Verdict
Summary
I had absolutely zero expectations going into Kill Shot. I’d never heard of any members of the cast before, and director Ari Novak is not a filmmaker I’m familiar with, and so I have no conflict in saying that the movie was a very pleasant surprise for a number of reasons.
Plot:
A wilderness guide and his client find millions in cash while on their hunt, putting their lives at risk when a team of mercenaries comes looking for the money.
Review:
Some mercenaries make off with 100 million in cash in Afghanistan and agree to meet up in the Canadian wilderness to split the money, but their plane crashes, and the case full of money gets lost in the wild. They split up, with the team leaders Dina Diablo (Mara O’Hara with some sexy leather pants and vivid inked arms) and Maximus (UFC fighter Bobby Maximus) taking point. Meanwhile, ex-Navy SEAL Jackson (co-writer Rib Hillis looking svelte but kinda generic for an action guy) has just broken up with his cheating wife and while at a bar he locks eyes with a real looker named Kate (Playboy model Rachel Cook) who’s looking for a wilderness guide to both take her on safari and lead her to a peak where she can scatter her dad’s ashes. He accepts. When their horses get spooked, leaving them on foot, they find the bag of cash, which puts them in the crosshairs of the mercenaries who’ll kill them without a thought to claim what’s theirs. But lucky for Kate, Jackson is fully armed and prepared for any such improbable scenario such as the one they find themselves in, and the next 24 hours will see them fighting for their lives every step of the way.
I had absolutely zero expectations going into Kill Shot. I’d never heard of any members of the cast before, and director Ari Novak is not a filmmaker I’m familiar with, and so I have no conflict in saying that the movie was a very pleasant surprise for a number of reasons. First of all, I am not going to praise the script or the direction because those are the weakest points of the film. The dialogue is pretty terrible, and some of the scenes – particularly some of the shootouts and action encounters – are very clunky in their delivery. But I tell you what: The film is simply gorgeous with crisp photography, utilizing stunning natural locations in Montana, and I’ve got to hand it to the film for knowing its target audience, which are macho guys or dudes who miss macho movies. In addition to the fight scenes and shootouts (which, as I said, are sometimes less than convincing) there are several scenes where lead actress Cook takes her pants off for no reason (at one point she says she doesn’t like wearing pants) and she’s traipsing around in her panties while being shot at, and it’s great! The movie makes sure to get her out of her pants several times (once when her leg is grazed by a bullet, so of course the pants come off), and her top comes off later on as well. What’s to complain about? The movie almost resembles an Andy Sidaris movie without the constant nudity or the humor, and that’s a plus. What the movie needed badly was a better script and a little lighter tone because it’s so freaking serious (aside from the scenes when Cook’s pants drop). The movie should have been more fun, so if this team makes another movie again (which they totally should), I highly recommend they try having some more fun with it, and don’t be afraid to show nudity or people having a good time. Kill Shot is almost what it should have been, but it’s close enough.
Well Go USA’s new release of Kill Shot on Blu-ray and DVD comes with some trailers. It’s available now.
