Big Game

Well... When the screenwriter set the action in some particular country, IMHO, he has to get general ideas about the location he is describing... Isn't he/she? I understand that 95% of the American public has no idea where Finland is and how does it look... but... Probably, the rest 5% knows that Finish landscape is pretty flat and mostly consists of lakes and swamps

In 2010 Jalmari Helander delivered one of the oddest but simultaneously most ingenious and refreshing horror movies of the new millennium with "Rare Exports". The success of that film was clearly big enough for him to get noticed in Hollywood and take a shot at making a large-budgeted blockbuster with A-listed actors. We see this happening a lot, by the way: young and creative non-American directors are plucked from their native countries after barely one hit and lured to Hollywood where their careers usually obstruct quickly because they are only allowed to direct lame remakes. But this is where it differs with Helander! Instead of going to Hollyood, Helander brought Hollywood to his beloved Finland for what is one of the most enjoyable, straightforward and unscrupulous action/adventure movies of the '10s. The story is simple yet delightfully far-fetched and over-the-top: 13-year-old Oskari is in the middle of performing a traditional Finnish manhood ritual when Air Force One gets shot out of the air on its way to Helsinki and crash-lands near the boy's hunting turf. Oskari rescues President William Alan Moore from his escape pod and swears to guide him back to civilization before his assailants find him and finish the job. "Big Game" has a couple of strong trumps, namely the chemistry between young Finnish actor Onni Tommila and veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson (in another fresh and surprising choice of role), the magnificently breath-taking Finnish filming locations (although largely filmed in Germany) and the purity of the screenplay. I love how Helander doesn't dive too much into themes like terrorism or overly convoluted conspiracy theories but opted for good old-fashioned and pulpy spectacle. Jackson's portrayal of the US President is also phenomenal. They are basically after him because he's an indecisive and cowardly leader. President Moore's toughest anecdote is a story about urinating in his pants and, in a way, undergoing the bravery ritual is as relevant to him as it is to Oskari. Obviously, there are several flaws in "Big Game" as well, notably how quickly everything and everybody gets tracked in these supposedly giant and impenetrable forests, but you'll gladly accept them. Thanks to the fast pacing, the compact running time and the thrilling special effects, "Big Game" is a massively enjoyable popcorn action flick that comes with my highest recommendation.

...in this relatively small budget Finnish* action adventure movie starring Samuel L. Jackson. (It's a small budget movie in Hollywood standards - with measly 9 million dollars (8,5 million euros) - but manages to be the most expensive Finnish movie today.)

(SIDE NOTE: No plot is discussed in this review - because you can find the plot summary elsewhere (look up), also because I don't think the plot of the movie is really important in this case.)

Big Game is unapologetically old school (that school being founded in 80's Hollywood) in it's aspirations. There's non of the grittiness and wannabe-maturity or seriousness of recent Hollywood action movies targeted at younger audience (like Hunger Games, Man of Steel etc.). There's direct references to 80's Spielberg movies like E.T. and Indiana Jones, but the movie it resembles most is Cliffhanger, the mountaineering action from 90's starring Sylvester Stallone. It's no coincidence since Cliffhanger was directed by the first and so far only (but not for long, seems like it) Finnish-born Hollywood action director Renny Harlin, and the writer-director of Big Game, Jalmari Helander (whose second feature film this is), Finn himself, was a young man dreaming of becoming a filmmaker when Harlin had his heyday in late 80's and early 90's with movies like Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, and Harlin was a big deal in Finland (and I guess in Hollywood too) at that time (not so much anymore).

Big Game is a love letter to the movies of Helander's youth. Usually there's certain amount of self-consciousness in backwards looking projects like this, but Big Game is no parody or ironic postmodern pastiche (or something). Helander takes it seriously (without being too serious). Yes, it's predictable, clichéd and formulaic but at the same time heartfelt, joyous and mostly fun (also relatively short with 90 minutes with no really dragging moments), and part of the fun comes from being familiar with the tropes the movie plays with and the willingness to embrace them earnestly**.

It's a film made by someone who watched Hollywood action movies as a kid and played the scenes of those movies in forest with his friends with sticks as machine guns*** and Big Game is direct continuation of that kind of childlike attitude to movies. It's not a film for the more jaded viewer who wants to be surprised with something completely unseen before or who wants "believable" action or more mature or gritty touch from his/her action and adventure movies. Helander made a movie that he loved watching in his childhood and that's both the strength and the weakness of the movie. What are your feelings towards these kinds of old school action movies and whether you are willing to embrace the cliché and take a more childlike perspective to the movie will probably determine whether you will appreciate Big Game or not.

I personally thought it was fun to watch, even if it didn't bring anything really new to the table (in fact it found the old leftovers and served them with fresh dressing). Movie like this could be really stiff and boring if done poorly (it has actually pretty impressive action scenes with such small budget), or armpit-fartingly tryhard and unfunny (Snakes on a Plane), but thanks to the cast - especially Samuel L. Jackson ("Get these *beep* terrorists out of these *beep* Finnish mountains!)**** and young Onni Tommila whose unexpected relationship carries this movie through the more cliché-ridden landscapes - and the earnestness of the director, it managed to breathe some life into the already-done-to-death tropes of the genre and gave the world what it didn't know it needed: Spielberg-flavored Renny Harlin!

6/10 (little above average, fun to watch)

*Co-produced with UK and Germany and shot in Germany, with largely German crew.

**Clichés are not clichés (used too often) without a reason. Usually they were effective and cool the first few times but later became overused and too familiar. In a movie like Big Game you sort of have to be willing to see the original power of the cliché and let go of the impulse of trying to outsmart the movie. In short: it requires a childlike perspective. (Of course every bad movie would seem better with childlike, i.e. uncritical, perspective, so forget what I just wrote and see for yourself.)

***DISCLAIMER: This might've never happened, but it feels like it.

****There actually is no mountains in Finland.

I can't understand all the haters out there hating on this one. It brings the cinema back to life the way other gratuitous movies like Armageddon, Goonies and The Rock did. It's a mix of Spielberg and Roland Emmerich. It's big, it's fun, adventurous and endearing, total adventure escapism, the way good movies should be. The cinematography is beyond astounding, and 1/2 the acting is really good. But, 1/2 the acting is really, really bad unfortunately, especially Samuel Jackson and his entourage. I kind of feel bad for Samuel Jackson in a way. It's only been recently that I haven't wished for or expected him to say some pulp fiction gangster lines in every scene. Somehow he looks depressed in this movie. Maybe because he can't say some bad-ass gangster lines? I would kill to see a pulp fiction spin off of his character, maybe roaming the world like Cain from Kung-Fu and, like the A-Team, doing good things and saving people. Or, glorious abandon, his pulp fiction character meeting up with the A-Team? Only in my dreams.

Samuel L Jackson is the disgruntled President of the United States who is the target of an attack that leaves him crash landed in the forest of Finland aided only by Oskari, a Finish boy trying to prove himself as a hunter and as a man. WHAT MORE CAN YOU WANT?!

This is the best camp action movie I have seen in a long time (and I'm counting The Expendables). It's so much fun to watch. Onni Tommila as Oskari is so brilliant and hilarious, and stands up no problem to Sam Jackson.

Definitely what you're looking for on a Friday night in with a buddy and a beer.