Guns Akimbo (2019)
Director: Jason Lei Howden
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Samara Weaving, Rhys DarbyRuntime: 98 minutes
Synopsis: A guy relies on his newly-acquired gladiator skills to save his ex-girlfriend from kidnappers.
Performances: 6/10
Screenplay: 5/10
Editing: 6/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Entertainment Factor: 6/10
Screenplay: 5/10
Editing: 6/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Entertainment Factor: 6/10
Verdict: "Guns Akimbo" is dumb. And that's the point. So if you're looking for a thought-provoking film that serves a purpose other than just being bonkers and high on adrenaline, I'd recommend looking elsewhere because it certainly doesn't check that description.
I put the movie on while I was on the treadmill, and I gotta say, the rush it emits perfectly fits that very setting. It's pretty much a mix between "Death Race", "Edward Scissorhands", and "Scott Pilgrim vs the World", with a straightforward story that sees the protagonists go on a gory televised mission to save his ex-girlfriend from a bunch of kidnappers. The gimmick, however, is that he's being chased by another contestant, played by Samara Weaving, and uh... has guns nailed to his hands. The film's energy is brought by a style that very much reminded me of one found in mindless TPS video games. It has a very upbeat soundtrack, camera spins, quick cuts, lots of colors, and obviously a bunch of over-the-top action set pieces. The issue though is that it fails to reinvent itself as it develops and as a result got pretty repetitive by its final act. That's pretty much where I slightly checked out from it and just waited for it to reach its conclusion. I also felt that the movie's comedic approach tried a bit too much to be clever or self-aware, at times to a distracting degree.
But overall, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have a blast with "Guns Akimbo". It definitely didn't reinvent the wheel or anything close to that, but for what it wants to be, it pretty much delivers on nearly every aspect.
I put the movie on while I was on the treadmill, and I gotta say, the rush it emits perfectly fits that very setting. It's pretty much a mix between "Death Race", "Edward Scissorhands", and "Scott Pilgrim vs the World", with a straightforward story that sees the protagonists go on a gory televised mission to save his ex-girlfriend from a bunch of kidnappers. The gimmick, however, is that he's being chased by another contestant, played by Samara Weaving, and uh... has guns nailed to his hands. The film's energy is brought by a style that very much reminded me of one found in mindless TPS video games. It has a very upbeat soundtrack, camera spins, quick cuts, lots of colors, and obviously a bunch of over-the-top action set pieces. The issue though is that it fails to reinvent itself as it develops and as a result got pretty repetitive by its final act. That's pretty much where I slightly checked out from it and just waited for it to reach its conclusion. I also felt that the movie's comedic approach tried a bit too much to be clever or self-aware, at times to a distracting degree.
But overall, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have a blast with "Guns Akimbo". It definitely didn't reinvent the wheel or anything close to that, but for what it wants to be, it pretty much delivers on nearly every aspect.
FINAL GRADE: 6/10
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