Review: Mel Gibson's 'Blood Father' is a deadbeat dad
Posted Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 3:34 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 3:34 PM Central
by John Couture
Here's a name that is surprisingly topical this week: Mel Gibson.
True, his latest film/attempt at career rejuvenation, Blood Father, debuts this week on Blu-ray and DVD, but he also knows a thing about having recorded words come back to haunt him. On numerous occasions over the last decade, he has spouted demeaning comments across a number of topics that have left the once A-lister at the bottom of the Hollywood casting list.
And yet, it's easy to forget that he once had a promising career as an action hero and leading man and even won two Oscars for Braveheart. But a lot has happened over the past 20 years and Mel is left perpetually looking for that comeback role.
Unfortunately, Blood Father is not it.
That's not to say that Blood Father is a terrible movie. It's not. But, there are several things wrong with it that keep it from being Mel Gibson's Taken.
Speaking of Taken, that's probably the biggest problem that I found in Blood Father. Not only is the plot of the film almost a complete re-tread of the "father protects at-risk daughter," but it's clear that Mel Gibson knows this fact and you can actually see him looking to strike the right balance of contriteness and menace to win back audiences, and yet still kick all of the butts that need to be kicked.
Mel plays a character called John Link (yes, the hopeful connection to the surprise hit John Wick is so obvious), who has a shady past and is trying to make things right, while inking tattoos out of his trailer. Side note, please don't ever get a tattoo by a guy who has a setup like John Link in this film.
So, Link gets a call from his estranged and missing daughter and suddenly, he's caught up in a racial drug war that again is pretty topical with the ongoing political climate of this country. I could go into more detail, but the film's plot is really second fiddle to the violence, action and car/motorcycle chases, but don't worry, there is plenty of that to go around too.
The only thing that I will say is that while it's obvious that they are going for a '70s grindhouse feel, there are a few daddy/daughter scenes between Gibson and Erin Moriarty that seem like they could have been taken right out of a '90s after-school special. For a film based on a book and adapted with the author's help, you would have thought these scenes would have been a little better handled, but I'm sure they probably come off this way to keep the pace of the film moving.
The one thing that Mel Gibson does really well is to play characters on the edge of mental instability. Perhaps it's a case of art imitating life, but Mel is his best when he's playing characters that could snap at the blink of an eye. Think of Riggs in the Lethal Weapon films. John Link is that sort of character with an appearance that is intentionally jarring and will make you think of the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.
He is on that razor's edge of sanity and it's quite clear through the film that he could easily go full psycho at any moment. And that's the Mel Gibson that audiences want to see. We just don't want to see him live that character every day like some sort of perverse method actor on crack.
Unfortunately, Blood Father is not quite up to the task of resuscitating Mel Gibson's career despite his best effort in a long time. The cast is great and features a fun cameo from Thomas Mann and another in a long line of spectacular performances from the gifted Michael Parks. I sincerely hope that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences eventually gets around to honoring this American treasure.
At the end of the day, the film is an enjoyable homage to a particular brand of a grindhouse film, but it falls short of some of the other more interesting titles in this genre in recent years. Ultimately, this is a genre that has quickly become bloated and I'm afraid that it will only continue to grow in the coming years.
