I Am Wrath (2016) Reviews

• How not to make a revenge thriller

  livemeyer-413592017-04-01

  I Am Wrath was just barely competent to watch. The opening mugging/murder scene had some of the worst continuity mistakes I've seen in a Hollywood blockbuster. While the cast was competent, the casting was stereotypical black/Latino bad guys and white "highly trained" good guys. I cringed at some of the lines. I imagine the script must have had many hands on it and many rewrites. John Travolta puts in an average performance, but the lightweight script and lackluster directing leave him out on a limb with this performance. And we are supposed to believe that Travolta at 62 years of age is a ball-busting tough guy? Originally Nick Cage was cast to play the lead, perhaps he's become wise enough to sniff out a stinker. At least his age would not have been so damning as it is for Travolta. Speaking of tough guys, Christopher Meloni turned in an affable performance providing support and a touch of one-liner comedy. Alas it's difficult to believe he gets whacked in the shins by a baseball bat and the bat loses. In real life the bat would not break and he wouldn't have been able to walk for at least a week. His performance was the only bright spot in a movie that never hinted at being a buddy action-comedy but becomes one anyway. John Wick this movie is not. The movie's biggest sin was its predictability. You knew right from the beginning why the wife was killed, who ordered the hit, and why the corrupt cops could do nothing about it. Then every step of the way you knew what Travolta's character was going to do, and never did we think that he wouldn't get away with it right up to the unsatisfying ending (gee, no surprises when the bullet proof vest is revealed early in the film). I Am Wrath had no mystery, no discovery, and quite often no explanation. This would be exhibit 1A as to how Hollywood ruins movies.

• You're never too old to be cool! Enter Travolta & Meloni!

  pmgeorgini-255-6742472016-09-17

  Who says old can't be cool? Well at least one critic made that comment, but I disagree with him hands down! John Travolta is a pro. He was great in The Forger and, of course, some critics dissed that. But nine times out of ten, I don't agree with the critics anyway. Nicolas Cage would have also done a great job with this role but I'm glad that Travolta was chosen for the project after all. He never looked better and it's good to see him back in action. Loved the movie and loved Christopher Meloni, too. The story line was intriguing; Chuck Russell did an excellent job as director; the camera shots were spot on; the music was great! Cutups about Travolta's hair piece is ridiculous. If truth be told, he would look good bald. To me, he looked natural. His hair had a nice tint added instead of it being all black. Yes, both Travolta and Meloni are older men, but they were super bad dudes and were a great duo--and both looked very fit. I was quite impressed with them. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! I hope to see a series come out of this. The entire cast is to be commended as well! Loved Amanda Schull, who played Stanley's daughter. It's a shame, though, that Rebecca De Mornay's character was killed. I think she's a wonderful performer. But since her character is gone, I have a great idea! If there is a series, allow Stanley to have a love interest, perhaps using Kelly Preston, (Travolta's wife) She'd be great! I enjoyed this flick as much as The Equalizer with Denzel Washington! He's older, too, but a another super bad dude! Cool is what cool does and it's ageless! I rate this movie 10 stars.

• It's a good action movie starring John Travolta

  subxerogravity2016-05-14

  I saw Travolta on the poster and without knowing much all I could think of is Charles Bronson in Death Wish. I was close. The movie reminds me of a cross between John Wick and The Punisher (of which Travolta played the villain in the 2004 movie version). Travolta plays what looks like your average Joe, who watches his wife get murdered right in front of him by what looks like an average car jacking in a city that's been boiling over with violence lately, but it turns out Travolta has a past that was beyond average and goes Liam Neeson on the bad guys. Though he does not look as good as Neeson lashing out those particular set of skills on his wife's killers (but who does?),Travolta was still fun to watch as he hunted down his foes one by one, and just when he thought he was finish, turned out we have more villains to kill. It was like he was leveling up in a video game, that's how far up it goes. Travolta himself was more convincing as average Joe wanting vengeance for his wife's death then he was at the dude who could seek this vengeance flawlessly, which is why they kept it light. Helping with this tone is Christopher Meloni who plays the dude Travolta has to call when he gets back in the game. I'm a huge fan of Meloni and he gives a great performance as the guy who has one hand still in the pot while pretending to be a barber. The chemistry of Meloni and Travolta as two old soldiers so jaded by it all that they joke back and forth as they stomp out evil. It's good banter. This action movie was a great safety net for Travolta, I can't remember the last time I seen him in something decent, and that's what this was, very decent, very watchable from the very beginning all the way to the very end.

• This is not funny anymore

  NestorNestor2017-01-16

  'I Am Wrath' is very moving film - it is not hard to move on after first fifteen minutes. I managed to sit through it somehow. It's almost like John Travolta wanted to make a lousy parody of Nicolas Cage. 'John Wick' made revenge movies look cool again, and 'I Am Wrath' really tries to emulate similar coolness but it falls out like toothless alligator trying to eat buffalo. Travolta and Christopher Meloni has good chemistry between them, but the script is too shallow that the actors don't have enough material to work on. It uses every, absolutely every known cliché to human kind, that all the twists of the film can be guessed at the opening credits even if you have turned off your brain almost comatose like state. No surprises, no style. Totally unnecessary movie. Oh yeah, John Travolta's hairpiece deserves it's own movie.

• This is not a bad movie at all. On the other hand its a little too generic for it to be all that good.

  cosmo_tiger2016-06-25

  "How is him walking out of here going to help my case?" Stanley (Travolta) has just returned home from a long trip and is excited to see his wife again. While on his way home she is murdered. After doing everything by the book legally the killer is set free. Not willing to accept that Stanley takes matters into his own hands and the hunt begins. First of all, this is not a bad movie at all. On the other hand its a little too generic for it to be all that good. There are a few neat twists in this but for the most part you can predict everything that is going to happen pretty easy. Travolta isn't a bad choice for this but he seems a little flat in some parts. In terms of the little B action movies that have been coming out this is definitely one of the best ones, but again this movie has been done over and over and is just not all that exciting. Overall, good movie but too generic to watch over and over. I give this a B-.