Acts of Violence 2018 * 1/2 Stars

Director: Brett Donowho
Year: 2018
Rated R
Rating: * 1/2 Stars
Cast: Bruce Willis, Cole Hauser, Shawn Ashmore

Acts of Violence is my latest review. Its story involves three ex-military bros attempting to rescue one of their fiancees from being kidnapped and/or embroiled in a human trafficking ring. "Violence" takes a small cue from the film Four Brothers while giving star Bruce Willis a cliched, cop character name (Detective James Avery). Oh and its movie title may have resulted from execs throwing their hands up and surrendering their creative sheen during production meetings.

Now "Violence" at eighty-six relentless minutes, really earns its label. This is a brutal, sickening, and wrongful, bullet-laden flick that may make you avoid its urban setting for years to come (in case you are wondering, I'm unhappily talking about Cleveland, OH).

In truth and utmost confidence, I can't recommend Acts of Violence unless I was forced to at gunpoint (no pun intended). Director Brett Donowho lacks a sense of humanity, a sense of tact, and a sense of being morally inhibited. With "Violence", you get slipshod editing, forceful standoffs masquerading as logic, and actors Willis and Mike Epps unknowingly damaging their reputations in the process (Bruce has been doing this for years so it may not matter).

Acts of Violence also has plenty of action sequences while not taking its time to tell a deepening story. Everything is bogged down as the pic is drenched in blood, guts, and "above the law" positions. Donowho really needs to check himself for he fails to commercialize bad cop corruption and revenge platitude the way David Ayer did in 2008's Street Kings.

In retrospect, "Violence" was narrowly released in theaters and for good reason. It has a wink wink lack of empathy and miscues pertaining to the unsytematic plot threads possessed. No audience member would subject to how unnecessary and how uncouth The Act of Violence's torturous, mind sadism is. Rating: 1 and a half stars.

Written by Jesse Burleson