60 Minuten

What I loved the most about this film was its homage to early race-against-time types of movies such as Taken and Kidnap, and its plot was centered around a likable protagonist that was relatable to watch. It held me by the neck even from the very start as it progresses into the action-filled chase scenes. These scenes were even tinged with emotional edges into it which made the film more than just an ordinary action flick. The way that the director centered the story around the protagonist and his dilemma (which ironically is a bit problematic because of his questionable abandonment of the fight) was smart because it emphasizes the greater conflict of the story.

Thought I'd try a new throw of review. Am halfway through and really enjoying it. Definitely elements of Old Boy and Victoria here, given the fighting and fk up missing his daughter's birthday premise, and real time unfolding of the story, albeit not one unbroken shot. But the lead guy is fantastic, he's really struggling here, physically and emotionally, and with ever increasing conflict his day is spinning out of control. And it's funny at times, without becoming facile or silly. And the journey through Berlin is accurate, he's just passing my flat now😾Will continue review when finished... It's great! The writers took SAVE THE CAT literally but in a very good way. They avoided most cliches and wrote something really quite lovely, and super entertaining, and you will not stop grimacing at the climax fight sequence, some lovely Korean cinema esque violence. But at its heart, and it has a big one, is the story of one man's mission to do the right thing for a change. And to put the confession scene in the mouth of the father was also clever. I loved this film and to redress one stupid 1 out of 10 review that seems based on racism I'm giving it 10. Bravo.

While there are a lot of familiar elements here, this movie feels different and fresher than a lot of the action movies getting released these days. You feel the main characters pain (both physical and mental) over the course of his journey to see his daughter.

The action is well choreographed and realistic, and the plot moves at a good pace, with some good emotional moments in between. It feels like a perfect run time that doesn't out stay it's welcome at less than 90 minutes. The ending is a little neat, but action movies aren't exactly known for their realism so it's somewhat forgivable. The final image put a smile on my face, just being a little different than the norm.

The lead actor does a great job, while the supporting cast manages well with the little time the movie devotes to them.

Worth a watch!

If there is one thing that is cool with streaming services despite being someone who still very well enjoy his physical movies format, its that little obscure movies like these would had probably never goes over my radar.

This popped on Netflix recently and i think its a German movie, well it happen in Berlin. I watched the movie dubbed in French, wich is another thing that would had been very unlikely to see during the "direct to dvd" era for a resident of Quebec like myself. A movie like this dubbed in french and released here. But i digress.

The general plot of the movie is one of the most simple ever. A father wich is about to fight in MMA against an opponent that is late has to throw everything off because he must reach his daughter in a certain ammount of time, otherwise her mom will try to remove his right to see her.

The issue is even tough the movie time itself fit with the 1h premise, you really have the impression the guy spend like 3h or more trying to get back to his daughter. There is no way he would had been able to do all of this in 1h. Unless the arena, his gym, and his ex house are basically at 10m of walk from each others.

So you look at it and think "why didn't he just fough the guy". Because there is no way the fight in the cage would had last longer than all that he goes trough. Basically the plot has more holes than a Swiss cheese.

BUT where the movie shine is with the action/fights. There is plenty of them, and they are pretty well done. Its solid choreography and good camera work. The movie never really slow its pace where you can start thinking about all the flaws of the plot. I only did after i was done with it and reading some other reviews.

So if you just want a cool martial arts flick while drinking a few beers, this movie is perfect for that, thus why i give it the score i did.

Genre films generally have a very difficult time in German-speaking cinema. And when it comes to action films in particular, German filmmaking lags far behind. I personally can only remember the humorous MMA hit PLAN B (2016) by Ufuk GENC with the superb stuntman Can AYDIN, which at least made people sit up and take notice that this genre is also possible in German-speaking countries. It's a good thing that the global streaming service NETFLIX definitely has a taste for unusual experiments. And lo and behold, successful director Oliver KIENLE (BAD BANKS) lets a remarkably well-trained Emilio SAKRAYA, like Franka POTENTE as Lola, run through Berlin against the merciless passage of time. Why this action occurs plays only a minor role. The only important thing is that Emilio SAKRAYA's Octavio is in a perceived emergency and therefore has to beat up half of the gangster world in the German capital. After all, why does he have his impressive MMA skills?

There's never a dull moment in this stylish, non-stop film, but you won't find any special flashes of inspiration in the script. But that's not a bad thing either. The film is a vehicle through which Emilio SAKRAYA can recommend himself for further roles in international action cinema. In addition to all the fighting, he can also play.

Dennis MOJEN and the internationally booked stunt people Marie MOUROUM and Bruno SALGUEIRO also appear in other roles. Otherwise, the other stunt people probably come mainly from Hungary. Oh yes, a very cute kitten named Onion steals the show from the hardened whipping boy.

Even if the film will certainly not become a classic of the genre, it is definitely good that German filmmakers are finally tackling such genres that are popular with global audiences. Keep it up!