Luca (Movie Review)

The spirit of summer is brought to life beautifully in the latest Pixar animated feature, Luca. Helmed by first-time director, Enrico Casarosa, the movie marks the studio's second film to debut exclusively on Disney+, following Soul's move to the streaming platform last December. And much like that other film, it also received a theatrical release in those territories where Disney+ is currently unavailable.

Set on the bright shores of the Italian Riviera, the film centers upon Luca Paguro (Jacob Tremblay), a young sea creature who has spent most of his life in fear of leaving his underwater home. But after he crosses paths with a fellow sea creature named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), he comes to discover that they actually harbored the ability to transform into humans once they leave the water. 

This opens up a world of possibility for Luca, except he is torn between his curiosity and the warnings of his overprotective mother (Maya Rudolph). With Alberto's help, he learns to overcome his fears as they set off on an adventure to explore a neighboring human town together. But as they soon come to find out, not everything above water is as welcoming as it seems.

Luca is a coming-of-age story with plenty of heart. The film is beautifully animated, as is typically the case with these Pixar animated films. But what really sets this one apart is how perfectly it captures the spirit of summer. From the deep blues of the sky and ocean, to the cobblestone terrain of the Italian town, the movie looks like a postcard brought to life.

The voice cast is also deserving of praise, with Jacob Tremblay once again delivering another heartfelt performance. And speaking of heartfelt, the film is all but guaranteed to hit you in the feels, but in a positive way that the studio seems to know how to do so well. It might not quite rise to the same level of brilliance as their older classics like Wall-E or Up, but that shouldn't take away from the overall quality of its execution.

Luca joins both Onward and Soul as yet another win from Pixar Animation Studios during the so-called pandemic era. That all three aforementioned films are original productions points to the sheer level of creativity still alive at the studio today. Their latest film deserves to be on any list of must-see summer movies. And whether you choose to see it in theaters or at home, the movie is sure to fill you with all the warmth and magic that only the wizards at Pixar know how to conjure.

F9 (Movie Review)

The ninth main entry in the never-ending Fast Saga, F9 (or Fast & Furious 9), is almost finally here. At least for those of us not living in China and other select Asian territories, where it had made its debut three weeks ago. I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening for the film here in Nigeria, where it is currently set to debut this Friday, along with the US and much of the wider world. 

The film had made the news in the lead up to the summer movie season last year, when it was one of the first major tentpoles to move its release date in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, choosing to jump a full year into 2021. So the question on most fan's lips is undoubtedly whether or not it was worth the additional one-year wait. The answer, I guess, depends on your tolerance for the outlandish and utterly implausible.

In F9, or Fast 9, or whatever you want to call it, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and crew return to do what they do best: drive fast cars while its filmmakers think up increasingly ridiculous ways to outdo themselves. In terms of actual story and plot though, the latest film finds them on yet another high stakes mission that would have them traveling locations around the world in pursuit of yet another villain that seemingly materialized out of nowhere.

Only this time around the villain in question is Jakob (John Cena), Toretto's younger brother, and much of the film is spent exploring the dynamic of their relationship. So expect to see a lot of flashbacks and the now-standard redemptive arch that almost always feels unearned. And if you consider that a spoiler then it means you've basically never seen any of the recent Fast Saga movies, because if you had then you should know the drill by now.

My main problem with F9 is not that it tries too hard to deliver the type of spectacle fans have come to expect from these movies. I mean, I've pretty much come to accept that as part of their DNA, so believe me when I say my brain was firmly left at the door before I'd plopped into my seat to watch this one. It is the fact that in their pursuit of jaw-dropping spectacle, the film has made it harder than ever to invest in the struggles of any of its characters.

To its credit, the movie does at least attempt to address their near Superhero-like invincibility, but none of that really amounted to anything beyond some self-deprecating humor and a knowing wink. And if you stop caring about who lives or dies, or who is brought back to life after being MIA for several movies, then the whole thing simply ceases to hold any kind of appeal beyond the purely visceral.

