First Kill

OK, there are reviews of this movie here calling it the worst movie ever. I disagree. It actually wasn't bad. Not Bruce's best work but still entertaining. The inconsistencies were not glaring and if you even notice them you're looking for something to complain about.

Teaching a child to handle a gun: this is the part I had a problem with. A few minutes and saying "safety-safety-safety" doesn't do the job.

This movie had decent cinematography, and the directing was a mish mash in various aspects (worked well with visuals but poorly with the actors).

The writing/screenplay was very bad and had too many plot holes and was predictable. The story/concept in itself was not bad and somewhat entertaining, but was executed poorly from a bad screenplay and sub- par directing.

The score was either absent when needed, or atrocious when present. Was it some high school students on strings the entire time?

Finally there's the terrible acting for 2 of the main characters - the little boy (excusable as a young amateur actor but should have been cast or directed better) and Bruce Willis. Seriously Bruce, put some effort into your acting, you used to be convincing. That straight- faced smug look and monotonic voice is passé. Bruce needed part of William DeMeo's over-acting, of which made him unconvincing as well.

Gethin Anthony as Levi had the best performance, and the only character that was convincing. Hayden Christensen was OK, but not even close to convincing in his character. Also poorly cast or directed.

Considering all the "In Association With.." production companies shown at the start that were involved in this movie, I expected much better.

It's only a 6/10 from me.

I watched this with an open mind until it became clear that the scriptwriter/director/producers must have been in the employ of the American motor industry.

The protagonists drive into the woods in a Range Rover only to be told by Over-The-Top-Aunty, that their chosen 4x4 won't get them anywhere and they should instead drive her yankee pick-up.

A nitpick some might say, but anyone knowing anything about cars knows the Range Rover is the singular best off-roader in the world (apart from its more utilitarian predecessor: the Land Rover). A small point but it marks a complete lack of knowledge, understanding and research.

Then later on the same OTTA offers them yet another truck... and I'm pretty sure that character wasn't running a garage.

The kid is being bullied. Logically, his dad takes him on a hunting trip, spinning the various virtues of killing animals. It takes courage to hunt, the dad says, and what could be more courageous than shooting a deer from a distance with the telescopic rifle? He needs to learn to stand up to himself, the dad says, and apparently shooting animals is the best way to learn that, and to avoid being bullied.

The action sequences are OK. The movies does not suffer from excessive logic.

For a Bruce Willis paycheck movie, this modest thriller isn't half bad. Willis himself is half-asleep throughout, and, as in the same director's "Marauders", he's outclassed by the more animated second lead, in this case Hayden Christensen. Yes, Christensen upstages Willis, and he's throughly believable as a young businessman who wants to teach his initially wimpy son how to be a man. The plot (Christensen takes his son on a deer hunt, then witnesses an attempted murder, complications follow) has its fair share of holes, but is generally compelling and twisty, even if you can predict the final twist a mile away. And that's entirely Willis' fault - his acting, his mannerisms are just too revealing. The camerawork and editing have a nice fluidity, and there are many visually appealing scenes, partly due to the forest setting. The actions scenes are well handled, too. Miller knows how to stage chases and gunfire. There's some dopey dialogue, and with one exception, the side characters remain anonymous and underdeveloped. Christensen delivers a solid performance, and Gethin Anthony shines in the role of a sympathetic bank robber (we don't get to see the actual heist). Some of the plot twists are a bit farfetched, but they'll keep you watching. Overall, a step up for the prolific Steven C. Miller, even though Willis is asleep through some of it.