Review - Bullet To The Head

At the Theater - "Bullet To The Head" - I was pleasantly surprised by this relatively lower budgeted star vehicle for Sylvester Stallone, though I had perhaps set my expectations too low going in.  This film marks the first theatrically released effort from one-time action master Walter Hill (48 Hours, Last Man Standing) since 2002's Undisputed and I was delighted to find that the 71 year-old auteur still has enough verve left in the tank to pull off a fast-paced, commendably lean throwback to the unabashedly brutal, politically incorrect action films of the 1980's.  It should please it's target audience looking for violent and bloody silver screen escapism littered with booze, bullets, and boobs galore .

This tale of a seasoned, no-nonsense hitman and an idealistic cop teaming up to take down those responsible for killing their respective professional partners is based upon a French graphic novel by Alexis Nolent (entitled Du Plomb Dans La Tete).  Expect a couple of old-fashioned brawls sprinkled in with a few well-staged and competently filmed gun battles, all set to a cool bluesy rock soundtrack by Steve Mazzaro that fits the gritty New Orleans (might as well be renamed Nuevo Hollywood) backdrop like a glove. Those that are interested should find a climactic axe duel between Stallone and Jason Momoa to be the highlight of the film. 

Bullet is not without it's flaws, most notably in that Sung Kang (Fast Five) is miscast as the righteous, determined detective who partners up with Stallone- *Thomas Jane was initially cast in the part and I couldn't help but wonder how the film might have been different, dynamically speaking.  Kang is far too milquetoast an actor to successfully display a believable presence necessary for what the role should have required, with very little actually asked from him other than trading verbal jabs with Stallone throughout the movie.  Though not unlikeable, he's not outright funny and there's not an ounce of danger in him.  Because of this, Bullet simply doesn't work as the "buddy" flick that it was clearly intended to be at some point during conception.  Strangely enough, while I was watching the film, I couldn't help but believe that Tim Kang (The Mentalist) would have been a much more natural choice (if I were tasked to pick from a talented pool of oft overlooked Asian actors)- he's obviously got that "detective" look down pat and can adequately chew  scenery with his serious, stone-faced mug.

Stallone, as hitman "James 'Jimmy Bobo' Bonomo", can still move surprisingly well as I can't recall spotting an obvious stunt double in any of the more physically demanding sequences- the 66 year old actor has kept himself in remarkable shape.  That said, his penchant for showcasing his fully flexed physique comes across as a tad obnoxious in this film.  By the way, what's up with his hair looking strangely artificial here?  Sly can still deliver a showbiz punch and a crowd-pleasing one-liner with the best of 'em and expect quite a few throughout (he even steals one from The Duke).  As with the vast majority of the action roles in his career, believability is never in doubt.

Jason Momoa's (Conan The Barbarian 2011) brutal, hulking hitman steals the film outright.  His undeniable presence and surprising agility should have already launched him into the forefront of action stardom- unfortunately, the poor box-office returns of the Conan reboot appears to have temporarily derailed his career.  He's showing great strides as an actor, with a confidence and personality that's bleeding through- it should help immensely in distancing him from so many of the massive, one-note lugs that pop up every now and then as "henchman #3" in so many disposable action films that litter the straight-to-video market.  If given a quality opportunity that's well suited for him, he should break through in a big way.

The very sexy Sarah Shahi (USA's Fairly Legal) portrays Stallone's tattoo-artist daughter in the film- Iran and Spain should be proud as the mixture looks wonderful on her.  Christian Slater makes a rare theatrical appearance as a crooked lawyer while Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (GI JOE: The Rise Of Cobra) is serviceable as the film's resident crime lord.  Jon Seda (12 Monkeys) rounds out the notable cast as Stallone's ill-fated partner in crime.

Although I'm a bigger fan of Arnold Schwarzennegger, I enjoyed Bullet To The Head more than January's The Last Stand- Stallone's delivery is sharper and less forced than Arnie's, while Walter Hill's direction is significantly sturdier and decidedly less audacious than Jee-woon Kim's first Americanized effort. Bullet's script kept the proceedings admirably simplistic while The Last Stand had a haywire, patchwork, fan-made film feel (I didn't care much for the outlandish supercar nonsense at all).

   
Many of the quality elements of Bullet are remindful of vintage Walter Hill efforts- it's a welcomed return to near form.  Then again, I've always been a sucker for a pulpy, noirish revenge flick that isn't afraid to get down and dirty...


7.5 out of 10


 *** Of Note ***  "Thomas Jane was brought into the project by original director Wayne Kramer. When Kramer left the project, Jane suggested Sylvester Stallone hire Walter Hill. After Hill took over directorial duties, Joel Silver came on board the project and fired Jane because he wanted an ethnic guy for the other lead role. Sung Kang was subsequently cast" - Taken from IMDB.com