So how is the action then? At least that's one area where they've never failed to serve up the goods, right? Well, I'd say it was serviceable and you pretty much get what you pay for. Cars are driven across exploding mine fields, flown over impossibly wide chasms, and even flipped around like burgers on a hot grill. All standard fare for the series by this point really. Except the movie attempts to up the ante by taking the action into a whole new frontier. But the less said about space the better.

Chances are if you're a hardcore fan of The Fast Saga, then nothing I can say would be enough to dissuade you from wanting to see F9. And that was never the intention of this review to be honest. Because for all of its ridiculous stunts and narrative shortcomings, you've still got to respect a movie that manages to entertain without taking itself too seriously. And while I would have preferred if it had dialed back some of the mayhem in favor of characters you actually cared about, those characters have been with us so long at this point that I am willing to forgive their excesses.

In The Heights (Movie Review)

Disney+ had scored a huge hit last summer when Hamilton was added to its ever-growing library of family content. But now it seems that HBO Max is the one about to score a big summer hit, with today's simultaneous release of In The Heights. And unlike that other film, which was merely a high-quality recording of one of its earlier stage play performances, this one is a ground-up adaptation of yet another Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, lovingly made for the big screen.

Directed by Jon M. Chu of Step Up and Crazy Rich Asians fame, the film tells the interweaving stories of several people living in the titular Washington Heights in New York City. First there's Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), a young man that runs the neighborhood bodega. Then there's his love interest, Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), an aspiring fashion designer. And then there's Nina (Leslie Grace), a young woman that recently came home from Standford University.

All three, like much of the cast, are of Dominican descent. And their ethnicity is not the only thing that connects them. The one thing they all have in common is their pursuit of a better life, a dream that often feels out of reach due to financial hardships. But as they all prepare for their community's forthcoming Fiesta ceremony, they'll soon come to learn the role a community plays in overcoming all sorts of obstacles.

In The Heights is a love letter to the larger-than-life cultures that color our respective neighborhoods. It is not only a celebration of Latin culture in particular, but also an examination of the challenges and experiences of Latinos living in the US. But rather than merely settle for shining a spotlight on those experiences, it goes one step ahead by humanizing their struggles. This is mainly achieved through fully fleshed-out characters that were instantly likable.

The musical numbers were also singalong worthy, and the choreography that accompanied them were just as memorable. All of which was captured through some stunning cinematography that almost demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. There was this one performance by Lin-Manuel Miranda that felt tacked on though, and a few other moments during the film where it seems to lose some momentum. Also, the film did tend to run a little bit longer than I had anticipated, clocking in at almost two and a half hours, so keep that in mind and plan your own intermissions accordingly.

In The Heights seems almost tailor-made for the summer movie season. The movie boasts a number of memorable songs and performances, as well as a heartfelt story that was brought to life by an all-round stellar cast. Most importantly, it excels in much the same way Hamilton had done when it made the jump from stage to streaming. But whether you choose to see it in theaters or at home, the film is guaranteed to leave you walking away with a spring in your step.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (Movie Review)

The Warrens return for another round of paranormal investigation in the third film in The Conjuring series, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. This is actually the eighth overall entry in the wider Conjuring Universe, following spinoffs like Annabelle, The Nun, and The Curse of La Llorona. That last movie's director assumes directing duties for this one (taking over from James Wan), and his movie receives a simultaneous release in both theaters and on HBO Max this weekend.

The film has Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprising their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life husband and wife team of paranormal investigators. Set in 1981, the movie centers upon the infamous "the Devil made me do it" case, the first-ever US murder investigation in which the defendant had pleaded not guilty under the grounds of demonic possession.

So rather than have the Warrens go up against the ghosts in yet another haunted house, the film instead functions as a murder mystery. The murder in question was done by a young man named Arne Johnson, who had spontaneously stabbed another man to death. Convinced that he was acting under demonic influence, the Warrens must now work to find the evidence needed to convince the courtroom as well.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It takes the popular horror series into strange new territory. Unfortunately though, its chosen destination isn't one that was necessarily worth visiting to begin with. The movie lacks much of the spark that made those first two movies great, and I found that it relied too heavily on cheap jump scares that you could see coming a mile away.

