This is a movie perhaps more in the vein of a silly '80's genre flick, that is heavy on the fun and action but not really on its story.
In this case however it's a good thing that the movie doesn't have a too complicated story in it. It's actually being one of the movie its strengths that the movie has a simple story to it, that doesn't ever make things needlessly complicated or hard and annoying to follow.
The story is mostly being kept simple by the fact that most of the movie is taking place at just one location; an old abandoned factory. And the movie doesn't need an awful lot more than that, to simply create a good and fun action flick with. It uses its settings well and handles its concept in a good and original way. The movie is still filled with plenty of surprises, in terms of that you just never really know what will happen next or how the movie shall eventually end.
It never really makes this a boring or tiresome movie to watch. There is always something happening and there is plenty of variety to it all, even though it has restrained settings and a quite simple and straightforward story in it. All reasons why this movie is definitely way better than just the average genre attempt. And that's a real fact!
Walter Hill has never been a director of any truly great movies (except for "The Warriors" perhaps, though I still had plenty of problems with that movie) but he always was a guy that knew how to handle '80's type of action in his movies, perhaps also thanks to it that he had worked with many other great directors from that time period, as a writer and producer. And the movie truly benefits from this. It never becomes a big or spectacular action flick but it still really feels like a big action movie, probably because the movie never stands still.
The acting is a bit of a mixed bag but then again what action movie does have impressive and flawless actors and acting in it. It's always nice to see Bill Paxton in a leading role and he actually pulls all of the action stuff quite well as well. I have a bigger problem with the gangsters and villains in this movie. I never have been all that impressed with Ice-T's acting and Ice Cube also isn't always too convincing with his acting. But oh well, guess that in some way their acting and the characters that they play add somewhat to the nostalgia- and cheesy fun value of this movie.
Definitely a good and also entertaining enough movie to watch.
7/10
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