Boss Level

There are more levels of meaning to this film than may be obvious. With the number of highbrow story elements compressed into 100 mins (causality loops, DNA coded missing mass, Egyptian mythology and catastrophism) it would have been very easy to overwhelm and confuse the audience with too many ideas - but Boss Level doesn't. The story is well told, very well paced and seems to make a point of intentionally evolving from chaotic and complex to calm and clear. Clive Ventor's plan is horrific but logical and it's eventually revealed that Roy Pulver really only ever had one job from the start. When he devises his final, final, final, FINAL plan, despite everything that's happened, it makes perfect sense and also provides a valuable message about not giving up - even when you know the situation is completely hopeless. What could have been just a nihilistic Groundhog Day shoot 'em up turns out to be something far more intelligent and emotionally engaging. Good ending too.

Well, I must admit that I wasn't really expecting all that much from the movie titled "Boss Level". Why? Well, it was a movie with Frank Grillo and Mel Gibson in it. Not really something that thrilled me particularly.

But given the fact that I hadn't already seen it, and was presented with the opportunity to do so, I found myself sitting down to watch director Joe Carnahan's movie "Boss Level".

And color me impressed...

This movie was a blast. I loved the storyline and the way that things were repeated over and over, but at the same time made quite different. And it was these changes to the same situation that made the movie so enjoyable. Sure, the storyline was also good and definitely proved to be entertaining.

And I will say that Frank Grillo was actually quite good in the lead role for this movie, and his performance was spot on. He was actually rather nicely cast for a movie of this type. And while Mel Gibson was in the movie, though not for all that long, it was actually fun enough to see him in a a villainous role for a change. "Boss Level" also have the likes of Selina Lo and Michelle Yeoh on the cast list, which was quite a nice treat.

"Boss Level" is action from start to end, and it was the enjoyable kind of non-stop action. Which was something that surprised me, and definitely brought a lot of enjoyment to the movie for me.

If you haven't already seen "Boss Level", I can strongly recommend you take the time to do so, if you get the chance. This is a very enjoyable and entertaining movie.

My rating of "Boss Level" lands on an eight out of ten stars.

I going to come clean and say I flat out loved this film. It has a great cast, script, action, direction and of course special effects. Equally important, the choreography in the fight scenes is excellent. I never thought I was being hoodwinked or short changed by careful cutting, rapid shot changes or careful camera placement.

Although it has a pretty good if somewhat simplistic storyline, it has been adapted very imaginatively with what is actually quite a lot of forethought planning and development. I felt a little cheated with the ending but on retrospect, I couldn't really have asked for too much more... maybe they're doing a Boss Level II.

Normally I expect Frank Grillo to be either a second tier good guy, when the likes of some A-lister is unavailable or possibly out of budget, or a first rate bad guy, a role he tends to somewhat excel in. Here he's the star attraction and with Naomi Watts and Mell Gibson bringing up the rear and it's a good combination.

Grillo is sharp, witty, romantic and... well, displays a range as an actor that we rarely see him portray, and he does a great job. As an action actor there are few who can walk in his shoes, both physically and with his on screen presence, let's face it, he gets a lot of work in this area for a good reason, but I wasn't expecting him to be a lead in a role that really demands a lot more of his acting ability, and quite frankly, I'm pleasantly surprised. Not that I'm saying he couldn't act before, just that, well... I've not seen him in many parts where he's had much more to do than be/look hard, and or beat people up.

Gibson is Gibson at this stage of his career, gritty, unhinged and accomplished.

Watts is never truly convincing as a scientist/doctor/researcher. The rather alluring slinky dress that functions as a lab coat or some other type of boffin garb was ill thought out, but she nevertheless manages to deliver a competent performance whilst adding a sultry appeal that doesn't go unmissed... perhaps the dress isn't such a bad idea after all.

The minor cast is for the most part an accomplished line up of add-ins who do a pretty good job in filling in the necessary spaces for villain-hood, goonish ineptitude and thuggery. Some are quite enthralling and I loved the way that a multitude of baddies are employed for skulduggery, even if it is (given the protagonist and his lack of superpowers) somewhat excessive. Whilst Michelle yeo is largely unused, she nevertheless gives the story some credibility.

Anyway, I won't give away any details on the plot but it is a good film with a pretty solid delivery all round. I'm not going to nit-pick on the fine points of the story or temporal mechanics of the notions therein, and even though I do like the fact they didn't try and explain away some aspect of science, I didn't so much like that a fair amount of meat was left off the bones of the science aspect of the film... not that it mattered much since it wasn't really the focal point of the film... well, not really.

Anyway, go see it. Solid 7.5 out of 10 for me but I'll give it an 8 since it was an unexpected pleasure to watch.

The trailer actually makes this seem goofier than it actually is. time loop stories are actually difficult to tell. Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow are gold standards but this does a pretty good job - taking you on the same ride as the protagonists as he learns more and more about what's happening and how he can change the outcome. Another surprisingly enjoyable part of the movie is the dialogue. It's very of aware of either itself or the corny cliches of other action movies and Frank Grillo does a good job of delivering the snark. Get comfy on the couch with a few beers and enjoy watching this one.

Frank Grillo at his best, supported by a good cast and a cool script. The one-liners are a highlight in this film, as they give away the smart, fast-paced story and the swag of Grillo as an action lead actor. The action starts right away; this is not a boring movie by any means. Can't say much about the plot as this might be a spoiler but if you like action/comedy/sci-fi with a big splash of coolness, then that's your jam! 9/10 for the fun!