Modern action movies: “Bullet to the Head”

Does growing old mean kicking any less butt? Sly Stallone doesn’t think so and shows it in Walter Hill’s action flick Bullet to the Head.

Bullet to the Head
(USA 2012, director: Walter Hill)

Hitman Jimmy Bobo and Washington D.C. police officer Taylor Kwon join forces to bring down a corrupt and violent politician.

So what does one expect from a Sly Stallone movie? Hand-to-hand combat and shooting of course. There’s plenty of that, some of it quite violent (which makes the 16+ age restriction of Germany quite questionable). It’s more bullet through the head or head through the wall than actual adrenaline-filled suspense. Even if there is a plot, in addition to the characters it’s nothing new and takes a backseat to the action on screen.

There are a few tries at establishing a kind of buddy movie, but this doesn’t really work with more stereotypical jokes and one-liners. Those of Stallone are quite funny, delivered with the blank expression one is used to, while Kang’s performance is lacking some punch. However, juxtaposing the two extremes of going by police rules or living by one’s own rules makes for some surprisingly brutal scenes and a good ending.

Jason Momoa has also to be given some credit. Known for his lead role of the new Conan, he’s quite a tough enemy for Sly, and their final axe fight is memorable enough to stand out from the rather standard shootouts, although there aren’t as many as the german title Shootout wants you to believe, sprawling this inappropriate name on the wall right from the start even if one chose the English version. And while we’re at it, the German cover looks also quite lame in comparison to the UK and US versions.

The movie is entertaining enough in the action sequences, but forgettable in its characters or plot. It’s still a recommendable flick if one doesn’t expect too much than simply 90 minutes of in-your-face fist fights.

Score: 7/10

imdb

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