I’ve said it before, but I’ll continue to say it when reviewing films. The action films of the late 80s and early 90s will always have a special place in my heart. I’ll always have great memories of watching them with my dad when I was younger, and I love any chance to take a trip down nostalgia lane. Sadly, the action movies from then aren’t as popular as they once were, but we do have a new genre of action flicks that are equally good, yet somehow different today. Where we do get the action flicks that remind me of those days is in the world of low-budget, indie action movies. So, I enjoyed The Best Man simply because that’s what it is a low-budget action film with recognizable names.
One of those names is Dolph Lundgren, one of the great names to come out of 80s action. He was accompanied on this wild ride by Luke Wilson and Brendan Fehr. Luke Wilson may not be the most popular of the Wilsons, but who doesn’t enjoy seeing him on screen? He’s just done so many great films over the years. As for Fehr, he may be less recognizable to many, but he was great on Roswell (the real one, not that horrible reboot) and Night Shift. The cast was rounded out with Scout Taylor-Compton, who I didn’t recognize, but upon reviewing her IMDB, she has been in a few films that I’ve seen and Nicky Whelan who was in the film Maneater that I reviewed last year.
The cast did the great job and clearly had a lot of fun making the film. They all worked well together and shared a lot of on-screen chemistry. Lundgren, Wilson, and Fehr all held their own as action stars and, as director Shane Dax Taylor points out in his director’s notes, this was Wilson’s first action role. Holding his own alongside Lundgren is that much more impressive when you consider that. The script is just fun. The film is set in a casino resort and does a great job of making the facility (The Mescalero Apache Tribe’s Inn of the Mountain Gods) another character in the film. So much of what happens is dependant on the location providing the perfect sets to make it happen. It would be hard to imagine this film working as well shot in a different location with a different layout.
While I was watching the film, my wife was playing on her phone in the room. She dislikes action films and, generally, dislikes indie films… so this definitely wasn’t her cup of tea. Occasionally, she’d look up and make remarks like, “Wow, this looks cheap.” or “That doesn’t look believable.” and then return to her phone without any real context around what was just happening. I could see how someone not familiar with the action genre might think that. I, however, was very impressed the entire way through. The film was exactly what I wanted out of a throwback to the late 80s. It had tons of action, awesome fight scenes, and corny dialogue. Sure, it isn’t a Hollywood blockbuster, but it was enjoyable to watch and a lot of fun.
Since this was a basic action movie, there’s not a lot to describe here, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it. This is the type of movie where you settle in for the night with a big bowl of popcorn and watch mindless action because mindless action is one of the best ways to checkout, forget your worries, and relax. That’s what this movie was… it was relaxation. That might sound odd if you’re not a fan of the genre, but for me… it was the exact thing that I needed. At a time when I was feeling burnt out, this movie was comfort. It helped me destress and unwind like only an action flick can.
The Best Man was released in theatres and on VOD and Digital on April 21.
The Best Man
Movie title: The Best Man
Movie description: Luke Wilson (3:10 to Yuma) and Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables) star in this pulse-pounding, action-packed thriller. When a team of ruthless mercenaries violently seize control of a remote resort hotel, former Special Ops soldiers attending their best friend's wedding must rely only on their wits and training to combat the terrorists and save the hostages held for ransom.
Date published: 2023-04-21
Director(s): Shane Dax Taylor
Actor(s): Brendan Fehr, Nicky Whelan, Scout Taylor Compton, Scott Martin, Dolph Lundgren, Luke Wilson
Genre: Action
Overall
3-
Overall
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