The Death and Life of Bobby Z

For a seemingly low budget film, Bobby Z wasn't too bad. Moves pretty quickly, but with a weak storyline and plot, it is clear why it was a straight to DVD feature. Paul Walker does a decent job with a character that an Actor won't be able to do much with, except go with the flow. No real surprises, or twists and turns, just straight to the point B rated action. Actually has some pretty good fighting sequences and shoot outs. Laurence Fishburne is surprisingly cast as a supporting with a weak performance, mainly due to the script and content and possibly direction as well. Bobby Z is definitely a good B movie, with a rating of 5 overall considering everything listed above. All in all, this film is definitely worth watching if you're just chillin' with 97 minutes to spare. And Paul Walker is not nearly as bad an Actor as everyone tries to make him out to be. Have fun.

Paul walker, who died in 2013. He had made all those fast and furious films. He's tim kearney, just out of prison. Agent grusza (laurence fishburne) wants him to pretend to be the dealer bobby z so a hostage swap can be made. It's all pretty silly. The bad guys are all just terrible shots.. .they never seem to hit kearney, his horse, or bobby's son. And it moves so slowly...long pauses. And who says "he's heading south by southwest" ?? No-one. Maybe sailors. Most of the script is just silly and unlikely. And the feds don't really want kearney to succeed, for some reason. And it's so convoluted, we can see why. Imdb states this was filmed in 2005, but wikipedia says it was released in 2007, and went directly to video. Not usually a good sign. Directed by john herzfeld. Based on the book by don winslow. I'll give this one a "just okay".

I don't know if the story was intended like that but for half a movie things are vaygly explained to the point one would think the movie is bad, even dough everything is explained I believe they could have done that differently. There are some scenes where Director, John Herzfeld, was careless and it shows for example the relationship between the main character and the boy progress very unrealistic and rushed. More love could have gone in the script.

What can we say about the actors, legends. Paul Walker is right at home with the character, Laurence Fishburne is a bit out of his usual role here, but he manages it just fine and Olivia Wilde my God that Olivia Wilde's beauty is simply unmatched back in those days, she fits the role greatly and is not just show and no go, she does great.

There are very little special effects here and are all practical effects so that's a plus, but the camera work is average at best, some poor angle choices and camera stills, there are a couple of "that will do's" here and there.

This is a pizza movie in any day of the week, I don't think it's a weekend movie.

Enjoy!!

While it's no worse than much of the action movie junk that makes it to theatres, Bobby Z, originally entitled The Death and Life of Bobby Z, is a action thriller with Tim Kearney (Walker) as our hero. Kearney is a convict who's an ex-Marine and clearly not so much a bad person as one who has frequently found himself in trouble due to circumstance rather than intent. This gives director John Herzfeld, whose own career hacs been on less than an up-tick since the appropriately named 15 Minutes came and went in about that long, a premise for having a good guy hero who still fits the label of a tough convict.

The slightly convoluted storyline sees Kearney – whose life is in peril since he killed a biker gang boss in prison (self defence, of course) – offered an opportunity to walk free, as long as he's willing to impersonate a drug kingpin who happens to look just like Kearney, and who has just died. Fishburne plays the Drug Enforcement Agency cop who puts Kearney up to this task.

Before you can say 'gunfights are fun', Kearney is being shot at by the cops, manhandled by Mexican drug thugs, pursued by the bikers, and generally in demand by everyone, regardless of whether they think he's Kearney or Bobby Z. Our hero, of course, dodges the bullets, battles the bad guys, befriends Bobby Z's son (who has never met his dad) and romances a beautiful woman (Olivia Wilde) whose relationship with the bad guys is a bit hazy, but clearly quite intimate.

Filled with head scratching twists and cornball dialogue, this is not exactly a brilliant film. Yet it's got a slick look and at least a few passably enjoyable action scenes. And Walker, while never likely to be mistaken for a Shakespearian thespian, has the good looks and charisma to lead the way here. At least his character isn't loaded down with as many stupidly threatening lines as Fishburne's. Wilde also does a passable job as Kearney's conflicted love interest; she's mainly called upon to look good (which she accomplishes rather easily), but also doesn't muff her lines when she does have something to say.

Movie was funny, entertaining and I enjoyed it.

To see Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) from House makes the movie a "must-see" all by itself. But there is much more promise in this film with action star Paul Walker, and the ever popular Laurence Fishburne.

Walker is playing this drug dealer and is trying to get Fishburne's partner back. You know, what can go wrong, will go wrong. Now, he is on his own.

The name of the game here is action. From the first scene, we see Tim/Bobby (Walker) getting in trouble, and it never stops. After an exciting horse/motorcycle chase, he takes off with his (Bobby's) son. He has the feds, the drug lords, and a biker gang after him. Not a good bet to survive, but he is an ex-Marine. Never bet against the Marines.

Don't expect anything more than fast action and you will not be disappointed.

Joaquim de Almeida, who you should remember as Bucho in Desperado, is the bad guy here.

I can forgive anything director John Herzfeld does in this film as I am forever grateful for his introduction of the hot Charlize Theron in 2 Days in the Valley.