Son of a Gun

McGregor is a treasure. Seriously, the man is just captivating and likely a terribly underrated actor to most people. Seeing him as this scoundrel dirtbag was really fun and so different than what I'm used to. Vikander is in a similar situation, playing a scuzzy character feels so out of the norm for her but she does a great job. Performances are solid here but honestly the rest of the movie is less exciting. I enjoy the performances and relationships but I needed more to really latch onto it. Worth watching for fan of the cast but beyond that I can't say there's anything magnetic about the film.

Movie packed with a little scent of action-drama of the 1970s. This Australian movie gets better as it is unfolded.

Good acting, good photography and a brief dose of humanity and thriving. Even if the script is nothing out of the normal, the film itself shows us a fast-driven story of convicted criminals trying to live under a small "mafia" organization - Love, lust, betrayal, death and commiseration will be the ingredients to cook up this story.

PS-> Don't watch the trailer because it sucks and deviates you from seeing a good movie. (I avoided myself from viewing trailers years ago for any movie) - They are simple a pure commercial beacon that use the best scenes as a vehicle of opportunism to forge you into seeing something that ultimately it does not translate into what you are expecting.

For a crime or heist movie, Son of a Gun benefits from polished editing, good direction and commendable performance by Ewan McCGregor. However, the plot is not that engaging, the simplistic development could also be found in TV series or action games. To its credit, the film delivers plenty of content, even though some of them are stereotypical prodigy-versus-mentor or damsel-in-distress premise.

JR (Brenton Thwaites) is a new inmate in a prison, where he meets Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor), a veteran conman who offers him protection. Soon JR find himself as Brendan's henchman, unsatisfied of only doing his bidding, the two eventually clash. Thwaites performs well, he's decent as the young lead, but his acting range is a bit limited on some scenes. McGregor is the star here, stealing any scenes with flair and occasionally blurted rage.

Their relationship is a strange one, JR subtly seeks a father or teacher figure which he finds in Brandon, although ultimately he realizes that their interest might not align. It works in short term, but the material doesn't provide much back and forth exchange, what twists it has in store are pretty foreseeable. JR also encounters Tasha (Alicia Vikander), a beautiful girl in despair. There's little surprise this romantic subplot, Tasha's back story and also the tiny bit where she might just be a honey trap are not fully developed.

Its plot isn't ambitious nor does it possess high level of intricacy on its heist. A lot of other similar movies, or even TV series, have delivered the same concept. The use of Australia as setting helps, but it boils down to the familiar prison break or robbery stints. Luckily, the pacing is sharp, it pushes forward with conviction and the action parts are decent as well.

Son of a Gun feels like a fast version of crime miniseries of television show, it may not be groundbreaking but it is still a decent watch for action fans.

This is a 'heist' movie with a fairly standard story and the usual range of characters and events.

One little difference is that it is set in Australia.

But one large difference is the pacing of the movie. It never gets bogged down and it never goes OTT - so we don't see people flying through the air, in slow motion, shooting two guns at once.

The acting is of a level where it well represents the sort of randomness found in such characters as well as offering up a hero for the audience to follow.

If you want a fun action movie with enough of a story to follow and which moves along and keeps the interest up - this one is for you, my son.

This film gave me shivers and not just because of the intense first act which sees us locked in a prison with some pretty ruthless men but because I regained hope for a flailing Australian film industry. I feel obliged to support my industry so often I go to the cinema reluctantly and am thoroughly disappointed by the lack of respect for the audience the filmmakers have, they believe first and foremost they must get their unworthy stories on screen and then I'm left out of pocket and dissatisfied. This time was a different story, Son of a Gun has given us a MOVIE!!! Finally, an actual movie which I could disengage and go on a ride with the characters. This isn't trying to be a groundbreaking heist film and yet it is groundbreaking for Australia, it is so well made, performances are stellar and the score is epic. We have space for our kitchen sink dramas but we also should make way for these type of films and also judge it as an Australian film. That's why I gave it 10 out of 10 because this film should be judged like all other Australian films are judged and not judged harshly because it has a big star and feels like a bigger story. I highly recommend this film.