Apparently the reviews are getting swarmed by boomers that didn't get their cream of wheat this morning. Do remakes suck? Usually. But this is a solid action flick that doesn't hide what it is: a slapstick action flick packed with ridiculous amounts of alpha Chad characters and protagonist plot armor. It's laid on pretty thick throughout the film that it's meant to be a goofy punchfest of senseless violence and overly eccentric characters.
Even if you haven't seen the original, this film still stand out on its own as a movie that's just fun to watch and at no point takes itself seriously. If you're looking for a deep and thought provoking storyline, then this might not for you. But if you enjoy the adrenaline junkie style akin to John Wick or just about anything Jason Statham, then it's highly recommended.
The most impressive thing that stands out in this film is Jake G's commendable dedication to getting in shape for this role. Jake went through intense amounts of training and discipline to acquire an absolutely shredded physique for this role. The fact that he achieved this while in his 40s is an inspiration to anyone who is trying to get in shape. It's on par with Hugh Jackman's preparation for Wolverine.
Now for the bad stuff. The fight scenes are heavily reliant on CGI body doubles and shaky camera effects that stick out like a sore thumb in several scenes. If they had spent a little more time in perfecting these effects, it may have worked out as more believable. Jake's character also has superhero levels of plot armor that can induce a bit of eyerolling from anyone expecting realism out of the story. Plenty of scenes where he survives moments that would easily kill an ordinary man (i.e. Disarming several men with guns without getting blasted).
You're also not likely to enjoy the ending, as it was pretty intentionally peppered with plot holes in order to allow a potential sequel. This also may come as a shock to some of you, but Connor McGregor is (gasp) not a professionally trained actor. He was hired to play the crazy goon that he is in real life and it worked well for the film, in my opinion. Is it still worth watching? Absolutely.
