Roy (Frank Grillo) is a man with a problem; everyday he wakes up to the sound of people trying to kill him. But that's not really it. No, the real problem is that they succeed, and Roy has to wake up and do it all over again. That's right, Roy is stuck in a time loop, and he has no idea why. What he does know is that it has something to do with his ex-wife Jemma (Naomi Watts) and her boss Colonel Clive Ventor (Mel Gibson). Now he just has to live long enough to figure out the rest.
Joe Carnahan has taken the whole Groundhog Day/time loop idea and made it into a high-octane action movie. From start to finish Boss Level is pure insanity, and it revels in it - especially in the inventive ways it manages to keep killing our hero. The whole thing plays out like a video game, especially when it comes to the splendiferously over the top action. In any other situation you'd question how a man could get away with causing so much carnage without the appearance of a single police officer, but with this you'll be having way too much fun to even consider such realism. Much like with other movies in this niché genre, the time loop allows us to observe the many fights and car chases from multiple different perspectives and approaches (this part proves to be particular good fun thanks some hilarious variety).
Carnahan really nails the pacing, only letting up occasionally so we can catch our breath and Roy can try to figure out what's happening to him. Events play out like different levels in this crazy video game, with Roy learning the best ways to overcome obstacles through multiple attempts. Not to mention some pretty horrific - and occasionally hilarious - deaths. Only the difference here is that we don't usually appreciate the pain we put our video game characters through, but Roy is more than happy to properly inform us, and in graphic detail. But, as with both movies and video games the idea is to make it to the big bad, that Boss Level. And waiting for Roy is a delightfully sinister Mel Gibson, and his sidekick Brett (Will Sasso). The pair have this hilarious odd couple thing going on. Then there's the strange machine (that looks oddly like Iron Man's Arc reactor) Ventor's company has built. Thankfully the movie doesn't try to explain the "science" behind it, bar some vague references to Ancient Egyptian mythology and Ventor's inexplicable desire for world domination. Why is it always world domination? Do you really want the hassle of such a position.
And at the centre of all this insanity we find Roy, the ex-Delta Force soldier fighting for his tomorrow. Frank Grillo is the perfect choice for a role like this; he can do all of the action, looks hard as nails doing it, and he's able to make it fun. But more importantly he brings a believability to Roy, a character that could have easily been reduced to a two-dimensional, emotionless drone, even if it does mean smaller roles for other characters. Michelle Yeoh has a cool appearance as someone who can teach Roy a few things, but there's little there for her to get her teeth into, and Naomi Watts is given next to nothing to do despite her character having major involvement in Roy's situation. However, Grillo is able to show us this complicated person, and how repeating this day over and over would begin to weigh on him. The moments of doubt and self-pity, when he's simply going through the motions, and on the flip side, how a sudden breakthrough or realisation snaps him out of that funk, re-igniting his drive to fight on. And then of course there are those moments when he's simply enjoying taking his frustration out on those who are trying to kill him. All of which should be pretty relatable for many gamers.
But Boss Level wouldn't be anywhere near as fun without the colourful bunch of killers on Roy's tail. All of whom utilise some very outlandish methodologies - including a gun that once belonged to an infamous dictator - in their approach to the craft. It's actually a lot of fun watching this band of lunatics put Roy, and the convertible Dodge Challenger he routinely steals, through absolute hell. But it's even more fun watching Roy get his own back, especially when it comes to one particular assassin who utters the same annoying catchphrase everytime they kill.
Joe Carnahan's video game take on Groundhog Day is an action-packed carnage fest. If you're looking for some mindless insanity, you can't go far wrong with Boss Level.
8/10
Boss Level is available on Amazon Prime Video.
What did you think of Boss Level? Leave a comment below or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email us at moviemoustache@gmail.com.
Comments
Post a Comment