "better" movie this could easily have been?

Almost worthy of more stars

[jpco-74701 · 5/10 · 29 December 2021]

A good screenwriter could have fixed this. Flashes of comedy well played by Gibson as the shrink trying to reform the ex-con sociopath (Eastwood). The hunky Eastwood just needed guidance of a loving Director to make him fully commit to the role. Loved the crazy B&B with hatches to batten down, no less. Story had great highs and lows but the flow was awful. Tighten it up, give us a reason to like the characters, and it could be a blast. As is, it's like several different films stitched together. Still, it was fun to watch, with all the "what the heck" twists.

Could have been better

[On_The_Mark · 4/10 · 14 November 2021]

I like Scott Eastwood. He IS a good actor. He's believable as a bad guy. He's NOT believable as a tough guy. He his dad's eyes. He does NOT have his dad's voice (his voice is much higher). When he tries to be Clint he fails (which I assume he was trying to do here). He's supposed to be this stupid tough guy but you barely see him do anything tough. What fight scenes he does have are the quick cut quick shot scenes where you really can't tell what's going on and it's clear he really can't fight well. The story is so drawn out and could have been better with a better script. There's lot of logic thrown out the window and what's even more painful is watching the great Famke Janssen who is one of those ladies who would have aged gracefully for sure, with the plastic surgery (on her eyes and cheeks for sure) and all you can think of is "why?" (like Nicole Kidman).

If you can get through this mess without fast forwarding you're a better person than I. And when Scott Eastwood is trying to do his dad, it's even more painful. His dad is one of the greatest, most charismatic actors ever and Scott will always be a fine actor but will never be his dad.

He was great in Wrath of Man. Not in this.

I enjoyed it, but it could've easily been so much better

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 5 November 2021]

I'd call this one of the much better B films I've seen lately, but it's too bad the novice filmmakers didn't put in more effort that could've elevated this to A film status.

Production designer turned novice producer and director David Hackl chose to focus more on cliches and directed his cast to play dumb in attempting humor. We're all tired of the cliched funny looking loud redneck bad guy. Then having Kevin Durand's talent wasted posing as a cliched Dr. Evil and being lost in his duties was cringe. Even Scott Eastwood's character was poorly directed, but luckily his character was elevated with Mel Gibson's character as their dynamics was hilarious. I felt that dynamic was underutilized. Even the rest of the cast were poorly directed and looked lost for the most part.

Then we have newb writer Christopher Borrelli who actually came up with a nice story with great twists and turns, but the execution was lacklustre. Had a seasoned writer looked over the script, I'm sure there'd be changes to elevate the screenplay. At 99 min long, it felt longer with many long dragged out and unnecessary scenes - and characters. The pacing was also slow and dragging. What even was the point of having Tyrese Gibson and Famke Janssen's character written in, when they were just unnecessary filler with little to no character development. The screenplay needed about 15 mins of fluff omitted, and another 30 mins added in utilizing Gibson and Janssen's character better, as well as making Eastwood's one-man-army character much more exciting. Or omit Gibson and Janssen's character all together.

But in general, the casting was great, and Mel Gibson shined (and was hilarious), but most of the leads were so underused, it felt they were only cast to add value to the film. The score was actually on point, especially for a B film, and the cinematography decent. The underground set and hidden entry they created was actually quite awesome. You wont see that one coming.

I feel if the directing and writing of the characters had been more serious - instead of acting like cartoon dummy bad guys, this film could've been a hit. It felt lost trying to decide if it's an action film (of which any little action was boring), or a dark comedy thriller, that was riddled with cliches.

Nevertheless, I saw it to the end, and actually enjoyed it - albeit noticing the small details that could've elevated this production to another level. For the novice filmmakers, I feel it's still a win, because I've seen some terrible films from seasoned filmmakers lately. Thus it's deserving of my 7/10.

Is This a Comedy?!

[HadiAriyan07 · 2/10 · 17 November 2021]

I was baffled through the entire thing, every cast member was laughable and I thought they forgot how to act, Mel Gibson is just a name in on the poster, and his role is nothing. It seems that this story has been written by a 5 year old.

I honestly can't describe this movie, but in a few and simple words, it's boring, laughable and a waste of time.

