Downrange

We are used to see better movies from Ryûhei Kitamura, so if like me you were a little bit excited to see he made a new one, you are excused if you afterwards you think: well that wasn't really that good. Heck, even if you are really dissapointed (knowing the director or not), it makes sense. What does not make sense is going completely insane and insulting the people involved.

This is not Shakespeare so you can't expect that level of script, dialog or even acting. That does not mean that the people involved are not capable or have not the capacity to gain and reach those heights. Now this is a fun little ride, that could have been more and admittedly gets annoying at times (decisions by the main characters) and the ending is a bit ... well I personally didn't like it that much, but it did get a big laugh from the overall audience, so ... Anyway, this is not for the faint hearted, with all the graphic violence and blood on display. You've been warned

Saw this recently on a dvd.

Been keeping a track of Kitamura's work after having enjoyed his Midnight Meat Train n No One Lives.

The best part about this film is the daylight-soaked settings.

Most of the action takes place under the scorching sun. There is no hand held camera stuff n even the night scenes were well shot.

Another good thing is that the film doesnt waste time n the thrill starts within minutes.

Has shades of the awful Carnage Park n also of Roadside (not seen but terrible reviews) n the awesome Phonebooth.

The violence is excessive, there is solid tension n the editing top notch. The shoot-outs r brutal.

It falls into the category of edge of the seat thriller. Not even for a sec I paused the film.

Mysterious sniper tracks people at the roadside.

Good, tense suspense thriller. Yes, the acting is mid-range (I've seen far worse believe me), and the script won't win any Oscars, but the simple plot holds the attention throughout.

Quite violent at times (the people who are shot don't just fall over with strawberry jam on their shirts).

Whereas the characters aren't particularly threshed out, you get enough to justify their actions.

The ending is particularly unexpected, and also ambiguous but I'd advise checking it out. Without adding spoilers, the fate of the main characters isn't what you'd expect either, which adds to the fun.

Overall, drama, violence, tension and suspense supplied in abundance. Also good fun.

It reminds me of The Belko Experiment, Towerblock & You're Next, but with little padding. If you like those films this one is recommended.

Animal action involves some wasps on a body, and a wolf and some crows who all disappear at the first sign of trouble.

Is it horror?? Not really. Is it action packed? Erm...I guess. Is it suspenseful? Mildly. The characters are weak, stupid, and generally unlikable. Seriously, how many people does it take to change a frickin' tire? At one point it looks like the dude is actually trying to remove the tire from the rim. I mean WT-Entire-F??? The plot is simple, the effects are acceptable. As we near the end, it seems like it'll be a total waste of time. But then, the end happens. And I loved it. In just those few seconds, this went from 2-3 stars to a solid 6 stars. It's worth the watch if you have a mildly sick sense of humor and appreciation for irony.

First off, it's a low budget movie with some seriously cheesy acting. That being said, I really liked it for what it is. It's suspenseful, intense, bloody, and original. Like almost horror flicks, some of the characters make some very frustrating and stupid decisions, and it can be kind of predictable. But it is fun, in a bunch of people getting sniped off kind of way. Honestly, if this movie had a larger budget and perhaps some better actors, it would have probably been a hit. As is, it is still better than a lot of horror movies that Hollywood is pushing out. If you can look past it's obvious flaws, you will probably like this one.