Rated: 3.5 / 5
So I’m going to be spoiling the finale of this film. Short version: it has some pretty good fight sequences, even if they run a bit too long and the protagonist takes too long to start using force strong enough to start executing the bad guys, and it’s worth a watch. With that out of the way…
What led towards my interest in this film was Space Ice’s takedown of the Steven Seagal action blockbuster Force of Execution (2013). There’s nothing particularly special about that movie, aside from two things. One moment of unbelievable stupidity brought upon by a lack of awareness so severe it has to be seen to be believed: asking, “How do I get out of here?” while a doorway with an exit sign is right behind him. And then there’s Bren Foster, a name so Australian that he’ll make you want to drink beer.
Foster provided the best part of the (intentional) entertainment that film had to offer, showcasing some martial arts that made me wish he would partner up with Scott Adkins, but as far as I know that hasn’t happened. In fact, like Space Ice said in his review, “Word got out that he was in a Steven Seagal movie, so now he’s un-hirable.” Which seems accurate, because just about everything else he’s been in seems like straight up trash. Up until this movie, which he wrote, directed, and starred in himself. So to stop being unemployed, he had to become self-employed… a decade later. Just like his character in the film, who is a self-employed martial arts instructor who runs a dojo for people of all ages.
Just that kind of setup lets you know this is an actor who wants to prove he has some martial arts skills he really wants to show off. And honestly, it’s not bad. One of the more entertaining martial arts flicks I’ve seen. It does have that issue that plagues far too many of these types of films (which to be honest, has been an issue since their inception in the Shaw Bros. era), with fight sequences running for too long. But at least this film kind of has an excuse for it. Being that the protagonist is an ex-MMA fighter turned martial arts instructor who teaches for self-defense, who wants to prevent harm rather than cause it. He’s the kind of guy who only wants to inflict the minimal amount of physical harm to someone as necessary before they finally back down. During the finale, the stakes are too high for that mindset, and the guys he previously knocked out eventually regain consciousness and put themselves back into the fray, which causes more problems and exhaustion for him. So he eventually flips a switch in his head and starts getting lethal with his beatdowns. In other words, it offers an excuse for the last 30 minutes of this movie to be just one big non-stop fight-fest.
That said, the lead-up towards that finale is stupid. There’s this plot regarding child kidnapping and trafficking. A plot element that made me want to watch the film even more, because I’m starving for something with a plot like this that’s better than Sound of Freedom. You know, by having a good film about child sex trafficking that has White kids being the victims instead of some more fucking latinos and darkies (it’s relevant damnit!). I’ll admit that the film is more entertaining, if for no other reason than… you know… martial arts action that choreographed and filmed well. The finale is about as believable as the finale of SoF. But that latter point is the downside. Because in order to get to that finale, after this martial arts instructor gets involved with this lady, whose crazy ex-husband apparently kidnaps kids (and yes, we have primarily White villains here, along with a couple asian martial artists, because of course), after he rescues all but one kid, the villain threatens to kill the kid if they go to the police with all the other rescued children. Now, in any reasonable setting, they would go to the police anyway. But no, they drive back to the dojo, and are basically all, “If you want them, you gotta get through me!” It’s a really stupid setup. But in all honesty, I’ve seen worse in films with action that’s on-par with this one.
Massive spoilers here, because this part is worth bitching about.
As for the demise of the main villain, to this film’s credit, I didn’t think it would happen the way it did. To the film’s detriment, it got a little more stupid in order to subvert that expectation. The main baddy has a gun that he’s threatening a kid with, and the mother of the kid has a gun she’s aiming at the baddy, the protagonist is a bit too far away to successfully rush up to him and disarm him before breaking his neck. Up to this point there hasn’t been any real female-empowering moment, which goes against this feminist-trend that’s been dominating the film industry for decades. Naturally, being conditioned to all those years of subliminal messaging, I’m expecting this broad to shoot the guy dead and have her moment. But she doesn’t, not even when the baddy is shouting at her to shoot him (as I’m sure half the audience is). Instead, she does the one fucking thing that everybody and their mother hates seeing in these movies in moments like these, she puts the gun down and says something along the lines of, “Ok, I’ve disarmed myself like you wanted, now please give me what I want and let’s resolve this peacefully.” But just like in reality when governments disarm their citizens, that’s not what happens. The baddy shoots her, and then shoots the protagonist multiple times. Meanwhile this cop is slowly entering this crime scene (painfully slow), making the viewer think he’s going to take out the baddy at the last moment. But that doesn’t happen either. The baddy actually shoots the kid next, thus killing everyone, and then makes his escape before the cop finally makes his way into the building (much less the room).
The end.
No that’s now how it ends. I just wanted to make up something more dumb and depressing than what actually happened to make this film seem better by comparison. No, what actually happens is that, in spite of taking multiple rounds to the body, and in spite of going through eight guys for nearly 30 minutes without much of a break, Foster’s character manages to tackle the guy to the ground, turn the gun on him, and blow his brains out. Which makes the message of the movie to be: when your woman and any of her kids are in danger, you can’t rely on her because she’s a shitty shot and too weak-willed to pull the trigger. You can’t rely on the cops because they only show up after the crime has been committed. You gotta do everything yourself. Which is one of the most inspirational heart-warming pro-masculine messages I’ve seen in a film in a long time.
So you see what I mean? This film is entertaining in spite of its faults and dumb stuff. Strong recommendation, for those who want to be manly.
The Anomalous Host 