Arsenal

This is a totally stupid and disgusting and cynical movie. Stupid because the plot is so childishly contrived and derivative you'd have to be a moron to believe it. Disgusting not for the ridiculously over-the-top violence and gore, or Nicholas Cage's terrible acting, but how it insults your intelligence. And derivative because it sets a new standard for use of clichés and crap we've seen a million times before. It is also disgusting that impressionable and ignorant kids might see this movie, which is one big lie about life, about the effects of beating and brutality on its victims, etc. It is pure sadism for the sake of sadism, and there is nothing else in this movie to redeem it. Miller is the ultimate cynical panderer to the lowest taste level. He should be drummed out of the business.

Rivers of Blood Flowing in the Slowest of Motion Resulting in a High-Def Deluge of Jaw-Dropping, Gonzo, Grind-House Movie-Making. Unrestrained Ultra-Nuttiness from Nicolas Cage, Dressing and Made-Up like a Clown and giving a Freak-a-Zoid On-Screen "Performance" that cannot be Ignored. John Cusack, in one of His Patented Baseball Cap, Vape-Pipe Outings. It's all Whispering and Dreamlike, Detached from the Proceedings afraid to "Dip-a-Toe" for Fear of an Infectious Cesspool. The Two Brothers that the Story Wanders Around are Adrian Grenier and Johnathon Schaech. They Barely Register and are as White-Bread and Generic as Cage and Cusack are Wacky-Packs. The Allure in "Arsenal" is the Carnival Visuals and the Study of Bloody Body Parts, Crunching Bones, and Side-Show Antics. Worth a Watch for its Excesses and Peep-Show Salaciousness. All Involved seem to be Proud of its Pandering.

Call it a brother love, blue collar descends to crime collar movie. Cusack and Cage obviously slummed to do this. If blue collar life now equals drugs and one or less parents, lets hear it for Hollywood stereotyping. I can see why Cusack maybe had to do this. He isn't seen much anymore. But Cage still seems to be working. The whole reason for this movie, is a big question mark. Is it to feature this new actor Grenier? Who knows? The script tries for Tarentino and fails. The Grenier character, J.P., somehow has unexplained combat skills, even though he just owns a construction company. His business partner has a neck brace on later into the movie, but that is never explained, just inferred. And the brothers get away with what they get away with at the end without, well, any explanation at all. Is it worth the watch? Only if there isn't anything better to watch. Or if you have anything better to do Cage's and Cusack's presence are what no doubt will lead people to watch this. But you will be disappointed if you want to see something up to the level of these stars.

This review of Southern Fury (Arsenal) is spoiler free * (1/5) PERHAPS SURPRISINGLY GIVEN that his name is at the top of the cast list we don't see Nicholas Cage's hard-headed villain, Eddie King for about half an hour into Southern Fury, at which point given his short screen time he gives a lengthy monologue which is over-the-top even by Cage standards. It's a solid performance, as the cold blooded killer that's also quite funny with his fake nose and mustache combo, his snickering and his dog-like growls, an interesting styling to this slight silly take to The King of Comedy. Inexplicably styled in the wrong way as this interesting premise is constantly destroyed by director Steven C.Miller's historic tendencies to go overboard. Unfortunately that is the only interesting thing about Southern Fury (had a name change in the UK from Arsenal for obvious reasons) although the players only have access to a handgun for most of the time. The final result is a poorly titled, pretentiously boring - frankly silly gangster thriller. Firstly opening poorly with Adrian Grenier's (his second collaboration with Miller, the first was last year's Marauders) J.P Lindel a construction worker, who only gives one line via a poorly narrated script. There is an earnest flashback showing his rough childhood with older brother Mikey, who even then liked to get into trouble with his friends it's a lengthy flashback that gives the film it's latter for emotion but is roughly done by the director. The film skips 23 years to an older Grenier, who's now a father and a husband and also enjoys time with his best friend John Cusack's Sal - a plainly dressed undercover cop who investigates the rough streets. Until he's caught up with how rough the streets can get after J.P's brother is kidnapped by a gang leader and held for a ransom of $350,000. The film riffs at this for quite a while which gives another style to this gangster thriller. There are perhaps intriguing aspects to this, which manages to keep the film going to a particular standard, there's some dizzying action, with some fresh slow-mo shots, which we haven't seen before like a man being shot by a shotgun in his nether region. Also there is a moment when King tries to reach out to a bruised Mikey, by reading a letter that he wrote to his brother here he tries to seek emotion by shouting and giving moments of solidity to the film which can't save it. Despite the solid performances by Cage and Cusack who are left on the sidelines, the film is hacked 'n slashed by the director's historic tendencies. VERDICT: While Cage and Cusack deliver solid performances, the rest of the film is half-assed, hobbled by the director's horrible decisions of historic tendencies.