Release Date:
Friday, September 5, 2008
Directed by: Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang
The Skinny: Nomadic icy-assassin-for-hire Joe (Nicolas Cage) sets off for a few jobs in Thailand with a plan to get in, get out, and retire. But the loyalty of a young apprentice named Kong and the love of a deaf pharmacist with soon have Joe second-guessing his plan. Luckily, he still leaves a trail of severed limbs and bullet-riddled bodies in his wake.
The Good: Despite most action scenes being unimaginative, slow, and yet somehow still confusing, there are a few killer (pun totally intended) death sequences where directors Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang actually demonstrate some macabre artistry. Specifically, one riverboat shoot-out (shot from underneath the boat) will have you wishing the theater came equipped with rewind buttons.
The Bad: Do you really want us to bore you with a litany of complaints? Suffice it to say, any movie that depends on Nick Cage's nasally, monotone narration to keep the plot moving along ain't gonna keep you glued to your seat.
Is That Gene Simmons?: No, but Nick Cage's long, greasy black locks make him look like the love child of the KISS frontman and a Russian mobster who is going bald. But this kind of thing is par for the course when you're talking about Cage.
Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? Nod off to it on TNT.
The Skinny: Nomadic icy-assassin-for-hire Joe (Nicolas Cage) sets off for a few jobs in Thailand with a plan to get in, get out, and retire. But the loyalty of a young apprentice named Kong and the love of a deaf pharmacist with soon have Joe second-guessing his plan. Luckily, he still leaves a trail of severed limbs and bullet-riddled bodies in his wake.
The Good: Despite most action scenes being unimaginative, slow, and yet somehow still confusing, there are a few killer (pun totally intended) death sequences where directors Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang actually demonstrate some macabre artistry. Specifically, one riverboat shoot-out (shot from underneath the boat) will have you wishing the theater came equipped with rewind buttons.
The Bad: Do you really want us to bore you with a litany of complaints? Suffice it to say, any movie that depends on Nick Cage's nasally, monotone narration to keep the plot moving along ain't gonna keep you glued to your seat.
Is That Gene Simmons?: No, but Nick Cage's long, greasy black locks make him look like the love child of the KISS frontman and a Russian mobster who is going bald. But this kind of thing is par for the course when you're talking about Cage.
Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? Nod off to it on TNT.