Wrath of Man

Guy Ritchie seems to be finally maturing as a filmmaker around the age of 50 and has made a relatively restrained, down-to-earth and straightforward heist/inside job gangster film that has its feet on the ground, is still pretty cool and understandably free of the typical sharp humour. Statham without the kicks – a wonder in itself, but one that works surprisingly well, and the action overall is passable. At times it looks like Michael Mann is remaking Heat with a joint in his mouth, drinking Irish whiskey, but OK, as long as it doesn't take itself too seriously, and given that it's actually a very decently made B-movie without much ambition, it's fine. (02/06/2021)

Projects by Guy Ritchie usually stand out for their playfulness and lightness, which this time has been replaced by straightforward action full of violence, testosterone, developed musculature, and a sullen gaze à la Sylvester Stallone on the face of Jason Statham.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)

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)

Guy Ritchie returned to home territory with The Gentlemen, having a bit of a second wind and showing that he has still got the chops to make those sort of blockbuster movies. So, with Wrath of Man, he has proved that he intends to continue on doing that. It is a stylish crime thriller that is a remake of the 17-year-old (and underrated) French movie Cash Truck and adds more angles, a whole lot more action, and a really powerful shot of testosterone, all set to a melodic and dark musical score. It has been a long time since I have been as impressed by the theme tune to a new movie as I was with this. Had it all been a little less predictable, I would have been more satisfied, however, thumbs up nonetheless. (08/06/2021)

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)