Kill Chain

I went ahead and watched anyway and I really liked it. I have learned that if Rotten Tomatoes gives a movie 5 stars, it's probably terrible and in this case most critics disliked it. I thought it was one of Cage's better movies in a long time. I got into it right off the bat. I also say that as a picky person on films. This movie was very good.

A simple plot is buoyed along by good pacing and decent action. Action peaks at the right time, and the acting is solid for the most part, with uneven performances in spots. Its simplicity and well-portioned atmosphere and action make this a fairly enjoyable watch and above average.

"Kill Chain" is a simple yet aptly named thriller that begins slowly and oddly, almost stumbling until the 4th or 5th scene when we can recognize the pattern of what's going on. The strongest section of the film is definitely the final 30 minutes that is taken over by Cage with force and some striking charisma.

At times the camera is a bit hard to follow and the supporting characters may be a tad weak, but nothing that really takes away from the enjoyment of this thriller. Even with the sprawling plot points between all of the characters, the story comes together even leaving it open to have a sequel.

Cage seems to be on a roll as of late coming out with Mandy, Mom & Dad, Color Out of Space and now this. I hope this trend continues and we see Cage return to his glory days even if he is super enjoyable as the macro-meme mascot of the internet.

8/10

You can say a lot of things about Nicolas Cage and his recent output of movies, which put Steven Seagal to shame - and not in a good way. What you can't say is that he's phoning them in. Well not entirely and not convincing either most of the time. Still, like Seagal who'd say no to money offeered to shoot in beaufitul cities/countries, with some good looking (female) cast members? Maybe only the geographical aspect of it, convinces you, maybe just the money, maybe you like the company of women. Nothing wrong with either of those things in particular (consent would be one in the latter of course).

A few things wrong with the characters he portrays though. Then again, this has enough nudity and violence to keep you busy and not minding whatever this is about ... or not. Cage can play and is good when in movies that have a certain quality ... this is direct to video fodder. Nothing less and nothing more either

'Kill Chain' is going to lose some audience members in the first 15 minutes. It gets off to a very sloppy start. After the opening scene, a bizarre opening credits and then another awkward scene I thought I was in for a very long 90 minutes. But then the film found its rhythm and things began to click. Ryan Kwanten entered the film, in possible the best segment of the movie, and suddenly the movie wasn't seeming so bad. It's far from a masterpiece but it is a film that gets better and better as it goes along.

This movie takes itself very seriously. There isn't a single occasion in the entire movie I can remember where they try to make you laugh. Nicolas Cage, who is becoming synonymous with ultra violent revenge flicks it seems, is still a very watchable actor. He slips on the occasional line, but for the most part he's a stand-out in any scene he's in and he's not phoning it in.

The film turned out to be smarter than I expected it to be. Everything wraps itself together in quite a clever and creative way. If you don't need your films to be beautifully shot or have impeccable dialogue, and you're willing to get down and gritty in the seedy underbelly of a film, then this could just be the one for you. It won't be for everyone, but it is certainly watchable enough for a pass mark.