Big Game

Adding to the series of recent movies involving President of The United States being in peril, Big Game is also presenting a quirky and amusing angle on the premise. Having more action than expected and lightly humorous, it hits on the right spot with just the right amount of casual fun. Some of the scenes are ridiculous, though the strange duo and witty material will be an accessible delight for audience.

Story follows The President of Unites States (Samuel L. Jackson) and an ordinary Finnish boy Oskari (Onni Tommila) who is undergoing traditional coming of age ritual. Oskari must prove himself by hunting a game from the forest, but a strange encounter with The President will distract him from his goal. This may be the weirdest duo of buddy action flick, but at this point Samuel L. Jackson could probably deliver any bizarre character asked of him.

The President is not the usual action character, in fact compared to the pursuers he is largely outclassed. It's a playful personality with more emphasis on comedy than his usual brash attitude, although the film doesn't deprive audience from his trademark mockery. Oskari is also far from a secret service agent, he's just a young boy and eager to prove himself.

The large difference on both characters play to their advantage in creating a few chuckles. Some other notable names for the supporting cast such as Victor Garber and Ray Stevenson also are appreciated. Casting isn't far from their usual roles, and they adequately presentable here.

Script is pretty good, the jokes are spot-on without being overly crude. The film has light-hearted vibe, engaging on simple theme fitting for a family movie. Visual is unexpectedly vibrant. There are several moments worthy of any action movies. These few high octane shots balance the silly antics. Its foreign setting creates a more refreshing outlook than the usual city environment of the genre, it's definitely a better view than being confined in White House again.

Visually fresh and charmingly witty, Big Game is a simple yet entertaining action comedy.

In 2010 Jalmari Helander delivered one of the oddest but simultaneously most ingenious and refreshing horror movies of the new millennium with "Rare Exports". The success of that film was clearly big enough for him to get noticed in Hollywood and take a shot at making a large-budgeted blockbuster with A-listed actors. We see this happening a lot, by the way: young and creative non-American directors are plucked from their native countries after barely one hit and lured to Hollywood where their careers usually obstruct quickly because they are only allowed to direct lame remakes. But this is where it differs with Helander! Instead of going to Hollyood, Helander brought Hollywood to his beloved Finland for what is one of the most enjoyable, straightforward and unscrupulous action/adventure movies of the '10s. The story is simple yet delightfully far-fetched and over-the-top: 13-year-old Oskari is in the middle of performing a traditional Finnish manhood ritual when Air Force One gets shot out of the air on its way to Helsinki and crash-lands near the boy's hunting turf. Oskari rescues President William Alan Moore from his escape pod and swears to guide him back to civilization before his assailants find him and finish the job. "Big Game" has a couple of strong trumps, namely the chemistry between young Finnish actor Onni Tommila and veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson (in another fresh and surprising choice of role), the magnificently breath-taking Finnish filming locations (although largely filmed in Germany) and the purity of the screenplay. I love how Helander doesn't dive too much into themes like terrorism or overly convoluted conspiracy theories but opted for good old-fashioned and pulpy spectacle. Jackson's portrayal of the US President is also phenomenal. They are basically after him because he's an indecisive and cowardly leader. President Moore's toughest anecdote is a story about urinating in his pants and, in a way, undergoing the bravery ritual is as relevant to him as it is to Oskari. Obviously, there are several flaws in "Big Game" as well, notably how quickly everything and everybody gets tracked in these supposedly giant and impenetrable forests, but you'll gladly accept them. Thanks to the fast pacing, the compact running time and the thrilling special effects, "Big Game" is a massively enjoyable popcorn action flick that comes with my highest recommendation.

I saw this movie with my wife, she was jiggling all the time,i had 2 dusins of good laughs, even though there are so many actual fact flaws on geography and politics. the plot is fine and the acting ok but most of all its damned good fun and impecable special effects and explotions,so dont hesitate watching this,its childish but great entertainment even for an old grumpy guy as me.

So Samuel L. Jackson is the President of the United States and is shot down in Finland where the men and real men and the 13 year old boys are out in the wilderness trying to prove that they are real men.

The President of the US of A is just a foil for this Finnish story about Oskari who, on turning 13 must go out into the wilderness to bring back some game. His grandfather killed a bear at the same age, but maybe Oskari is not up to the task?

