Arsenal (2017)

Truly Dreadful Film

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Director Stephen C. Miller's straight-to-video crime thriller "Arsenal" is a my-brother's-keeper saga. Miller and his company lensed this film on location in Biloxi, Mississippi, and it appears that they shot the whole thing there. The houses, the community, and the look of everything is so genuine that it couldn't have been faked. Miller doesn't rely on visual tricks, but instead he uses the actual locations. This 94-minute, R-rated, thriller shows why brothers for the most part stick together. The same cannot be said for the other pair of brothers, one of whom is played by Nicolas Cage. Apparently, Cage wanted to play a first-class low-life dastard. Wearing an obvious black mop of a wig, Cage has tried to disguise themselves with a Pinocchio-like nose. He plays the equivalent of Robert De Niro's Al Capone. In one scene, he shoves a length of pipe down a man's throat and then hammers it in the rest of the way with a baseball bat! He is a villain's villain, and Cage wallows in the unruliness of his wicked villainy to the point of overacting. This is Cage as you rarely get to see the Academy Award winning actor. Grenier plays the nice guy, little brother hero who spares nothing to save his big brother from his own self-destructive ways. Mikey (Johnathon Schaech of "The Legend of Hercules" and JP (Adrian Grenier of "Hart's War") grew up as big brother and little brother in Biloxi, Mississippi, and they led lives of miserable desperation. One of them relatives who took care of them decided to blast a crater in his face with a shotgun, and Mikey prevented JP from seeing the carnage by sending him off with a fistful of quarters to play video games at a nearby arcade. Mikey has spent his entire life looking out from his little brother. Sometimes, Mikey wasn't the nicest of big brothers, but he came through with his brother despite the circumstances. "Arsenal" chronicles their lives from tweeners to twentysomethings and beyond. JP has always treated his big brother with respect. Now that they have grown up, their fortunes are turned, and JP looks after is wayward brother. Mikey has gotten himself in deep trouble with a local crime magnate, Eddie King (Nicolas Cage of "The Rock"), who uses Mikey. Mikey finds himself in debt to Eddie, and Eddie wants Mikey to conspire with him to get $350-thousand dollars in ransom money from JP. You see, JP has been fortunate enough to start his own construction business, and he has become wealthy enough to marry and have a child. Meanwhile, Mikey has descended into oblivion, and he finds himself cooperating reluctantly with Eddie to stage a kidnapping to get JP's money. At the same time, JP mounts his own search from his big brother and relies of advice from a local Biloxi Police Department Detective, Sal (John Cusack of "Grosse Pointe Blank"), when he learns that Eddie has his brother. Moreover, Eddie has warned JP that he must not contact the authorities, or he will kick Mikey. Mind you, JP isn't the only guy into trouble up to his neck. As it turns out, Eddie has gone out-of-bounds with his kidnapping and ransom caper, and a member of the New Orleans' mob, his own brother Buddy King (Christopher Coppola of "Torch"), rolls into town to kill him. Buddy doesn't get away with killing Eddie, because Eddie turns the tables on Buddy and kills him! Later, Mikey escapes from Eddie, but he doesn't get far. This prompts sleazy Eddie into abducting Mikey's teenage daughter and making her a part of the kidnapping and ransom deal. Were this not enough to add to JP's problems, he discovers that his business manager has secretly gone behind his back and invested money into renovating houses to earn JP more money. Director Stephen C. Miller and freshman scriptwriter Jason Mossberg has fashioned a heartfelt saga about brothers helping themselves into a credible dramatic thriller that doesn't rely on exploitation elements. JP discovers something about himself that he had never realized. He doesn't shirk his responsibilities to Mikey and Mikey's dysfunctional family. Instead, he steps up to the plate and does the only thing that he knows in spite of the chance that he could die and leave his wife and daughter in jeopardy. Things start slowly, but the action picks up when Mikey reacquaints himself with Eddie King. Grenier makes a believable little brother who refuses to back down, while Johnathon Schaech is simply brilliant as the mischievous big brother.

