jeff-luallin
The right mix of action, humor, and what's most important in life - unconditional love.
torstensonjohn
Most viewers will be pleasantly surprised with the plot and character ark of this film. It has a good pace and really does not drop off anywhere throughout the film. If your a fan of Mel Gibson (or even if your not), he is true to form like in Lethal Weapon or Ransom. He looks to be in amazing shape and his character comes across gritty, worn, and heart broke. Like a soul wandering through the world looking for meaning. His daughter is played by Erin Moriarty who showcases great range and emotion through the story. truly great performances on both ends. There is action/drama/and some raw humor. What the lengths a father will go to protect his daughter is defined here.
jimbo-53-186511
Recovering alcoholic and ex-con Link (Mel Gibson) is trying to get his life straight by avoiding getting in to trouble. Link's life is turned upside down when his estranged daughter Lydia (Erin Moriarty) calls him and asks him for help when she find herself on the run from the cartel. Link reluctantly has to return to his old life in order to protect his daughter...Blood Father is another actioner whereby we have a middle-aged bad-ass father who is forced to go to back in to his former life/existence in order to protect a loved one. This is something that Liam Neeson has pretty much perfected over the years (most notably in Taken) - although this film shares more in common in a more recent Neeson film called Run All Night where Neeson played a recovering alcoholic forced to go back to his old life and protect his child.It's not a bad premise and when handled correctly it can make for a good film, but Gibson's character here is a little too whiny and full of self-pity (necessary to an extent I suppose, but it was overdone here and at times I found his character to be a little tiresome). On the other hand, his young co-star Erin Moriarty was a joy to watch; she's sassy, ballsy, but with the slightest hint of vulnerability. This in itself is a rather clichéd role, but Moriarty sells it well and she bounces off Gibson really well; her carefree persona and his grumpy old man shtick do at times serve the film well giving it some much needed light-heartedness. Where this film does suffer slightly is in the pacing and action stakes; the story is a tad laborious and the action sequences come far too infrequently - it also occasionally does seem to rely on the most unlikely of contrivances to move the story along.Taken for what it is, this is a serviceable and watchable action film with good performances from Gibson and Moriarty - they bounce off each other well and convey a very genuine father/daughter bond on screen. But the truth is that the film suffers when Moriarty and Gibson are not on screen together due to the film's rather laborious pace and lack of action. Worth a look, but don't set your sights too high with this one.
davideo-2
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Link (Mel Gibson) is an ex-con, trying to keep on the straight and narrow, running a home-tattoo business, while liaising with his sponsor Kirby (William H. Macy.) But then his estranged daughter Lydia (Erin Moriarty) comes back into his life, after shooting her drug lord lover Jonah (Diego Luna) in the face during a bungled initiation. With Jonah hot on her trail, Link is forced back into his old way of life to protect her.Mel Gibson is a name you see considerably less these days. It is rumoured Hollywood is run 95% by Jews, and so his roadside scandal that resulted in his anti-Semitic rant may have cost him more than he could ever have imagined. But here and there he still pops up, never losing that 'movie star' appeal, but failing to appear in anything of real substance that could really get his career going again, such as Blood Father.To be fair, in his 50+ years, Gibson still cuts a fine figure, and suits the action hero persona just fine. Just as well, as he's caught up in some pretty heavy duty action sequences here, that don't squirm on the blood letting and unflinching physical intensity. There even seems to be a nod to his old Mad Max days during a bike chase sequence. But it's all just too formulaic and unremarkable to make any real impression, even if it is all wrapped up in under an hour and a half.Still, for those wondering what's happened to Mel, it will probably still come as a bit of good news. **
AD
