24H Limit

I read the reviews pre-watching. In fact, the reviews are why I pushed it off.

I actually enjoyed this flick.

Yes, it was extremely predictable. This movie has been done 1000 different times, but still good!

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this is a great movie. By all means no. It has a decent plot, couple of twists and well acted characters.

What i want to focus on is the primary goal of every action movie: delivering understandable action. Now since "John Wick" came out i've watched a lot of action movies and started to notice a change in the way action is filmed and edited. Of course there are a lot of quick cut/shaky madness action films from recent years, but for every "Sleepless" you get a movie like "Acts of Vengeance", for every "Kickboxer 2" you get "Boyka: Undisputed", for "The Hunter's Prayer" you get "Bushwick" and for "American Assassin" you get "24 Hours to Live". What i mean by this? These movies actually let us see what is going on in terms of action scenes.

In this particular movie when Ethan Hawke fights, we see all of it. No quick cuts. The camera moves in wide angle, giving us a clear view. Gun fights have clear sense of direction and geography. Even shootouts during car chase are done better, than in larger films. Now is it as good as "John Wick Chapter Two" or "Atomic Blonde"? No! But it's better than most.

So if you want to watch and enjoy an Action film, where you don't get lost in the action itself, i definitely recommend this movie.

This film tells the story of an assassin, who is shot by the bodyguard of the target he has to assassinate. He is mysteriously revived and is given another mission that lasts for 24 hours.

I keep thinking there is something wrong with this film, but I can't pinpoint what it is. Maybe it's because of the absurdity of reviving someone for 24 hours. Why try and succeed in the mission, when you'll die in 24 hours regardless of success or failure? Another thing is that there seems to be a lot of movie logic present. Why use an office that is completely exposed to being shot, when you're interviewing a high value target? The story doesn't make much sense.

"24 Hours To Live" is one of the better action films I've seen all year and surprisingly came out of nowhere on VOD with little fanfare. It is a must watch for any fan of the genre. It is loaded from beginning to end with plenty of solid R rated action. Shootouts, car chases and practical stuntwork with little to no CGI. Plus an explosive action packed climax that reminded me of the classic finale in "Hard Boiled". Ethan Hawke hasn't racked up a body count like this since the "Assault on Precinct 13" remake. An underrated movie that will no doubt be overlooked as a John Wick clone, but if you enjoyed those films, you'll like this. In my opinion, this will go down as a cult classic in the genre similar to the direct to DVD Universal Soldier sequels. If you consider yourself an action purist like myself, this movie is for you.

7.5/10

I know Ethan Hawke used to starring in a lot of action movie but he never strike the lead action hero in my eyes until i saw 24 Hours to Live.His always sad and tired face intentional or unintentional make he fit the role perfectly that add a lot of emotional into the cliché dialogue.The movie is pure action from start to finish make it a good Saturday night flick when you lazy to go out.The ending is terrible btw