But then the President of the US of A turns up while being hunted by terrorists and Oskari is there to prove that being strong is not about muscles but about willpower.

So finally we get a story where the US is not all powerful, but seriously doesn't Finland have an air force that could scrambled to search the area? When the US armed services get permission to operate on Finish territory and why wasn't any killed by being hit by a Nokia?

So the verdict. Every stupid moment in this film is brilliant, and most brilliant moments are also at least a little stupid. It works and is worth watching.

What the movie is about is that if you go into the forest it will give you a gift that is meant to both test and reward you.

...in this relatively small budget Finnish* action adventure movie starring Samuel L. Jackson. (It's a small budget movie in Hollywood standards - with measly 9 million dollars (8,5 million euros) - but manages to be the most expensive Finnish movie today.)

(SIDE NOTE: No plot is discussed in this review - because you can find the plot summary elsewhere (look up), also because I don't think the plot of the movie is really important in this case.)

Big Game is unapologetically old school (that school being founded in 80's Hollywood) in it's aspirations. There's non of the grittiness and wannabe-maturity or seriousness of recent Hollywood action movies targeted at younger audience (like Hunger Games, Man of Steel etc.). There's direct references to 80's Spielberg movies like E.T. and Indiana Jones, but the movie it resembles most is Cliffhanger, the mountaineering action from 90's starring Sylvester Stallone. It's no coincidence since Cliffhanger was directed by the first and so far only (but not for long, seems like it) Finnish-born Hollywood action director Renny Harlin, and the writer-director of Big Game, Jalmari Helander (whose second feature film this is), Finn himself, was a young man dreaming of becoming a filmmaker when Harlin had his heyday in late 80's and early 90's with movies like Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, and Harlin was a big deal in Finland (and I guess in Hollywood too) at that time (not so much anymore).

Big Game is a love letter to the movies of Helander's youth. Usually there's certain amount of self-consciousness in backwards looking projects like this, but Big Game is no parody or ironic postmodern pastiche (or something). Helander takes it seriously (without being too serious). Yes, it's predictable, clichéd and formulaic but at the same time heartfelt, joyous and mostly fun (also relatively short with 90 minutes with no really dragging moments), and part of the fun comes from being familiar with the tropes the movie plays with and the willingness to embrace them earnestly**.

It's a film made by someone who watched Hollywood action movies as a kid and played the scenes of those movies in forest with his friends with sticks as machine guns*** and Big Game is direct continuation of that kind of childlike attitude to movies. It's not a film for the more jaded viewer who wants to be surprised with something completely unseen before or who wants "believable" action or more mature or gritty touch from his/her action and adventure movies. Helander made a movie that he loved watching in his childhood and that's both the strength and the weakness of the movie. What are your feelings towards these kinds of old school action movies and whether you are willing to embrace the cliché and take a more childlike perspective to the movie will probably determine whether you will appreciate Big Game or not.

I personally thought it was fun to watch, even if it didn't bring anything really new to the table (in fact it found the old leftovers and served them with fresh dressing). Movie like this could be really stiff and boring if done poorly (it has actually pretty impressive action scenes with such small budget), or armpit-fartingly tryhard and unfunny (Snakes on a Plane), but thanks to the cast - especially Samuel L. Jackson ("Get these *beep* terrorists out of these *beep* Finnish mountains!)**** and young Onni Tommila whose unexpected relationship carries this movie through the more cliché-ridden landscapes - and the earnestness of the director, it managed to breathe some life into the already-done-to-death tropes of the genre and gave the world what it didn't know it needed: Spielberg-flavored Renny Harlin!

6/10 (little above average, fun to watch)

*Co-produced with UK and Germany and shot in Germany, with largely German crew.

**Clichés are not clichés (used too often) without a reason. Usually they were effective and cool the first few times but later became overused and too familiar. In a movie like Big Game you sort of have to be willing to see the original power of the cliché and let go of the impulse of trying to outsmart the movie. In short: it requires a childlike perspective. (Of course every bad movie would seem better with childlike, i.e. uncritical, perspective, so forget what I just wrote and see for yourself.)

***DISCLAIMER: This might've never happened, but it feels like it.

****There actually is no mountains in Finland.