The movie also wears its influences a little too openly on its sleeves, and one of the more recognizable ones was the 1973 classic, The Exorcist. Everything from the way certain shots were framed, to the way the set was lit during its climactic exorcism scene, mirrored that other film. But there is a thin line between paying homage to something and plain ripping it off, and it was not always clear what the filmmakers were going for in this particular case.

The movie's sole saving grace then comes from its two leads. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson once again prove to have great on-screen chemistry. But even more than that, their characters are given greater depth than ever before, reflecting the toll all the ghost hunting has had on them as individuals and as a couple. I'll always have a soft spot for Vera Farmiga, and both she and Patrick Wilson do their best to elevate what was essentially an uninteresting script.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the latest victim of the laws of diminishing returns. The movie runs on fumes for much of its runtime, before finally arriving at a fairly predictable conclusion. And while it might still do enough to please fans of the wider Conjuring Universe, it simply doesn't offer nearly as many thrills as the two movies that came before it

Cruella (Movie Review)

Disney continues its trend of giving its classic villains origin stories. And the latest one to follow in the footsteps of Maleficent and Elsa is Cruella de Vil, the evil socialite from One Hundred and One Dalmatians. This is actually not the character's first foray into live-action, having been played by Glenn Close in two previous live-action adaptations. But this time around, Cruella is portrayed by Emma Stone, who steps into the role with all the class of a socialite putting on a tight leather glove.

In the film, a young woman named Estella dreams of becoming a fashion designer. And her dream becomes reality when she is taken under the wing of Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), the head of one of London's leading fashion houses. Under her tutelage, she begins to learn just what it takes to come out ahead in the high fashion world. But as their relationship develops, so also would the rivalry between them that would serve as the catalyst for Estella's transformation into the villainous Cruella de Vil.

Cruella is a movie that has a lot going for it. The film is not only an origin story, it is also a heist film and a revenge movie, rolled into one. It borrows heavily from the likes of The Devil Wears Prada, mirroring that other film's tale of a fledgling fashionista struggling to learn the ropes. But the movie did strive to forge its own identity through its vibrant reinterpretation of its source material.

It was brought to life by a pair of brilliant performances. Emma Thompson was appropriately evil and despicable as Baroness von Hellman, but Emma Stone proved to be every bit her equal, and the film was at its strongest when both women tried to outdo one another. The supporting cast was just as colorful, with Paul Walter Hauser providing much of the comic relief.

The film also boasts some incredible production design that really help capture the feel of 1970s London. And the costumes on display were just as brilliant as the larger-than-life characters, even though that fire dress did look like it was ripped straight out of Hunger Games. The soundtrack was likewise populated by a greatest hits collection of 70s classic, and I found myself singing along for much of the film.

In terms of issues, the main one I had with the film was Emma Stone's transition from Estella to Cruella. I felt like it was just a little too exaggerated for my liking, which made the development a bit jarring at first. But the whole thing eventually comes together in a way that makes the film greater than the sum of its parts.

Cruella is a fresh albeit darker take on the origins of the eponymous Disney villainess. More importantly, it is a fun, energetic film that moves along at an almost breakneck pace. It did tend to run a little too long though, and its resolution didn't really give much justification for why that was. But if you fancy an unusual coming-of-age story bolstered with laughs and great performances, then the movie has plenty of that on offer.

A Quiet Place Part II (Movie Review)

Back in 2018, when moviegoers could still congregate in movie theaters without the fear of contracting something deadly, a certain horror film was busy taking the pre-Summer box office by storm. Unfortunately for those of us in Nigeria, where horror movies are usually relegated to the 9pm cinema dead zone, that movie never even got to see the light of day. So I had to wait an excruciatingly long three months for the film to land on digital platforms before I could see what the noise was about. And boy was it worth the wait, going on to become my favorite movie that year.

Flash forward to this weekend, and A Quiet Place Part II finally began its global rollout, just as movie theaters are beginning to show signs of recovery from the year-long lockdowns that have kept them under lock and key. And once again, the movie has proven to be worth the wait, delivering on every single promise made in the trailers that heralded its often delayed arrival. But how exactly does it measure up to the very high standards of the first film? That is the question that I'll be trying to answer in this review.

