Starring
Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Jack
Reynor, Babou Ceesay, Enzo Cilenti, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Noah
Taylor, Patrick Bergin, Tom Davis, Mark Monero. Directed by Ben
Wheatley. (2016, 90 min).
One
thing is certain...the cast of Free Fire are clearly having a
good time.
What
actor wouldn't want to get decked-out in 70's era garb, act
super-cool, grab some guns and start blasting away at each other?
Kind of like playing cops & robbers, only this time there isn't a
single badge to be seen. Everyone's
clearly all-in for this action-comedy. Whether or not the audience
has as much fun is certainly subjective.
Aside
from a brief and simple set-up - an illegal weapons
sale gone awry - the entire film is one prolonged gunfight, bad guys
vs. bad guys, in an abandoned factory. There are no actual story
complications such as a betrayal or double-cross. They
simply piss each other off enough to start shooting...and shooting...and shooting.
Much
of the "humor" stems from the fight itself, that these characters are almost nonchalant about killing each other while
fighting for their own lives. Everyone gets shot multiple times, yet
no one backs down, continuing to taunt each other during the entire
gunfight. Half-way through the film, some are dead and most of those
who aren't are barely able to stand, much less run. A few amusingly ponder how
much time they've got left before they lose too much blood to kill everyone and get
out of there alive.
 |
| Cillian's Christian Bale impression never fails to amuse. |
The
absurd scenario is mostly played for laughs, and sometimes it's
pretty funny. There's also some amusing dialogue interspersed among
the non-stop gunplay. Even the violence - which grows increasingly
brutal - elicits a few chuckles now and then. However, like many
black comedies which attempt to mine laughs from a dark premise, a
little of this goes a long way. Scenes of bullet-riddled
characters hobbling and crawling everywhere become a little repetitive after
awhile.
Most
of the cast is good and a few of the characters are kind of
interesting. Armie Hammer is fun as Ord. a sharp-dressed, smooth
talking mediator. However, while Sharlto Copley is a good actor, the
whiny, oddball persona he often incorporates in roles is growing tiresome.
Aside from the polyester suit, there's little difference between his
character in Free Fire and those he played in District 9
and Elysium.
But
even if Free Fire isn't as much outrageous fun as the
premise suggests, it's sometimes amusing and the violent action is
well executed. The film runs out of gas toward the end, but
it's interesting enough to check out at least once.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTE:
"The Making of Free Fire"
AUDIO
COMMENTARY - By Director Ben Wheatley
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW
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