La belva

"The Beast" as the title translates, doesn't really ring true.

Akin to films like "Taken" (which is also implausible) the primary issue with this film is one of realism. The key protagonist is apparently a highly skilled, special forces operative. Yet his situational awareness is poor, as is his judgement. Of course, we are told he has PTSD. Even so, that level of experience becomes instinctive, so this is a thin excuse.

He blunders into multiple hostile situations. His combat skills look more like those of a simplistic street fighter. They lack polish and precision. No one with that kind of background would go in unarmed, either. A hammer, a box cutter, kitchen knife, or even a crow bar, can make a huge difference.

Just as improbable, his adversaries leave him for dead at one point, rather than finishing him off. All this after he proves he is at the least a tangible, if disorganised, threat.

Acting by contrast, is excellent. The main character is believable but he's let down by a script that fails to seriously ask how a soldier with this degree of training and experience, would really perform in this kind of scenario.

The outcome is a film that's more or less watchable but for anyone with any real training, it offer's up far too many "yeah right' moments to be convincing.

5/10 from me.

The movie has a good beginning and the Beast character is perfect. But then the plot becomes really slow, the action is slow, the hero looses his strength and falls in serious danger. It is not clear the intention of the movie: an action movie, a family/love movie, both of the them ? Well in my opinion none of them had success. Finally with its rhytms movie is too long (I risked to fall asleep). But Ludovico Di Martino has really good possibilities (scenes, lights, actors), so c'mon let show them.

This movie is watchable, but not as good as I had hoped. Guy just gets his ass kicked most of the time. Should have gave the script to Scott Adkins.

The movie starts OK and then the plot becomes a mess... and the action scenes are boring. No need to view it.

If only they had added "I have a particular set of skills..." it might have been better.

Netflix advertises this film well showing Fabrizio Gifuni as a tough, no nonsense, 'get the job done' ex-military father who is central to the movie. Sadly though, the film didn't meet the hope or expectations I had for it.

The good and the bad:

• When the end graphic 'La Belva' (The Beast) is better than the movie, you know something went wrong.
• From a broad view the story is fine, even if it has been told many times: A young family member is kidnapped leaving the father to get them back.
• Fabrizio Gifuni almost looks the part, grizzled with an over the top beard. However, for a man who supposedly spent 30 years in special forces he is a scrawny
• Stemming from the last point, the only relevance I can see in learning he was in special forces for 30 years was to give the impression he has a 'particular set of skills which make men like him dangerous to people who might kidnap his daughter'. However, he doesn't display any more skill than a determined father who can handle himself.
• The film fails to develop the characters leaving the viewer not caring much for them. For example, we don't learn much about the young girl who is kidnapped other than her big brother leaves her eating chips at a table where, predictably, it all goes wrong.
• Typical to the Italian stereotype, the film has great hype but no substance.

The negatives could go on, but it would be like shooting fish in a barrel (i.e. easy).

La Belva (2020) is not a film I will remember, and much like El Sabotage (2014) this review will be the only reminder I once saw it.