Predictable? So what? just enjoy

[frank-liesenborgs · 7/10 · 5 November 2021]

You will love the dialogues between the main characters Yes, "Dangerous" is predictable. So what? If you are well tuned in and listen to the dialogues between Scott Eastwood (D), his eccentric psychiatrist (Mel Gibson) and Destiny Millns (Jo), you will really enjoy this movie. Scott Eastwood, for his part, plays D as apathetic as possible, sounding more and more like his father. Outstanding acting from Mel Gibson (has been a while....) and Destiny Millns (Jo). You can also see and feel the chemistry in the dialogues between these three characters. The movie is missing a couple of things and therefore will not be well received by the audience. That´s my guess. But I think that whatever this movie might be missing is made up by the dialogues. I found the dialogues catchy, really well written and executed. And do not forget that there´s a little plot twist at the end. Forget prejudice and have a go! Watch and you will enjoy.

Worst movie of the year

[paul-allaer · 2/10 · 6 November 2021]

As "Dangerous" (2021 release; 100 min.) opens, we are introduced to Dylan, a/k/a "D", who is on parole living in an apartment with a electronic ankle bracelet. He get the occasional letter from his younger brother who lives on Guardian Island in the Pacific Northwest. Then one day, someone breaks into the apartment, and before we know it, an FBI Special Agent is on the scene but D has fled (breaking his parole along the way). At this point we are 10 min into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience.

Couple of comments: this is the latest film from director David Hackl, best known for "Saw V". Here he concocts a movie that is billed as an "action thriller". The problem is that someone forgot to write a script that makes any sense (if a script was even written?). It didn't take long before I had this sinking feeling in my stomach that yes, this is possibly, ok more than likely, the worst movie I have seen this year. Do you want to know exactly when? The moment that Mel Gibson (as D's therapist) appears, that's when. The few scenes that Gibson is in are so incredibly poorly acted, it's just beyond the pale. Not that Scott Eastwood or Famke Janssen (the other 'big names') are much better. The so-called action scenes are laughable, frankly. It all comes with a feeling of watching a B (or even C) movie (at best).

Let me be upfront: I knew absolutely nothing about this film before I saw it this weekend. So why did I even go see this movie? For no other reason than that it plays at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. Yes, the same art-house theater where I have seen hundreds of movies over the years, often with good and even great results. I simply trust them to schedule movies that are worth my while. Why oh why they decided to schedule this horrible, horrible film, I haven't the faintest. The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended better than I had expected (8 people in total including myself). All that aside, I cannot in good conscience recommend this film to anyone. But hey, don't take my word for it. If you are in the mood for a (supposed) action thriller or simple are a fan of Scott Eastwood or Famke Janssen, check it out in the theater (while you still can), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

Good Action and Thriller Flick

[BOOKSMART1 · 6/10 · 5 November 2021]

Dangerous is entertaining and, for the most part, a well made action film. The storyline has nothing new so don't expect much from the plot, but it's enough to provide content. As I am a big fan of Mel Gibson and I was not disappointed. Scot is more like copying his father and it is dangerous to follow into the footsteps of his father.

Worse film I have seen in 2021

[Horror_Flick_Fanatic · 1/10 · 5 November 2021]

I really want to see Scott Eastwood get better roles. Perhaps because I am a fan of his father, Clint. He looks so much like his old man and even sounds like him. I just want to see this guy succeed. Having said that, this film is terrible. Holy cow is it bad. It's more like a dark comedy spoofing thriller movies than a legit thriller. Mel Gibson does all of his lines behind a desk or on a phone like a dialup psychologist. Terrible Terrible Terrible film.

Goonies on Steroids

[lighterthanair-82569 · 8/10 · 6 January 2022]

I think a lot of the reviewers, particularly the professional movie critics, didn't understand the premise. This is a dark comedy with action (and violence), not a straight thriller/action movie. Scott Eastwood plays a reformed, or, mostly reformed, killer. Mel Gibson is his therapist who (usually) talks him out of reverting to his evil ways. He is trying to solve his brother's mysterious death, with Kevin Durant and his gang hot on his trail. The interplay between Mel and Scott keeps it lighthearted while Scott "does what he has to do" to solve the mystery. If you go in with an open mind, I guarantee you'll like it.

Good movie, why not?

[strogonovich · 7/10 · 5 November 2021]

Dunno why every one is against it, i found it classic, skilled special guy, lost, trying to get over his past, like the Jason Bourne thing... it's good to watch.

