The Bricklayer (2023), Dir. Renny Harlin, 110 mins, HD
Its this kind of movie that drives me nuts; its so bland, formulaic and tired. Not helped at all by the unfortunate timing, me feeling a rush of déjà vu having recently watched The Beekeeper. That film featured a moody, craggy bloke who is a beekeeper who was also a one-man killing machine who used to work for a government agency, and this one features a moody, craggy bloke who is a bricklayer who was also a one-man killing machine who used to work for a government agency. I mean its as tired and lazy as that sounds. I couldn’t believe the similarities or how cynically both films seemed to be aiming at launching franchises, eager to get a slice of that John Wick action pie. Turns out making John Wick films must be trickier than it looks though, because like The Beekeeper, this film completely fumbles choreographing decent fight scenes, inducing utter boredom rather than any tension/excitement (the lesson for today is those John Wick films really are some kind of film-making genius).
Aaron Eckhart is better than this, but I guess he’s at that stage of his career (and, frankly, age) that he’s decided he needs to forget making good movies that challenge his craft and instead get in on some of that profitable action-movie biz that Liam Neeson is in on (or was, as Liam surely seems to be getting too long in the tooth for this kind of action nonsense now).
Anyway. I’m pleased to report that I cannot go into much more detail on this one because I bailed thirty minutes in, pressed that stop button to spare us the misery. It has to be a really, really bad film for me to give up on it, but even I have my limits. Life is too short.
the ghost of 82 