larryallred

I get such a kick out of reading reviews. You get the usual "no redeeming value", the "high and mighty reviewer" , those who seem to be paid to gush over a film... In this case even the synopsis was so misspelled and worded I could barely understand who and what. Some couldn't believe parts of the story and one said it's "true" so you can rest assured it's all real. And of course it has Val Kilmer, soooo... what could I do but watch and report!

It would have helped if they'd introduced the characters. Immediately there's a murderer, a guy oogling at an actress, two guys in the street trying to assassinate a mayor for who knows what, a dead girl in someone else's bed, actors strutting, reciting lines but you don't know who anyone is, except "Old Wyatt" who is telling the story. Eventually you figure out who's who and it gets better.

The easiest way to sum up the movie, think Hallmark. Add a smidge more violence, meanness, blood to the made-for-tv look, simplified story with a few contrived scenes.

It's ok it wasn't Russell or Costner. I didn't have to be glued to my seat. I'm not all antsy about whether it'll be picked for an Oscar. Was it a 1 or a 9? Get real!! It was a nice piece of history, interesting story, made me think.... and by gosh, it even had Val Kilmer! It was a pleasant evening's watch I won't regret, but probably won't repeat.

It was advertised as a ghost story set in a castle. In the first 12 minutes a mother abuses her children. She gets stabbed, they get sent to a reform school where one is beat up and mutilated by guards, and a woman gets verbally abused for trying to comfort him. In 12 MINUTES!! Whoever wrote and directed this movie, and those who funded it, need to be sent to that reform school for serious adjustment.

My posts often deal with the reviewers more than the movie. To be honest I haven't seen this one yet, just had a really interesting time reading opinions here.

When you think about a Statham movie, what do you expect? A script honed and delivered like no other? The plot fascinating, building straight to the end with absolutely no holes? Totally believable characters who are fleshed out and vetted? A hero who stands above the rest? Naaaahhhhh........ You expect a moody, quiet, flawed man who has a snarky attitude and somehow gets pushed into letting out his impossibly well-trained side. You want to see a "whoopin'." Guns firing, bones breaking, justice measured out way over the "full" mark. All done by one of the guys at work, or who lives down the street.

Are you hoping to find classic literature, multiple Oscar categories, an ending which ties everything up neatly with a bow and sends you home in bunny slippers and a case of the warm fuzzies? Jason is a smart man. He knows what his fans want and always delivers. Most of us have inner demons hiding. It can be refreshing to see someone else let theirs loose for a good cause. That's a Statham movie.