Vic Davis (Ryan Phillippe) is a Green Beret with a dark past who has fought in many battles. In the present day, Vic plans on picking his son up from college as it is the end of the term. Unfortunately, things are not going to plan. Vic accidentally breaks his phone before leaving his home and ends up getting stuck in heavy traffic, causing him to run very late. By the time Vic arrives at the college, there are only two people left waiting to be picked up-: Vic’s son and the daughter of the supreme justice. Upon his arrival, he begins to suspect some of the staff members around the campus look slightly out of place and somewhat suspicious. The suspicious staff members are, in fact, part of a terrorist group that plans on kidnapping the young daughter of the Supreme Court. All of this is in an attempt to try and force her father regarding a second amendment vote. Naturally, there will be horrible consequences if the terrorists get their way. Leading the group of villains is a mysterious man who calls himself Driver (Casper Van Dien). Driver is a man who clearly has a skill set of his own when it comes to fighting wars. Now, it is up to Vic to fight off the group of dangerously skilled terrorists one by one and do everything he can to protect both his own son and the young girl.
While I understand Ryan Phillippe has been busy with the Netflix series “Shooter”, it feels like it’s been some time since the actor featured on the big screen. When I heard about this film, I was naturally excited as I was a fan of the actor in the ’90s.
The concept of a man fighting off a group of armed terrorists might not seem anything new (cough, Die Hard, cough). I am thankful to see some effort has gone into attempting to make this film feel new, though. One central element is the actor Ryan Phillippe, who seems fit and entirely believable in the role when it comes to fighting off a group of skilled bad guys. Action sequences have moments that are pleasing and slightly surprising, and I deemed this type of action a brainless film.
However, while Ryan Phillippe seems more than fitting for this role, and he makes an effort on screen, this film is far from perfect. Unfortunately, this film is loaded with many issues. Let us start with the film’s poorly written-dialogue. The film introduces the audience to Vic as he sits in a moving car talking to his partner. The opening scene introducing Vic was enough to make me almost walk away from this film and not review it at all. The dialogue, in many cases, is either a waste of time, or it gives information that you know will be relevant later in the movie, making the film rather predictable.
The script has major issues with continuity. One example is when Vic has an accident and breaks his phone. After this, there is a later scene where the phone is working and then dead in the next scene. Details such as these, which stand out, have clearly been ignored during filming or editing. These kinds of issues also appear in action scenes, which have long pauses and do not always seem to flow.
The film’s music is also awful and truly unfitting. The film’s opening credits and background music only made me frown with disappointment. The main villain (played by Casper Van Dien) has zero personality and is a wooden character with a deep voice who becomes forgettable as the credits roll.
Overall, this film is going to please those seeking a B-grade film as an alternative to titles such as Die Hard or Skyscraper. This is most certainly an action film you watch to switch off from the world and eat popcorn. While I found the actor Ryan Phillippe welcoming to the screen, this film is far from perfect. Sadly, the list is long, but elements such as the film’s disappointing dialogue and subplot continuity were unforgivable. The film’s music was also enough to make me frown as it felt unfitting, like many other elements of this film. The main villain is dull, and the film’s predictable plot made me nothing but sad because, in the end, I feel actor Ryan Phillippe certainly deserves better.
3.2/10
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