Movie Review - Bloodshot

Director: Dave Wilson
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Vin Diesel, Guy Pearce, Sam Heughan, iza González, Toby Kebbell, Talulah Rileu, Lamorne Morris, Siddharth Dhananjay

Description: Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel), a slain soldier, is re-animated with superpowers.

Review: One of the most frustrating viewing experiences is when a film cleverly starts to work out its premise, but then throws all the intelligence overboard to offer only cheap entertainment. Not that there’s anything wrong with no-brainer movies, but if you don’t intent to live up to your pretensions, leave them out completely. That way, no one needs to be disappointed. “Bloodshot” shows that there is a superlative to this experience: a film that starts out as a stupid blockbuster, then reveals a lot smarter than you initially thought, only to end up as a stupid action film.
Based on the first half of “Bloodshot”, it seems perfectly clear what kind of mediocre film we are dealing with. Vin Diesel is once again portrayed as a tough mourner, who, as a super soldier, manages to complete every impossible mission. But is also a good husband for the woman he always comes home to safely afterwards. The war mission from this opening phase uses the now widely palette of “Black Hawk Down”, but after Ray’s homecoming we get an idyllic gathering with his wife.
After a bloody confrontation, Ray wakes up in laboratory, where he is told that he has died and has not only been brought back to life by state-of-the-art technology, but has also improved a lot. No only has his physical strength increased enormously and is he practically invulnerable, but the technology in his body also makes him omniscient.
It kind of feels like “RoboCop”. Because apart from a revived protagonist who can connect the necessary dots in his computer brain, there are war veterans who get robotized replacements for missing limbs.
Since Ray can’t remember anything about what happened to him, the question arises as to why the film sill filled that time at all. Why not just start at this point. It would have made it more interesting for the viewer.
There is a moment in the film that seems interesting, but it quickly heads back towards being a clumsy blockbuster. “Bloodshot” is an action film that will be easily forgotten.

Rating: 2/ 5