Review of Dead Man Down (2013) by Familiar S — 06 Jul 2013

Dead Man Down, director Niels Arden Oplev's first English speaking movies is a movie that has received its fair share of flack. I don't find it to be as bad as what many other reviewers have said.

The film is good and deserves a bit more praise. Although the movie falls short of what it could have been, the cast do a good job in their roles and make this one worth seeing. The plot is quite interesting, but could have been rewritten a bit to make it a more standout storyline that is memorable.

As it is it, the film tries to be grandeur than what it actually is, and is limited in terms of a truly memorable plot. The story here is good, but it could have been much better as well. Although it boasts its flaws, I enjoyed the film, and Colin Farrell shines here and so does Noomi Rapace.

However this is not a movie that will withstand multiple viewings. Dead Man Down is an entertaining film, but one that you won't want to rewatch either. I expected this film to be a standout feature considering that Oplev has made such a standout feature with the original The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

With the amount of talent involved, you'd expect something great here, but Dead Man Down is an average film that is limited by an underdeveloped script. Expect something good, but you'll be wanting by more the time the credits roll.

Dead Man Down should have been great, but ends up falling short of its potential. Hopefully Niels Arden Oplev's next feature will be better. Worth checking out, but it's forgettable in the long run.