Gun Shy

I hadn't even heard of this movie prior to coming to find it by sheer random luck. Well, that might be because I hardly keep up with the movies that Antonio Bandera makes. That being said, don't get me wrong, he does make the occasional good movie every now and again. So I decided to sit down and watch "Gun Shy".

And I am glad that I did, because this actually turned out to be a rather entertaining movie.

I will actually go as far as saying that this is one of the best movies that Antonio Bandera has made in a long time. It was really nice to see him in a movie such as this, because he seemed to fit into the character like a hand in a glove.

"Gun Shy" was driven by a good story and was filled with interesting characters. And they had a fairly good cast together here for bringing the various characters to life on the screen.

The movie definitely had an adequate amount of comedy and action, which made for a good cocktail.

"Gun Shy" is well-worth the time and effort. So if you haven't already seen it, do so if you get the chance.

How can an actor go from playing parts like Desperado, Zorro to this stupid nonsense movie!?

The "Aussie" is portrayed as crude, rude! AN insult to Australians! We must look real bad to the rest of the cinema world for some reason!

The poster itself is misleading! Gun Shy? Who? Antonio held nothing but beer cans throughout the movie! Action Comedy? I expected a lot more. I have seen action comedy movies before which were really entertaining, not this one! I will be generous and give it a 3.

This film tells the story of a rock legend, who goes on a holiday to Chile with his wife. His wife gets kidnapped, and he has to pay one million dollars ransom. However, the US government stops him from paying the ransom, so he has to use other ways to try to save his wife.

"Gun Shy" is really so ridiculously bad! It knows that it is bad, and there is no attempt to hide how silly, contrived, clichéd or cheesy the story is. The story is so unrealistic that it becomes funny. For example, is the kidnapped victim really going to have a romantic talk on the beach with the kidnapper? The whole film is just so bad that it becomes funny, but hasn't made the elite group of films that is so bad that it becomes good yet.

I don't understand some of the negative reviews about this movie, and it's low rating is unfair. Antonio's choices of movie projects can be a bit hit and miss, but Gun Shy was a pretty funny movie. Don't expect it to be the best comedy, or anything great in cinema, that is not what this movie is about. It's an easy going hour and half of inoffensive fun. Gun Shy and it's cast and crew are not going to win any Oscars for this, but everything was done well enough to give the viewer a pleasant experience. It's not a deep thinker, and as such does not need to be over critiqued.

At least a 7/10

"Gun Shy" has moments of absolute brilliance and others that are excruciatingly bad. I laughed frequently. I also felt it dragged at times and many of the jokes and gags fell flat. But it packs enough comedy that it's enjoyable despite the parts that felt they could have been much better. Much of it does feel as if the filmmakers threw material at the wall to see if it stuck.

The tone and style of humor are uneven. It tries to be raunchy at times, but also tries not to be too raunchy. An exchange between a diplomat and his local assistant is deftly executed. A fight scene involving a Taser is a riot. Some of the material regarding the sybaritic self-indulgent lifestyles of Rock & Roll stars is familiar and seems like it needed to be cranked up a few levels, but at other times Turk Enry's reflections seem almost cerebral. There are a few halfhearted efforts at political humor in the first act which largely fall flat. The tackiest gag involves a cheap swipe at President Trump.

Antonio Banderas's role seems incomplete. It should be what some writers call the idiot savant or the fool triumphant. The character is burned out, inept and insecure. He has heart and hasn't entirely lost his talent. But he doesn't really have a strong positive side. It's like Inspector Jacques Clouseau or Johnny English without the powers of deduction, the fearless dedication or indomitable spirit, all idiot without the savant. Banderas does an outstanding job with what he's given, but the character seems less than fully developed.

The film is hilarious at times, but frustrating in that it is not consistently amusing.