"What are you telling me? That I can curve bullets?"

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2010)

I haven't read the graphic novel, though I am considering it. From reading up on it, I understand that they took the title and a couple of characters, and then made this up from there. Does that even count as an adaptation? This is a mindless(and unpretentious) flick, and the noteworthy aspect here is the stylized depiction of the action(though there could be more of it, for this being an hour and forty minutes long), and the fact that the scenes remain exciting in spite of how over the top they are. It is purely a macho fantasy(if it does actually treat the morality issue reasonably), indulging in shamelessly doing things that everyone who feels inferior would want to be able to. I don't think the blame lies with the director; he seems to know what he's doing, and even something simplistic does take skill to helm. This isn't emotionally engaging, and the lack of risk and danger does lead to some of the things intended to be thrilling to be nothing other than visually appealing. A couple of bits in the montages make it look like the editor forgot when they occur in the movie; their are details that have not been divulged yet, including some related to the plot line. The lead is noticeably devoid of charm, and the cruelty he faces from his surroundings is ridiculous, unrealistic and not credible. I hate to be superficial, but Jolie looks unusually sickly in this. Her situation at the time has my full sympathies(I believe her mother had recently passed away), and I completely get preferring to work and distract herself. The rest of the cast and their acting varies. It is forced when this goes for being sharp and clever, and it tries way too hard. No role is all that developed. This has a brutal tone. The DVD contains two short featurettes that are decent enough, and reasonably informative. There is swearing, violence and nudity in this, and they are all gratuitous. I recommend this to those in the mood for turning off their brain and enjoy cool sequences that are a feast for the eyes. 7/10