Free Fire (2017)

A Major Disappointment

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

I enjoy a movie that doesn't pretend to be anything but what it actually is. That is the case with Free Fire. Its a single location, shoot 'em up film that doesn't try to act like its important movie making.Set in the 1970s, two gangs take part in a weapons deal inside a deserted warehouse in Boston. The deal goes sideways and the gangs start shooting at each other from almost point blank range. That's it for plot. The majority of the movie is the actors crawling around in the dirt and rubble of the warehouse trying to pick each other off. Its not rocket science, but it was fun.Armie Hammer, Brie Larsen, Cillian Murphy, and Shalto Copley are the head liners. The remainder of the cast were unknowns to me. The two gangs hurl insults and bullets are one another. They all get shot and/or injured and spend the movie bleeding and cursing at each other. Friends turn on each other, a third group appears shooting at them, someone has betrayed them. All this has a point which gets revealed later in the film, but its besides the point. If you like mindless action, funny dialogue, and impossible situations, this is the movie for you.

Had this recommended by someone who's opinion I trust, which is a good job because based on what the other reviews said I probably wouldn't have bothered watching it.It's a great film - excellent characters, it's funny - and good fun to watch, I could go on but I haven't got time.Actually this seals the deal for me - I'm ditching IMDB after this - the vast majority of people on hear voting on movies are clearly not on the same page as me - anything challenging or leftfield just goes over most voters heads it seems and ends up with an average rating.

If that sounds like your cup of tea then go ahead and give this a watch, you'll find it highly amusing. An arms deal goes terribly awry when a small fist fight turns into a factory shootout where nobody can be trusted. Think of this as a modernisation of 'Reservoir Dogs'. All set in one location, various personalities and plenty of violent profanity. Each character has their own accent and personable traits to differentiate themselves. A sarcastic American, an eccentric South African, a stupid Englishman and many more. I had to adjust my hearing for each character, I got there eventually. The chaos starts from one punch and, much like a ticking time bomb, escalates the tension and frantic mayhem. Approximately seventy minutes (excluding the introduction) of gunfire, verbal abuse and crawling along the floor. Literally. Bang Bang Bang "You shot my suit!" Bang Bang "Your breath stinks and you have a serious case of BO!" Bang Bang Bang. It kept me amused...for the first forty five minutes. The problem with using the same scenario and not changing it up for an entire film, is that it becomes tedious rapidly. There's no twists or turns, just two sides of a bad arms deal shooting each other. Couldn't keep my attention the whole way through. The amusement comes from the humorous screenplay and dialogue execution. Copley, Hammer, Murphy, Larson and everyone else manage to perform their lines in perfect comedic timing. You shan't be rolling on the floor laughing, yet it's enough to make you chuckle and smile. Heck I did, and I'm dead inside. Wheatley's directing style was clean, even amidst the chaos he was able to keep the camera and ensure we could see everything. The story, or lack of, is predictable however the writing style and acting is enough to withstand ninety minutes of carnage. Do not take this film seriously, it's just light hearted fun. I think I've seen enough guns for one day. Oh, and it seems most of these weapons have unlimited ammunition! Small nitpick...

Free Fire opens with an arms deal, introducing a range of colorful characters, dark humor, but a sense of tension from the whole scenario being a bit of a tinderbox. This first third (give or take) of the film is probably the best, as it contains plenty of good interactions and dialogue. From here the film turns into a scruffy gunfire in the warehouse; it is occasionally funny, occasionally violent, occasionally tense, and mostly entertaining. Problem is, it never really builds up in any of those areas in the way you'd like.The initial outbreak of violence feels like a release of the built-up pressure, and there is a pleasure in seeing that happen, and seeing it quickly spiral out of control. However the film has to spend the next hour in this space, and although each character is "resolved" in some way, generally it doesn't manage to pay-off the good build up. It does still tick along in a way that is enjoyable in how dark and simple it is, but at the same time it doesn't quite satisfy for what it does. The cast is impressive on paper, and do pretty well on the screen, but I did have the feeling that I would have liked them to have had more to do once the film got into its crawling and shooting stuff - although Hammer is good throughout.Worth a look (and probably one of Wheatley's more mainstream films), but it doesn't deliver on the promise of its first section, even if it does still provide enough to entertain.