Wrath of Man

To begin with, Wrath of Man looks like a Statham classic about a dude with a clear moral compass who eliminates gangs that rob armored cars. GTA style. But I was mistaken. The tough, focused approach chosen by Richie and maintained till the very end reveals that he has grown up at last and can deal with his ego if the story needs it. No music-video type editing and, whenever there is a one-liner, then it’s sexist and homophobic, plus cruel and bloody action. The combination of Zahler’s approach mixed with a Mann’s crime movie works like a well-oiled machine. Benstead’s music amazingly highlights the unpleasant, almost chilling undertones of the whole movie. An excellent role for Eastwood. (26/05/2021)

Projects by Guy Ritchie usually stand out for their playfulness and lightness, which this time has been replaced by straightforward action full of violence, testosterone, developed musculature, and a sullen gaze à la Sylvester Stallone on the face of Jason Statham. Although he is not usually cast by directors in roles of intellectuals, here his unchanging frosty expression is a bit of a shame. The simple story about a journey to get revenge wouldn't bother me if Ritchie hadn't made it into such a popcorn flick. Supermen who knock down six opponents with six shots from dozens of feet away belong in fairy tales that I don't appreciate. Additionally, I get the impression that the team of screenwriters did not do a good job in this case, and a few times I incredulously raised my eyebrows at the strange shortcut in the plot or the behavior of the characters. However, Ritchie is too good of a director to make an outright bad film, especially since this one appeared at just the right time after the forced fasting imposed by the COVID epidemic. Within the genre, it is clearly above average, and any fan of action spectacles can confidently add a fourth star to my overall impression of 60%. (24/02/2022)

This is what a purposeful remake should be. From the original story, which I liked, Guy Ritchie took the most important thing, added a lot of new things, and made a film that I like even more. The uncompromising dark atmosphere draws you in with the first scene and continues to roll to the sound of flawless creeping music, mixing with the roar of trucks and gunshots. Yes, since the hero is played by Jason Statham, unlike the French original, what he can do is not that surprising, but many other things and characters, including the perfect Scott Eastwood, who obviously can act when given the chance, do surprise. I probably most enjoyed the chapter Scorched Earth, in which the boss and the team followed the footsteps and which was really dense. Great job! (23/07/2021)

In the first act I had a problem with the characters, they seemed strangely out of touch with reality in terms of their behaviour, but once the narrative switches to other points of view it somehow falls into place. Wrath of Man is a masculine film, cold and without any hint of humour. If I didn't know who made it, I'd be much more likely to guess I was watching S. Craig Zahler's new movie than Guy Ritchie's. I don't usually look forward to new Jason Statham films, and I wasn't expecting anything from this one either, but it ended up being surprisingly the best action flick of the year so far. The ending at the depo reminded me of Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, which is the best possible calling card. (26/05/2021)

This dark heist flick offers a very, VERY angry tough-guy protagonist driven by vengeance, gangs of exemplary thugs (Darrell D'Silva was the best!), raw shootouts and super-dark, heavyweight music that adds to the film’s gut-punching seriousness. Of course, the action is superbly directed with absorbing camerawork that is magical, even when the film is just building up to the action. The flashbacks in the first two-thirds are also pleasing, with the causes of events told in an original way through editing and the gradual revealing of the main character’s identity. If it had an even more sophisticated climax (which, as it stands, is rather “only” a well-done action scene) and settling of scores with the main villain (who, furthermore, should not have been played by the non-actor Eastwood Jr.), Wrath of Man would have been a reference work in the genre. (08/06/2021)