Mel Gibson's got a new movie out and it's a winner. It's the familiar, "daughter in trouble so dad has to kick some ass" movie, but I found it to be one of the better (if not the best) of this genre.
Gibson plays an ex-biker ex-con who's 2 years sober, living in a trailer park, and working as a tattoo artist. His daughter's boyfriend is in a drug cartel, she does something stupid, now they want her dead. Estranged daughter runs to dad, cartel follows, shenanigans ensue, and what we have here is a good 'ol fashioned chase movie.
While the cinematography is great as is the supporting cast, and the script is decent, what sells this movie is Gibson's acting. The man is an utterly arresting screen presence. He's become like Robert Mitchum....Perfectly capable of a wide range of emotions on screen. But there's the air of an aging lion there behind his eyes. Once he snaps, he becomes so menacing that you want to lean back a bit from the screen. No other living actor can convey that range so convincingly. Watching Gibson transmit "exasperation" with nothing more than an upwards eye-roll and a sigh highlights everything that was missing from Fury Road.
And while the script is far from perfect, it's at least somewhat real. Gibson's character doesn't have a particular set of skills, nor is he ex-CIA, nor does he have a hidden weapons cache. For as enjoyable as Taken was, it was completely ridiculous to the point of being a fantasy movie.
I really enjoyed this movie. In many ways it's a throwback to the good old days of action movies. I like that it works within some conventions, yet assiduously avoids others. It's got some good humor. It's got some very self-aware statements to make about Gibson. And it doesn't waste time with unnecessary backstory or needless exposition.
And, just like I said in my review of Edge of Darkness, Gibson's just an amazing actor.
Blood Father
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Blood Father
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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peter
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This is great news for me - I'm a longtime Gibson fan (saw Conspiracy Theory for the nth time last week) and have massive respect for just how good he can be! This is almost guaranteed to hit the spot for me!
(Just thinking of him as Porter in Payback makes me smile.)
(Just thinking of him as Porter in Payback makes me smile.)
President of Peace? You fucking idiots!
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard