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Review #107: Blown Away
When Ryan Gaerity, a Freelance Irish Bomb Terrorist, escapes from his prison in Ireland, he heads for Boston in the US determined for revenge against Lt Jimmy Dove, a bomb disposal expert, who put him in prison in the first place.
In the process, Lt Dove's own dark history from a previous life is brought to the surface, and threatens Dove's relationships, his career and the lives of everyone around him.
Blown Away should hit the right buttons with the talented cast of Jeff Bridges, Forest Whitaker and Tommy Lee Jones, and the talented director Stephen Hopkins (Predator 2, The Ghost And The Darkness, Judgment Night).
Instead, the viewer is treated to a pretty mediocre actioner with a mystery sub-plot behind it.
Though in saying that, the mystery is also quite contrived too and has been seen before many a time.
What the movie is really all about, is character development and screenplay.
The sequence of events from start to finish is really well put together, and the way the writing has built upon the overall group of characters is top notch. It's just a shame about the actual story.
The characters seen throughout are built on really very well and the acting is about as good as it could have been with the weak storylines.
Jeff Bridges (Lt Dove) and Forest Whitaker are at their usual likeable best. Whitaker in particular is a joy to see.
Tommy Lee Jones as Gaerity however, is doing his Two-Face persona. Over the top, almost comical, barely threatening for a villain, and yet still holding the screen pretty well. The big problem is his faux 'Irish' accent. It's awful.
Supporting cast from Suzi Amis, John Finn and Lloyd Bridges (also sporting a dodgy Irish accent) give the movie some more likeable and relatively well written characters.
The action, when it gets going, is also relatively contrived but still manages to be quite exciting, again this is mainly down to the viewer having a connection to the characters involved, rather than the action being well choreographed.
The special effects, when they're used, are quite well put together too. Some of Gaerity's explosive contraptions give the movie it's own little quirk.
All in all, a Marmite movie for moviegoers really. Completely lacking in originality and the acting is touch and go (except for Jeff and Forest), but the screenplay and character development is pretty good. It's still pretty enjoyable overall though.
It's hard to recommend it, I really shouldn't recommend it, but it's still worth a watch, just to see for yourself.
My rating, a mid and confused 50%
When Ryan Gaerity, a Freelance Irish Bomb Terrorist, escapes from his prison in Ireland, he heads for Boston in the US determined for revenge against Lt Jimmy Dove, a bomb disposal expert, who put him in prison in the first place.
In the process, Lt Dove's own dark history from a previous life is brought to the surface, and threatens Dove's relationships, his career and the lives of everyone around him.
Blown Away should hit the right buttons with the talented cast of Jeff Bridges, Forest Whitaker and Tommy Lee Jones, and the talented director Stephen Hopkins (Predator 2, The Ghost And The Darkness, Judgment Night).
Instead, the viewer is treated to a pretty mediocre actioner with a mystery sub-plot behind it.
Though in saying that, the mystery is also quite contrived too and has been seen before many a time.
What the movie is really all about, is character development and screenplay.
The sequence of events from start to finish is really well put together, and the way the writing has built upon the overall group of characters is top notch. It's just a shame about the actual story.
The characters seen throughout are built on really very well and the acting is about as good as it could have been with the weak storylines.
Jeff Bridges (Lt Dove) and Forest Whitaker are at their usual likeable best. Whitaker in particular is a joy to see.
Tommy Lee Jones as Gaerity however, is doing his Two-Face persona. Over the top, almost comical, barely threatening for a villain, and yet still holding the screen pretty well. The big problem is his faux 'Irish' accent. It's awful.
Supporting cast from Suzi Amis, John Finn and Lloyd Bridges (also sporting a dodgy Irish accent) give the movie some more likeable and relatively well written characters.
The action, when it gets going, is also relatively contrived but still manages to be quite exciting, again this is mainly down to the viewer having a connection to the characters involved, rather than the action being well choreographed.
The special effects, when they're used, are quite well put together too. Some of Gaerity's explosive contraptions give the movie it's own little quirk.
All in all, a Marmite movie for moviegoers really. Completely lacking in originality and the acting is touch and go (except for Jeff and Forest), but the screenplay and character development is pretty good. It's still pretty enjoyable overall though.
It's hard to recommend it, I really shouldn't recommend it, but it's still worth a watch, just to see for yourself.
My rating, a mid and confused 50%
