The Butcher (2009)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I gave this a solid 9 for me. I REALLY enjoyed it. I have watched it several times, I liked the story of an over the hill guy who needs a break and isn't getting it. His mobster boss considers him past it and treats him with disrespect. Then the movie takes off and is as merciless as you will get. I watched the unrated version and it was definitely extra gritty and bloody. I own both and even without the ultra violence the R vision is a good watch. Eric Roberts plays his character to a tee and we can't help but feel for him as he navigates thru the game set in play. I deliberately stayed away from spoilers since its got a few twists and turns well seeing for the first time watching the movie.

Eric Roberts is Hench, a henchman for a crime boss played by Robert Davi. After several loyal years to Davi's character, things go wrong when Hench gets ambushed during a shakedown. Unlike most movies, however, Hench ends up with some big money and a girl (the beautiful Irina Bjorklund), and plots his bullet-riddled revenge against Davi and the men who crossed him."The Butcher" was pretty sweet. You can tell that the films director, the up and coming Jesse V. Johnson, is experienced behind the camera. He knows what an audience (in this case mostly male) wants to see; Action. And that's what you get with The Butcher, Eric Roberts shooting his way out of a life he's tired of squandering. The action is terrific, the sets are cool, and the overall effect is a nicely done action piece.Roberts does a great job, convincingly playing a cool, badass henchman. For once he doesn't overplay the role, instead he's cool as can be, even when the bullets fly. Irina Bjorklund is a great up and comer as well. Davi fills a great performance as the film's antagonist, a major crime boss who's about to go down. Keith David, Bokeem Woodbine, and a small appearance by Michael Ironside round out the cast, all in terrific performances.Overall a very cool action movie.

Over-the-top violence with an incredulous plot line. Why the police never catch up to this guy just further eludes to the fairy-tale concept. Reminds me of a film noir minus the black and white. A lot of 1940's themes, cheesy lines and concepts set in the modern age. The movie is filled with violent bloodbaths mirroring that of a Steven Seagal fight scene. How this guy comes out on top is clearly some well executed choreography. It leaves the viewer in utter disbelief. It basically takes a turn for the worse and loses momentum like a lead balloon like the director gained a terrible drug addiction and just didn't care anymore. I almost feel like I've been violated. This one is probably a good film if you're on a psychedelic drug because it is all hype and little else.

This is a world of granite faced crusty badass mothers! These guys aren't pretty, in fact nobody in this movie is pretty. But they are tough, and what they lack in looks they more than make up for in ferocity of action.Robert davi is fantastic as the pock marked faced lee j. cobb mob boss, he doesn't like Earl, Eric Roberts' character, but like all the people in this movie they don't give away what they're thinking or who they like, or even what side they're on, and when the chips are down and they're in trouble, they all offer to join the other team to save their bacon, anyway. The only character with any real shred of discernible decency at all is Eric Roberts, and he is at the losing end of a run of seriously bad luck - see the movie.This film was constructed strangely, it was really slow, and it bugged me a bit, then I realized I really enjoyed the slow build up, because, brother let me tell you, when this movie goes bang, it takes large gruesome fragments of the san fernando valley with it. In glorious old school no CG style. The guns are real and sound real, the guts and splatter seems gruesomely real, too.I don't normally write on these boards, most people with the time to write don't share my opinion anyway. But a complete miscreant made a comment about the guns, I had a sudden flash of wanting to use a 1897 shot gun to flatten his head, like Earl does in the movie. The firearms in this movie are cool, there are no modern guns at all, they are all beat up old collectors items (like the characters, i guess), the gun in the stripclub is a Browning 1919 BTW, wasn't in WW1 at all, and no bayonet on it, - but like I said, I'm as pathetic as him for getting annoyed about his review.This film is uncompromising and fresh, the style is gritty and almost messy, Eric Roberts is stand alone, a fantastic actor, and Davi battles him good for the scenery chewing awards. Michael ironside gives a small speech on gangster etiquette at the beginning and I can now quote it verbatim, it's a small part but it stays with you!earl's car deserved it's own credit in the titles, as it's a character unto itself.The bottom line. As i watched this film, it felt interesting and new, but a little slow getting to it's point, then the shooting happened and a divine light came over me and it all made sense. I have watched it three more times and most assuredly get it now.This is a blistering individual film, a head and shoulders above most of the steamy crXp in the theater. This film isn't about the plot, or the suspense or any of that stuff, it's about the characters and the world they live in and boy i enjoyed it.Terry. C.