KILLER’S GAME
(director/writer: J.J. Perry; screenwriters: Rand Ravich, James Coyne, based on the novel by Jay Bonansinga; cinematographer: Flavio Labiano; editor: Simon Smith; music:Roque Banos; cast: Dave Bautista (Joe Flood), Sofia Boutella (Maizie), Terry Crews (Lovedahl), Scott Adkins (Angus Mackenzie), Alex Kingston (Sharon), Pom Klementieff (Marianna Antoinette), Ben Kingsley (Zvi Rabinovitz), Marko Zaror (Botas); Runtime: 104; MPAA Rating: R; producers:Andrew Lazar, Steve Richards, Kia Jam; Lionsgate; 2024)
“The over-the-top film left me feeling a bit dizzy and not feeling any emotional depth.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
An action, comedy, thriller directed J.J. Perry (“Day Shift”), the stunt performer and stunt coordinator turned-director. The contrived film is co-written by him, Rand Ravich and James Coyne. It’s based on the novel by Jay Bonansinga.
Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) is based in Budapest. He has severe headaches and double vision while performing hit contracts. When under medical treatment, he takes a series of medical tests. The medical report informs him he has an incurable disease that will soon destroy his faculties and bring death within three months. Thereby Joe listens to his mentor and boss Zvi (Ben Kingsley) and puts out a hit on himself with a rival crime boss (Pom Klementieff), paying a $2 million bounty so that he’ll at least provide a nice nest egg for his innocent, beautiful French ballerina fiancée, Maize (Sofia Boutella).
If you can believe, Joe’s doctor texts him the lab mixed up his test results with another party. But the good news comes after hired killers throughout Europe are after him and it’s too late to call off the hit.
Those after him include Lovedahl (Terry Crews), a Korean gang, Hungarian and Scottish brothers, a pair of stripper-assassins, and a Spanish flamenco dancer.
The situation brings about cartoonish video-game-like violence that should please even the most bloodthirsty viewer.
The over-the-top film left me feeling a bit dizzy and not feeling any emotional depth.
REVIEWED ON 9/21/2024 GRADE: C+
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