The action movie world often feels like it is lost. For the last twenty years it has been looking for the next Stallone, Arnold, and Willis, and aside from Jason Statham there is little to get excited about. They even have gone as far as recycling those stars of old, even though they are way past their prime. Gone are those days, we’ve gone from being saved by middle-aged reluctant hero from some bad guy, its been replaced by your grandfather coming to the rescue. While we are trying to mask the lack of an action hero, other parts of the world are taking that fading torch and hitting the ground running.
One of those torch grabbers is Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto who are the men behind “Killers” and “Macabre. They have brought a kick to the action movie groin with their new film “Headshot”. Aillin (Chelsea Islan) is in the midst of becoming a doctor when she meets a unconscious patient who has washed up on shore. Aillin has taken to a special kind of liking to this man who she names Ishmael. When he finally does wake Ishmael (Iko Uwais) can’t remember who he is, although he body shows the signs of being in a few altercations. While Ishmael doesn’t recall who he is, there is someone out there who does know, and are quite surprised to find out he is still alive. Lee (Sunny Pang) is one of those bad people, as he and his henchmen take no prisoners as they rule the underground. Ishmael it seems was part of that crew, but fell out of sorts and was shot in the head. Once they discover he is alive they attempt to take him out, but when Aillin gets involved, Ishmael sets out to end it once and for all.
There is no better way to describe this film than actor Sunny Pang’s opening comments before the film. “Are you ready for action? Blood Bath? Massive Killing? If you answered yes to any or all them, then “Headshot” is your kind of movie. The action is unreal as bones are broken and blood is lost as it isn’t uncommon to want to clap as you see the bad guys getting it handed to them. Uwais is amazing to watch as he seems to be in a video game and has to work his way up to the final boss, each one harder than the last. While the action is the driver of the film, it also has heart as the relationship between Ishmael and Aillin are at the center of it all. This is a movie that begs to be seen with a crowd, as an infectious feeling will get a hold of you all, making it that much more enjoyable. The last few years we’ve seen films like “The Raid” and “The Raid 2” that got the hearts beating of action movie fans everywhere. With “Headshot” your heart and blood will be pumping at full throttle with this piece of perfection that will leave you thirsty for more.
