An action movie staring Bob Odenkirk? Okay? That seems unlikely. That’s the point though, Bob’s face doesn’t fit in an action movie does it… does it? Most of us don’t and that’s what makes this brilliant. It’s relatable. It’s utterly bonkers, dialled up to eleventy stupid, yet still feels relatable. Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk) is a quiet family man, blue collar working, somewhat emancipated… nobody. Losing the respect of his wife and teenage son after failing to stand up for them in a home invasion, Hutch is in a bad place. Odenkirk plays this type of character well, he’s likeable, empathetic. Living a life that’s clearly set against him. We’ve seen the poster though and the opening scene with a bloodied Hutch in the future, so the only question seems to be, how long before he cracks. Before he demands some respect. Before he shows himself not to be the clueless walkover that everyone aside his daughter and his dad (Christopher Lloyd) thinks he is. Cue the music, a clenched fist and an hour of hilarious kick ass revenge cinema. Can Odenkirk do action hero? Hell yeah he can, one that delivers lines like “Give me the goddamn kitty cat bracelet mother fucker!” before indulging in some of the most joyful violence ever committed to screen and I mean ever! It’s absolutely wonderful. I’m a little loathed to give too much away, but there’s Russian gangsters, military pasts and Hutch finding it difficult to keep his family life out of a large bloody hole he’s dug. It’s not flawless by any means and it leans on some classic tropes, but it’s fast and fun, so you’re never left with a dull moment and Odenkirk commands even the most inconsequential of scenes. The guy playing the bad Russian dude (Aleksey Serebryakov) is a bit generic, but the whole thing doesn’t take itself too seriously so again it’s fine. The body count is high, the deaths inventive, the dialogue finding the perfect balance between just enough thrifty plot development and cheese. It’s not big, it feels quite lo-fi, even getting a bit A-Team as we approach the finale. It’s not clever, it’s really quite predictable, but my god is it fun. I can’t remember the last film I watched that wasn’t a comedy that made me laugh and smile so much. Oh and do you like car chases? Did I mention the car chase? It’s awesome. Maybe not as awesome as Christopher Lloyd with a sawn-off shotgun, but pretty damn good. Odenkirk is brilliant. Carrying this sometimes silly action flick effortlessly. I never say this, but I hope there’s more!
8/10
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