Directed by George Gallo (Midnight Run, Bad Boys), Vanquish stars Morgan Freeman (Se7en) and Ruby Rose (John Wick: Chapter 2). Signature Entertainment presents Vanquish on Premium Digital Platforms 28th May, pre-order your copy on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon now.
Synopsis
A mother, Victoria (Rose), is trying to put her dark past as a Russian drug courier behind her, but retired cop Damon (Freeman) forces Victoria to do his bidding by holding her daughter hostage. Now, Victoria must use guns, guts, and a motorcycle to take out a series of violent gangsters – or she may never see her child again.
Review
The premise for Vanquish is pretty simple: Damon, a hero cop turned dirty, forces Victoria to collect 5 money pickups from various gangsters around the city by holding her daughter hostage. What ensues is an adrenaline fuelled thrill ride which reminded me of the action movies of yesteryear. There are several plots playing out, all of which come to satisfying conclusions.
Without a doubt the highlight of the movie is Freeman’s performance as wheelchair bound, crooked ‘hero’ cop Damon. Damon is a complex character who Morgan succeeds in portraying as both menacing and compassionate. Although he cares for Victoria and wants to help her and her daughter, he is quick to use Victoria’s daughter and any other means necessary to have Victoria do his bidding. He is a man who knows his time is up, a man who wants to right his wrongs before he goes.
Ruby Rose is also impressive, and I found her to be a credible action hero. She is forced to confront powerful men who want her dead and is up to every and any challenge. Hers is a character that is also complex: a mother trying to do well by her sick daughter with a history of violence. I was impressed with Rose’s performance although at times the acting was a little stale, but I can see a world in which she carves out her own niche as the great female action hero of her time.
The lighting and sound mixing are great, with some of the best sound and music I have seen in a film for some time. The music helps build tension when needed and compliments the pacing and action on screen. The movie is lit with each scene having its own distinct hue – gritty greens, deep purples, dirty reds, and cool blues – which, when combined with the music creates a dark, moody atmosphere where the city’s worst gather.
The film is let down with its supporting cast of dirty cops and cliched gangsters. The themselves are characters are all interesting, and they all somehow intertwine with Victoria, but the performances were either flat or too over the top. One of the down sides of having Freeman in your cast is that everyone else has a lot to live up to!
The action scenes are both tense and thrilling with some sequences downright frightening. The direction of the scenes is great and make for some impressive watching. The motorcycle chases are exhilarating, and the stunts are death defying. It is everything you want from an action movie and more!
Verdict
Vanquish reminds me of the great action movies of days gone by. Morgan and Rose impress in a thrill ride with substance that I was all too happy to be going along with.
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