The simplest way to put this film is simply slow and dumb.One would expect a little more from such a cast, but this is not the case here.Had this been an indie film with amateur actors, I would have rated it higher. But all I can give it now is a 5/10.

it's really noting special it's film i think it's more of time waster it's not much action in film there is some but not of all of it i thought the lead characters were eh it's like you don't care about The actor is mostly wasted is John Cusack he is not even in this film only for 5 minutes or more but they don't met up together noting like Con Air Nicholas Cage i don't blame him over he's not doing any good films anymore that's opportunity from the directors from him but he is doing it for paycheck i have seen Nicholas Cage as villain it's movie called Face/Off with John Travolta a lot more better but I LOVE Nicholas Cagefilms i am fan of The Rock, Con Air, Face/Off, Snake Eyes great thriller Gone in 60 seconds, 8mm, Windtalkers, Lord of War, Ghost Rider 1&2, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, his last movie for me Drive angry but now i understand his paycheck that's all his their its not him choosing the films its him their only for check, his not really in film he is only in for 10 minutes or less he is not much of villain. i would say his Villain in Face/Off is a lot more better and Bad Lieutenant has better performance then this his looking as villain looks with hair and mustache is like 70s porn star. with terrible looking jeez i would say in Face/Off looking of cage is a lot more better. this film is SO wasting of your time there's not much like there is action shooting scenes but theirs no fighting or bit of it, there's no big explosions i thought the lead actor (Adrian Grenier) is eh weak actor hes like another Weak Version trying to be DJ Cotrona From dusk till dawn series i wish it could be him rather then lead Adria Grenier. Adria Grenier i think of him as lead is very weak actor in my opinion i really wish it could be someone else as lead a better actor like him i think hes not that great as main actor the characters you just don't care about they are all just eh noting the ending is eh. i like director hes good director the only movie i like his only film Extraction. but this didn't save it the director never saved any of his films they all flop. the plot Follows 2 brothers JP (Adrian Grenier)is younger brother and older brother who is pain in butt Mikey (Johnathon Schaech)Mikey met Eddie King (Nicolas Cage) lame way for his role hes crazy guy who loves cocaine who doesn't give a dam about anything his character is main villain who doesn't do much hes just going crazy with his 70s look porn star looking as the cold blooded killer that's also quite funny with his fake nose and mustache combo, his snickering and his dog-like growls, an interesting styling to this slight silly take to The King ofComedy. Mikey met Eddie since he was kid Eddie always gives them jobs and says them he says i raised you all that he Nicholas Cage character is lame but his performance is a lot more better then his character. Mikey character is ass too his younger brother JP hes not normal character to me his like bad guy. he didn't do good in Army he didn't do good at anything he always let everything down of their feelings because hes younger brother JP is married Lizzie (Lydia Hull) who worked with Steven C Miller few times but not all of his films. and his working with Eddie king for Longtime And They Kidnapped Brother because Eddie King needs money from JP has 3 days to get his money to get his brother back. here goes Sal(John Cusack)He Is Cop Helping JP John Cusack doesn't do anything in movie besides hitting guy Getting Answers He Is Not Villain but Nicholas Cage and John Cusack they don't met each in 3rd time in film its like Nicholas Cage and John Cusack did Con Air as Team then 15 years later another Trashed Frozen Ground John Cusack is villain they both met up then in this its like John Cusack at end of day hes their only for paycheck he wasn't even in it didn't do anything didn't EVEN DID A SCENE WITH NICHOLAS CAGE for 3rd time i am like jeezwhy is John Is Involved for oh wait silly paycheck thought he pay Nicholas in scene again for 3rd time didn't again. you have good Gore scenes movies with Gore works but it doesn't save it Because I Got Very Disappointed with film not because its gore but its story and lead actor and story and action was noting Special at all. Slow Motion when Nicholas Cage Punch's the guy in face blood slow Motion is cool i seen that in Sin city but still Movie Didn't Save it for me. Sal gets answers and find Eddie King goes around Investigation And Goes With JP to find his brother and find Eddie King who has been working for him in while but JP decides to move on with his life not working for Eddie So Mikey Ended Up Going on his life but i thought the characters the lead roles its like were they bad guys ? because JP and Mikey worked longtime with Eddie king sine they were kids. but so we follow these characters working with Eddie in years i thought these 2 guys were villains at start they don't look like good guys because hes brother is ass to JP since in there childhood i am like lead actors they are not Likable characters Or Charisma they don't have it in there characters, the lead characters were rubbish to me its really painful film

This film tells the story of two brothers who had a difficult childhood, witnessing the violent death of their father. They depend and rely on each other since, and help each other out in times of trouble. One day, the trouble with mobsters gets too big, and a brother decides to take matters into his own hands."Arsenal" has two big names playing supporting roles, but these two big names have not been associated with good films lately. Indeed, "Arsenal" is just an action thriller wannabe. It has over the top violent and gory scenes, which is augmented by visual effects that make blood and bullets fly in slow motion. Though this visual effect made "The Matrix" an instant classic, it does not quite work here because it is simply too gory. The ending is a little puzzling, as the brother could have ended the whole thing way earlier because it turns out that he knows the location of the other brother! "Arsenal" is an alright film to pass time, but don't expect anything groundbreaking or memorable.