Lights Out
You’re safe taking a dive on “Lights Out” – better still just dodge this bout altogether.
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If you’ve followed my work at all you likely already know I have an affinity for action movie actors Scott Adkins and Frank Grillo – this, despite not always enjoying the films in which they appear. Hence “Lights Out” (available in select theaters and on VOD beginning Friday, Feb. 16) – featuring both performers – garnered my attention. Sadly, it’s a lesser effort for these big screen tough guys.
Grillo stars as Michael “Duffy” Duffield, a military veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who’s busying himself by roaming the Earth like Caine in “Kung Fu.” Duffy’s only real goal in life is to kick up enough cash to give his mother who died while he was in combat a proper burial.
Opportunity knocks when Duffy meets Max Bomer (Mekhi Phifer), a recently paroled ex-con and wannabe fight promoter. Max realizes Duffy has a particular set of skills when he witnesses him mop the floor with a bunch of bozos after a barroom brawl.
Max pitches Duffy on fighting for him and the latter reluctantly relents. Duffy’s first fight takes place in a parking lot and is overseen by low-level promoter Fosco (Amaury Nolasco). Duffy eats his opponent’s lunch for him, which grants them an audience with higher-level mover and shaker Sage Parker (Dermot Mulroney). Sage is tied up with crooked cops Ellen Ridgway (Jaime King) and Kincaid (Paul Sloan) … all of whom are indebted to a Mexican cartel. The deeper Max and Duffy get into the fight world, the more dangerous things become … even threatening the lives of Max’s sister Rachel (Erica Peeples) and niece Hannah (Jailyn Rae) with whom the men have been bunking.
“Lights Out” is directed by Christian Sesma (I previously reviewed his flicks "Take Back" and "Section 8") and scripted by Chad Law (with whom Sesma collaborated on “Section 8”) and Garry Charles from a story by producer Brandon Burrows (another “Section 8” alum). The movie is a misguided modern riff on Walter Hill’s “Hard Times,” but lacks much of that film’s personality and panache. Instead we’re treated to a bunch of hapless hip-hop music and crummy CGI carnage.
Grillo can do this tough guy shtick in his sleep and is plenty convincing in combat (honestly, he’s the heir apparent to Charles Bronson), but he’s consistently undercut by the filmmakers’ misguided decision to employ an overabundance of CG X-ray shots lifted from “Romeo Must Die” and the “Mortal Kombat” video games. Phifer is perfectly likable, but not nearly as magnetic as he was in the movie that made him, i.e. Spike Lee’s “Clockers.”
Adkins turns up as Duffy’s war buddy Don “The Reaper” Richter, but he’s not in the flick nearly enough. Flashbacks depicting Duffy and Don in battle look less like the Middle East and more like a Midwest laser tag arena or paintball course. He turns back up late in the picture heavily armed and aiming to aid the ailing Duffy and Max, which calls to mind Tommy Lee Jones’ tragic turn in “Rolling Thunder.”
King is a pretty lady and a decent enough actress, but a choice was made regarding Ridgway that’s truly confounding. The character rocks two different hairstyles depending upon which role she’s playing – cop or crook. While policing she has a perm recalling Colleen Camp’s do from “Die Hard with a Vengeance” that makes her look like a demented Shirley Temple. While doing dirt she has a sleeker, straighter style in which she resembles a blonde version of the dancing girls from Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” music video. To quote OMC, “How Bizarre.”
You’re safe taking a dive on “Lights Out” – better still just dodge this bout altogether.