Unhinged

Let's just start off with this, It Is A Movie.

It just kills me when people carry on about believability when watching a fast paced action thriller. What are the odds of someone living through something like this vouching for the realities of the situation? In all honesty, most of us like to think we know what we would do but is there a chance that the pressure, fear and self preservation of the moment could alter our decision making skills? I think it could and I chose to look at films like this with that in mind. These were the decisions they made in the moment and only the absolutely absurd should fall into a category of unrealistic.

I liked this. Russell Crowe was fantastic in his portrayal of a fed up lunatic. He really did a great job. I thought the story could have benefited with a bit more backstory on the characters but it was decent. The action scenes were well choreographed and the special effects were nicely done. It was a tense ride for sure and it got pretty brutal at times. I'm a horror buff so that is right up my alley but I read a review that described it as torture porn and it's not that bad unless you are a total lightweight.

I know this will be a film I watch more than once. Forget the review snobs and check it out for yourself.

This film won't ever win any serious awards. It is nothing more than a short-shelf-life popcorn film and, for that, it is great. I wanted to escape for a couple of hours and have an entertaining time and, I did.

Russell Crowe sure packed the weight on recently and in this, he is nothing short of a tank and whilst he was unpredictable, menacing and definitely unhinged - I can't help but feel it made certain parts of the film laughable (Hence the 6 out of 10). For example, if a guy of this size repeatedly punches a slim build woman than I doubt very much she is going to get back up again for another barrage of punches to land on her. The way Crowe moves, the force of his punches and the added sound effects of the "impact" make it sound like it would take someone's head clean off or, at the very least, knock them out cold. But, that's a minor gripe.

Some of the scenes are pretty tense but if you know nothing about the film, I would avoid the trailers for they give way too much away.

A cross between Joyride (Paul Walker) and Falling Down (Michael Douglas), although that's almost an insult to the latter.

Yes it is paint by numbers filmmaking but if you want something well acted, enjoyable (if you like film violence) and looking to pass the time - you'll leave happy enough. You just probably won't return to watch it again any time soon.

Slow start, more action as it goes but it's difficult to get over how the cops can't get this guy

I can't tell you how many times I wanted to leave the theater because of her stupidity, but it's definitely what the movie was going for. God bless her son though.

You will never flip the bird to another driver again once you've seen "Unhinged". This is the most intense road rage movie since Spielberg's "Duel" in the 70's with the pressures of life, marriage and death at its core. Except the Truck is now just a Ford Pick Up with no discernible logos. Obviously the Blue Oval didn't want to pay for product placement...it is an older model like its manic driver played by Russell Crowe. This man can happen to anyone. He only picks one project each year, but he chooses well. His body of work speaks for itself. His co-star Carin Pistorius moved to New Zealand as a child from South Africa and she brings a gritty, real performance to the big screen. She also delivers the best action movie heroine line for 2020. Veteran horror child actor, Gabriel Bateman, hold his own as her on screen son, Kyle. This movie is adrenaline charged from the moment the curtain opens and rarely takes it foot off the pedal. The road carnage and Rustys salary make up most of the 33 million dollar budget, but its investors will be making money off this film and buying many more new cars in the years ahead. This is Crowe at his best and most threatening study of pure menace under Derrick Bortes direction.