Sam Elliott has been getting many kind words said about him thanks to the success of his last movie, A Star is Born (2018). While Elliott was not the main attraction of the remarkable remake, his supporting performance has landed him on quite a few award nomination lists. And for this reason, RLJ Entertainment should be credited in making a shrewd move to release a movie with the acclaimed actor in the lead role while his star power is at maximum brightness from his most recent performance. Aside from having (and I’m just taking a leap of faith here) the most interesting movie title of 2019, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot also has a very marketable leading man. Will that be enough to wet the appetites and get audiences to want to join the hunt?
To many, Calvin Barr (Sam Elliott) looks like so many other retirees that are just wasting away by sitting in local dive bars waiting for their next beer. There happens to be something a little different about Calvin. When a couple of locals take him for granted and look to inflict a little pain to pass the time, well these guys are going to a crash course in why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover no matter how tattered and torn said cover appears. There’s a lot more going on with the gruff man with the silver mustache than people think.
Calvin has a history that virtually no one knows about. And his claim to fame is that he is the man who took down the most hated man in the world in his time. Adolf Hitler needs no introduction, but who he met his demise could be a tall tale that most would find very hard to believe. At any rate, due to Calvin’s previous heroics and valiant displays of valor, his country is about to call on him once more to take down an even more formidable adversary. The Bigfoot is feared to be spreading a deadly plague that could threaten the existence of all humankind but the government has other ideas on how to deal with this threat. Decades later, does Calvin Barr have what it takes to save the world yet again?
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot is directed and written by Robert D. Krzykowski, who doesn’t have a ton of experience behind him. He’s given the freedom to rewrite history by taking creative liberties and using his imagination to the fullest. Sam Elliott is the big name in this adventure drama and clearly he’s the main draw. The younger version of Calvin Barr is played by Aidan Turner and he also gets ample screen time. Caitlin FitzGerald, Ron Livingston, Larry Miller and Sean Bridgers are other supporting actors that you may recognize.
There’s a reason that The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot didn’t get a wide release. In short, the story is rather uninteresting at times which doesn’t allow for full engagement. Couple that with a slower pace and very little from a budgetary perspective and you get something that would probably be best served for home video. The fact that RLJ Entertainment has granted a limited theatrical release speaks to its cult calling. I feel that this feature will be too bland for mass consumption but a select few may find value in what this team presents. You can see this movie starting today at select theaters. Check your local listings for showtimes.
