Reaper

Danny Trejo is an actor I have long admired. From his smaller roles in masterpieces like "Heat" to his long-deserved go as a leading man in the campy but fun "Machete" films, he is a screen presence who is simultaneously intimidating but also somewhat relatable. Usually, he is relegated to playing a thug, criminal, ex-con, or just general bad guy, and rarely is he given the chance to pull in the audience emotionally. Rather, he's just the comic relief or the action set- piece.

That's why I was pleasantly surprised when I came across "Reaper" the other day and found that while he is still playing someone on the bad side of the law (a drug dealer, in this case), he is actually given the opportunity to be a compassionate, sympathetic, and ultimately heroic leading man. Hooray! Here, he is the only one in a band of criminals who are being terrorized by a supernatural force at a creepy motel is who not just self-motivated but also trying to help out the other two young baddies as well. He's the only one who doesn't try to take advantage of the main hitchhiker, and he gets a beautiful scene where he relays to her his regrets about his lost marriage, the child who doesn't see him anymore, and the life he wishes he had a chance to relive. He offers the most substance in a film which is otherwise lacking in it, and he delivers easily one of the best performances of his career.

That makes "Reaper" a MUST SEE for any true Trejo fan. The film itself starts off rocky and takes too long to introduce Trejo himself, but once it does, it gets rolling pretty nicely. The other two veteran actors, Jones and Busey, are in barely there roles but give some credit to the two young actors (hitchhiker and drug mule) for holding their own and helping Trejo carry the film.

While the film is far from perfect, it finally affords Trejo a role he deserves. As for the titular "reaper" monster, forget about him! The real force here is Trejo, and "Reaper" is his show.

Great, fun movie!!! Reminding me of good action/sci-fi/thrillers from the 80's. But with a modern production in style of Rodriguez and such. Finally, after decades someone who can make these kind of movies exciting again. The cast is also great. Dialogues could have been better but not that important for what the movie represents and I guess it's not really a Big Budget movie so the picture and effects quality is pretty much up to today's standard. Considering it's a lower Budget movie, I'd say it deserves an 8...

Compliments!!!

Thumbs Up!!!

I enjoyed it for what it was and who really listens to the "intellectualized" critics these days any way - for horror or any other genre. Many times they critique to hear themselves talk or be relevant - not to really review the movie for its entertainment value. I can name so many movies that critics loved and movie goers hated.

Bottomline: Its about suspense and thrill which you will enjoy - if you are a Halloween Movie fan. Halloween movies weren't about the blood and horror. They were about the guy who hears a noise outside and decides to check it out when the audience knows there is a killer on the loose.

So from one movie lover to another: The Reaper is all that with good B Actors and unknown Actors. Was it entertaining? Yes. And that is all that matters. Go see it.

Danny Trejo is the reason i wanted to see this little straight to dvd Horror but it's a fairly decent little flick. The cover art of the dvd is terrible & has nothing to do with the film.

Reaper is a well made little Horror/ Supernatural/Crime Thriller it's definitely a mix of genres crossing over abit like the 90's Classic From Dusk Till Dawn that also starred Danny Trejo so the idea is a cool one here putting a small group of criminals against each other & a supernatural serial killer that all end up at a big creepy old Hotel but it doesn't truly go anywhere exciting or thrilling.

This is a fun movie with a road thriller feel that turns into a trapped in one place Horror!!!

Danny Trejo, who I'm a huge fan of plays a good role here as a wise Criminal with a heart who is a drug dealer that picks up a young hitchhiker girl & ends up at the big creepy old Hotel.

Trejo also has a cool moment where he gets out a big Machete & as we know that's a little nod to his most famous role.

The atmosphere is creepy with a feel that something is about to happen like it's tense in a way building up to something is coming!!!

The Dark gloomy lit hotel is a great setting for a Moody Horror like this but never goes for full action of blood bath type stuff, it's good for what it is but also abit boring & could've been way better!!!

Could've used more Trejo & Could've used some more action scenes & some more bloody scenes to make the stakes feel higher but like i said for what it is it's not a bad little flick.

The next best performance after the cool rugged Trejo as Jack the criminal with a heart comes from the beautiful hitchhiker on a personal mission played by Shayla Beesley as Natalie a smart & cunning thief who gets caught up in this complicated criminal underworld.

Natalie is a very good well written character & a smart quick thinking one too it's a very good performance by Beesley.

Jake Busey turns up as a weird travelling salesmen who seems to have given up on life.

We also have tough British actor Vinnie Jones as a violent crime lord who also gets mixed up in the supernatural mess & basically plays the same character he always plays.

James Jurdi is another class actor here as a petty criminal who gets on the wrong side of just about everyone in this movie.

Mike Michaels plays the Supernatural serial killer The Reaper who is roaming the deserted country back roads killing anyone in his path of death who ends up the hotel with the group of criminals.

Gotta say again i love Danny Trejo & have since the 90's & i think he's one of the greatest B-movie character actors of all time!!! Trejo is a class act with a great screen presence & he is basically the new Charles Bronson in some ways!!!

I'm so glad Trejo finally made it as a big star & got the big cult following he deserves as he is a proper vintage rugged tough guy like a real grindhouse hero who has actually lived it & seen it all.

He has become legendary...finally.

I always look forward to seeing his rugged mustached face on the front of straight to dvd B-movie covers.

Trejo has become so popular after the success of Machete that any low rent cheap film he even had a small cameo in has released the movie with Danny Trejo billed as the main lead star on the cover with a cool picture of him but I've been tricked too many times by buying these films because I'm a huge Trejo fan & find out that the film is crap & Trejo has a tiny bit part for a few mins!!! Very annoying but that's the impact of our cult hero Trejo,we just love seeing him in anything.

This is a fun & interesting story & damaged characters that happen to cross paths & come accross a supernatural killer & it's the characters that really save the film from being a "bad film" because you are interested in these people & as said Trejo gives a nice thoughtful performance.

Review: This movie wasn't worth the paper that it was written on. It took over an hour for anything to really happen and even then it wasn't that great. The acting was really bad from the leading lady, who just went around stealing anything that she could get her hands on, and the storyline was ridiculous. I really don't know how the hitchhiker got away with half the things she was doing and the whole Reaper concept was bloody stupid. Personally, I just lost interest after a while and I just couldn't wait until they all got killed off. Terrible!

Round-Up: The poster looked promising, but this is yet another movie were the people on the poster wasn't really in the movie that much. Vinnie Jones only had a couple of scenes and Danny Trejo doesn't come into the movie until the last half an hour. Although both actors are on the poster facing each other, they don't even have any scenes together so that must have just been a selling point. Anyway, there isn't anything good to say about the film so my recommendation is not to bother wasting your time.

I recommend this movie to people who are into there cheap thrillers about a girl who goes around stealing from people who would give her a lift and ending up in a hotel were there is a Reaper looking fellow killing people in a hotel. 1/10