House of the Rising Sun (2011)

Fantastic!

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

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.

OK, I knew that one cannot expect too much from a flick that headlines Dave Bautista, but the DVD was cheap and the cover suggested a tag team of him and Danny Trejo. And they had a few decent B-movie stars to back them up. It looked like uncomplicated fun.Unfortunately, Trejo has no more than a cameo in this movie and plays virtually no role in the action at all. Bautista lacks the acting skills to carry the movie on his own, especially since the role does not exploit his considerable physical assets.The title also put me on the wrong foot, leading me to think this might be a precursor to Badasses on the Bayou. Nope, a lifeless wronged-cop-gets-retribution flick is what I got. Too bad about my one Euro.

Well, "House of the Rising Sun" proves to be no grand thespian experience. I mean, just look at the cast ensemble, and you essentially know what you are in for.The story is about former dirty police officer Ray who is now working security detail at an illegal casino and brothel. After a robbery Ray finds himself framed for the robbery and murder and must go to extreme lengths to clear his name.It should be said that the movie is entertaining enough for what it was; a somewhat bland action movie that was running on autopilot and offering nothing to challenge the intellect of the audience.Now, I mentioned that this is not a grand thespian experience earlier, and with names like Dave Bautista and Dominic Purcell at the lead, well, enough said. Bautista moves about with the grace of a bull in a China shop, and Dominic Purcells hair just gets taller and taller with each movie.There were a couple of adequate action sequences here and there, but it was not sufficient to lift up the movie and bring it above mediocrity.If you enjoy action movies, then your money is better spent elsewhere if you want a movie with just an ounce of content. However, if you enjoy pointless and predictable movies that are devoid of anything to stimulate your intellect, then by all means spend an hour and a half on "House of the Rising Sun".

The plot: After a violent heist, a dirty ex-cop/ex-con is tasked with recovering the stolen money and avenging the death of a mobster's son, only to face increasing pressure and suspicion from both the cops and mob.While undeniably clichéd, the story had some real potential. The movie even starts off well, introducing all of the stereotypical characters that you expect to find in a traditional crime drama. Obviously, I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking or unique, but, for what it was, it looked like an above-average entry. Somewhere around the middle of the movie, however, they just give up and decide to hit every cliché they can, while half-heartedly shooting a bunch of boring action sequences.The biggest problem is the fight choreography. When you cast a giant bruiser as your protagonist, people are going to have certain expectations. This movie does not meet them. There aren't enough fight scenes, and the few that do exist are terrible. None of them are believable. The action sequences suffer from similar problems.The acting was alright. There are a few B movie veterans that you'll probably recognize. Dave Bautista, the star, gives a decent performance, but I can't really say that I see him going anywhere but direct-to-video action movies.If you're a fan of gritty, urban crime drama/thriller/action movies, you might like this, but there are much better choices.

I'm not particularly a wrestling fan. However, there seems to be a growing trend introducing wrestlers to cinema. It's worked in the past for both Steve Austin and Dewayne Johnson, but it's not a set in stone formula.This was not a flick that followed the formula of a successful action film. The plot moves quickly at the beginning, but then stops, takes a few sharp (and typical for this genre) turns. Stops, and then takes a few more wide turns before finally coming to a stop. For this being billed as an action/drama movie, it really doesn't have the characteristics of those. The action and choreography is dull. Right down to it's core. I'd have rather them be too far out there than simply not enough, especially from a man like Bautista who has such a large physique, and a reputation in wrestling for being especially action-packed. There were some cheesy moments with the action, as well. CGI rendered bullet holes, for instance - which I normally don't have a problem with if they're difficult to detect. However, these are laughably noticeable. The acting was pretty atrocious for the most part. There were two saving graces: Amy Smart and Dominic Purcell (Danny Trejo's character doesn't have enough scenes to justify his role). Both Smart and Purcell played their parts very well. Their interaction with the main character is what you would expect for two seasoned actors talking to a dull brute. Bautista cannot act. I'm sure he's excellent at tossing people around the ring and being overly intimidating (I have to admit, he is an incredibly large fellow). However - he should stick to the over dramatization of wrestling and leave acting to people who are actually good at it. The plot was extremely cliché'. Nothing that I haven't seen before, this was just done much more poorly than previous renditions of the same story. I'd suggest staying away from House of the Rising Sun.