Review: Reprisal

Does Bruce Willis even like making movies anymore? Apart from the paycheck, is there something else that motivates him? For why should audiences have to tolerate not only the mediocrity of his movies but the joylessness that emanates from every pore of his being? To be fair, his role in his latest film, Reprisal, is little more than a glorified cameo, but one still wishes that he could at least look like he's bothered to make an effort.

Perennial supporting player Frank Grillo gets to take the lead in this instantly forgettable quasi revenge drama that appears more invested in its villain and his weapons arsenal than the pair of good guys that do their best to take him down. Grillo plays Jacob, a Cincinnati family man with a beautiful wife (Olivia Culpo) and a daughter whose diabetes is little more than a plot device to be halfheartedly exploited in the later stages of the film. Jacob is a bank manager whose branch is robbed at the start of the film by Johnathon Schaech's masked gunman. A security guard dies as a result, leaving Jacob burdened with the guilt that he could have done something to prevent it.

Since the detectives don't seem to be doing enough to find the culprit, Jacob seeks advice from his neighbour James (Willis), who happens to be an ex-cop. Together the two attempt to find out not only the identity of the gunman but what his next target might be so that Jacob, who regrets not following in his policeman father's footsteps, can intervene and bring him to justice. Naturally, his plan to take matters into his own hands endangers the life of his family.

There's really not much to recommend Reprisal other than the presence of Grillo, who genuinely deserves better than this nothing material, and even he somehow fails to display his usual charisma. Director Brian A. Miller does his best to make the stubbornly leaden enterprise more exciting with quick crosscutting and first-person perspective, but his efforts only expose his ineptitude. A must-miss all around.

Reprisal

Directed by: Brian A. Miller

Written by: Bryce Hammons

Starring: Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo, Johnathon Schaech, Olivia Culpo, Colin Egglesfield, Christopher Rob Bowen, Jesse Pruett, Tyler Jon Olson