Regie:
Jean-François RichetKamera:
Robert GantzMusik:
Sven FaulconerBesetzung:
Mel Gibson, Erin Moriarty, Diego Luna, Michael Parks, William H. Macy, Miguel Sandoval, Dale Dickey, Richard Cabral, Daniel Moncada, Raoul Max Trujillo (mehr)Streaming (5)
Inhalte(1)
John Link (Mel Gibson) versucht, seine zerstörerische kriminelle Vergangenheit hinter sich zu lassen und Ärger aus dem Weg zu gehen. Seine Familie hat ihm schon vor langer Zeit den Rücken gekehrt, bis eines Tages seine 16-jährige Tochter Lydia (Erin Moriarty) hilfesuchend vor seinem kümmerlichen Wohnwagen steht. Durch ihre Beziehung zu Drogendealer Jonah (Diego Luna) ist sie mit falschen Leuten aneinandergeraten und ist nun auf der Flucht vor einem mexikanischen Drogenkartell, das sie tot sehen will. John kann dies natürlich nicht zulassen und setzt alles daran, seine entfremdete Tochter zu beschützen, koste es, was es wolle ... (WVG Medien)
(mehr)Kritiken (8)
A straightforward family hit that has no pretentions and entertains with its bloodiness and great lines. Mel is in his element and enjoys every minute that they let him act. The role suits him and it’s great that the daughter (Erin Moriarty) isn’t just someone to be rescued but she moves the story along. Not much action, but when there is, it’s A-grade. Old school.
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Ein altmodischer Actionfilm, bei dem man die ganze Zeit ein richtiges Actionfinale erwartet, aber das kommt nicht. Die Wüsten in Kalifornien sind ein guter Schauplatz. Gibson strengt sich unglaublich an, das Mädchen ist sympathisch und ein Sicario effektvoll. Aber von z. B. Helgelands Payback – Zahltag, der eine geistreiche Steigerung des Tötens von Gangstern hat, ist er weit entfernt. Wenn die Knochen gebrochen werden, ist es eine Delikatesse. Aber aus 95 % besteht der Film aus Quatschen und einer Annäherung. Er ist auch ziemlich hirnlos. Ein schwaches Drehbuch. [Cannes]
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Ein sympathischer Actionfilm, der nicht so direkt ist, wie es auf den ersten Blick aussieht. Man muss über ihn aber auch nicht viel nachdenken. Das Wichtigste ist, dass mich Mel Gibson nicht enttäuscht hat. Und obwohl mir Get the Gringo ein bisschen mehr gefallen hat, habe ich mich vom Anfang bis zum spannenden Ende amüsiert. Dort ging es um alles und es war… sagen wir mal typisch gibsonmäßig.
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Blood Father is a pleasantly straightforward revenge thriller. It will serve the purpose for a Saturday evening on basic cable, but for fans of B-movies that don’t deal in a large amount of profanity and a high body count, it probably won’t offer the same satisfaction as movies that are even more uncompromising and lay claim to the trash tradition with greater pride (such as Gibson’s Payback). Richet manages to limit the theatrical dimension of the father and daughter reuniting and bonding by treating the central duo’s relationship a bit like a buddy movie, but despite all the cynicism and dark humour (see the opening joke about buying bullets, which of course fundamentally conflicts with how uncomplicatedly guns are dealt with in the rest of the film), it is still apparent that family and forgiveness comprise the theme of the film. Due to the short runtime, there is fortunately not much time for didactic dialogue and, furthermore, Gibson’s father character brushes off most of his daughter’s sins with the word “fuck” delivered with various intonations. Richet knows when to crank up the narrative with an action scene and, despite the predictability of the plot, he manages to surprise us a few times with an unexpected cut (to what is happening in the film projected in the cinema) and the agitation with which casual conversations are shot and edited (so that we are constantly aware that the characters are under time pressure). ___ If some roles are said to have been written directly on the actor’s body, in this case that is undoubtedly true (although the film is based on a book) and I find the autobiographical aspect to be the most inspiring part of the whole film. Gibson plays a recovering alcoholic, a former member of a biker gang who has had so much trouble with the law that he risks violating parole with even the slightest offense and going back to prison. He hides out in a western no-man’s land near the Mexican border, staying away from a society in which he has lost faith. Only his daughter in distress compels him to dust off his soldier mentality and lethal skills, which in the end are not something he should be ashamed of, but a useful insurance policy in case of emergency and a reminder of a time when he actually lived (not just survived). You never know when a group of angry Mexicans (it must be said that, to the film’s credit, neo-Nazis are also a threat here) will come to shoot up your camping trailer and you will have to take justice into your own hands. Your problematic past will come in handy in such a situation. As long as you help your family, it doesn’t matter how much damage you do or how many bodies you leave behind. In other words, if – like Mel –you were once a bad guy, that doesn't mean that you should suffer for the rest of your life because of it. It’s unlikely that Blood Father will be the film that saves Gibson’s career, but it offers a lot more (guilty) fun than other projects that are basically just psychotherapy for the actor or filmmaker. 65%
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I’d been pretty much looking forward to this new Mel Gibson movie, but the result threw me off balance a bit. At first, I wanted to warm up by watching the interview that had been prepared for us by Pomo featuring the director and Mel. But the thing was that while the director was full of standard French arrogance, Mel was just sort of standing there and he didn’t really care about anything. So, I was hoping that at least the movie would save the day, but it didn’t. While Mel put in his standard performance, I guess the guy behind the camera must have been drunk or something. It was a strange attempt at a refined shaky camera, which did present nice shots taken at interesting places, but at some points the shakiness was really annoying. Who I also found annoying was the daughter of Mel’s, and that didn’t change until the end of the movie. As they say, there is power in simplicity. In this movie, that simplicity was a bit too straightforward. However, the final action sequence was OK. Too bad that Mel once again got talked into a small-scale flick.
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I was expecting more, but I still welcome Mel Gibson's return. The action is nicely paced, Gibson is uncompromising and properly tough, his fucked up daughter is sexy, the film has a nice pace and a nice look. I had a decent time. 70%
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A not very accomplished attempt at retro. The traditionally charismatic Gibson is great, but it lacks directness and impact, it drags too much and is drowning in tons of dialogue filler. The few bright moments are mostly action scenes, or when the cinematographer, or the screenwriter, has a bright moment and there's something cool for a few seconds, which is what we love about these redneck oldschool action movies.
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Mel Gibson is in great form here, and even in this relatively straightforward action thriller, he showcases his abilities, which are simply excellent. Moreover, he's convincingly rugged, and you tend to believe in him as the biker. But to avoid it being just an ode to Mel, this film is greatly entertaining with its simplicity and excellent shootouts.
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