I really enjoyed it

Rating: 8/10 (9 June 2005)

I walked into this film not expecting a great deal. Thought it would be another Kill Bill that was all style and no substance. A film that with so many actors vying for decent screen time would dilute a story into a glorified pantomime.
What a great surprise so see a film that is refreshingly adult, cool to look at and has involving stories. I wasn't sure how I would get on with the high contrast comic book look to the film but it actually works. The fact that they set the world, its physics, what does and doesn't work from the beginning means that you have a control for your intelligence to lock onto. For instance someone might get shot 10 times and still be alive which although preposterous to begin with seems normal once you become involved with the film. It also sticks to these guidelines so you don't a get a normal fight one minute and then another where the confines of gravity seem to have been forgotten the next.
It's so good to see a film that isn't afraid to be squarely aimed at adults. Women have sex but then are not unrealistically scrambling for the covers to hide their nakedness, the revenge motives are played through to their natural conclusion without characters going soft and the blood is liberally applied to blows and injuries.
Mickey Rourke is sensational. I never used to like him as he was quite arrogant in his early days but falling on hard times and forced to do 'straight to video' b movies seemed to provide him with some humility and allows me to appreciate his craft even more. His story is the best of the three. Bruce Willis is also on top form and the rest of the cast deliver very good performances. Clive Owen was a little weak, I don't rate him as that accomplished an actor and for me it showed. But this couldn't dampen the creative flair, the depth of story or sheer brutality of the action. There is plenty of female flesh on show (most of it very nice), a smattering of humour where needed, generous amounts of violence delivered with gusto and crunching sound effects and a good score.
Overall I was very impressed. An enjoyable film that was great to look at as well as being involving and rewarding to watch.