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Walter Hill stands as one of the premier architects of the modern American action movie, with titles like The Warriors, Southern Comfort, and 48 Hrs. all demonstrating clean plotting, characters that define themselves through deeds, and a firm grasp of cinematic geography. (Even in his less resonant efforts, such as the gloriously loco Sam Peckinpah tribute Extreme Prejudice, you can always track exactly who is shooting at whom, and from where.) Bullet to the Head, Hill's first theatrical release since 2002's Undisputed, finds the director's talent for setups largely undimmed, depicting the escalating action sequences
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Walter Hill stands as one of the premier architects of the modern American action movie, with titles like The Warriors, Southern Comfort, and 48 Hrs. all demonstrating clean plotting, characters that define themselves through deeds, and a firm grasp of cinematic geography. (Even in his less resonant efforts, such as the gloriously loco Sam Peckinpah tribute Extreme Prejudice, you can always track exactly who is shooting at whom, and from where.) Bullet to the Head, Hill's first theatrical release since 2002's Undisputed, finds the director's talent for setups largely undimmed, depicting the escalating action sequences with a wit and economy of movement that makes the running time zip by. That said, those looking for some sort of narrative arc may be left wishing for a little more flesh on these minimalist bones. Based on a graphic novel by Alexis Nolent, the plot follows a weary New Orleans hit man (Sylvester Stallone) on the run after an assignment goes bad. Bent on evening the score, he teams up with a fish-out-of-water cop (Sung Kang) and proceeds to lay waste to the city. Hill has always had a knack for hissable bad guys, and he's assembled a beauty of a rogues' gallery here, with enjoyable villain turns from Christian Slater, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and especially Conan's Jason Momoa, who displays a ridiculous amount of charisma as the hulking final boss. As for Stallone (who now resembles a slightly melted Ray Harryhausen sculpture), he brings his usual oddly endearing intensity to the role, breaking up the heavy lifting and emoting with some agreeably corny wisecracks. The problems arise, unfortunately, when it comes to Sly's interactions with Kang, an actor who, despite all of the charm he's displayed in the Fast and Furious series, makes for an unusually passive partner. This chemistry imbalance may keep Hill's comeback from reaching the level that his fans had hoped, but his old-school stylings still come as a relief in this era of blurry editing and after-the-fact CGI assists. When he films an ax fight, you can be ensured that that newfangled digital blood isn't allowed anywhere near the set. --Andrew Wright
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Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Release date: 16 July 2013
Number of discs: 2
EAN: 0883929246847 UPC: 883929246847
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