- Actors: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Adrian Grenier, Johnathon Schaech, Lydia Hull
- Director: Steven C. Miller
- Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Region: Region A/1
- Rated: R
- Studio: LIONSGATE
- Release Date: March 28, 2017
- Run Time: 92 minutes
Inconsistent is
the best word to describe Arsenal,
the latest low-budget crime thriller from director Steven C. Miller. The overly
simplistic screenplay is peppered with cliché characters and bad dialogue,
saved only occasionally by seasoned actors who seem to be slumming it in low
budget filmmaking, either out of desperation or simple disregard for good
taste. The rest of the cast is not talented enough to handle the poorly written
words, leaving questions about either Miller’s ability to direct actors or the
casting director’s judgment. The film is also inconsistent in visual style,
spending a large amount of effort and money on a flashy climactic piece of
violent action, while other areas of the film look as though they were hurriedly
shot by an amateur filmmaker.
Inconsistencies
aside, there just isn’t much to enjoy in the basic premise of this sloppy
thriller. It is trashy in a way that feels in bad taste, reveling in horrible
violence without cause. The film begins with a prologue sequence of two
brothers that is senselessly violent, making unclear statements which plague
the remainder of the film. Mikey looks out for his younger brother once
discovering that their uncle, and guardian, killed himself, but he is also
abusive and ruthlessly unkind for no reason. This strange relationship is never
explained in the prologue, only really being concerned with setting up Mikey’s
decision to work for a local mobster named Eddie King (Nicolas Cage).
The film then
jumps ahead decades to the grown up Mikey (Jonathan Schaech), who has become a
lifelong screw up, presumably so that his brother JP (Adrian Grenier) can have
a happy and successful life. JP is a contractor with a wife, whereas Mikey is a
burned out drug dealer with a nagging ex-wife and a daughter that rebels by
hanging out with thugs even worse than her father. But all of this is fairly
unnecessary details to the actual plot, which involves Eddie King randomly
deciding to abduct Mikey and hold him ransom. As strange as this storyline is,
it gives Cage the opportunity to chew scenery and Miller the chance to showcase
graphic violence that he seems to revel in, whether making crime or horror
films.
John Cusack also
shows up for a supporting role as a connected friend of the family, in order to
help JP discover why Mikey was taken. Although the role is all but unnecessary,
it is a welcome change to see a skilled actor appear for portions of the film.
Cusack takes a natural approach to the role, never playing up the melodrama of the
situations, whereas Cage amplifies everything with his overacting. Perhaps part
of this is due to his character’s cocaine habit, but this overly energetic
performance is only made more ridiculous with the use of a poorly designed and
unnecessary prosthetic nose on the recognizable actor. Cage comes off as little
more than a cartoonish villain, which creates a great deal of unintentional
humor within the tastelessly violent film.
If much of the
film feels sloppily constructed, the sequences of violence are given special
attention. It ends up feeling like more than half the budget went into the
scenes with people being blown to pieces in slow motion photography, whereas
other scenes in the film feel as shoddy as a student film. It is impossible to
compliment one aspect of the film without pointing out how another suffered as
a result. Even an appreciation for Cage at his campiest is likely not enough to
endure the inconsistencies in filmmaking.
The Blu-ray
release of Arsenal comes with a
Digital HD copy of the film, as well as the special features on the disc. These
include a commentary track with Miller and Schaech, a making-of featurette with
interviews from cast and crew, as well as extended footage of these interviews
in a separate feature. There is also a trailer gallery for other Lionsgate
films.
Entertainment Value:
5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4.5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 5.5/10
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