Boss Level

The story looks like it was written by two 10 y.o. boys and Joen Carnaham helped them to turn that into a script. Even if that was the case, it would be fine, really, because Boss Level is mostly good fun (I’m seriously lacking comedies among the genres) with only the occasionally unlikeable Frank Grillo. (31/03/2023)

For B-movie silliness with a video-game concept, Boss Level has a surprisingly fresh and imaginative screenplay with twists that take the story clichés twice as far in the plot as you would expect. And with a lot of original funny moments. Non-stop entertainment with a pleasantly light tone that (thank God) doesn’t take itself seriously at all. (12/12/2020)

Carnahan’s early Xmas gift to connoisseurs. Even though this is rather a cheap, nostalgically bloody production with just average special effects and an uncomplicated, nineties story, it has so many nods and so much self-parody that it’s easy to forgive. The time loop is the catalyst, but Boss Level is more about love of action, old video games and family. Frank Grillo is great as both ultimate killer and caring father. He reels off great one-liners, one after another, so you can’t help but root for him. Gibson enjoys himself greatly in the role of colonel with a savior complex who likes listening to himself speak. Naomi Watts manages to chisel out the most complex of characters in just two scenes. Great fun, but I’m very sad that I won’t be able to see it in the movie theater, thanks to Covid. There's something I don't like about him. He has that... trait. ... The overachiever who makes up for a lack of talent with hustle. (23/11/2020)

Boss Level is a sufficiently fun and humorous action movie about a time loop, but after this year's refreshing Palm Springs, I found it a bit low for this subgenre. Mel Gibson needed more room to act, he practically enters to reel off a typically antagonistic monologue, but then he just turns up sporadically here and there during the rest of the movie. No epic "boss fight" takes place in the final. When the closing credits start to roll, you expect them to stop and the actual final scene to appear. But it never comes. In the end, the highlight of the movie is actually the bonding of the main character with his son, but for most of the rest, including the comically diverse minibosses, this movie is quite forgettable. However, it is quite a decent watch for what it is, but just not as good as it could and should be. (27/11/2020)

I love films with a time loop and Boss Level sure is an enjoyable light movie, nevertheless, with the disadvantage of being neither as interesting (Source Code) nor as entertaining and visually stunning (Edge of Tomorrow) as the competition. (06/12/2020)