Massive letdown & a waste of talent. Boring.

[rochfordsimon · 3/10 · 11 November 2021]

I was looking forward to seeing this movie as I'm a Scott Eastwood fan. He was great in "Wrath of Man" and now this movie see him in he the leading role. But it was a slow, boring, waste of time. Disappointed in not only Eastwoods performance, but how the plot was thin and pointless. Action was minimum and the actors chosen but have been doing the producers a favour?

Avoid this film like its a bad smell.

Ensemble Cast, Mediocre Film

[Luv2Spooge · 1/10 · 7 November 2021]

Scott Eastwood, Kevin Durand, Famke Janssen, and Mel Gibson... What could possibly go wrong?

How about a story that went absolutely nowhere and action sequences that puts you to sleep?

Literally one of the worst films I've ever seen. And I've seen Bruce Willis and Nicholas Cage's recent direct-to-videos!

Eastwood and Gibson Team Up Action

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 18 November 2021]

Some action movies struggle to mash-up oddball characters with a preposterous premise, but they rarely emerge as entertaining because of those conflicting elements. "Saw V" director David Hackl's "Dangerous" qualifies as a compelling but formulaic crime thriller that turns this otherwise sow's purse into a silk ear. A convicted sociopath, Dylan Forrester (Clint Eastwood's son Scott Eastwood), is determined to stay on the straight and narrow after his release from prison. Basically, this ex-Navy Seal went psycho and became a Hannibal Lecter-type serial killer. He served eight years in prison. Now, Dylan-who prefers to be called "D"-is out on parole and endeavoring to live as a normal anybody. Our addled hero benefits from a sympathetic psychiatrist, Dr. Alderwood (a gray-bearded Mel Gibson of "Braveheart"), who peddles sage wisdom, even though we never see the two together in person. Dr. Alderwood is no role model. We see him abuse liquor. Resigning himself to daily dosages of lithium tablets, an anti-psychotic depressant, D learns to his chagrin that his upstanding, history professor, younger brother Sean has died. Reportedly, Sean fell off the scaffolding around the lighthouse tower he was restoring. Originally, Sean wanted D to visit him once he made parole. In a chain of letters, Sean wrote to D about a private project he had been pursuing. Sean wanted D to come in with him as a partner.

One day, D surprises an Asian intruder rifling through his things. Before the intruder can use his .45 caliber pistol, D's seasoned psycho personality kicks in and he takes the dude down. However, he doesn't kill him. Later, Agent Shaughnessy (Famke Janssen of "GoldenEye") and an FBI SWAT team storm D's apartment. Not only do they retrieve D's castoff ankle bracelet monitor, but they also find the comatose Asian staked out in the shower. No, the Asian dude isn't dead. Trying to adhere to Dr. Alderwood's advice, D doesn't initially kill anybody. Meantime, D leaves his home in Ohio to attend Sean's funeral on Guardian Island on the Northern Pacific coast of Washington state. Sean had been remodeling a decommissioned World War II U. S. Naval Station as a bed & breakfast. Separated from the mainland, Guardian Island can only be reached by boat. No sooner has D arrived than his mother, Linda Forrester (prolific television actress Brenda Bazinet), demands his immediate departure. She abhors D because he displays zero empathy or any other basic human emotions. Indeed, D is the black sheep of the family, while his brainiac brother Sean was the role model. Later, D meets Sean's widow, Susan Forrester (Leanne Lapp of "The Right One"), and their son Freddie Forrester (newcomer Atlee Smallman), who shared his dad's interests in World War II-era navies. Scrutinizing his brother in his casket, D's suspicions are aroused by the sight of grime under Sean's fingernails. D sets about searching for clues to unravel the mystery behind his brother's death as well as his secret.

