Already Dead

I enjoyed this film, for the most part. The acting was well done, lighting was good, and it had plenty of action to hold interest. One main point I liked, is that it will cause you to wonder if you might take the same risks and actions, as the father does, if you were in his shoes.

It seemed every scene was valuable to the story, and character background. But, I thought the sequencing of certain scenes caused me to momentarily lose my focus on what was happening.

I won't say what those are, or discuss any of what happens. I did wonder who plays the son. There was no mention of him in the credits, nor is that information on any movie review site that I've seen.

Interesting premise of a secret organization that gives victims an opportunity for revenge when the judicial system fails. Unfortunately a similar idea was explored far better in "Star Chamber". Most of the movie takes place in an abandoned manufacturing building with hand held cameras. Everything is very dark, with much of the action almost impossible to see. Christopher Plummer is always above average, but here his character is used for nothing more than a well telegraphed twist at the end. So what you get is a good start, followed by a prolonged chase, and finally a no surprise "surprise ending". Not recommended - MERK

The premise is simple and the movie takes place in a warehouse: one man has been given the killer of his son to exact vengeance, but that's not really how it is...

The acting was good for the most part - the script was fine, the direction was solid and the story line was fine with small doses of suspension of disbelief. But hey it's not a documentary.

Maybe the denouement could've been a little more clear but it worked.

Quite gory and a lot of violence so this definitely isn't one for the family video night until the kids are asleep.

Enjoy.

It seems strange to me that we live in an age where scripts for mediocre thrillers such as "Firewall" can draw a big name like Harrison Ford whilst this little gem goes seemingly unnoticed. However, don't let the absence of any A-list Hollywood names stop you from checking out "Already Dead" because Ron Eldard and Til Schweiger are perfectly cast here. Never heard of them? Don't worry - you'll probably recognise them when you see their faces and, if there really is a God, they'll both soon headline much bigger movies.

What's fantastic about "Already Dead" is that it doesn't waste time getting into the story. The movie begins with events set in motion. Our first scene introduces us to Thomas Archer, a man evidently in some degree of emotional turmoil, as he walks through a train station with a large bag. What's in the bag? As he makes his journey towards his destination the audience is given brief flashbacks which bring you up to speed on what has already happened. As the present events unfold, the flashbacks continue until they intersect at a specific point and Thomas Archer is posed with a terrible decision.

I won't mention any more of the storyline because, for me, one of the highlights was the way in which it progressed. Another review on IMDb mentioned the lack of surprises which makes me wonder if we saw the same movie. I was continually wondering about the motivations of certain characters (in particular, Schweiger's character who is simply known as 'The Man') and the ending I predicted never occurred (yet still fully satisfied me). I also have to take issue with another reviewer's comments that the movie was 'slow in the middle'. I didn't find that all.

Despite "Already Dead" being a very polished production, it is deliberately filmed in a very raw way which mainly uses hand-held cameras to make you feel as though you're there with Archer during the movie. Good performances from the two leads as well as the supporting actors (Patrick Kilpatrick and Christopher Plummer) ensure that you're gripped throughout. It also manages to not outstay its welcome; there certainly weren't any moments when I found myself looking at my watch.

If you like smart thrillers with lots of action, I'd definitely recommend checking out "Already Dead". I'd also recommend not reading about the plot beforehand. Watch it without any knowledge of what will be happening and you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised.

I wasn't completely sure what to expect from this movie given the plot summary, title and no previous user comments.

The movie starts slightly 'within' the story so we are given a few flashbacks at the beginning to let us know why this slightly dishevelled guy is walking with a big black bag (hmmm, I wonder what's in it!). However, although it seemed to start out pretty predictable, it was still intriguing enough for the first 15 minutes or so to keep me watching (that's my usual time limit before I decide to switch off or not).

There are some twists and turns along the way, though the seasoned movie aficionado will probably guess them all anyway (I try not to work it out - I prefer to just sit back and go along with the ride). It does get a little slow in the middle, but then picks up again towards the end.

The acting was fine, particularly Til Schweiger (The Man), who should be doing better in Hollywood than his Filmography suggests.

If you like a bit of suspense and a bit of action without too much thinking, then I can recommend this movie. It wasn't terrible but it won't win any Oscars either. 6/10