Bloodshot

BLOODSHOT - SONY

Bloodshot is the prime example and the proof in the pudding that the vast majority of visual effect reliant films being released in the updated cinematic landscape are not only so ghastly and inherently silly but that they are unearthed and released for one purpose only - monetary gain.

There is not a single inch of passion or creativity on display here, or any remarkable craftsmanship from the get-go. Although the sheer abundance of company credits totalling at least a full minute to get past before seeing any action on screen, certainly puts the viewer into a certain mindset.

The significant element that the film misses in spades is the sheer notion of the fun factor, which is a shame given the enormous potential it had in the blueprint of the successful MCU retelling the same formula again and again with enormous success.

It is at times like these when audiences can be thankful for studios like Disney and Marvel; because nine times out of ten they are on hand to release a product projected to a vast audience that sells not only big, but also can encapsulate viewers and give them the consistent entertainment that they pay for in hard-earned money.

Blockbusters in Hollywood are all about star power and mass appeal, and for Bloodshot this is no exception. It is a relatively small cast for sure, with big names such as Guy Pearce, Toby Kebbell and Eiza Gonzales co-leading the pack; but the film cuts no corners in establishing who the protagonist is and more importantly, who portrays him.

Vin Diesel is one of the highest-paid actors in the world, and with an enormous catalogue of franchise starters that drizzle out on opening weekend, it is not hard to understand why. Diesel plays the titular character; a former soldier with powers of regeneration and meta-morphing made possible through nanites injected into his blood.

Diesel is in coma mode, ultimately portraying Dominic Toretto from The Fast and Furious saga, with merely a few more veins popping from his biceps and forehead as the only noticeable difference between the two performances. Range and line reading are shambolic and offer absolutely nothing refreshing to an otherwise very neat character and potentially compelling narrative if done right; the film dramatically slowed down literally and figuratively when he is on screen.

Not a single aspect of the action sequences it certainly prides itself in is interesting or offer anything new to the genre, and the overbearing slow-motion beats which occurred too frequently felt as if it was a Zack Snyder film with at least thirty seconds of slow-motion in every action scene which become tiresome and monotonous by the eventual end to its one hundred and eight-minute runtime.

As a complete polar opposite, it is comedian Lamorne Morris who steals Diesel’s non-apparent thunder—presented in a small role as tech genius Wigans in a wobbly English accent that he slips in and out. Morris is undoubtably the best character in the film and delivers his comedic lines superbly, which given the fact he is a comedian is not much of a surprise.

Vin Diesel’s performance, the horrible effects and poorly executed storylines are not the only things that let Bloodshot down; however, as the editing on display here is erratic. It felt as if there were twenty cuts per action, and not only physical fighting action but implementing multiple cuts to show something as simple as someone swimming in a pool is entirely unnecessary. Bluntly put, Bloodshot is a dead man walking on arrival from the opening logos alone, leading to an incredibly unsatisfying conclusion that sets up a sequel that it is more than likely to garner.