Seems like old Sly is riding high again on the success of his Expendables movies.  How else could he be the lead in a $55 Million movie that looks like it came right out of the big 80's?

Most will pass this over without much thought.  Most will think it sucks and not even give it a shot.  Most will be wrong, as this isn't a bad movie at all.  In fact, I quite enjoyed it from start to finish.

There's some interesting history here in that original director Wayne Kramer left the project in 2011 over clashes with Sly about the tone of the movie.  He was replaced by Walter Hill.  Hill is a Big 80's guy and I think he fit in perfectly here.

The only real letdown for me was co star Sung Kang, who was brought in to replace Thomas Jane, who the previous director had brought in.  I wish Jane had stayed, as Kang just didn't bring it, IMO.  He was also an odd pairing with Stallone - I'm pretty sure they were going for a buddy/odd couple type deal, reminiscent of 48 Hours, or the like.

Anyway, the action is fast and furious. The fight choreography is great.  The violence and bullet wounds are very well done.  Don't expect any award winning acting here, but I doubt anyone would.  You get what you expect from Stallone and IMO, he performs adamantly.

Plot and story-wise, there's not much here you haven't seen before...many times.  But, for some reason, it worked for me, much in the way Steven Segal movies used to work before he turned into a fat, out of shape whacko.

Stallone plays a hitman and he's in ripped shape, tough as nails, and still oozing a cool that comes off cooler than he used to be.  Kang is a cop and the 2 of them team up in a very unlikely and unrealistic way to track down a group of thugs who killed Sly's hitman partner, as well as a former cop.

For me, there were 2 standouts here.  Sarah Shahi plays Sly's tattoo riddled babe of a daughter.  She's cool, smoking hot, and brings a nice attitude to her character.  But, the show stealer for me was Jason Momoa, of the titular flop, Conan from 2011.  This guy is the real deal.  A real badass who makes killing look like he really does enjoy it.  Really good performance from him here (for what it is).

The film culminates in a 1 on 1 axe battle in a warehouse.  It doesn't get much more 80's than that.

I won't recommend this to everyone, but if you enjoy action films from the 80's and 90's, you really can't go too wrong here.  The film looks good and it provides just what you think it's going to.

Welcome home, Sly!

It's nothing amazing, but when I saw it the other night, I thought it was enjoyable.

It's one of those films you and your friends would go to just for the sake, or like something you'd bring a girlfriend/boyfriend to see.

I agree, some of the acting was terrible, but eh.  I liked it for what it was -- just a fun, action-packed movie.

-- Curt

Wayne Kramer was once set to direct this!? I loved 'Running Scared'. The trailer for this looks awful, and not it a good way. I'll wait for the dvd.

~Zack~

Well, like any bad Walter Hill flick, it's a hell of a lot better than if it weren't a Walter Hill flick. Boring story, Sung Kang sucks, Stallone rocks, nice and violent, ends with a Stallone/Momoa axe fight...thumbs up from me if you want exactly what it looks like and definitely nothing else.

I liked Shahi, too, though like any Hill movie, this probably isn't one that'll have feminists jumping for joy.

Revenge Never Gets Old……. but Stallone Does.
Sly in ripped shape???  No, he looks terrible, to be honest.
Bullet to the Head?  More like Old To The Bone.
He looks stiff as a board, and can barely move, just watching the previews.
How the movie actually is…. I don’t know.  I’ll have to see it before I criticize the film itself.

Quoted from Guest Revenge Never Gets Old……. but Stallone Does. Sly in ripped shape???  No, he looks terrible, to be honest.

Dude, the guy's 66 years old and he's in much better shape than most people would ever hope to be at any age.

Trust me, I'm not a SLy Stallone fan, but the guy is an icon and he does an admirable job here, as far as I'm concerned.

Dude.... in the trailer, he's old, stiff, tired, run down.
My girlfriend tried to defend him and I defended him saying it was just cause his son died.
Either way, Stallone looks like SHIT.

If that's looking like shit, I'd hate to hear what people think of me! I'm a pretty athletic guy but I'll be damned if I'm gonna look like this at 36, let alone 66.

And for the record, being "stiff, tired, run down" does not generally involve consistently writing, directing, and starring in big-screen action movies.

Well said and shown, Chris.

So, Reaper, compared to that picture of old, tired, stiff, and rundown Stallone, what the Hell do you look like?  Your girlfriend was probably trying to tell you something when she was defending him...basically saying you look like shit compared to him!

I look just like Sylvester Stallone...from Cop Land, except I'm taller, I have brown hair, my eyes are blue, and our faces look nothing alike.

Other than those minor differences, I look just like the picture above.

I'm going to have to wait to see this one on Cinemax, Jeff.  I haven't been to the theater to see a movie since before Hunger Games.  I don't even remember the last movie I saw at the theater.  I miss popcorn.

Jordan

Quoted from Heretic And for the record, being "stiff, tired, run down" does not generally involve consistently writing, directing, and starring in big-screen action movies.

Hey Ric Flair was 60 and traveling from state to state, country to country, wrestling every night...and I saw more charisma oozing from him.  Like he wanted to be doing what he was doing.

I'm just saying - judging by the trailer - he looks old and out of it....unenthusiastic.  Like he's thinking...What am I doing here?

I still like Stallone.  He represents an era that I love a lot....so don't think I'm here to rip on him.  I'll just agree to disagree with you guys.