Mel Gibson’s new shoot ‘em up film does little to break away from genre formula
Tell me if you’ve heard this story before: a grizzled and scarred man with a dangerous past must rise to the occasion to protect his child from danger. This time-tested action formula seems more prevalent than ever before thanks to the massive success Liam Neeson has had in the Taken series. Since then, actors ranging from Sylvester Stallone to Sean Penn have sought to take up this new mantle of the “geriatric action hero”, and the new film Blood Father finds Mel Gibson the latest aging movie star to take a shot at it.
In the film, Gibson plays Link, a paroled ex-con and recovering alcoholic working as a trailer park tattoo artist. One day his 17-year-old run away daughter Lydia (Erin Moriarty) calls him up asking for money to help escape from the Mexican drug cartel after shooting her drug dealer boyfriend (Diego Luna). Once the two are reunited, they find themselves quickly forced on the run as Link channels his violent past to keep his daughter safe from the goons after her.
If that plot calls to mind cheesy, B-movie action films that’s because it’s supposed to. Despite a script by Peter Craig and Andrea Berloff that occasionally pays lip service to the topics of addiction and suicide, director Jean-François Richet’s film is far more concerned with moving from action sequence to action sequence. As is the case, the director’s gonzo energy lends the film a propulsive sense of momentum, never stopping long enough for the audience to lose interest or grow attached to the film’s revolving door of supporting cast members. While the movie is unlikely to earn the controversial Gibson many new fans, his ability to play to the film’s deranged energy will likely satiate devotees longing to remember his action star glory days. Moriarty meanwhile is given much less to work with, stuck alternating between frightened and tweaked-out for most of the film, while Luna and William H. Macy (as Link’s AA sponsor) both have fun on the fringes of the film.
Ultimately the film’s comfort with its identity as a mindless action romp is both its greatest strength and curse. While its always watchable, it’s hard to find any aspect that feels particularly fresh or original. With so many other “geriatric action vehicles” telling similar stories, and other movies like Mad Max: Fury Road or Sicario touching on the same themes while making more audacious choices, Blood Father just doesn’t have much new to offer. Unless you are a true B-movie junkie dying to see it on the big screen, you’re likely better off waiting for it to show up on streaming and watching it some lazy Saturday afternoon instead.
The film hits theaters this Friday.
-Nathan Braun
