Pros:
1. The fight/ action scenes are choreographed well. The tight spaces they take place in help to make them feel more compact and impactful.
2. Bob Odenkirk (Hutch Mansell) plays a veteran tough guy immensely well. Everything from his voice to his stare is nailed on.
3. The soundtrack is used effectively to enhance the feelings felt by Hutch Mansell to help the audience feel them also.
4. The editing adds a lot of kinetic energy to the movie, particularly during the fighting and car chases.
5. The last fight sequence is entertaining, bloody and over-the-top. It's everything you want in an action film.
Cons: 1. There are really weak attempts at dark comedy that, for the most part, are so weak you don't even realise it was supposed to be humour until about a minute later.
2. As most of the films focus is on the action and combat, the surrounding plot is rather bland and boring. You're often impatiently waiting for the action to kick back in as those scenes play.
3. The story feels far too reminiscent of John Wick (2014), even down to how the protagonist unwittingly gets involved with Russian gangsters because of an altercation with a relative of the boss.
4. There is forced racial commentary with Harry Mansell (RZA) lamenting to Hutch Mansell about how he'll have to save his "white ass", or with the insertion of Pavel (Araya Mengesha) being a black gangster for the Russians. It feels like heavy pandering to the American audience.
2. Bob Odenkirk (Hutch Mansell) plays a veteran tough guy immensely well. Everything from his voice to his stare is nailed on.
3. The soundtrack is used effectively to enhance the feelings felt by Hutch Mansell to help the audience feel them also.
4. The editing adds a lot of kinetic energy to the movie, particularly during the fighting and car chases.
5. The last fight sequence is entertaining, bloody and over-the-top. It's everything you want in an action film.
Cons: 1. There are really weak attempts at dark comedy that, for the most part, are so weak you don't even realise it was supposed to be humour until about a minute later.
2. As most of the films focus is on the action and combat, the surrounding plot is rather bland and boring. You're often impatiently waiting for the action to kick back in as those scenes play.
3. The story feels far too reminiscent of John Wick (2014), even down to how the protagonist unwittingly gets involved with Russian gangsters because of an altercation with a relative of the boss.
4. There is forced racial commentary with Harry Mansell (RZA) lamenting to Hutch Mansell about how he'll have to save his "white ass", or with the insertion of Pavel (Araya Mengesha) being a black gangster for the Russians. It feels like heavy pandering to the American audience.