Those Who Wish Me Dead Movie Review & Comments

Casimir Harlow

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Spot on review Cas. I'm all for an utterly generic, formulaic romp these days but this was fairly dismal and I found myself saying: "Why do i do this everytime?!" It seems to be happening more frequently. Maybe that's why i gravitate more toward long form story telling on TV rather than film at the moment. ;)
 
Spot on review Cas. I'm all for an utterly generic, formulaic romp these days but this was fairly dismal and I found myself saying: "Why do i do this everytime?!" It seems to be happening more frequently. Maybe that's why i gravitate more toward long form story telling on TV rather than film at the moment. ;)

I definitely think that's why Yellowstone worked because the long-form allowed even the most thinly-painted 'types' to be gradually transformed into more fully formed characters.

Poor Jolie gave it her all, but I could have easily seen a slightly younger (but still Taken-mode) Neeson playing this part, which, IMO, is a missed opportunity from such a cast and such an acclaimed writer.
 
That's another disappointing read (the read not your writing :) )

I hope Sheridan isn't becoming a victim of his own success. Sounds like a missed opportunity as you say.
 
I definitely think that's why Yellowstone worked because the long-form allowed even the most thinly-painted 'types' to be gradually transformed into more fully formed characters.

Poor Jolie gave it her all, but I could have easily seen a slightly younger (but still Taken-mode) Neeson playing this part, which, IMO, is a missed opportunity from such a cast and such an acclaimed writer.
I'll have to give Yellowstone a go 👍
 
I was hoping for a higher score as it was probably going to be my first trip to the flicks. Maybe I'll just wait for Quiet Place 2 instead...
 
I resubbed my HBOMax to watch this last night. I enjoyed it in a semi-disappointed way. It’s so far from the quality of Wind River and Yellowstone, but also better than average by most Hollywood fare these days. I’d put it alongside ‘Without Remorse’ as a serviiceable action thriller, with a mixture of tropes, cliches, but also some good moments, and just about keeps head above water via the committed cast.

For once I also felt it needed a 5 minute epilogue, as the whole premise of the movie doesn’t get resolved.


Given the conspiracy and the level of government high-ups supposedly involved, in no way were they safe at the end. More agents woukd have been waiting there to spirit them away and silence them, and every effort would have been made to stop a newscrew filming an interview, and wouldn't his hand-written evidence have been destroyed in the river?
 
This felt like Jolie clearly had a dog in the race; what with her model heavy makeup, shots of her bottom and near parading a bra for the audience. That, along with her using the line I'm lean now and not skinny, with a smirk, made me wonder if she's addressing both social / media commentary here but ironically serving an industry that once sought after her pretty much for looks.
The story is bobbins though, with no end of trope-ridden nonsense. I really hate it when brutally efficient skilled tactical killers are posed and then turn to ignorant putty in short form, literally running themselves into mistakes and close up scenarios to be taken down. So many characters go from being gun professionals, in which the weapon affords distance, to suddenly needing to be a foot away - Leon would not be pleased.
If she looked at Pitt the way she looks at the kid in contemplating having him, I'm amazed he lasted as long as he did.
A waste in cast, director and audience time overall.
 
This felt like Jolie clearly had a dog in the race; what with her model heavy makeup, shots of her bottom and near parading a bra for the audience. That, along with her using the line I'm lean now and not skinny, with a smirk, made me wonder if she's addressing both social / media commentary here but ironically serving an industry that once sought after her pretty much for looks.
The story is bobbins though, with no end of trope-ridden nonsense. I really hate it when brutally efficient skilled tactical killers are posed and then turn to ignorant putty in short form, literally running themselves into mistakes and close up scenarios to be taken down. So many characters go from being gun professionals, in which the weapon affords distance, to suddenly needing to be a foot away - Leon would not be pleased.
If she looked at Pitt the way she looks at the kid in contemplating having him, I'm amazed he lasted as long as he did.
A waste in cast, director and audience time overall.

I think it could have been easily fixed too,
by having more than two in the killing team. Then at least the lead brothers don't have to be painted as both brutally efficient and dangerously inept as and when the plot requires it. There are so many classics where the lead villain berates his men for making a mistake - Oldman did it in Leon, for example - but you can't have them be one and the same person as it just undermines the threat.

I honestly had more time for Tyler Perry than Gillen or Hoult, which is saying something.
 
I think it could have been easily fixed too,
by having more than two in the killing team. Then at least the lead brothers don't have to be painted as both brutally efficient and dangerously inept as and when the plot requires it. There are so many classics where the lead villain berates his men for making a mistake - Oldman did it in Leon, for example - but you can't have them be one and the same person as it just undermines the threat.

I honestly had more time for Tyler Perry than Gillen or Hoult, which is saying something.
It's such a pitfall used over and over.
They even throw that out there in need for more characters (Tyler Perry must've been so disappointed in reading to find he's just the one) but then create a literal situation to give them less time and presence.
Hoult and Gillen did make me laugh when they said to one another, I got nothin'. Yup. Just smile and wave boys. Smile and wave,..at your careers...
 
It's such a pitfall used over and over.
They even throw that out there in need for more characters (Tyler Perry must've been so disappointed in reading to find he's just the one) but then create a literal situation to give them less time and presence.
Hoult and Gillen did make me laugh when they said to one another, I got nothin'. Yup. Just smile and wave boys. Smile and wave,..at your careers...

For some reason I seem to remember the airport scene also showed more people getting into more vehicles? I guess they were for different ops.
 
For some reason I seem to remember the airport scene also showed more people getting into more vehicles? I guess they were for different ops.
They obviously didn't fill in the correct critical smiley.
Yet more inconsistency. A crucial matter that was enough to warrant multiple child killings but not so as to engage additional aim and shoot meat.
 
Hmm. Entertaining enough in a sort of throwback, 90s action thriller sort of way. But from the man that brought us Wind River and Sicario? Will the real Taylor Sheridan please stand up?

Jolie miscast, and I couldn’t suspend disbelief at any point. That was a problem. 5.5/10
 
Not usual Sheridan quality, you sort off knew from the off.. best thing about this it's not 3 hours long :D

5/10
 
What did the boy and his father know that people wanted them dead so bad, did I miss it 😂 I know they had evidence of something but don’t think they actually said what it was
 
What did the boy and his father know that people wanted them dead so bad, did I miss it 😂 I know they had evidence of something but don’t think they actually said what it was
Nope, they never do
 
Oh wow, 6 is high. I gave it a solid 4 (lol). Poorly written and same old assassination storyline with hunting down witnesses (and for what!) Then we have 2 decent UK actors fumbling through poor American accents and it just nose dives from there. Jolie is out of her depth in this movie and it didn't suit her character of being tough. Nothing worked in this movie for me at all. Such a shame.
I bet the remake of Cliffhanger is going to be bad as well!
 
Watched this last night and felt it was pretty much as described above, an average budget drama with some action thrown in rather than the action thriller I hoped it would be.

I felt sorry for Jon Bernthal and Medina Senghore and thought the film might have stood a better chance if it revolved around their characters alone rather than the one note supermodel smoke jumper with a tragic past turn that Jolie put in.
 

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