Reprisal 2018 * * 1/2 Stars

Director: Brian A. Miller
Year: 2018
Rated R
Rating: * * 1/2 Stars
Cast: Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo, Jonathon Schaech

2018's Reprisal is my latest review. It was released in late August and not necessarily in theaters. If you ask me, that's a bad and unfortunate combination.

So OK, Reprisal's concluding outcome is droll and the whole thing in general feels like silly, B-movie trope. Still, this is probably the best work helmer Brian A. Miller has ever done (I guess he's growing in one genre). Remember Vice and his 2014 vehicle The Prince? Yeah it's a step up.

Reprisal contains a weighty soundtrack, neutered FBI Protocol, minimal production values, thunderous sounds of hailed carbines, and a subdued Bruce Willis (that's Brian A's mysterious, go-to muse). Yup, "it's Miller time!" again. In truth, If you like slick and oily direction coupled with Michael Bay-like cuts and fast-rearing flashbacks, Reprisal is your ticket. And if you like your films morbidly violent, street detailed, and right around the 90-minute mark, Reprisal might revive your Redbox renegade.

Using Cincinnati, Ohio as its entire locale, distributed by five production companies (that's normal for this kind of flick), and having the same, obligatory Bruce Wills movie poster (also normal for this kind of flick), Reprisal involves bank manager Jacob (played by Frank Grillo). Jacob is a family man whose financial institution gets robbed in broad daylight. After one of his co-workers is murdered in the process, Jacob teams up with an ex-cop (James played by Willis) to track down and bring to justice, the evil one man army. Jonathon Schaech plays said one man army as if the superpowers of John Matrix, Rambo, and Paul Kersey are readily infusing him. What nonsense and implausibility.

All in all, Reprisal is just another one word movie title (Marauders, Extraction, Extortion, Arsenal, etc.). It also feels like just another Wills paycheck, another ploy to keep the direct-to-video train rolling, and an excuse to roll out streamlined gunplay as stylistic mannerism. What's different this time, is that Reprisal's swift pace feels a little more justified and the compelling factor is a tad more evident. I'm going with a rating of 2 and a half stars.

Written by Jesse Burleson