trouble with the flick

Rating: 2/10 (28 April 2013)

"Gran Turino" this ain't. In that movie Eastwood's crotchety old man routine was effective and necessary to the plot's theme of redemption. In this dog, it's just threadbare and hackneyed. Everything about this movie is formulaic, predictable and manipulative. None of the characters has any depth - they are all cardboard cutouts. Every plot development can be seen coming a mile away. All that's missing is black hats and white hats to mark the good guys and the bad guys. I take some consolation in the fact that Eastwood's contribution to the flick was as actor only. If he had had any input into the script or the direction, I am sure the results would have been better. As it is this movie is almost unwatchable.