Blackout

Let's put our cards on the table. The Bourne story (killer with memory loss) is one of my all-time faves. I actually read the "hardcover" when it first came out (if you are not familiar with that term, Google it!). The movie trilogy is top-ranked on my list of the greatest films of all time (see below). So, off the top, I really really WANTED to love this film. But, alas, Fate had other plans. As I have explained in my other reviews, one of the hallmarks of a low-budget indie is the gratuitous use of loud music to "fill in the awkward pauses" between the weak writing and bad acting. BLACKOUT has plenty of gratuitous loud music. Another giveaway is the use of recycled actors. Plenty of those here also. But what about the ACTION scenes, you ask? The good news is there are plenty of those too. And it looks like that is where most of the budget ended up. In fact, at the 35 minute mark, protagonist Duhamel escapes a killer using the signature judo move from the grand finale of REDBELT 2008 (also on my list of the best all-time films). "A" for effort. "B-" for result. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

The only reason I can think this got made is because Nick Nolte has bills to pay. A few decent fight scenes and short running time but still silly. Reminds me of Tim Olymphant doing a bad version of an action star in Hitman. To think Nick Nolte, one of better actors in the past century is in this makes me wonder if he knew what he was doing.

This is nothing more than a B movie action rip off of Jason Bourne. There's a reason no one pays for this in cinemas. If it's bad enough, Netflix will pick it up for streaming. Giving this garbage even 2 stars would be kind but that's because I grew up watching Nick Nolte movies. Back when he used to do good movies.

Should've been named The Ghost of Nick Nolte. My husband and I thought this was 80's satire. This was the WISH version of a Lifetime movie, but aired during those god awful Christmas in July things.🎄

Some of the fight scenes were ok except when, after hand to hand combat, nobody's hair was even out of place. The shooting scenes though, lol What a joke. All of the shots that were fired and miraculously missed Josh and then he fires twice and kills them. The inconsistencies throughout this whole movie are comical.

How many kitchen trays were harmed in this film? That's what I really wanna know.

This is a skip for anyone over the age of 14. It uses the Jason Bourne lost memory and could possibly be a spy, criminal or soccer dad...who knows and people are trying to kill him. The director chose to go with shaky cam for ALL the action scenes. I do not mind shaky cam to promote tension or give the feel of what it is like to be fighting someone...but this shaky cam was used to disguised everythingincluding not haviing a good story. So many illogical scenes like people firing automatic weapons from point blank range(multiple times) and not even grazing the target. Double-digit ex machina scenes. A female character in a very intense action movie where she is killing people in hand to hand and gun and yet makeup and hair does not even have a smear. And do not get me started on Nick Nolte who looked and sounded worse than Weekend at Bernies (after he died). This is just sadness.

Blackout, I went into this blind, not in the drunk sense, I didn't read anything about it or any of the reviews. If it wasn't for Josh Duhamel this would have been below average. Having said that, I do believe that Josh Duhamel went into this blind too, maybe not the same blind state as myself. Abbie Cornish spent too much time looking emotionless. Omar Chaparro (Eddie) is obviously a fan of Jordi Mollà's portrayal of Hector Juan Carlos 'Johnny' Tapia in Bad Boys 2. Definitely a B grade movie with a budget to match. Some of the action scenes were done well. The director should have taken some direction from a more experienced director, the writer, a little lazy and relies too much stock standard cliche's. That aside, it is watchable and I would recommend it.