The film picks up right where the last one left off, with the remaining members of the Abbott family forced out of their home following the events of the first movie. It also pulls double duty as a prequel of sorts, showing what happened on Day 1 of the invasion that saw the world's population decimated by ferocious creatures that hunt by sound. That 10-minute opening sequence alone had enough highs and thrills to fill up an entire film, but I was just happy to see John Krasinki reprise his role as Lee Abbott.

The rest of the film finds the family seeking help and shelter from an old friend of Lee's named Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a man struggling to deal with his failure to keep his own family alive. But after the Abbott's deaf daughter, Regan (Millicent Simmonds), discovers that a looping radio broadcast was actually masking coordinates to its source, she decides to set off to find it with the hope of being able to broadcast the high-pitched frequency that would help them fight the creatures.

It should come as no surprise that A Quiet Place Part II was my most anticipated movie of 2020. But following the outbreak of the coronavirus, and the onset of lockdowns, the movie was delayed indefinitely, mere days before its scheduled global rollout. But my anticipation for the film never waned in the intervening one year, once again becoming my most anticipated movie for 2021. And now that I've finally gotten a chance to see it in all its glory, I'm pleased to say that it was everything I'd expected and more.

The movie excels in a way that many sequels fail to do. In a trend that finds more and more Hollywood franchises going bigger and bolder for their second outings, this one keeps its action grounded and tethered to the family drama at its core. It maintains a nearly identical premise with the first film, but shakes things up by having the family members split up on their own separate adventures.

And the film was once again bolstered by excellent performances across the board. Out of all the newcomers, Cillian Murphy proved to be the standout, with his character coming across as a man struggling to do the right thing despite being kicked down in the dirt. But the real heart of the movie was Millicent Simmonds, who once again gave Regan the same fieriness and fighting spirit that made her great in the first film.

The sound design of the movie also needs to be applauded. Not many films make you wary of eating your popcorn too loudly after all, an experience I'd missed out on with the first movie. There were many long stretches of uncomfortable silence, followed by jump scares that never felt cheap or overused. Likewise, the creature design and visual effects as a whole remain impressive to behold, never choosing to sacrifice effective scares for the sake of mere spectacle.

A Quiet Place Part II is the perfect sequel to an already near-perfect movie. It expands upon everything that made the first film so intriguing without feeling like a rehash or cash grab. That it manages to maintain the same level of dread, while using most of the same tools within its toolbox, is a testament to a story that was not only well conceived but well-executed too. It might not quite surpass the sheer thrills of the first film, but it is every bit its equal in my opinion.

One Lagos Night (Movie Review)

All art is subjective as the saying goes, and things don't really get any more subjective than with comedy. Everything from an actor's delivery, to their comedic timing, comes into play in determining whether we find their performance funny or not. So it is always tricky when evaluating a movie like One Lagos Night, where much of the enjoyment hinges on how well the jokes land. But as I quickly found out during the course of the film, it boasts a lot more hits than misses.

The movie tells the story of two men, Ehiz (Ikponmwosa Gold) and Tayo (Frank Donga), struggling to get by in the slums of Lagos. Ehiz is in search of an well-paying job, while Tayo works as a security man and a part-time prophet. Following a series of unfortunate circumstances, Tayo comes up with a plan to rob the house of a wealthy money launderer. But when the same house is invaded by professional burglars on the very same night they'd intended to execute their plan, the pair is forced to resort to their wits to come out ahead and with their lives.

One Lagos Night's biggest strength comes from the on-screen chemistry between its two leads. The way both actors were able to continually riff off of each other's shortcomings throughout the movie made it feel like I was watching two real-life friends and not professional actors. I confess that I wasn't familiar with Ikponmwosa Gold and his work prior to his appearance here, but Frank Donga I remember from his scene-stealing performance in the otherwise shoddy The Wedding Party. And it was nice seeing him shine once again with a performance that was both nuanced and funny.

So it is a shame then that we can't really say the same thing about the supporting cast. Most of them covered the broad spectrum of acting tropes you'd expect to find in a Nollywood movie, meaning their performances were either wooden or terribly overacted. The biggest offenders were the so-called professional thieves, who were about as convincing as their cheesy codenames. It is hard to tell how much of that was due to their stilted dialogue, but a part of me suspects this is another case of bad acting paired with a questionable screenplay.

