Odd little story here. The background to me getting this DVD, not the story on the DVD. The publicist showed me a clip of actor Danny Trejo and his love of manipulating animal shapes and if we wanted to run it, would we plug his new film. As the last time I’d seen him act was his premature death in ‘Predators’ (2010), where I didn’t really know his name but wouldn’t want to cross him and thought it a shame he got taken out so early. As you can see here, the clip is rather fun, although it does make me wonder plays with his bread is because they don’t want to give him a knife to cut it with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZTD4jAoIro
Anyway, on to the film. Danny Trejo’s star is obviously rising ever higher, especially when you consider his age, and I suspect someone will bring him back to do the odd SF film from time to time and here, he joins the milieu of action actors who can blame villain, hero and anti-hero and look the part. His role here, Frank ‘Bullet’ Marasco is that of an LA undercover cop who often lives the part in chasing down cops. For a hobby, he does cage boxing and has a former junkie daughter and grandson whom he adores.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdF9Vcv4cCo
The son of a crime baron he put away is to be executed for killing three cops but his father, Carlito Kane (actor Jonathan Banks) is on the job combining it with revenge at the same time. He has the governor’s daughter kidnapped to ensure a stay of execution and because the process of freeing his son is so slow, kidnaps Marasco’s grandson to ensure the detective will sign a confession for his son’s crimes and a suicide note. Of course, things don’t go to plan and so there’s some extended gunfests and car chase to fill the action.
To say that ‘Bullet’ is remorseless and vicious is seriously undermining what is there. The wisecracks and these aren’t all from Trejo make sure you pay attention. My favourite being one of his colleagues saying the Marasco couldn’t write a suicide note that good. If you want a change of pace from SF, then this film will keep your eyes open, although don’t give Marasco a pen because he finds a different way to use it. A real blinder when you see what I mean. It was an interesting way to pass 90 minutes and it kept me awake which always counts for something. It’ll be interesting to see what Danny Trejo appears in next and looking at his bio, he’s in demand.
GF Willmetts
March 2014
(Region 2 DVD: pub: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment CDRE 2115. 84 minute film with no extras. Price: £ 8.00 (UK))
subtitles: English
cast: Danny Trejo, Jonathan Banks and Torsten Voges
check out website: www.sonymasterworks.com
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