★★☆☆☆
10 November 2014
This article is a review of BIG GAME.Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival 2014. (For more information, click here.)
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"Are you a terrorist?” Helicopter pilot
“You are terrified, so I suppose I must be,” Lone Wolf aka Haza (Mehmet Kurtulus)
Samuel L. Jackson as the President of the United States. Samuel L. Jackson as the President of the United States crash-landing in a Scandinavian forest. Samuel L. Jackson as the President of the United States crash-landing in a Scandinavian forest hunted by terrorists. Samuel L. Jackson as the Presdent of the United States crash-landing in a Scandinavian forest hunted by terrorists, from the director of RARE EXPORTS. Enough said right? Anticipation high? What a shame the result turned out so diluted. Should have ended up ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK meets CLIFFHANGER meets LAST ACTION HERO.
Coming of age as a man in rural Finland means killing a wild animal with bow and arrow (to bring back what the forest has to offer), so says BIG GAME. Verifying with some Finnish film programmers, a few weeks later, resulted in quizzical responses. Let's swallow that "tradition" then for the sake of action-adventure.
“You are terrified, so I suppose I must be,” Lone Wolf aka Haza (Mehmet Kurtulus)
Samuel L. Jackson as the President of the United States. Samuel L. Jackson as the President of the United States crash-landing in a Scandinavian forest. Samuel L. Jackson as the President of the United States crash-landing in a Scandinavian forest hunted by terrorists. Samuel L. Jackson as the Presdent of the United States crash-landing in a Scandinavian forest hunted by terrorists, from the director of RARE EXPORTS. Enough said right? Anticipation high? What a shame the result turned out so diluted. Should have ended up ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK meets CLIFFHANGER meets LAST ACTION HERO.
Coming of age as a man in rural Finland means killing a wild animal with bow and arrow (to bring back what the forest has to offer), so says BIG GAME. Verifying with some Finnish film programmers, a few weeks later, resulted in quizzical responses. Let's swallow that "tradition" then for the sake of action-adventure.
Two very different worlds:
- President William Alan Moore (Jackson) is being heralded as a lame duck leader, popularity in free fall. We find him aboard Air Force One to a Helsinki conference. Ray Stevenson's gruff secret service chief Morris is introduced, and on course for enforced retirement after taking a bullet for Moore. Miffed is written all over Morris' face.
- Meanwhile 13-year old Oskari (Onni Tommila) is being sent into the wilderness, armed with ancient weaponry (though riding a quad bike).
Budget issues perhaps? A tiny cohort of hammy terrorists attempt to take down an inflight Air Force One. With a bazooka?! (And the baddie dresses like a First World War pilot.) Realism jettisoned, along with Moore, the presidential 747 is indeed sent crashing to the Earth. Inside job? Suffering from the same ignominies that befell TV show 24, the White House response is head-shakingly, unbelievably inadequate. There is one speaking part for a woman, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES's Felicity Huffman (who has the Glenn Close-ish role from Harrison Ford's AIR FORCE ONE).
An odd tonal mixture of mild boy's own adventure and violence/swearing scuppers BIG GAME; it is neither particularly escapist fun nor tense, falling between two potentially entertaining stools. If your movie prey is in your cross-hairs, would you stop to deliver a monologue? No standout set-pieces or ideas are gifted the viewer. Samuel L. Jackson huffing and puffing in a bland vacuum reminds us that as charismatic as he is, he needs something decent to play off. SNAKES ON PLANE people, SNAKES ON A PLANE.