Vin Diesel turns superhero in bonkers but always watchable Bloodshot
It’s weird to think a highly respected thespian of Vin Diesel’s refined calibre has never graced the frame of a superhero movie until now, in the rather bonkers yet totally watchable Bloodshot.
Leigh Paatsch
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It is very weird to think a highly respected thespian of Vin Diesel’s refined calibre has never graced the frame of a superheromovie until now.
Vinny D ain’t exactly making up for lost time with his late entry into the genre. In fact, he barely pushes himself to make any effort at all in Bloodshot.
Which is not to say Mr Diesel’s low-to-no energy levels hurt the chances of a rather bonkers, always watchable action movie.
Vin plays Ray Garrison, a decorated Marine who starts the movie getting assassinated while on a fancy European holiday with the missus.
She also was dispatched to an early grave as a result of this ill-fated sojourn, something which becomes a real sore point for Ray when he is jump-started back to life by a top-secret team of scientists.
They’ve pumped Ray full of creepy-crawly nano-tech devices which can repair and revitalise the human body, no matter how many times you blow it to smithereens.
Now an indestructible killing machine, Ray spends time between official assignments looking for whoever murdered him and thewife back in the day.
To get stuff as ridiculous as this across the line in semirespectable shape, you have to be able to keep a straight faceat all times.
Not expressing very much has long been a major weapon in Diesel’s acting armoury, so once the plot shifts up into even silliergears, you kind of become grateful for the big lug’s anchoring presence.
Especially when a majority of the supporting cast fail to register any lasting presence at all.
Only Australia’s Guy Pearce (as one of the madder mad scientists in play here) and Elza Gonzalez (echoing some of her goodwork in Baby Driver) deliver anything to distract viewers from becoming hypnotised by Diesel’s permanent grimace.
A middling burst of mindless mayhem for those wanting such a thing.
BLOODSHOT (M)
Director: Dave Wilson (feature debut)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Elza Gonzalez, Guy Pearce, Toby Kebbell.
Rating: **1/2
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