Review of Free Fire (2017) by Johnny B — 23 Apr 2017

This Reservoir Dogs inspired shoot 'em up is a fun, but flawed 90 minutes. The first 30 minutes is spent introducing all the characters, with some awkward banter that is meant to be witty. Once the shooting begins, it is basically all the characters crawling on the ground looking for cover. I actually don't mind this type of movie, but the reason to why the shootout occurs is kind of ridiculous. The standouts for me were Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, and Cillian Murphy. Copely had the funniest lines and the best character overall. He is really good at accents and playing over-the-top. Brie Larson, the lone female, was a bit underwhelming. There were all these zany characters and her character felt the most out of place. I was expecting more style to the movie given the time period and the setup. I also wished there weren't so many cuts. We want to see who these people are shooting at. The good news is that it is a short movie and doesn't overstay its welcome. The other good news is that it is very bloody and there are a lot of bullets flying which lives up to its title.

Grade: B-.