Movie Review: The Retaliators

The Retaliators is a film that is not so aptly named in my humble opinion. Its a film that sounds like it’s going to be an 80s action / revenge piece and while it does deliver on this theme the film is somewhat all over the place as it struggles to tell too many stories instead of being a lean and satisfying thriller.

Directed by Bridgete Smith, who also directed the teen addiction film Sno Babies, it seems that she is drawn to projects that focus on morality plays. In this production Pastor Bishop’s daughter is murder by a viscous outlaw biker member. Bishop is driven to seek revenge on the criminal with the aid of Detective Jed, who is working the case. Early on it is established that the good pastor likes 80s action movies, keeps physically fit, but like any good Christian turns the other cheek when confronted by hostility that does not require the use of force to keep himself or his loved ones from being harmed. When Jed offers him the opportunity to get revenge on the man who killed his eldest daughter the issue becomes, will Bishop stay true to his morality or will he give in to his base desire for vengeance.

Or at least that’s what this movie should really be about. Now I’ve seen such scenarios done quite well in other films so perhaps the filmmakers wanted to shake things up a bit, because several other elements are added that muddle the story a bit. There are several subplots that do not get resolved by the end credits including a war between two rival biker gangs. Fallout from the events that take place at the detective’s secluded cabin, which would include legal ramifications as well as potential retaliation from the biker gang. The are some pretty significant plot holes, like a fellow who murdered a helpless woman in front of police officers being released from prison after serving six years, how Jed manages single handedly maintain his “hobby” in spite of a number of very obvious problems this would create. There is a lot unsaid here that the film just asks us to accept out of hand.

The film does have some nicely shot scenes here and there but the cinematography is mostly serviceable, a word that sums up most of the film really. The acting is not very inspired, it’s adequate, no one is bad but only the villain Ram is truly memorable. Joseph Gatt often plays the heavy in many projects and he does it exceedingly well. I particularly liked him as the Albino in TVs crime drama Banshee. The leads Michael Lombardi and Marc Menchaca just aren’t giving these roles the emotional weight they deserve. This is not a big budget film but it feels more like a TV movie with some cable TV violence tacked on. The sound design isn’t great and while it is fun to see the many rockers who play unsavory characters in the film, the music they contributed doesn’t fit into the emotionally charged moments they were played over.

Now if The Retaliators had lived up to it’s 80s revenge fantasy promise this soundtrack would have driven the action and violence like rocket fuel. Worse still there is a lengthy flashback with Detective Jed that felt like it was in there to pad out the runtime to ensure the 90 minute feature length standard. A more competent movie could have handled this via exposition. Sometimes it IS better to tell not show, I point you to Quint’s riveting recount of his time aboard the Indianapolis in JAWS.

The saving grace of this film is the third act which just stops trying to do anything high brow and goes for full grindhouse madness. There is a lot of gratuitous violence that ends with the pastor getting splashed in the face with buckets of blood so often it becomes a running gag in the finale. While the rest of the movie was ok the climax goes full Sam Rami and delivers on the fun, tension and excitement. Though the shift in tone is completely jarring by this point it was both needed and welcome.

The Retaliators suffers an identity crisis as it tries to figure out who its audience is but at least by the climax the crew fully commits to the bit and makes for a memorable finish. Worth a watch for this alone, but not something I’d go back to.

SCORE: 2.5 out of 5

Starring: Michael Lombardi (Rescue Me), Marc Menchaca (Ozark) and Joseph Gatt (Game of Thrones), Katie Kelly, Rachel Hilbert.

Also featuring appearances from: Jacoby Shaddix of @Papa Roach Ivan Moody, Chris Kael, Zoltan Bathory of @Five Finger Death Punch Tommy Lee of @Mötley Crüe Spencer Charnas of @Ice Nine Kills Doc Coyle of @Bad Wolves @The HU Dan Murphy, Miles Franco of @All Good Things @Cory Marks Eva Marie of @Eva Under Fire

Directed by: Samuel Gonzalez Jr. Bridget Smith Michael Lombardi

TRAILER: