Alvo Duplo

'BULLET TO THE HEAD': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Sylvester Stallone in a classic 80s style revenge action film directed by none other than Walter Hill (who helmed such popular 70s through 90s action flicks as 'THE WARRIORS', 'THE LONG RIDERS', '48 HOURS', 'RED HEAT', 'EXTREME PREJUDICE', 'TRESSPASS' and 'LAST MAN STANDING'). The film is based on a graphic novel (of the same name, when translated to English) by Alexis Nolent and illustrated by Colin Wilson. It was scripted by Alessandro Camon and puts Stallone in a buddy tale as a hit-man teamed with a cop out to revenge the killing of his partner. It also pits Stallone in a classic axe fight with Jason Momoa (of 'STARGATE: ATLANTIS', 'BAYWATCH' and 'GAME OF THRONES' fame. He also played Conan in the recent 'CONAN THE BARBARIAN' reboot). The film also co-stars Sung Kang (most well known from 'THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS' franchise), Christian Slater and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. It's a great throwback to 80s action flicks and Stallone and Hill fans should be thrilled with it.

Stallone plays James Bonomo, a hit-man in New Orleans who takes an assignment to kill a dirty cop, named Hank Greely (Holt McCallany), with his partner, Louis Blanchard (Jon Seda), but leaves a witness alive, a prostitute the cop was sleeping with named Lola (Weronika Rosati). Bonomo and Blanchard are later attacked at a bar by another hired killer named Keegan (Momoa). Keegan kills Blanchard but fails to defeat Bonomo in a bathroom brawl. Bonomo later learns that Keegan is working for a man named Robert Morel (Akinnuoye-Agbaje) who wants a file Greely had. Bonomo of course wants revenge for the death of his partner. A cop named Taylor Kwan (Kang) comes to town to investigate the death of his ex-partner, Greely, and pieces it together that Bonomo was involved. The two reluctantly team up to stop Morel and Keegan. The beautiful Sarah Shahi also co-stars as Bonomo's daughter, who helps him out when Kwan is in need of medical attention (because she's a tattoo artist).

The film, for me, had exactly the same feel as the old neo-noir revenge flicks from two to four decades ago (the same ones that Stallone used to star in or Hill used to direct). While watching it it almost feels like you've been thrown back in time to the 80s or early 90s! It's just great nostalgic fun and Stallone is perfect in it. Kang makes a great sidekick and Momoa is an awesome bad guy. It's of course perfectly directed by Hill as well (who hasn't changed at all in style in the last thirty-some years). The script isn't very deep and the lines are sometimes very cheesy but that's the way it's supposed to be. I enjoyed it more than 'EXPENDABLES' co-stars, of Stallone's, latest action vehicles (Schwarzenegger's 'THE LAST STAND' and Statham's 'PARKER'), which came out in theaters weeks apart from each other. They all underperformed greatly at the box office (especially this one) but people are idiots and have poor taste in movies (also all three will kill on video). It's a great B action film, the kind that Stallone and Hill are legendary for!

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"The guy I just saved is a cop. That's not the usual way I do things but sometimes you gotta abandon your principles and do what's right." James Bonomo (Stallone) is a career criminal with a partner that he trusts. Taylor Kwan (Kang) is a cop with a partner he trusts. When both their partners get killed by the same man they from an alliance to take him down but being on opposite sides of the law means they both have their own way of doing things. I'll open by saying that this movie was pretty much exactly what I expected. There are actors with a wide range of talent and can play almost any role they want. Then there are actors that can't play a wide range but try to and it never turns out well. Then there are actors like Stallone. He knows is limitations and stays within them, he doesn't always make the best movies but at least he doesn't try and do Shakespere. This is a movie that has the feel of an 80's action movie which is what he is best at. Nothing really new or original but it is entertaining. Overall, if you are a Stallone fan then you will like this. I thought it was OK. I give it a B.

In New Orleans, the hit men James Bonomo (Sylvester Stallone), a.k.a. Jimmy Bobo, and Louis Blanchard (Jon Seda) execute the dirty cop Hank Greely (Holt McCallany) in a hotel room. But they are betrayed and Louis is stabbed in a bar by the mercenary Keegan (Jason Momoa) while waiting for the payment of the contract. Meanwhile the Washington D.C. police detective Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang) comes to New Orleans to investigate the murder of Greely, who had stolen evidences from the Police Department. Soon he is shot by two dirty detectives but Jimmy saves his life. Jimmy brings Taylor to the shop of his daughter Lisa (Sarah Shahi) and she removes the bullet from his shoulder and nurses him. Taylor and Jimmy form the most unlikely partnership to investigate the crimes and after contacting the intermediate Ronnie Earl (Brian Van Holt) that had hired Jimmy and Louis, they discover a network of corruption formed by the lawyer Marcus Baptiste (Christian Slater) and the entrepreneur Robert Nkomo Morel (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).

"Bullet to the Head" is the return of the cult director Walter Hill to the direction after six years without making a movie. The story uses many clichés and the double Taylor and Jimmy is identical to other comedies with two different characters forced to work together and having the conventional frictions. But the story and the action are good, the locations in NOLA are wonderful and the music score is excellent. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Alvo Duplo" ("Double Target")

With the unlikely alliance with a cop, a career criminal sets about to exact revenge after he is double crossed.

Far more memorable than Schwarzenegger's The Last Stand, writer Alessandro Camon's screenplay (based on Alexis Nolent's graphic novel) and director Walter Hill don't try to reinvent the action-wheel and too the films credit Sylvester Stallone successfully goes against his usual casting playing an unsavoury character namely James Bonomo (Marion Cobretti, Stallone's own "Cobra" would have certainly despised him).

Despite clichés, some unnecessary flashbacks, over exposition, even repeating plot points just in case you missed them the first time around Bullet to the Head is reminiscent of the Fast and Furious in style with a touch Red Heat with the leads conflicting opinions and one-liners. Vetran director Hill proves he still knows how to direct a solid action film with kinetic axe, gun and fist fights. Christian Slater has a memorable cameo with Jason Momoa proving he's more than just a Arnie alternative.

It's and old school action with modern slick delivery, worth a watch.

This movie plays out exactly like a video game, complete with a Blackberry that feeds objectives and information. The bad guys give up info way too easy. Sung Gang is wooden and completely cliché for the good cop role.

That said, if you can live with the video game flow, its a decent action flick with plenty of violence that warrants the title of the film. Stallone is, well he's Stallone, nothing surprising there. Jason Momoa is decent as the killer. To be honest, he's actually a better actor than the script he is given. You don't (or shouldn't) watch these movies for great acting anyway. It delivers on the action mostly and violence totally. They even threw in a couple nude scenes with no point to the story line just to give it that earlier 80's action movie feel before they all started going PG and PG-13.

I give it a 6 because it was only slightly worse than I expected. Classic action movie that seemed like it might have been scripted for a game before it was scripted for movie.