And speaking of screenplay, this one often skirted the thin line between playing the situations for laughs and just being plain dumb. There were many scenarios that played out unrealistically, but I guess that shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. There were also some technical issues I noticed during the film, like the audio getting out of sync in certain scenes. Its hard to tell if this was from the movie itself or Netflix, but still something that threatened to pull me out of the experience.

One Lagos Night is a flawed but nonetheless funny crime comedy. It plays into the strengths of its two leads, giving both men ample opportunity to showcase their talent. The film might not be to everyone's taste, but it at least offers enough entertainment value without overstaying its welcome. And sometimes, it is best to just go along for the ride and enjoy a film for what it is, not what it isn't.

Army of the Dead (Movie Review)

I've always been a sucker for zombie films, and out of all the ones I'd seen growing up, my favorite was the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film had taken everything I loved about the horror subgenre and shot it to the stratosphere. The rest is history I guess, with Zack Snyder now being a household name and his first movie still considered the finest in his filmography. So of course I was going to check out Army of the Dead the moment it dropped on Netflix.

The film stars Dave Bautista as Scott Ward, a mercenary who is tasked with pulling off an almost impossible heist. Following a viral outbreak in the Nevada desert, the city of Las Vegas is overrun by zombies. This had prompted the US government to quarantine the entire city by walling it off from the rest of America. But after the city is deemed impossible to reclaim and get under control, an executive order is passed to nuke it to the ground in four days' time.

Meanwhile, Scott has been hired by a rich businessman named Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada), to help retrieve the sum of $250 million left in a vault in one of his casinos. And in order to do so, Scott must put together a team of fellow mercenaries to break into the Las Vegas quarantine zone. But with the clock already ticking, and a new breed of zombies to contend with, they soon come to realize that the job was more than they'd bargained for. Now his team must work together to get out of the city alive.

My expectations for Army of the Dead were quite high going into the film, mainly because I am a big fan of Zack Snyder. And his latest film definitely doesn't disappoint, offering the same level of thrills he gave zombie fans in his 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. The director has always been known for his heavily stylized visuals, and while that appears to be toned down somewhat in this movie, there's still plenty of beautiful cinematography for viewers to ogle at.

But unlike his remake of Dawn of the Dead, this latest film takes a while before things truly kick into gear. The film meanders quite a bit in the beginning, as we go over all the requisite introductions and setup. And I know it is a bit unfair to compare the opening sequence of both movies, but this one just didn't reach the same heights as the one in that other film. But once our crew of mercenaries make their way into Las Vegas, things pick up in pace and the movie starts to shine.

And speaking of our crew of mercenaries, the film is populated by an interesting cast of characters that cover a broad range of stereotypes. That you actually grow to care about most of them during the course of the film, and understand why they have chosen to take on this impossible mission, bodes well for the ensemble as a whole. But out of all the actors in the film, Dave Bautista gave the most heartfelt performance, proving to be a truly capable lead.

Army of the Dead has Zack Snyder doing what he does best. The movie updates the already established zombie lore in some new and interesting ways, while still providing enough gruesome zombie kills to satisfy gorehounds and purists alike. Comparisons to other heist-based zombie films like last year's Peninsula might seem inevitable, but what this one lacks in originality it more than makes up for in sheer thrills.

Those Who Wish Me Dead (Movie Review)

Taylor Sheridan returns to the director's chair for Those Who Wish Me Dead. The actor had risen to prominence as a screenwriter after penning the scripts for both Sicario and Hell or High Water, the latter of which had scored him a nomination for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. For his latest film, he once again channels his love for stories set in the modern-day American frontier, and he has recruited one of Hollywood's biggest A-listers to help bring it to life.

The film stars Angelina Jolie as Hannah Faber, a former smokejumper suffering from PTSD. She has been relegated to manning a lookout tower for forest fires, and there she struggles to come to grips with the tragedy that took place there one year ago. But her time of reflection is cut short when she stumbles across a distraught young boy (Finn Little) who was clearly on the run.

