Bounty Killer – Movie Review
Mad Max, the cult classic with Mel Gibson as the leading star, showed us a post-apocalyptic world where the rule of survival of the fittest is omnipotent. Bounty Killer takes us back to such a world, with a tad more humor and of course a different plot. Buckle up and ride into the sunset with us.
Bounty Killer presents us a world that is torn apart by war and now all that is left is a desert-like wasteland. Life has become a struggle for survival, yet this does not mean the inhabitants of this world are not trying to get their things back in order. The reason the world ended up like this was at the turning point of when big corporations had more influence/power than the actual politicians running the different countries of the world. These corporate bosses enlisted private armies to take each other out. As expected, in the midst of the battle these bosses took all the money they had gathered and fled to safer locations or they just went into hiding.
As a response to this chaos the council of nine was created, which is basically a new sort of government that tries to keep the world in order. Together with the creation of the council, the ‘bounty killers’ came to life. These Bounty Killers are the ones that track the corporate figures, kill them, return their bodies and earn a hefty sum.
The story tells us the tale of Drifter and Mary Death, both very famous Bounty Killers. Whilst Drifter has fallen a bit from the public eye, he still pitches in to make the world a better place. After hiring himself a gun caddie (One that gives him the right weapon, at the right time – think of golf.) he heads out towards a fairly disturbing bounty mission, namely an informant of his has received a bounty on his head. All of this is a simple ‘foreplay’ for the bounty that will appear on Drifter’s head shortly after. This is where the fun begins.
What happens after the start of the plot, is pretty much a mix of typical action movie clichés in combination with a fairly amusing, yet compelling storyline. Whilst in essence the story is a fairly simple one, you’ll never lose interest during the course of the movie. That being said, the length of the movie is just right, in order to keep the action packed and thanks to this not a single moment will feel dull.
Of course this movie would not be complete with the necessary love – hate relationship that will unfold during the course of the movie. You’ll be surprised most of the time, how our stars act against each other.
Bounty Killer will feel as if the movie is a comic book that has received a live-action adaptation. The style brings us the feeling of older movies, in combination with typical comic book elements.
Even though the two leading actors are not the most famous one, each of them has a decent amount of experience, be it with smaller roles in bigger series or movies. That being said, they pull of a great and convincing acting performance during the entire movie whilst keeping a certain stage presence. Having a support cast with actors such as Gary Busey and Kristanna Loken, only enhances the experience of this semi-serious action movie.
The movie uses a few gory scenes to enhance the feeling of how the world turned out to be. Kill or be killed is the way of life, and nearly all the inhabitants seem to find this motto rather natural. The people are fairly insensitive to the violence and even idolize it by treating the bounty killers as movie stars. Again, simple touches like this will add up to that post-apocalyptic feeling of the movie.
When it comes to the overall soundtrack, the movie will leave you with a fairly typical music style that suits the genre. It’s not that noticeable, but it will certainly set the right tone at the right time.
Conclusion
Bounty Killer is one of those movies that brings back memories of older action movies and that allows you to spend a carefree evening. Whilst the plot is not that thick, the movie will keep you amused until the end. Characters prove to be likeable in a very desolate world. Certainly a movie to watch with a few action movie enthusiasts.
Note: Chinese Zodiac is currently available on DVD/Blu-Ray
Bounty Killer - Movie Review,
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