The Killer's Game

This is a fun little movie, isn't very original nor very memorable but fun while it is on. To be clear, this had to be filmed as a movie not intended to go to theaters but it was better than expected. Dave Bautista, while looking odd, does a great job as he finally gets an action movie where he is the lead man

The plot is simple, introducing zany comic book type assisins and then killing them off in incresingly comically violent ways. Ben Kingsley and a Catholic priest are the comic relief and surprisingly that works really well, some good laughs. Scott Adkins and Terry Crews have smaller roles but always bring something fun to their performances.

I also appreciated the excessing grenade use in this film. I feel in real life hitmen would use grenades instead of exposing themselves for a gunfight. It is a movie of course, but eveyrone uses grenades first, and I approve of that.

You don't have to go to a theater to see it, but definately watch it when it comes to home video or streaming as it is a fun watch. There was scattered applause when the credits rolled and others seemed to generally like it.

Overall the movie is nothing special but I do love a good ol' fashion action flick. And it definitely serviced that need.

Story wise it was very mediocre. It's not gonna win any academy awards but it's serviceable for the movie. They tried to insert some comedy into it, but it didn't work out well.

Production value was just okay again with nothing special. I will see the fight choreography was good.

The characters are okay. Dave Batista not a good actor and he will never be a good actor unfortunately. So his performance didn't make the movie suffer. Terry Crews was really funny in it with his sidekick.

All in all the best part of this movie was the action. It was a jam packed full of it. If you like a good action movie, you're gonna like this one.

I was expecting that JJ Perry having been in the army would actually know something about how weapons work, especially fragmentation grenades, but I was sadly disappointed. Also, as a stunt guy, I was thinking he could come up with cool but realistic stunts. But again, the stunts were contrived and defied physics.

I loved Bautista in GotG, Drax had depth, where Joe, an assassin, was BORING and predictable. Sofia's acting is a step up from David's, but still was a low for her. Again, this could have been the result of really poor directing.

Ben Kingsley and Alex Kingston consummate professionals that don't need a director, performed excellently. They accounted for a star by themselves.

Good concept bumbled by a over reaching stunt man.

I do have to get it out of the way now, yes this movie is very much inspired by the John Wick films. However, this film is definitely more fun and comedic. I was genuinely surprised by the chemistry between characters, it felt believable. The action was over the top, the film definitely feels almost like a comic. Its very fun and genuinely creative with it's action. I'm already seeing low reviews, but I feel like people are taking the film too serIously. This film knows exactly what it is, it isn't pretentious.

Also it's the perfect run time, bring back movies that aren't needlessly 3 hours. Thank you.

"The Killer's Game" is an action-comedy film that had to go through a series of changes in development before eventually reaching post-production. Negotiated initially by Broad Green Pictures in 2015, the project changed hands a couple of times until STXfilms acquired it in 2018. The film was supposed to star Jason Statham but Statham left so Dave Baptista had to come in as the lead.

The story follows Joe Flood, a veteran hitman diagnosed with fatal diseases. Desperate to avoid such a painful death, Joe arranges for an assassin to kill him, but after placing the kill order, he finds out his diagnosis was a mistake, and he is healthy. However, the kill contract cannot be repealed now, and Joe becomes a target for other highly professional assassins, many of whom he taught himself. The plot follows Joe's fight for survival as he attempts to outrun his pursuers, reflecting on a life as a killer. Down the road, he finds out who set up the false diagnosis and uncovers a deeper conspiracy.

The film merges scenes of intense violence with humor while maintaining an over-the-top, comic book-like aesthetic. The storyline is not new, and it's predictable, but it's fun to watch because of the action sequences, visuals, and over-the-top characters.

The fight scenes, choreographed by J. J. Perry from a background in stunt coordination, are particularly praised for visceral impact and creativity. The movie has loud lighting and fun camera work, adding to the overall stylized view and blended sense of dark humor inside the action.

Perhaps the highlight of the movie is Dave Bautista as Joe Flood. So well-known for his stoic, humor-filled character, Bautista imbues vulnerability into the man, who is struggling to come to terms with his impending death while trying to protect a loved one, Maize, played by Sofia Boutella.

This chemistry adds emotion to the otherwise action-heavy plot. Ben Kingsley, who plays the role of mentor to Joe, manages to bring gravitas with wit in his scenes. Even when some characters, like Maize, enjoy relatively less screen time, their presence is of immense importance to the emotional core of the movie.

Despite the simplicity of its plot, "The Killer's Game" is a movie that reflects on mortality, love, and redemption. Joe is a lifelong hitman who reflects on his violent past and a chance at redemption through his relationship with Maize. Most of all, there are even religious undertones in the movie, most especially in the last act, where a priest becomes an ally to Joe.

On the whole, "The Killer's Game" is an entertaining, very mild action film that does not contain deep philosophical insights but does entertain its viewers by the blend of humor and conceptualized action with very powerful performances.

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