Vendetta Rider - Weg der Rache

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, but having seen the 7.4 rating on IMDb I decided to give it a shot. I am not disappointed, despite the rating being quite a bit lower now.

Even though the film is about a fugitive on the run, it does not feel like he is escaping. It feels he is aware of his limited time before facing the law, but it does not change who he is or how he behaves. He travels on his motorcycle, visits friends, helps out whom he can and ultimately is on a mission to spread his mother's ashes where she wished to rest. He joins together with a less perfect but still very likable man and they travel together. They are being pursued by two lawmen, one clearly conflicted and the other totally ruthless.

It's a very pleasant ride; we get to know the main hero, empathise with him and presumably are expected to fully agree with him dispensing justice. I won't get into whether we should or shouldn't agree, however the biggest complaint I have about this film is how much it shoves this rationalisation of vigilante justice in our face. The film could have been a lot more subtle and definitely could have hinted another side of the story. We would still sympathise with the protagonist, but through a more realistic understanding of his plight, rather than being fed a one-sided view.

I gave this film a 7 despite the above flaw. This is because this flaw is easy to spot, understand and ignore. Once you do that, the film is engaging and enjoyable.

There's more to Conan than one might think. Well the Conan that did not succeed that is and you might not even have seen. Jason Mamoa is more than a little bit involved in this movie. Apart from being lead, he also directed this. Which means he really stands behind this story and wanted to tell it the way it is shown.

For someone multitasking, he's doing a pretty decent job. His character might have some flaws (and a lead character needs those), but the story itself does not really have them. It flows along nicely and is as spiritual a ride as you can get. Much better than another movie that came out recently, which was supposed to be a sort of sequel to "Easy Rider". I'm not a biker, but you can see what the quality of it is, with some very beautiful shots and the freedom it obviously gives you. If that is you cup of tea -> enjoy

Jason Momoa's mother was raped and killed, and the authorities didn't care; she was an Indian, after all. So Momoa. That's a different matter, since the rapist was White. So Momoa gets on his motorcycle and rides through the American Southwest, dodging the FBI and spreading his mothers ashes.

In his ramblings, we get a view of the underclasses that inhabit the character's world, trying to live their own, casual lives while avoiding the iron fist of the Authorities. It's a bleak, inhospitable world with flashes of beauty and violence, and although mostly derivative, is a pleasant watch. With Lisa Bonet (she and Momoa married in 2017), Lance Henriksen, and Michael Hayes.

I for one think this film was an excellent work of art. The story was great in my opinion, and it honestly was a different type of tale. Going into the movie I knew the back story, since I had watched some of Jason Momoa's earlier interviews, where he had stated that a lot of serious crimes happen in the native area, but are not taken seriously by the public.

This film shows the different aspects of Jason Momoa's work and greatness! I can see why he was tired of being type-cast as the big tough guy - and hopefully this film changes people's thoughts about him and his work. Momoa's acting was very strong, as was the writing and the directing! The directing was just awesome - the wide shots were amazing and it really captured the beauty of land and natural structures.

Lastly, the soundtrack was phenomenal and let's not forget Robert Mollohan's portrayal as Cash. His performance was really under-shadowed, and he really deserves some recognition.

In conclusion, I feel this movie was amazing. With a mere $600,000 budget, the cast and the story were outstanding. Being tired of sequels and prequels, this is an original tale, which is definitely worth a watch.

Takes you on a man's journey of what consquences lead up to when you chose to take the law into your own hands for family. Jason shines and shows promise.