Review:
"Wrath of Man"
Release Date: May 7, 2021
Rating: R Running Time: 119 minutes Wrath of Man is a Guy Ritchie thriller for Jason Statham fans who have grown tired of Ritchie but still cannot get enough of Statham exacting revenge on those who have done him wrong. A remake of the 2004 French thriller Le Convoyeur (Cash Truck), Wrath of Man reunites Ritchie and Statham for the first time since 2005’s ill-fated Revolver. Since then, Statham’s become as close to a 1980s action hero that we have in the 21stcentury, one who can comfortably transition between medium-budget vehicles such as Safeand Homefrontto high-priced spectacles with franchise ties or aspirations, including the Fast & Furious Saga and The Meg. During the same timeframe, Ritchie’s maintained his fascination with crime and subterfuge even though such expensive popcorn fare as Sherlock Holmes,King Arthur, and his Aladdin remake struggled to fulfil the promise and ingenuity of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. Last year’s The Gentlemenwasn’t just Ritchie’s most fulfilling offering since 2008’s RocknRolla but a welcomed return to the frenzied street-level crime capers that made him a critics darling. Wrath of Man, though, is pure, unadulterated Statham. This is an prototypical revenge saga that finds Ritchie willing to rid himself of the distinct idiosyncratic ways and get his hands soaked in blood. Ritchie plays it so straight for the first time in his career that, save for the colorful but clunky exchanges designed to establish the testosterone-driven environment Statham finds himself in, Wrath of Man is unrecognizable to anything Ritchie’s done in the past. This is not to say Ritchie does not indulge in his artistic impulses. He opens Wrath of Man with a robbery filmed from the back of the inside of an armored truck—to give the impression it is shot from the point of view of security camera—for reasons best left unsaid. He employs the never-ending violence in Wrath of Man not for a comic payoff but in service of an uncompromising quest for vengeance. Statham’s clearly in his element as an English hardman infiltrating a U.S. armored truck company for reasons not made clear until long after he’s inflicted his vicious brand of justice on those who try to rob him and his crew. More stoic and solemn than usual, Statham does not play games or show any mercy in Wrath of Man. Those who cross paths with Statham’s Patrick Hill end up six feet under. Ritchie effectively maintains an air of mystery around Hill—nicknamed “H” by his boss—until Ritchie reveals through a series of harrowing flashbacks the circumstances that have led “H” to not only take such a dangerous job but to constantly place himself in the line of fire. From there, Wrath of Man revels in its unfettered brutality, devious double crosses, and cold and calculated acts of vengeance. Ritchie assembles a strong supporting cast—including Jeffrey Donovan, Scott Eastwood, Josh Hartnett, Holt McCallany, and Eddie Marsan—to keep Statham on his toes. “We ain’t the predators, we’re the prey,” Hartnett tells Statham the first time they ride together. Don’t want to be the prey? Then don’t incur the wrath of Statham. Robert Sims Aired: May 13 2021. Web sites: https://www.unitedartistsreleasing.com/movie-site/wrath-of-man https://www.facebook.com/WrathFilm/ |
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