I liked this movie, despite the subtext that I am an evil bastard for being of European descent. It did let me down in spots but was fun in a brutal, direct way.
Dwayne Johnson makes a good Arnold-Stallone upgrade and brings a lot of intensity to his part.
The movie is about a mixed-race wheel man who is released from prison and goes on a b-line rampage to avenge his brother’s execution.
I like that he uses a revolver and is a direct action aggressor with no finesse.
I like that he drove a 69 Chevy Super Sport.
There was a decent knife fight in an upscale men’s room.
There was an excellent emergency room execution!
The subtext delivers the following standard cultural messages which must be present in any postmodern film, and for which I forgive the filmmakers.
White kids can’t play sports.
White men are evil or clueless, with any paleface not in on the scam a mere stooge on the world stage.
White men are sadistic.
White men are weaklings.
White men can’t fight.
White men are cowards.
Black and mixed-race men are the models of masculinity.
White women are the smartest and most morally grounded people on the planet.
Even the most cold-blooded black criminals are honorable.
Black men care more about the impact their lifestyle choices have on their sons than do white men, who are rarely there for their sons. ‘Poppa was a Rolling Stone’ did not make the soundtrack cut.
Black women are the beating moral heart and strength of America.
Despite the dominance of the hip hop lifestyle in 21st century America, black life still revolves around intact nuclear families and church revivals, as it did in the 1950s.
If evil black men repent, they deserve mercy.
When evil white men repent, they deserve death.
If the mantra above disturbs you, then do not bother viewing a movie made after 2008, unless it’s been banned, panned or has gone straight to video.
About what I figured. You can play the same game with just about any commercial.
I guess this means no Baytown Outlaws 2, huh?
This reminds me of the latest Star Wars which was an exact rip-off of the first one with some Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter motifs thrown in and Luke Skywalker's character is distributed amongst three characters this time: a noble au-lait colored man, a noble black man that talks white, and a butt-kicking English shrew.
Glad I didn't pay money for it. The other movies I saw on the same flight had the same motifs you mentioned above except when a white heart-throb like Bradley Cooper stars.
I guess this is why I'm reading books lately. I highly recommend Bernard Cornwell.