This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Alamo Motif
Plot Overview
Gun Creek City, Nevada policewoman Valerie
“Val” Young (Alexis Louder) is an “artiste”
with her new (“I got that last week”) Ruger Blackhawk.
It's a .44 caliber revolver unsuited for modern police work, but she
likes it and trains with it. Her father wouldn't give her a gun for
her 21st birthday because girls were made for other things. In the
1940s her great-grandfather had been conscripted—he had
no choice—by the Nazis in northern Africa, so she's black along
with the rest of her family. Her father never liked any of her
boyfriends—too American for him?—and one of them
died shamefully. Now she's married but doesn't have any children
to talk about, because (“We are what we are, always”)
she could never produce the Nazi ideal. She joined the Army Medical
Corps, which was as close as a girl could get to action in the military.
From there she's become a rookie cop at a podunk station on a “slow
day” (night.) Declares the darling of this movie, “You don't
understand how incredibly effing bored I am.”
While dispersing a tussle
at Indian Springs Casino she gets sucker-punched by a mystery man
Theodore “Teddy” Murretto (Frank Grillo) who apologizes,
raises his hands and asks to be arrested. She tasers him, gives him
an additional jolt, and books him into the city jail (“You're
under arrest.”) His troubles with the law are piddling compared
to the woes brought on by some hit men descending on him there: the
legendary, brutal Robert “Big Bad Bob” K. Viddick (Gerard
Butler) aka “Sideshow
Bob,” psychopath Anthony Jay Lamb (Toby Huss)—he
pleasantly goes by Tony,—and station mole Officer Huber (Ryan
O'Nan) who laments, “I used to be a better man.” Val is
nervous but professional as the night unfolds.
Ideology
What had Teddy done to make some people royally p.o.'ed at him? Well, (Prov. 30:33) “Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.” Slow but steady churning of liquid milk turns it into solid butter. Aggravate someone long enough, with whom you started on convivial terms, and his whole demeanor changes towards you. Val went through a laborious digital menu to change the pass code to the armored cell block she's now holed up in to keep out the mole. She won't tell him the new code. Slap a cell mate around, and it stings a little. Wring his nose, it bleeds. When Bob mangles the face of his annoying cell mate, it bleeds (“laceration to the head”) like the dickens. A business confederate can tolerate a little monkey business, but hit him where it hurts, and the stuff hits the fan.
Teddy was an arranger bringing together
the high and mighty who shared a common interest. He practiced a
“high end consultancy.” Of course he'd skimmed a little
for himself, here and there, who wouldn't? But when it grew to
millions of dollars, something had to be done.
The state of Nevada is powered by the
gaming industry (“That is the summit from which everything
else flows.”) The Attorney General William “Bill”
Fenton was a crusader who wouldn't go along with any shady dealing,
though Teddy tried hard to talk him into it. So he got clipped. Wouldn't
you know it, he'd taped all those conversations with Teddy, and now
the FBI
has a list of names they want to ask Teddy about. He's got multiple
contracts out on him in what's called a “free-fire contract”
that can't be bought off. Things are “weird” and about
to get “weirder.”
Production Values
“” (2021) was directed by Joe Carnahan. It was written by Kurt McLeod, Joe Carnahan and Mark Williams (story.) It stars Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo and Alexis Louder. Kudos to Miss Louder for a good performance. Toby Huss stole the show in memorable scenes as a villain to be reckoned with. It boasts a stellar cast ensemble.
MPAA rated it R
for strong/bloody violence, and pervasive language. The opening scene
evoked a Nazi salute in gun action. The closing scene bridged two
divergent entities in song. Despite some superficial similarities
to other movies, this one will keep its audience off balance. Good
writing. It was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It runs 1 hour 47 minutes.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
This was a nail-biter par excellence. An uninhibited audience might feel compelled to stand up and shout warnings. The slaughter just goes on and on. Yet for all the action, one must pay attention to the dialogue to get into the head of the female lead. Here is one fine police action thriller.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Well done special effects. Video Occasion: Fit For a Friday Evening. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Five stars out of five.
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