FilmSnobReviews

Title: Final Score
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Scott Mann
Starring: Dave Bautista, Pierce Brosnan, Ray Stevenson
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

What It Is: An American ex-soldier Michael (Bautista) visits his closest friend (and former subordinate) family in England. When trying to take his “niece” to a football fixture the entire stadium is in danger from a foreign terrorist cell lead by the war criminal Arkady (Stevenson). If Michael can’t figure out their plan and a way to stop them he’ll not only put his “niece” Rachel (Lucy Gaskell) in danger but several thousand other just trying to enjoy the fixture.

What We Think: This is a good ole fashion action flick! Bautista is believable and kicks all kinds of ass in this. This has that 80’s action feel with of course all the modern conveniences. One thing that kills modern action is quick cuts to hide crap fight choreography. Yeah…Scott Mann just shoots his lead beating the bloody living crap out of people. The best part of that…it works for sure! It’s simple filmmaking that just works. Bautista’s charisma is unique in that he is a very large man who I think…even though he’s aging some, might have a small future as an action star.

Our Grade: C+, A surprise in that it wasn’t nearly as cheesy as I thought but that it did embrace how cheesy it was. There’s something a bit fantastic about the tongue and cheek demeanor that I appreciated. Something about Ray Stevenson as a bad guy just sorta feels right and it was good to see Pierce Brosnan back in an action flick. Last time I saw him was in the film The November Man and he wasn’t bad. Here he doesn’t have much to do but it works. I recommend this its mindless silly fun and in this world, we can always use that.