Living & Dying

Sometimes a movie is so comprehensively awful it has a destructive effect on your morale. You begin to really ask yourself, what does it mean for our society that the standard is so terribly low? Can they honestly expect that we'll endure this many clichés and still be entertained?

Of course, it is still a Hollywood mainstay to make the GUN the major character, plot device, and the source of all conflict and resolution in films. Character needs a gun. Gets a gun. Can't do that because he has a gun. Puts his gun down first. OH MY GOD What are we going to do!? He has a gun! He waves it around, acting more malicious than real human beings ever do. He pushes it in someone's face for 90 minutes, shouting questions. The hallmark of any conclusion will be the comforting sound of police sirens.

It's a real challenge to make such a tired, hackneyed formula work again; a film has to be very clever and well executed. This one is neither. It has no life and no personality, and it will suck these components from YOU. it will make you feel WORSE about living in the time and space that you do. Really, who needs that!? So yes, I'll say it: I think this may well be the worst film I have ever seen. Anyone who was involved in the making of this sub- mediocre soul killing trash should be publicly embarrassed for the disservice they've done to us all.

I don't mean that it is a good movie but it's a funny and entertaining one. For example, I love the premise: a bunch of thieves start making a robbery and not much time later they become the hostages of two criminals worst than them. And this story still reserves a couple of twists (three or four in fact) that maybe are not very believable but at least are unexpected.

The film has its flaws: the gunfires are a little slow and not so exciting as the director hopes (but sometimes this shortcoming becomes a virtue giving a touch of realism to the action); the two bad guys, especially one of them, overact; and Michael Madsen... well, Madsen has become in last years a parody of himself, but that's not bad here considering that his character is a total asshole.

However, the rest of the cast is fine. I liked very much Arnold Vosloo (sober and credible) and the always outstanding Bai Ling (if you have doubts about her talent just watch Red Corner). Also I liked Edward Furlong and the support cast. And yes, this is a low budget movie but money is not always a necessary condition for getting something interesting and acceptable.

To pay attention on the weak points or the strong ones depends only on the mood and expectations of the viewer. In my case I have seen potential and good moments, and I have enjoyed with what I have seen.

This film is terrible. You don't really need to read this review further. If you are planning on watching it, suffice to say - don't (unless you are studying how not to make a good movie).

The acting is horrendous... serious amateur hour. Throughout the movie I thought that it was interesting that they found someone who speaks and looks like Michael Madsen, only to find out that it is actually him! A new low even for him!!

The plot is terrible. People who claim that it is original or good have probably never seen a decent movie before. Even by the standard of Hollywood action flicks, this is a terrible movie.

Don't watch it!!! Go for a jog instead - at least you won't feel like killing yourself.

I saw this DVD in my friends house and thought that this was a Turkish action movie with some Hollywood-not very big-names in it. Interested enough I decide to give it a shot later.. It was a tough to bear experience believe me. Then, after finally seeing the credits roll I tought 'We Turks really suck at Hollywood style film making.. This is an insult to the heist|hostage movie genre..' but then wait! I checked some names and no, they were not Turkish names and no, this was not a Turkish movie; on the contrary it was literally shot in America with an American director & crew! That made me thinking-again!- How on earth can you persuade names like Micheal Madsen, Edward Furlong or even Arnold Vosloo to take part in such a project? with money probably.. That kept me thinking further.. How can you raise such amount of money to offer them and a supposedly international cast? Then all my meditation paid off and I came to find the answer.By hiring the cheapest equipment and crew that you can find. And if you still have to difficulty in adjustin your budget then: by writing and directing the movie you are trying to produce-or vice versa I don't have any information on that-. So bottom line this is not a bad movie as everybody are so anxious to present as.. It makes you think -in my case even meditate- and there are a lot of movies outthere that doesn't give even that affect.. This one at least makes you think; It makes you wonder.. It leaves you with disbelief.. and then It makes you wonder again..

when i read other comment,i decided to watch this movie...

First, cast specially Michael Madsen and Tamer Karadagli; good enough...

Film,very intelligence and interesting because ,cast have a lot of international specially European actor and actress like from Turkey and Russsia...

Second,Story is basic and you can guess but if you interesting action good play you'll like in my opinion...

Third,Final chapter is not special or interesting,it's regular like other action movies...

Reading this description made me realize I would have to be an idiot to waste my time watching this movie.