Pros:
1.) Patrick “H” Hill (played by Jason Statham) and his gangsters have an interesting act when it comes to their storyline. When H’s son was murdered, his men and he investigate thoroughly throughout the criminal underworld to find his killer. I like how determined H is to find his son’s murderer and how loyal his men are at taking responsibility for their failure. Their sense of comradery and loyalty is strong with each other and that is kind of nice to see. While I wished there is more time to spend with these gangsters, it is nice to see their loyal chemistry with each other.
2.) While jarring at first, the multiple perspectives of certain people up until the last act is decently done. It does need improvement due to the antagonists getting a somewhat last-minute introduction. Still, these perspectives give a good look on what happened at a certain heist, then it looks at the protagonist and antagonists’ views on that heist and how it all leads to the final act. Their motivations are understandable, and they both clash to the final act with a good action scene…
3.) …Speaking of action scenes, while there are not that many, those scenes are done well to show how ruthless H is to his enemies. He shows no mercy at all (other than one heist group) especially if he believes those enemies are his son’s murderers. The last act’s fight scene conveys all of that, and it can be brutal. Powerful hits (especially from shotguns), plenty of gun fights, and one angry man trying to go after his son’s murderers make this particular action scene the best in the movie.
Cons:
1.) There are a group of antagonists working together to rob armories, and the main antagonist is cartoon-like villain. At least his companions have a good reason why they are robbing from others, but this guy named Jan (played by Scott Eastwood) wants to due to greed and money. He was a prick before they robbed from armories, and he became a cartoon villain when they started. Nothing about him is redeemable or interesting, making me wonder why his companions want him around.
2.) The movie spends time with many of people in the armory division, and none of them are interesting. They have their tropes and stereotypes from the immature worker to the tough girl. The only slight moments that make them stand out a bit is when they question who H really is when he took out some robbers easily. After that, they go straight back to their regular days like it was nothing (mainly because of shifting narrative perspectives). When the final act occurs and they get involved, the audience cannot really feel anything for these people due to lack of character exploration.
3.) There are some odd edits here and there. Examples include one-second quick cuts to the dead robbers’ faces and intercuts between scenes in order to change scenes. Those edits may not be that bad, but it certainly stands out when it happens.
Overall:
Based on the 2004 French film Cash Truck, I do not really have much to say other the pros and cons I have inputted. This is a decent movie that does its job to entertain the audience and show a story about a crime lord wanting vengeance for his son’s death by investigating in an armored truck company. If that sounds like something that interests you, then I recommend it to you. It is likely not going to amaze anyone, but it is a decent watch nonetheless.
7/10
benzeyeview 