Something of a pisstake of the genre, wearing influences on its sleeve ("Streets of Rage", "Streets of Fire", various comic books, even an "Akira" visual in the closing credits I very much appreciated), it's a rapid fire flurry of mayhem and nonsense, never really overstaying its welcome. Bloody, brutal and turned up to eleven by all concerned, it benefits greatly from devoted performances from all concerned: Bill Skarsgard is very game as the deaf-mute; H. Jon Benjamin is droll as ever; a forever welcome and personal favourite Jessica Rothe (absolute icon and Queen) plays crop-top biker jacket sporting, axe wielding assassin "June 27" and threatens to steal the show, I love seeing her in parts like this; Sharlto Copley once again brings down the house; Andrew Koji (still proving himself to be a favourite of mine too) keeps his winning streak going as a Cockney rebel; everybody is playing it as a comedy. Michelle Dockery brings some of the satire as the token Van Der Koy who televises the violence. It's not trying to say much, it's just an homage and piss take of the movies which came before it: there's an excellent high energy joke involving a man with a beard (Isaiah Mustafa) which blocks The Boy from reading his lips, so he only speaks in gibberish. June 27 wears a helmet with light up symbols and words, a fun touch. As a nod to "The Raid", they even have Yayan Ruhian do his little "open clench fists" thing before a fight, which gave me a lot of glee. It's an excellent, violent pisstake and honestly? It's what "Argylle" wanted to be, only with a tenth of the budget and none of the smugness.
Highlights include a mansion battle and a snowman cereal mascot fight/callback.
It's good, unclean fun.
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