The contemporary straight to DVD action movie is a fairly odd breed. For the best part of two decades now, the ageing action superstars who previously reigned supreme at the box office have for the most part been ushered to the back of the bus, and with the exception of Schwarzenegger and Stallone, the bulk of them now seem to find most of their employment headlining cut-price punch-up flicks shot digitally in Eastern Europe, none of which ever see the inside of a cinema unless someone happens to have picked up the DVD from the supermarket before venturing out to see the latest blockbuster.
In recent years, this has been the place you’ve been most likely to find anything new starring the likes of Lundgren, Van Damme and Seagal; and yet, more and more we see actors who hadn’t been restricted to action in their heyday showing up in similar low-rent, bottom shelf fare. Bruce Willis, Wesley Snipes, Nicolas Cage; and now, Antonio Banderas has also wound up in that same neck of the woods. I gather Acts of Vengeance is just the latest in a number of DTV actioners that the former Zorro/Desperado star has made of late, though I haven’t seen any of the others; and, on the strength of this one, I’m certainly in no hurry to change that.
As I write this, another film I’m in no hurry to see – Eli Roth’s Death Wish, starring the aforementioned Bruce Willis – is opening in UK cinemas. As ill-advised and unwanted as that remake might seem, that’s nothing compared to how misconceived Acts of Vengeance is on pretty much every level, and how badly it squanders the talents of a leading man who’s worth so much more than this.
I don’t mention Death Wish just for the hell of it, incidentally; as the title might suggest, Acts of Vengeance ventures into very similar territory. Banderas is Frank Valera, a hot-shot big city defence lawyer who we’re told has done very well for himself by getting off criminals on technicalities. Of course, Frank’s professional success means he tends not to have much time for his wife and daughter, and when he’s kept late at the office one evening he misses his little girl singing in a talent show. But just when he thinks that’s the worst thing that’s going to happen that night, his wife and daughter don’t come home at all; it turns out they’ve both been murdered, for no discernible reason.
When the police investigation brings up no leads, it becomes clear that the killer will not be found, despite reassurances from friendly beat cop Strode (Karl Urban). Sinking into despair and alcoholism, Frank inadvertently stumbles into an underground fighting circuit, where he winds up seeking penance, allowing others to beat him to a pulp every night; but when one attempt to do the right thing sends him hurtling through a bookstore window, Frank finds himself clutching a blood-stained copy of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. The book speaks to Frank, who takes it as a sign that he must seek justice himself, through actions rather than words. And so, he takes a vow of silence, ditches the booze, hits the gym, gets martial arts lessons, and sets out to find the one who killed his wife and daughter, and make them pay.
As I should hope is self-evident from that synopsis, Acts of Vengeance is fairly ludicrous in concept. This would be no problem whatsoever if the film committed to that absurdity, and made a point of going all-out there bananas. Unfortunately, writer Matt Venne and director Isaac Florentine appear to be taking this all entirely seriously, and Banderas – a witty performer at his best – is obliged to be utterly po-faced throughout. The whole thing is made all the more excruciating by a badly over-written explanatory narration, presumably included to ensure we know what’s going on when Banderas, for thoroughly unconvincing reasons, stops talking midway. The sad part is, there might have been the beginnings of a more compelling revenge thriller had it been handled a bit better, but it all just winds up coming off dumb and embarrassing – yet not nearly over the top enough to make for a satisfying Friday night beer and curry film.
Credit where it’s due, there are some decent fight scenes; Florentine has a good track record in this department, having directed a number of movies with Scott Adkins (one of the few real stars to have arisen directly out of the modern DTV action arena). Even if it strains credibility how quickly Banderas’s big city lawyer transforms into a stone cold street fighter, the actor himself does a good job in the action scenes, nor is his co-star Karl Urban – the once (and future?) Dredd – any slouch in that department. Sadly, in this instance maybe 15-20 minutes of solid fisticuffs isn’t enough to make a viewing worthwhile. The cast deserves better, and so do the audience.
Acts of Vengeance is available on VOD and EST on 23rd April, followed by DVD and Blu-ray on 7th May, from Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment.