When things get turned and twisted as they have recently
people tend to seek out something that feels comfortable to them. These are
times when we seek out entertainment that is familiar to us, that doesn’t
provide us with something outrageous or too new.
Since his rise to fame with the film PITCH BLACK, actor Vin
Diesel has attempted to provide fans with that comfortable certain sameness in
his films. Consider that most of his biggest hits have been action films like
those featuring the character of Riddick or the FAST AND FURIOUS features.
These are steady action films where he plays a strong character bent on doing
things his way. Now we can add BLOODSHOT to that list of characters.
In BLOODSHOT, Diesel stars as U.S. Marine Ray Garrison. As
the film opens he and his elite team are taking out a target in Mombasa. Once
completed he goes on vacation with his wife Gina in Italy, only to be tracked
down by a terrorist named Axe. Axe first kills Gina and then kills Ray as well.
But that’s not the end of Ray.
A company called Rising Spirit Tech has developed a program
that returns dead soldiers to life, giving them specific enhancements as well.
CEO Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce) informs Ray that in his case his body is
filled with nanite technology, microscopic robotic instruments that
automatically replace damaged tissue and increase his strength. As he learns to
accept the new technology he also experiences flashbacks to what happened just
before his death.
As these flashbacks begin to haunt him, Ray remembers enough
to know that it was Axe who was responsible for Gina’s death. Using the nanites
in his body to hack into the company’s computer system, he locates Axe in
Budapest and heads out for revenge. An attack on Axe’ team of bodyguards in a
tunnel in Europe gives him the chance to avenge both his and Gina’s death as he
takes out the entire team as well as Axe.
Ray returns to Rising Spirit Tech and Dr. Harting to finish
out the tests they were doing. What Ray isn’t aware of is that Gina was never
killed. Instead these are all implanted memories put into his brain by Harting.
He is using Ray to get revenge on those who got in his way with his new
technology, those who might beat him to the punch with it.
He reprograms Ray once more thinking the new target is
responsible for Gina’s death. After killing the target he focuses on a computer
programmer named Wilfred Wigans (Lamorne Morris) in the house, but Wigans sets
off an EMP that shuts down the nanites as well as communications with Rising
Spirit Tech. Wigans tells Ray everything that’s been going on as well as where
Gina is now. When he shows at her house he discovers they were never married,
haven’t seen each other in five years and she now has a family.
Determined to take down Rising Spirit Tech Ray recruits
Wigans to help him along with KT (Eiza Gonzalez), another of the elite team who
has become disillusioned with the motives of Harting as well. Facing off
against the rest of the cyber enhanced team it’s a battle to the death as Ray
sets out to ensure that no other soldiers will ever be manipulated this way.
Based on the Valiant comic book of the same name this
character seems perfect for Diesel. He can look brooding, get into hand to hand
combat, explode vehicles and create mayhem where ever he goes. Don’t get me
wrong. Diesel is a better actor than most realize (if you don’t believe me
check him out in FIND ME GUILTY). But roles like this are his bread and butter.
They play to his strengths and to the types of films his fans crave. Pearce
does an excellent job as well as the slimy inventor who uses his creation to do
his dirty work.
While I never read the comic it doesn’t matter here. Perhaps
that actually helps since most movies based on comics these days tend to toss
out what made the comic good and reinvent them anyway. I can say that this film
will provide fans that comfort they seek, Diesel in an action film that
delivers on all levels. Released just as the covid-19 outbreak kicked in the
movie didn’t get much of a chance at the box office so who knows if it will get
a sequel or not. Either way if you’re looking for a fun action flick this one
fills that need.
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