Director(s): Craig Moss
Genre(s): Action, Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: April 13, 2012
" Bad ass. It's what they're callin' him." –PantherWar. It doesn't just affect those who fight while they're fighting it. For the Vietnam veterans, post-war is one of the biggest battles of all. Decorated war hero, Frank Vega, is no stranger to this. Upon returning home he learns that fitting in is no easy task. After being shunned by society and his childhood sweetheart, he is left to fend for himself. Forty years later and no longer the young dreamer he once was, a deplorable incident on a bus brings him back into the spotlight. But it isn't until his best friend is murdered that he begins the unyielding fight for justice that turns him into the Bad Ass.
I have a confession... Danny Trejo is the sole reason I watched this movie. We have that type of relationship where if he's in it, I'll watch it. Because c'mon... he's a bad ass! And speaking of Bad Ass, if you hadn't already guessed by the no-holds-barred-title, this is a movie I lovingly classify "awesomely bad." So yeah, that should say a lot right there. It's a shame, really, that Trejo's not one of the more well-known action stars of today because he genuinely is a total BAD ASS. I mean, he's no spring chicken and he's still got some seriously impressive moves. I kind of adore him despite his choice in doing awesomely bad and just plain bad movies.
Just look at that face!
Bad Ass is one of those vigilante justice titles much like Grand Torino or The Brave One. I guess the biggest difference is that it takes on a more casual tone and lacks the depth and insight that most movies of this genre do. And it's not to say that Bad Ass is bad necessarily, it definitely makes a point, only it does so with a little less finesse than the others. And I have to give them credit because there's only so much that ass-kicking can make up for when you're working with a subpar screenplay.
One of the prerequisites for obtaining Nikki's seal of "awesomely badness" is that a movie must NOT take itself too seriously. So yeah, Bad Ass definitely doesn't. In fact, there are enough well-timed quips of comedy to make it enjoyable and tone down on the seriousness. It's also notable to mention that the comedy here outshines many of the cliched puns used in action flicks today. They might not be smart but they're original. Bad Ass has a good mix of action, comedy and drama so it never gets stale. And yes, I don't deny that there is a bit of the cheese factor to the movie, however, it's got a decent message at it's core so I'm willing to overlook all that. Plus, it's Danny Trejo and I heart him.
Read this article and you'll understand why.
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Summary Prognosis
If I had only two words to describe Bad Ass they would be: "awesomely bad." I bet you thought I was gonna say bad ass, right?! Well it's that, too! While not the savviest movie in the revenge department, it's not a total loss thanks to its explosive action and well-timed comedy. It's a fun and likeable and gets the point across without being to heavy handed or serious. And if anyone could get me a bad ass theme song like the one in Bad Ass, I'll give you 100 cool points. Because it's AH-MAZING. K, awesome. Rating: ★★★
Watch It: Amazon
Discuss It: IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes
View the Trailer:
This surely sounds awesomely bad :) That pic of Danny Trejo with the dove is too funny. Did you see him in the movie Heat? He's got a cool death scene in that one.
ReplyDeleteOMG, YES! And I'm glad to know I'm not the only Danny Trejo fan in the house. There's something menacingly adorable about him and I kinda wish he was, like, my kick-ass grandpa or something.
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