Target Practice

It is rare that I actually register on a website to leave a review on a movie. This is that movie. It was by far the worst film I have ever seen. I want 90 minutes of my life back.

While the premise is sound, the execution was horrible. The acting was bad, the directing was bad, the script was bad, the editing was bad, even the sound engineering was bad. I could find nothing good at all in this film.

It seems like the whole movie was shot with one hand-held camera in shaky-cam/random-zoom mode. In one scene, the camera was not even focused on the actor that was speaking.

I was surprised by the 'good' reviews that this movie seems to have everywhere. They are not deserved. Do not waste your time on this movie.

I was lucky enough to see Target Practice some time ago and am very glad to know it is out in the wild for all to enjoy. A spiritual sibling of the great male-bonding gone way, way South movie "Deliverance", Target Practice moves the action into a post-9/11 world where the band of bro's out for a fishing trip are faced, not with sodomite hillbillies, but with home-grown terrorists training for all manner of nefarious acts.

Director Rich Riedel steers clear of Boorman's "men have lost touch with their caveman selves" pathos and, instead, focuses on the action. He knows how to frame a shot and edit the hell out of a scene to maximize the tension. The cast is professional across the board and relatively believable while doing all manner of violent acts. The picture is gorgeous to look at and the wilderness setting really pops in high def.

Do yourself a favor. Gather your closest male buddies, buy a couple cases of beer, fire up the BBQ, and watch Target Practice!

This is a terrific picture with great action, suspense, and atmosphere.

Director Rich Riedel not only understands the impact of flashy, noisy gun play, he also gets the importance of silence as an almost unbearable agent of tension. Excellent performances by all of the cast. And a brilliant use of location where he transforms the great outdoors into Hell.

I first saw this picture as an Executive Board member for one of the many festivals that screened it. Board enthusiasm for TARGET PRACTICE was robust and unanimous, and the film was a huge audience favorite. See it!

A group of guys go into the woods for a boys weekend away and end up running for their lives from a homegrown terrorist operation they stumbled upon. The action starts early and doesn't let up.

I really liked this movie. It was a smart indie action film. It's not a big budget, Hollywood, Brangelina movie. So it's not for everyone. But if you want something exciting, new and well done, this is a great movie. I actually like the unpolished look and feel of it much like I like the original "Halloween" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It's the "indieness" that helps keep the tension alive along with the smart writing and direction.

Can't wait to see what Riedel comes up with next.

I heard allot about this movie and decided to check it out and I must say it was rather refreshing compared to all the mainstream big Hollywood money machine productions that are so hard to get into now a days. I was captured by this films intensity and storyline from the very beginning. It was believable. The actors were believable. The directing and camera work kept me on the edge of my seat. Even the dialog was original and witty. This movie Target Practice moves along with a gritty and precise determination leading to the climax., it is quite obvious someone knew what they were doing. I would recommend this movie to anyone with a thirst for something different. With a bigger budget, I would be very inclined to see what else these young film makers can accomplish.