WRATH OF MAN

The film makes a boggling muddle of what should be a straightforward premise and displays a curious lack of style and adrenaline.

What to make of a movie like Wrath of Man?

On the one hand at least director Guy Ritchie tries to shake up the established formula of the action flick by shuffling around the narrative Rashomon-style. On the other hand he does this with such ineptitude the result is as convoluted a mess as I have seen in a while.

Stealing liberally from much better films like Heat and Assault on Precinct 13, this tale about a gang of violent cash truck robbers features laughably shady or evil characters throughout, makes a boggling muddle of what should be a straightforward premise and displays a curious lack of style or adrenaline.

Even those flocking to Wrath of Man hoping for an ass-kicking Jason Statham will be disappointed by the haphazardly directed action scenes and the fact that the actor, reuniting with Guy Ritchie for the first time in 15 years, is side-lined into a passive role for much of the movie.

If anyone has a clue as to why this film was made or which audience it was intended for, do tell me because I'm stumped.

release: 2021

director: Guy Ritchie

starring: Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Josh Hartnett, Andy Garcia