About the film (courtesy of Columbia Pictures):
Based on the bestselling comic book, Vin Diesel stars as Ray Garrison, a soldier recently killed in action and brought back to life as the superhero Bloodshot by the RST corporation. With an army of nanotechnology in his veins, he’s an unstoppable force –stronger than ever and able to heal instantly. But in controlling his body, the company has sway over his mind and memories, too. Now, Ray doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not – but he’s on a mission to find out.
Try as he might, Vin Diesel has had a difficult time breaking away from already-established franchises. The last time that he attempted to go the path of an original film idea, his endeavor in The Last Witch Hunter (2015) left much to be desired, both in quality and in box office dollars. That being said, his marketability seems to be resilient and the idea of a sequel is being kicked around. He does seem to be a safe bet to NOT lose money, so studios are not as hesitant when it comes backing him when an idea does come up for something new. Columbia Pictures and Sony are hoping for good things from his latest sci-fi action drama, Bloodshot.
Vin Diesel brings with him his typical alpha male bravado, which is completely fine, even if it is becoming a bit cliché at this point. And speaking of cliché, does wardrobe ever have anything that isn’t sleeveless for this man to wear? Heaven forbid he’s ever in Fargo, North Dakota for an entire film. Anyway as far as expectations go, Bloodshot is your typical adrenaline-filled shoot ’em up or beat ’em down movie that you’d expect it to be. The same can be said for his performance. There’s nothing that sets it or him apart from everything we’ve seen in the past. If anything, I’d say that director Dave Wilson plays it safe. And that’s not surprising considering that this is his feature directorial debut.
With a background in visual effects, that’s one thing that Dave Wilson puts his stamp on in Bloodshot. The visuals are decent, and sometimes excessive. The costars that assist in laying out this origin story are Eiza González, Sam Heughan, Toby Kebbell and Guy Pearce. No one really stands out in a good or bad way and that’s not to be unexpected. We all know who people are looking to see when they head out to see this film.
The story line of Bloodshot contains all of the elements required to make complete product. Were they weaved together in an masterful way to provide an enjoyable experience? Well, not really. The execution of the story is where it loses me. I just felt that everything felt shallow. Yes, they deal with an emotional side of Ray Garrison’s (Vin Diesel) life, but I wasn’t drawn in. The same can be said for the backstories of the secondary cast. Yeah it’s to know but do I really care? No. The action and effects are enough to limp things along while not making it unwatchable. I’m completely fine with this being a one and done movie. There’s no need to see what other stories are out there to be explored.
Bloodshot is playing now in theaters everywhere. If you’re looking for something to do to kill a little time while not hoping to be blown away. This is a decent middle of the road offering.
