First Kill

I watched this with an open mind until it became clear that the scriptwriter/director/producers must have been in the employ of the American motor industry.

The protagonists drive into the woods in a Range Rover only to be told by Over-The-Top-Aunty, that their chosen 4x4 won't get them anywhere and they should instead drive her yankee pick-up.

A nitpick some might say, but anyone knowing anything about cars knows the Range Rover is the singular best off-roader in the world (apart from its more utilitarian predecessor: the Land Rover). A small point but it marks a complete lack of knowledge, understanding and research.

Then later on the same OTTA offers them yet another truck... and I'm pretty sure that character wasn't running a garage.

Wow, three are some harsh critics out there. It wasn't one I would watch again, but it was enjoyable enough.

The film crafts a brilliant atmosphere and tension, Hayden is usually stamped all over by critics for his acting but here it feels genuine and real. He has a believable relationship with his child and while not he greatest film in the world it provides some brilliant entertainment and deserved better than it was given.

Okay, this was not one of Bruce Willis' shining moments ... forget the Nakatome Building, or whatever it was.

But, this is a decent movie. It was obviously a collaboration among a gaggle of movie and production companies, presumably so they could afford Willis.

No spoilers here, but the seemingly irrational behavior of the main character in the first half, will later seem rational based upon what's learned in the second half. I was glad I didn't doze off or let the WTF reaction stop me from making it to round two.

If they'd had any nuance at all in early character development, this would have a "great" movie. But, don't let all the negative press (esp Rotten Tomatoes) stop you from watching it. The sheer irony of round two is worth the watch.

For a Bruce Willis paycheck movie, this modest thriller isn't half bad. Willis himself is half-asleep throughout, and, as in the same director's "Marauders", he's outclassed by the more animated second lead, in this case Hayden Christensen. Yes, Christensen upstages Willis, and he's throughly believable as a young businessman who wants to teach his initially wimpy son how to be a man. The plot (Christensen takes his son on a deer hunt, then witnesses an attempted murder, complications follow) has its fair share of holes, but is generally compelling and twisty, even if you can predict the final twist a mile away. And that's entirely Willis' fault - his acting, his mannerisms are just too revealing. The camerawork and editing have a nice fluidity, and there are many visually appealing scenes, partly due to the forest setting. The actions scenes are well handled, too. Miller knows how to stage chases and gunfire. There's some dopey dialogue, and with one exception, the side characters remain anonymous and underdeveloped. Christensen delivers a solid performance, and Gethin Anthony shines in the role of a sympathetic bank robber (we don't get to see the actual heist). Some of the plot twists are a bit farfetched, but they'll keep you watching. Overall, a step up for the prolific Steven C. Miller, even though Willis is asleep through some of it.