Pawn (2013)
Studio: Anchor Bay Films
Blu Ray Release: April 23, 2013
Director: David A. Armstrong
R
Review by James Klein
Pawn is one of those movies you used to see at the video store where the cover lists a bunch of well known actors, making you wonder why the movie never went to theaters or why you haven't heard about it before. When you do finally watch the movie, the actors you were anticipating in seeing are barely in the film, collecting a quick paycheck. On top of that, the rest of the cast is so awful and dragged down by a horrible screenplay that it all becomes clear why this wasn't at your local multiplex.
Michael Chiklis (who also produced) stars as an English bank robber who, with the aid of two other men, decide to rob a diner which may be run by a Mafioso who turns into one of the hostages. While the robbery is taking place, they are interrupted by a police officer (Whitaker) who may or may not be on the take and has something to do with all of this going on. But are the robbers alone? Or do they have some outside help by the people who hired them? Is it really money they are after? While questions are being asked with barely an explanation, the audience is succumbed to constant flashbacks in the story on what happened prior to the robbery as well as a flash forward of a detective (Ray Liotta who seems to be sleep walking through this film) interrogating someone at a hospital who was in the diner during the robbery. At times I had no idea what the hell was going on and I think Pawn wants you to be confused to make you think what an intelligent screenplay it is. By moving the film along with some action and screaming, the movie does go by fast and at times is entertaining. But is this a con since the screenplay is an absolute mess?
Pawn tries too hard to be like The Usual Suspects, even borderline ripping off the hospital scene. Pawn tries to keep the viewer guessing as whose part of what or who is double crossing who. If one really thinks about it, the movie is just ridiculous. This convoluted story is a joke and completely unbelievable. It doesn't help that the acting is all over the map from decent, (Stephen Lang and Whitaker) to over the top / unintentionally hilarious, (Chiklis and Sean Faris) to down right atrocious (Common).
Even though Pawn is a mess of a film, it does move along fairly quickly thanks to some spontaneous kills as well as first time director Armstrong's knack for moving the camera around in such tight quarters. I love over the top bad guys and Chiklis was a joy to watch, screaming and swearing throughout with his bad British accent. Chiklis is a great actor and The Shield is still one of my all-time favorite TV shows but he is horribly miscast in this film.
The blu ray by AnchorBay looks great and the 5.1 surround worked very well on my speakers with sirens and gun shots coming from all over. There is a short behind the scenes featurette on the making of the film with just the actors talking about why or how they signed on to make this film. I would have loved a Chiklis commentary but unfortunately there is none.
I need to go to a used DVD/CD store and "pawn" off Pawn.
[Rating: 2]
Blu Ray Release: April 23, 2013
Director: David A. Armstrong
R
Review by James Klein
Pawn is one of those movies you used to see at the video store where the cover lists a bunch of well known actors, making you wonder why the movie never went to theaters or why you haven't heard about it before. When you do finally watch the movie, the actors you were anticipating in seeing are barely in the film, collecting a quick paycheck. On top of that, the rest of the cast is so awful and dragged down by a horrible screenplay that it all becomes clear why this wasn't at your local multiplex.
Michael Chiklis (who also produced) stars as an English bank robber who, with the aid of two other men, decide to rob a diner which may be run by a Mafioso who turns into one of the hostages. While the robbery is taking place, they are interrupted by a police officer (Whitaker) who may or may not be on the take and has something to do with all of this going on. But are the robbers alone? Or do they have some outside help by the people who hired them? Is it really money they are after? While questions are being asked with barely an explanation, the audience is succumbed to constant flashbacks in the story on what happened prior to the robbery as well as a flash forward of a detective (Ray Liotta who seems to be sleep walking through this film) interrogating someone at a hospital who was in the diner during the robbery. At times I had no idea what the hell was going on and I think Pawn wants you to be confused to make you think what an intelligent screenplay it is. By moving the film along with some action and screaming, the movie does go by fast and at times is entertaining. But is this a con since the screenplay is an absolute mess?
Pawn tries too hard to be like The Usual Suspects, even borderline ripping off the hospital scene. Pawn tries to keep the viewer guessing as whose part of what or who is double crossing who. If one really thinks about it, the movie is just ridiculous. This convoluted story is a joke and completely unbelievable. It doesn't help that the acting is all over the map from decent, (Stephen Lang and Whitaker) to over the top / unintentionally hilarious, (Chiklis and Sean Faris) to down right atrocious (Common).
Even though Pawn is a mess of a film, it does move along fairly quickly thanks to some spontaneous kills as well as first time director Armstrong's knack for moving the camera around in such tight quarters. I love over the top bad guys and Chiklis was a joy to watch, screaming and swearing throughout with his bad British accent. Chiklis is a great actor and The Shield is still one of my all-time favorite TV shows but he is horribly miscast in this film.
The blu ray by AnchorBay looks great and the 5.1 surround worked very well on my speakers with sirens and gun shots coming from all over. There is a short behind the scenes featurette on the making of the film with just the actors talking about why or how they signed on to make this film. I would have loved a Chiklis commentary but unfortunately there is none.
I need to go to a used DVD/CD store and "pawn" off Pawn.
[Rating: 2]
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