Take Cover

For the record, I am a fan. I have an Adkins film on my list of all-best movies, a claim few other reviewers can make. But, at the same time, I have been outspoken in my view that, since his Boyka films, he has not really found an outlet to best showcase his talent. TAKE COVER 2024 changes all that. Writer Joshua Todd James has cleverly turned a hi-rise apartment into a killbox, showing once again how a limited set does not have be a disadvantage. Properly done, the suspense becomes palpable. The script cleverly pushes the "turnabout" trope -- Adkins's being targeted by a faraway shooter works well because, in the story, he himself is also a sniper. Clever! There is a lot of action and tension in Take Cover, and many of Adkins' special skills are effectively deployed for the first time in quite a while. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

The writing is just dreadful. From the cringeworthy opening conversation between Sam and Ken to the closing scene there isn't anything good. The script is laughable.

Even the fight scenes are slightly below par which is unusual for an Adkins movie.

I was pleased at the hit squad completely destroying the bar area, but failing to hit the fish tank. No one likes seeing fish getting shot up, do they?

Even though they are trapped in the apartment, there is very little in the way of tension. For some reason, they are struggling to close the curtains and there are a few times when they could leave by the door.

The high reviews on here are obviously fake. If you feel you must, then watch it and judge for yourself. This Scott Adkins fan is very dissappointed.

The script itself was not really all that bad. Scott Adkins always performs fight scenes very well, so there's that. However, this supposed professional contractor makes some of the most ridiculous decisions just to prolong the plot/movie that it's hardly relatable. Example: being pinned down for a long, long time by a sniper, supposedly unable to reach his weapon, with people getting shot the whole time, when I guess he gets tired of it and just goes for the gun... successfully, of course, then, within 3 seconds, sets up a shot and takes out the shooter in a building 1/2 a mile away. Really? There are several more "why in the heck don't you just..." scenarios like this that even a not so smart person would think of almost immediately. Like I said, the only redeeming value are the fight scenes. It's worth a watch if you can find absolutely nothing else to do.

Professional mercenary sniper Sam Lorde (Scott Adkins) finds himself in the middle of an existential crisis when he accidentally kills an innocent who throws herself in front of his intended victim. He contacts his remote boss and tells her he wants to leave the business. The boss is very disappointed but books him and his spotter Ken (Jack Parr) into a posh hotel where she'll meet them to go through formalities. However, someone else knows they are there and they are out for vengeance... Right let's say the good things first. By the end of the film, it's quite feel good and you've enjoyed a convoluted story. I very much liked the performance of Madalina Bellariu Ion who plays call girl Mona. Perhaps the best performance of the entire film.

Right, the dogs ears...the script is truly awful. The non stop pseudo-hateful banter between Sam and Ken is acutely badly written and sounds as fake as it is. Fight scenes are pretty poor. Acting is pretty poor. Verbalised emotions are half felt and not explored properly. There are so many plot holes it borders on ridiculous, and there's too much melodrama from poor actors.

Having said all of that the story while not new at all, isn't bad. If this film had great actors and a top end director it probably would have been pretty good. As it was it wasn't dire, it just wasn't very well produced or directed in so many ways. I have had a very tasty and enjoyable dinner so I am in a great mood and I give it a 5.

It is not like it is some great story, but it is decent enough. I am not saying more, because I do not want to spoil. It is true, though, that the script is terrible - the conversations! Just awful. The characters are not that bad, it is all in the conversations.

You won't see the best of Scott Adkins' fighting, but that is not the idea, as he is supposed to be differently skilled. And the situation he and his teammate got stuck in is a good idea. So overall, I am rating the movie six stars, which is ok on my scale, as five and below is bad to worst. And to be honest, I think there are worse action movies (and movies overall) being on cinema, pretending that they aren't crap.