Section 8

This movie has nothing to do with subsidized housing.

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I told a friend and brewery patron that I was reviewing an action flick called “Section 8” (available in select theaters and to stream on AMC+ beginning Friday, Sept. 23). He, thinking the movie took place in Section 8 housing said, “That sounds terrible!” Lo and behold, “Section 8” has nothing to do with subsidized housing and is perfectly serviceable.

Jake Atherton (Ryan Kwanten) is a former spec ops soldier who served under Tom Mason (Dolph Lundgren). The two men took turns saving each other’s skin.

Jake, out of the Suck and back to civilian life, makes ends meet turning a wrench at a garage belonging to his Uncle Earl (Mickey Rourke). When a bunch of cholo gangbangers led by Fresh (Robert LaSardo, an old hand at these sorts of roles having played a similar part on “Nip/Tuck” almost 20 years ago) attempt to shake Earl down for protection money, Jake takes the fight to them.

Jake’s impetuous actions have grave consequences placing his wife Ashton (Kimi Alexander) and son Weston (Noah Alexander Sosnowski) in the gang’s crosshairs. Having lost his family, Jake tracks Fresh and his crew down to a local strip club (Yay, obligatory nudity!) and takes ‘em out with extreme prejudice.

Imprisoned for taking vengeance, Jake figures he’s where he belongs and would do it again in a heartbeat. The monotony of prison is broken up by the arrival of tuxedoed figure Sam Ramsey (Dermot Mulroney). Sam knows Jake has a particular set of skills and wants him to employ these skills as a member of Section 8, a shadowy, domestic hit squad. Jake turns the offer down, Sam doesn’t take no for an answer and has the disgraced soldier forcibly extracted from the penitentiary.

Working alongside fellow Section 8 members Liza Mueller (Tracy Perez), Roland Brunner (Paul Sloan), Ajax Abernathy (Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld) and Edward Grayson (Stephen Cyrus Sepher) proves difficult for Jake since he isn’t as bloodthirsty as they are. Jake’s reluctance marks him as a liability and alliterative killing machine Leonard Locke (Scott Adkins) is deployed to deal death.

“Section 8” is directed by Christian Sesma (“Take Back” (review here) and “Every Last One of Them,” which I watched on a flight to the Dominican Republic a few months back) and written by DTV scribe staple Chad Law (a native of Farmland, Ind. and a graduate of Ball State University) and Josh Ridgway.

It’s not an especially accomplished offering, but it’ll likely appease fans of the meat and potatoes, fast food action flicks that permeated the 1980s and early ‘90s. In my limited sampling of Sesma’s work, he certainly seems to have particular preoccupations – all of his movies take place in California’s Coachella Valley (where he grew up and still lives), focus on revenge and feature palm grove-set gunfights and trips to strip clubs.

The cast definitely elevates the material. Kwanten, despite his slight frame, makes for a convincing action lead. Rourke comes across the most human he has on screen in quite some time and serves as the picture’s heart. I could’ve gone for more of Lundgren, Mulroney and Adkins, but all are welcome presences. Adkins especially doesn’t do a whole lot of acting, but his action prowess provides the movie with its best action beats.

“Section 8,” much like its hero, is a blunt instrument.