REACHER lands in Maximum Security . . . on purpose. That’s the gist of writer/director S. Craig Zahler’s ultra-violent actioner. The switcheroo being that our protagonist isn’t Lee Child’s tru-blue Jack Reacher, crushing bones on the ‘right’ side of the law, but Vince Vaughn’s creepy thug, wrecking the joint to keep his kidnapped wife (and unborn daughter) from dismemberment. Yikes! True, BRAWL predates the current (surprisingly good) REACHER streaming on Amazon, but not the books or the less satisfying Tom Cruise iterations. The other main influences seem to be Gaspar Noé’s risible IRREVERSIBLE/’02 (for the flinch-inducing bone breakage*), and, of all things, Alexandre Dumas for the far-fetched prison revenge scenario. Nabbed during a drug run, Vaughn’s on the hook for 3.5 mill. If he takes out a guy for the mob his wife (and unborn child) gets released unharmed. But how to get to the top security jail and find the guy? Go crazy violent and get transferred. Well, maybe. But since the drug lord seems to have men stationed all thru the joint (on both sides of the fence), why blackmail an outsider to do the job? Grim doings, lots of gross-out kills, but how the heck does Vaughn remain such a formidable foe when he hasn’t had a decent meal, a full night’s sleep, a proper bowel movement or a work out in months? With threatening stares, bulky muscle and none of his signature playful charm, Vaughn gets to play with, rather than against his towering beefy physique. He looks like he’s trying to expand his rep. Director Zahler looks like he’s trying to type himself.
WATCH THIS, NOT THAT: As mentioned, the new REACHER series, two seasons now available (only the first seen here), really comes off.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: *Noé, and for that matter Zahler, are so desperate to induce a visceral reactions, they overreach. The machine goes TILT! Hence, the giggles.
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