Indeed, D uncovers Sean's shady side when D's former Seal Team commander, Cole (Kevin Durand of "Resident Evil: Retribution"), shows up on the island, with a company of well-armed mercenaries. They stole a boat to reach the island and collect on a longstanding debt Sean never paid off. Moreover, they have brought seismic ground testing equipment to probe for hidden subterranean passages. Naturally, while he is surprised to find his old buddy D, Cole is as baffled as D about Sean's secret. Everybody professes ignorance. Agent Shaughnessy learns about D's whereabouts, but she cannot set foot on the island until dawn. Cole takes Sean's family and friends hostage, but D eludes him. When he discovers Sean's secret, D seems rattled by it. One of Cole's thugs manages to corner our hero, but savvy psychopath that D is, he seizes a World War 2 toy Japanese submarine and stabs him fatally in the femoral artery so his assailant will bleed out. Cole orders his best sniper to scale the lighthouse and search for our hero. The sniper spots D, but he has no luck wounding him despite his towering vantage point. Predictably, every shot the sniper takes at D's fleeing figure falls short by mere millimeters. Eventually, D stumbles onto some caverns beneath Sean's bed & breakfast. What he finds underground flabbergasts him. The Japanese Imperial Navy chiseled those clandestine caverns out of solid rock during World War II to serve as a concealed submarine pen.

Since he balks at killing anybody, D wages a constant war with his homicidal instincts. Everything boils down to a fight to the finish, with Cole and his trigger-happy henchmen scouring the premises for Dh while threatening to inflict bodily harm on Sean's family and friends. Once D's mother realizes he is determined to rescue them as well as eliminate the villains, Linda's attitude changes. Throughout this nail-biting but improbable yarn, D calls Dr. Alderwood repeatedly for advice. Alderwood doesn't want D to ruin all their hard-won progress on his path to recovery by reverting to his sociopathic ways. Nevertheless, he insists his patient do whatever is necessary to ensure his own survival. Eastwood slips back and forth between psycho D and nice guy D and wrings some wry humor out of these short-lived intervals. The casting of Gibson as Alderwood seems like a snarky joke considering Mel's recent, real-life trials and tribulations. Indeed, you'll have fun watching Gibson ham it up in what essentially constitutes a 'phoned-in' performance. Mind you, neither Famke Janssen nor co-star Tyrese Gibson, as the courageous, but ill-fated local sheriff who arrested D, interfere with Cole's shenanigans. Like Gibson, both Famke Janssen and Tyrese Gibson aren't around long enough to make much of an impression. Overall, "Dangerous" amounts to an above-average "Die Hard" actioneer that passes muster thanks largely to its charismatic cast, atmospheric cinematography, and Hackl's dynamic helming.

Stuck in the mud.

[jdticktalk · 3/10 · 6 November 2021]

It's a shame that Scott Eastwood never learned from his father how to pick the right movies to show his strengths. Why he plays an impotent action figure in this one.....playing to the whims of a confused psychiatrist is beyond me. What a waste of talent and stature!

Kinda Good...

[dantharpe · 7/10 · 26 November 2021]

I really like Scott Eastwood. I've enjoyed everything he has done thus far. This movie shows how versatile and talented he is.

Regretfully, I didn't really care for his character... the reformed sociopath took away from the full engagement of enjoyment in this movie. The story line is awesome, but I personally feel they could have done better without making him a sociopath.

Other than that, I loved the movie! Scott is truly brilliant and believable in his role. Too, the movie is believable, which makes the story ever better. Not sure if such an island exists, but it seemed logical the reason they were there had culminated in the troubles and loss of his brother.

Go see this movie! You will like it! I wanted to give it at least a 9 star, but I just couldn't get past the character Scott had to play...

This was torture to watch. Seriously terrible. Terrible acting, dialogue and camera work

[Neptune165 · 2/10 · 15 November 2021]

It's really sad to see top tier actors like mel gibson, bruce willis, nick cage, etc doing these tiny side roles in horrible movies. It is getting to the point that when i see one of the above names in bold on a movie cover, i instantly know its a trash movie the producers knew they'd never be able to generate interest in without that big name. Have to say this is some of the absolute worst acting i've ever seen, the lead actor is some nobody i've never heard of before, walks around the entire movie with a retarded confused look on his face. I've literally fallen asleep 5 times trying to watch this, just cant get past the 30 minute mark without it boring me to sleep. I give it a 2/10 and thats only because mel gibson does a decent job of acting despite the rest of the cast being horrible in every possible way.

Insane

[staunton-gary · 7/10 · 8 December 2021]

You ever notice that when you overuse a word it starts to sound silly, insane isn't it. The movie is entertaining enough, but seems to lack pace to warrant it being an Action movie. Kevin Durand (Cole) plays the baddy really well. Mel Gibson (Dr. Alderwood) certainly played the part well, maybe a little too well. Scott Eastwood (Dylan 'D' Forrester) came across believable, but didn't quiet pull off the dangerous element. I would recommend this.