She learns that he was being hunted by a pair of assassins, who were trying to prevent him and his father from releasing some incriminating evidence against their employer (Tyler Perry). And to keep the authorities distracted while they hunt down their prey, the pair start a forest fire that quickly spirals out of control. Now Hannah must do everything she can to get the boy to the safety of the nearest town 12 miles away.

After spending the last couple of years taking on more dramatic roles, Those Who Wish Me Dead marks Angelina Jolie's return to action thriller fare. She had risen to fame with roles in films like Gone in 60 Seconds and Tomb Raider, the latter of which had helped cement her position as one of the few bona fide female action stars in Hollywood. So it is a much-welcomed return for many of her long-time fans. And she proved more than capable in the role, bringing the kind of physicality one would expect from such a film.

I also enjoyed seeing Nicholas Hoult in yet another villainous role. But unlike his very quotable turn as Nux in the brilliant Mad Max: Fury Road, the actor doesn't get much to work with here. He was supposed to be this conflicted killer, duty-bound by his mission, but his character merely came across as one-dimensional. The same thing could be said about Aidan Gillen, who plays his dad. And John Bernthal rounds out what could be considered an okay ensemble.

So the performances range from great to just okay. But how about the story you ask? Well, given the premise of the movie, the story was about as good as could be expected, which is my way of saying it was serviceable. The one area I had an issue with was in its unrealistic depictions of forces of nature like lightning storms. This was especially glaring during the climax, when the film turns into a full-blown disaster movie. I'm not quite sure how much of what was shown is based on real-world science, but I suspect that some suspension of disbelief will be required from most viewers. 

Those Who Wish Me Dead is an action thriller/disaster film hybrid with a strong emotional core. It is also a throwback to the cheesy natural disaster movies you most likely loved as a kid. I'm talking about films like Hard Rain that feature otherwise conventional plots. But this one has the added benefit of being anchored by a strong performance by Angelina Jolie, and a fairly brisk runtime that keeps things moving along at a steady pace.

Wrath of Man (Movie Review)

Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham join forces once again for Wrath of Man, an action thriller based on the 2004 French film, Cash Truck. The two had previously collaborated on the classic crime comedies, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch, with both films being responsible for making them household names. But they'd found significantly less success in 2005 with their third collaboration, Revolver, with most viewers agreeing that the film felt like a step backwards from the highs of the previous two. Their latest effort seems to land somewhere in-between.

In Wrath of Man, Jason Statham plays H, a new recruit at a security company. His job is to help protect the millions of dollars that gets transported through them daily. But after he single-handedly helps to prevent a robbery on one of their bullion vans, he gains a new sense of respect from his teammates. Except H isn't looking for respect. He is looking for revenge, and this has led him right where he needs to be. Now he is barrelling towards his goal with a singular resolve that should have anyone standing in his way shaking with fear.

You can pretty much tell what to expect from a film like Wrath of Man from its title alone. And Guy Ritchie takes that same no-frills approach with other aspects of the film as well. It lacks much of the signature humor from his earlier films, leaning instead on Jason Statham's stone-cold resolve to carry much of the film. Unfortunately, his character comes across as too one-note for my liking, making it hard to truly root for him on his quest for revenge.

The film still has some other vestiges of Guy Ritchie's directorial style on display though. Its nonlinear story structure is just one example of this, where the same event takes place multiple times during the course of the film, with each iteration shedding more light on the overall narrative. The narrative itself is not as complex as that setup would lead one to believe, with very few twists along the way. But each take is at least presented from a new perspective, using some effective cinematography, which makes the repetition feel like less of a chore.

The highlight of the film for most viewers then is certainly the action set pieces. And thankfully, most of it is grounded in reality. So don't expect to see any cars flying from one building to the next like in those Transporter movies. Some action film logic is still on display of course, especially during its climactic final scenes where all hell breaks loose as scheduled. But it never ventures into leave-your-brain-at-the-door territory.

Wrath of Man is a by-the-numbers revenge movie that doesn't try to do too much to distinguish itself from those that came before it. The film might prove a bit too dour for Guy Ritchie fans hoping for something closer to last year's The Gentlemen. But for anyone looking for yet another Jason Statham action vehicle, minus much of the charm and charisma the actor is known for, then the film should still deliver on its promise of a bloody good time.