Blood Father
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 12:02 am
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.
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.