20131220: Movie Review--Bounty Killer

Bounty Killer

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. American live action feature length film, 2013, rated R, 92 minutes, action, SciFi.
2. IMDB: 5.0/10.0 from 1,965 audience ratings.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 50% on the meter; 49% liked it from 293 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 3.2/5.0 from 7,963 audience ratings.
5. Directed by: Henry Saine.
6. Starring: Matthew Marsden as Drifter, Kristianna Loken as Catherine, Christian Pitre as Mary Death, Barak Hardley as Jack LeMans, Gary Busey as Van Sterling, Abraham Benrubi as Jimbo.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Dystopian future: multi-national corporations have displaced nation-states, then fought wars against one another.  When they were sufficiently weak, and hatred against them was sufficiently high, an oligarchy named the Counsel of Nine asserted itself.  It offers monetary rewards for the dead bodies of (mostly former) corporate executives.  This gives rise to a class of murderers called 'Bounty Killers' who collect rewards and compete with each other for the most rewarding executions.


2. Mary Death is such a bounty killer in this period of abject poverty and excessive wealth.  She has celebrity status since she has scored some very rich murders.  She is also a target of corporate groups trying to regain strength in this largely lawless time.  She and Drifter do jobs together now and then.  Until she finds that Drifter is a former high corporate executive; that is, now a criminal with a huge bounty on his head.


3. Mary and Drifter have a history together, as Drifter recounts to Jack as the gypsies hold them prisoner.  They escape and head to Jimbo's place; Jimbo knows who Drifter is, and is willing to help him across the Badlands for a vintage six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.  Mary heads across the Badlands, and finds that the gypsies are looking for her.


4. Drifter and Mary both make it across the Badlands.  Mary tries to kill him.  Jack talks her out of it.  They head to the Council of Nine, so that Drifter can submit himself to the judges.


5. Will the corporations re-assert themselves at the last moment?  Will the gypsies catch up with them?  Will the judges resolve Drifter's issues?  If Drifter survives this political snakes nest, will he and Mary get together?


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Not the best knock-off of other dystopian movies.
2. One star of five.  Two blackstars for acting and screenplay.  Let there be no sequel.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 10/10 Looks fine.


2. Sound: 10/10 No problems.


3. Acting: 0/10 Gary Busey was terrible, Christian Pitre was worthless, Barak Hardley was indescribably bad.


4. Screenplay: 0/10 Short on ideas, poorly executed, badly acted.  The model for story is not well thought out.  There is no infrastructure for the top-heavy corporation depicted toward the end of the movie.