Genre: American Superhero Film
Duration: 109 Minutes
In this latest superhero drama, Vin Diesel plays the role of Ray Garrison, who is killed and after being resurrected by a team of scientists he comes back as Bloodshot. This superhuman is on a mission to avenge his late wife’s murderer.
Ray undertakes a successful operation in Mombasa and then takes a trip to Italy where him and his wife are kidnapped by a group led by Martin Axe who demands information about the operation in Mombasa. With no further information provided, Axe kills them.
Ray however, is resurrected by a team of scientists and he is now enhanced with nanotechnology. There are other patients that he meets Katie, Dalton and Tibbs, but when he starts getting flashbacks of Axe and Gina, he escapes the lab in Malaysia and tracks Axe in Budapest where he kills Axe’s bodyguards. Katie, Dalton and Tibbs find him and take him back to the lab for reprogramming. It is made clear that actually the Doctor in charge of the whole experiment created false memories of Gina’s death. When reprogrammed Ray is now sent to kill Nick Baris who he now thinks killed Gina.
He successfully kills Nick but at the same time a bomb is set off that breaks off his communication with the lab. He then meets Wiggin and Ray then finds out in actual fact Gina is still alive and the memories were false and she had left him and started another family without him.
When Ray is captured by Dalton and Tibbs, Katie and Wiggins, help him escape. Ray ends up having a fight with Dalton and Tibbs and of course he wins. Later being stripped of his nanites and after the Doctor is killed Ray must be rebuilt by Katie and Wiggins.
Unfortunately, although the film stars Diesel it does not pack a punch like it should, the baddies are no match for the enhanced character Bloodshot who is basically invincible. Diesel relies on his bulging biceps more than actual skill and other supporting characters remain unmemorable. Unfortunately, screenplay writers Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer are unable to construct any heft in this action film. The film has needless twists and turns and there is little to do except switch off and watch the fun. In other words suspension of all logic is required. Any stabs at self-awareness go awry when clichés are pointed out in futile attempts at humour.
One thing that worked was the character of Bloodshot who looked good throughout the film, but the film does not set up a good look for the future films also based on the Valiant comic book collection, but of course this will depend on how Bloodshot actually does at the box office.
There is also the added corona virus problem where people being advised away from the cinema which could affect the figures so for the team it is just a waiting game.
