Dark Asset

This is a bit of a shame. It could have been really good. It's got all the ingredients for an interesting movie. Modified humans used as weapons...count me in.

It's got a interesting cast of recognisable actors such as Terminator guy and The A- hole from the big short. The structure of the movie is well done flicking backwards and forwards in time to make an decent structure The problems are that the budget doesn't allow for any interesting sets and thus the film looks quite samey. The editing is also awful and kills any notion of coherence or pace in the action sequences which is a death sentence for an action movie.

Writers Michael Winnick and Terri Farley-Teruel didn't exactly put together a script and storyline that had a whole lot going on for it. It was pretty straightforward, but also way too simplistic. There just simply wasn't enough of neither entertainment value nor much of any cerebral contents. And that made sitting through "Dark Asset" somewhat bland. In fact, you can just zone out, lean back and munch on the popcorn while the bland story progresses on the screen.

There were two familiar faces on the cast list, that being Byron Mann and Robert Patrick. The acting performances in "Dark Asset" were okay, but the actors and actresses weren't given all that much contents to work with in terms of script and character gallery.

What keeps the movie afloat is the action and fight sequences. Though I love how several fully automatic weapons on burst firing modes were unable to shoot through that thin wooden restaurant table that John was hiding behind in the restaurant scene, but hey, at least it provided me with a good laugh.

While I did managed to sit through all 90 minutes that the movie ran for, I have to say that I bet I will blissfully have forgotten about the movie come tomorrow.

"Dark Asset" is a movie that came and went without leaving a lasting impression. And it most definitely isn't a movie that I will be returning to a second time. Nor is it a movie that I would recommend you to rush out and get to watch.

Not the greatest of movies, sure, but watchable enough for the mindless entertainment it was. My rating of director Michael Winnick's 2023 action thriller "Dark Asset" lands on a very generous three out of ten stars.

Dr. Cain (Robert Patrick) has been implanting experimental microchips into people's brains. They increase brain power and function and also allows him to manipulate and control his subjects. John (Byron Mann) is his next subject. He can't control John who turns on him. John tracks down Jane (Helena Mattsson) and starts recounting the history of the program with her.

The start is fine especially for a B-movie. It has a fine premise and a familiar face. It's going well... for a B-movie. And then John sits down with Jane and starts talking. As he talks, it leads to flashbacks. That story structure goes on for half of the movie. Essentially, it saps the energy out of the action and the story. I get the idea of that turn at the end of it. It needs to come sooner. In addition, there are some non-sense in the story which I'm not going to nitpick. It's a B-movie after all. The middle really drags with the sit down flashback construction.

A fairly good story hampered by a lack of Budget.

More cash would have gotten this movie a better tech advisor, stunt and or fight coordinator, armorer, military advisor, special effects and another editing pass or three. Did they rent a steady-cam and run out of funds? Various shots look like they did. If not I think it was a poor decision.

I DID like how they played the story out through various flashbacks over drinks. Nice choice there.

The acting by most of the main cast is solid but the secondary cast not so much.

As is it's worth watching once for what could have been a pretty great movie.

Byron Mann has been growing on me since seeing him as the protégé in Steven Seagull films. Dark Asset is the perfect venue for him as he is in his element here, where he doesn't even take himself too seriously and does his mayhem with a casual aplomb. Add in provocatively supersensual femme fatales hotter than the sun and you've got the ideal popcorn fantasy action romp. The storytelling narration format with flashback presentations is well done and adds to both the intrigue and the fun of it all. Robert Patrick is typecast perfectly in the role he plays in all his efforts since his Terminator days. Not a blockbuster by any means yet still a strong candidate for the top favorites list. Enjoy and repent.