Good to spend your time with...

[Thanos_Alfie · 5/10 · 23 November 2021]

"Dangerous" is an Action - Thriller movie in which we watch a sociopath going on a remote island to attend his brother's funeral and investigate his mysterious death. There he finds out more than he could ever imagine and he needs to deal with something new.

I did not have high expectations from this movie but I have to admit that I enjoyed it because it was simple and good to spend your time with. It contained some nice action scenes that in combination with the mysterious plot created an interesting movie. In addition to this, the direction which was made by David Hackl was good and he did a good job on the way he presented his main character and his behavior. The interpretation of Scott Eastwood who played as Dylan 'D' Forrester was simple but good enough for this movie. Lastly, I have to say that "Dangerous" is an average action movie but good enough to spend your time with.

Not a bad movie at all and glad I don't trust reviews

[dannyrest · 8/10 · 7 November 2021]

I don't know what the complaints were about. Perhaps they saw a different movie or maybe they are related to the ketchup guy from the Pizza Hut incident. Seems like people these days will complain about anything for a freebie. The only freebie from this they'll get is, that I'm glad I ignored them or I would have missed a decent flick.

The movie's a bit of a slow burn until things get going. But it was intentional for the setup of the characters and plot. I enjoyed Scott Eastwood's performance, reminded me of his stoned faced dad in the old westerns. Hope to see him in a lot more action flicks in the future or maybe some westerns perhaps. Mel Gibson was a surprise to see since I didn't check the casting for it. He played his part just perfectly. And the psychos in the movie were fun to watch too. This one's a keeper for my movie archives.

more good than bad

[nim-rod77 · 6/10 · 5 November 2021]

It couldve been great. The main character is decently constructed. Characters in general are well constructed and dont feel npcs.. perhaps not fully exploited.

Writing is decent, direction is meh and the plot is bad.

The honest grade is 5 ) but i support these qualities in a movie more than anything else.

Why is money wasted on crap like this?

[franjames-58730 · 3/10 · 18 December 2022]

Gaps between the, dire, dialogue that makes this look like a run-through. Weak story, weak acting, weak script and awful directing. Characters stubbornly sticking to their guns despite the circumstances. Has the FBI have just one agent? As bored as I was watching this crud, I have become equally bored writing this review. Watch it if you want. Pressed "Submit" but apparently Internet Movie Data Base require another 250 characters. Is this a plot to discourage us to give a succinct, true account of the way we feel about a movie. I think it id. Don't watch this unless you are really curious on how NOT to write, direct and act in a.

An action thriller without much contents...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 4 February 2022]

Well, I have to say that with the cast ensemble that were present for the 2021 action thriller "Dangerous", I was expecting a tad more than what writer Christopher Borrelli and director David Hackl actually delivered.

The storyline told in "Dangerous" was pretty straight forward. And there were aspects to the storyline that had potential and showed promise. But ultimately then just almost everything that writer Christopher Borrelli were setting up just never culminated in a fulfilling climax, and that made director David Hackl's delivery of the movie feel sluggish. And the movie was suffering terribly from that fact.

The narrative was dull and slow paced, as director David Hackl never let the movie pick up pace. So it was a fairly monotonous movie experience. And for a thriller, there wasn't much of anything particularly exciting or thrilling really. The movie was just too generic, bland and predictable.

The movie actually has a rather impressive cast list, which include Scott Eastwood, Kevin Durand, Famke Janssen, Tyrese Gibson, Mel Gibson and Brendan Fletcher to mention the most prominent. They put on good performances, just a shame that they had only limited contents to work with in terms of script and storyline.

"Dangerous" is a flaccid action thriller. And if you enjoy the action thriller genre, then there are far better choices of movies out there to provide proper entertainment. "Dangerous" is watchable, but that is also just about it.

My rating of "Dangerous" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.

Enjoyable action

[tpedwards-76618 · 7/10 · 5 November 2021]

Slow to start, but many films are these days. Odd main character (played by Scott Eastwood), but don't let that put you off. You can guess what's going to happen at certain points, but there's enough action to keep you watching. Mel Gibson plays a bit part, which is probably why he didn't get top billing. Give it a chance, watch it.