An ex-convict (Mel Gibson) and his estranged daughter (Erin Moriarty) go on the run from her drug-dealing boyfriend (Diego Luna) and his vicious cartel.
This film is pretty much what I expected it to be from hearing about it. Mel plays Link, a man with a past, a man who has made many many mistakes, and who has been estranged from pretty much everyone he used to know. He’s sober now. Trying to live an honest life. But is it too little too late?
His daughter is missing. She ran away from home some years before and there has been no sight of her since then. His wife, married to a wealthy man know, has a reward out for her.
But when she gets into trouble it is her father she reaches out to. And trouble here is really trouble. Drugs, murder, violence, gangs. The whole shebang.
And its fine, as these films go. There is violence and rage and blood and fights. And yeah, Gibson is believable as Link.
But at the same time, I just didn’t care. I’ve seen this film before, man with a past out to redeem himself and save his estranged father. And I just don’t really engage with the character any more. Who wants to see yet another violence fuelled disaster of a life being turned into a hero all for the sake of some action film. Especially when it tries to be all “gritty”. These films, to work for me, need to actually really look at the impact of violence on people. Either that or go a fair bit lighter and just fun.
Also, did I need the close ups on the daughter’s short shorts at the start of the film? No. In case you were wondering, I really didn’t.
So yeah, it does what it advertised that it would do, so I shouldn’t really complain. But at the same time I was left feeling a bit “sigh, whats the point” about this film.
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