Altar Rock

ALTAR ROCK, renamed DEAD RECKONING to make it more commercial, is a very boring drama/thriller supposedly based on the Boston Marathon bombings. It plays out like a family drama for the most part with a few action bits added to the mix. The director did ROMEO MUST DIE and DOOM all those years ago and appears to have lost the basics of film-making in the interim period. Cast-wise, we're in for a wooden time with the exception of Scott Adkins, making the most of his small bad guy role.

Andre......you've lost another submarine? The main problem with " Altar Rock" seems to be everyone wants to be somewhere else. Like doing "Auntie Mame" on Zoom with the Sconset Actors Colony or " Yentl" at the Auschwitz Arts Festival in Ozwiecim. I liked this film for everything it wasn't but strives to be. Under dog films work for me, even without Season Hubley in the cast.

Scott Adkins films are generally a bit corny and daft and this is no different. I think he's successfully carved out his own niche in the movie business. I'll rate it as a Scott Adkins film. Still, not the best (of his).

Tillie (India Eisley) is a troubled girl on Nantucket Island. Her parents had recently been killed in a plane crash. She falls for cab driver Niko (K.J. Apa). The problem is his murderous brother Marco (Scott Adkins). Agent Cantrell (James Remar) is on the case.

Niko is a problematic character. K.J. plays him like a nice guy. I buy his inner conflict with his brother but he tries to be the good guy. This apparently is inspired by the Boston Marathon bombers. The problem is that this movie is nowhere near sophisticated enough to do justice to the complexity of human relationships. There are awkward turns here with Niko. I don't buy his character even without the inspiration.

This movie is exactly like a grade 5 student's A/V essay, and the student get's an F. It's so awful that you feel badly for the actors, actors who will not be adding this catastrophe to their resumes.