Dead Man Down

The fusion of cinematic Europe with explosive American expectations is a double-edged sword, which in this case suffers mainly from a terrible script and the bored acting of those involved (apart from the characteristically dogged but suspect Rapeface). What does it matter, then, that the action scenes have everything I need, when one plotline is about an uncharismatic Hungarian gym-goer taking revenge on an appealing band of local mobsters (and we don't see why, we just have to take his word for it) and the other is about the fact that, because of some pretty nice facial scars, some stupid hooker decides to hire a homicidal asshole to take out the man who inadvertently did this to her. Less really is usually more. (2015-05-03)

A superbly cast film with a very cool and quiet atmosphere whose story unfortunately drags too much. Two hours is really excessive for a film where the most surprising things happen in the first third. I had to put on Dead Man Down six times, I think, to finally be able to watch it through without falling asleep. (2015-10-11)

At first, a perfect romantic drama. Wrecks of people, chewed up by life, gaze at each other on the balcony until they like what they see and arrange a date. Then it begins to get a bit sticky and the heroes reveal their secrets. Add a couple of murders, a great atmosphere and it should work. And it works, but the cast and the director held more promise. And mainly the ending like out of a Segal movie cuts this movie’s throat. Don’t get me wrong, I like slaughterhouse finales, but it just wasn’t right for Dead Man Down. (2013-07-03)

Colin Farrel and his tough roles, it's always the same and still watchable. This time, the story is spiced up with the unusually scarred and appropriately mysterious Noomi Rapace and the polished gentleman Terrence Howard. It didn't strike me as any dizzying art, but the action was solid, the dramaturgy acceptable, and for an unknown director taking on the whole project, it wasn't completely bad. If you enjoy standard medium-budget thrillers and crime dramas, this will be okay. A classic for a Saturday afternoon, but in the evening, it's better to watch the main course. (2013-10-13)

This was so... inconsistent. The director of the original Larsson brought along Noomi Rapace, got a slightly above average script, and made an attempt at some kind of gangster movie with a romantic storyline. Not that Colin Farrell or Noomi Rapace were bad, by any means, but the actual process of how they got close and then how they got closer was altogether odd. The main problem I see is the approach to the material and the fact that Oplev didn't seem to be clear on what he actually wanted to make until the last minute. The individuality is OK, some of the action scenes are even excellent, but the whole thing is stuck together in a very strange way. (2014-01-04)