Review of Free Fire (2017) by Kristofer H — 21 Apr 2017

Proper Perspective: These movies are like a breath of fresh air. The movies that come out and are not huge blockbusters, not a part of a "cinematic universe," and are just trying to be as entertaining as the concept can be. In this case, mission accomplished. Let's talk about Free Fire...

Official Synopsis: Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival.

Plot: One group wants to buy guns. The other wants to make a deal and sell some guns, but the two end up in a shootout after everything comes to a head in a ware house as everyone tries to survive.

Take: 90 minutes. A great cast. The feel of a Quinten Tarantino written movie directed by Guy Ritchie. And an action thriller with some mystery, some comedy, and surprisingly character heavy. A self-contained movie that is not trying to be what every other movie has been trying to be as of late.

Free Fire was pretty awesome. It is not a perfect movie, but it is exactly what the marketing told us it was going to be.

There was a kinetic energy that was felt in the enclosed space the movie took place with all of the actors working off of each other and the situation. The cast was basically an ensemble, but propped up by Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins, 28 Days Later), Brie Larson (Room, Short Term 12), Armie Hammer (Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Social Network), and Sharlto Copley (District 9, The A-Team).

The interplay with the characters was great and despite the minimal run time, the characters were as fully developed as could be. What takes some bad movies over two hours to do poorly, Free Fire did really well in 90 minutes. Sort of like The Belko Experiment from earlier this year. A fun premise, well written, executed even better, and fully fleshed out characters you care about all in 90 minutes or less!

Director Ben Wheatley is mostly known for his depiction of violence in movies from Kill List, to High-Rise, and now Free Fire. It seems with this he and his writing partner Amy Jump found a more fun way to play in a world of violence.

Recommendation: Unfortunately not a ton of people are going to see this movie, but it is a nice change of pace from the big action set piece movies of the early summer. This movie is a lot of fun and I would recommend checking it out in theaters while it is available...

Armie Hammer is great, so much more than two giant twins at Harvard trying to get laid with a dating app.