Bloodshot — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
When it comes to schlocky cinema, there are times when it works for me and times when it really doesn’t, just like every moviegoer. When I find a film that does work but is admittedly not all that great, I have more fun watching it than I should. Bloodshot was the most recent film to be released that I felt this way towards. So, even though I may talk pretty highly about some aspects, don’t let that make you believe it’s a great movie, because it’s absolutely not. Here’s why, with your own discretion, you should check this one out.
After Ray Garrison witnesses the murder of his significant other and is then killed himself in the heat of combat, he is then reborn by an organization that has replaced his blood with nanites. These living things/robots work as his blood and allow him to regenerate any wounds, within reason. This also gives him agility and strength, pretty much making him a superhero. Finding out there is much more to this organization than he originally was led to believe, a pretty fun action flick begins to unfold. Although none of the actors/actresses here are giving award-worthy performances, I think it was this assembled cast that made me like this movie as much as I did.
Vin Diesel has never been one of the greatest actors in the world, but I’ve always enjoyed watching him on-screen. His back and forth here with Eiza Gonzalez was likeable and it’s probably the best performances I’ve seen from her so far. It’s never a bad thing to add Guy Pearce to your film either, but I’m starting to feel like he is being given incredibly familiar roles every time he is cast. I haven’t seen him in anything different from this since his role in Iron Man 3 back in 2013, aside from maybe The Rover.
Now, here’s where audiences will know whether or not they will want to check this film out if you already didn’t. Bloodshot absolutely takes itself seriously, so if you’re looking for a self-aware movie that warrants it’s schlock, I would say you’re in the wrong place. There are moments that had me engaged and others that had me rolling my eyes, but it all worked together as a piece of filmmaking that is forgettable, but also one that I will probably watch one or two more times when I can’t find anything else to watch. There’s nothing Shakespearean here, but if cool visual effects, a good enough premise, and an overdone conclusion doesn’t bother you too much, I feel that this is something you can check out.
In the end, I kind of knew what I was getting myself into, simply due to the fact that it was directed by Dave Wilson. Having done the visual effects work for movies like Avengers: Age of Ultron and video games like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, without ever having directed anything outside of one short film, I expected a little more style over substance. While Bloodshot definitely fits that description, I just had a lot of fun watching it. This movie certainly won’t please everyone, but there are far worse action movies out there. In the years to come, I will probably look back on Bloodshot and call it one of my favourite guilty pleasures.
Rating: 3/5
Check out the trailer below:
