Review of Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) by Headbomb — 27 Jun 2011

Hobo with a Shotgun doesn't wink. It doesn't flinch. And it never refrains from going overboard in ways you've could never have imagined.

The good * Very original ways of killing people * Ultra violent (see below) * Utterly ridiculousHobo with a Shotgun doesn't wink. It doesn't flinch. And it never refrains from going overboard in ways you've could never have imagined.

The good.

* Very original ways of killing people.

* Ultra violent (see below).

* Utterly ridiculous scenes.

* Bad guys are over-the-top, diverse, and original.

* Casting for several characters is great (Rutger Hauer as the Hobo is amazing, Nick Bateman as Ivan is perfect, and Brian Downey makes Drake a much more memorable character than you'd think you would expect).

* Very nice cinematography in several places.

The "bad".

* If you're not comfortable with extreme violence, then some scenes will make you flinch. I don't mind it, but it goes beyond "normal violence" to the point that I would warn friends that it may be more violent than what they might expect since a lot of it is done in poor taste. We're talking stuff like flamethrowing a bus full of children and burning alive a mother and her baby in the dumpster they live. If you're cool with that level of violence, then it's all good.

* The movie is a bit less funny than I expected. Instead of "OMG, uber-cheese", it made me go "OMG, that was crazy". Not "bad" per say, just different than what I expected.

* The strength of the casting for several roles highlights the weakness of the casting in other roles.

* David Brunt (the original Hobo in the Grindhouse trailer) was said to be casted as a cop. While true, you only see him twice for like 2 seconds.

Thumbs way way up. Turned out better than Machete, IMO. Or Grindhouse (either movie).