It could have been a great movie. It even was a great movie. Instead, we have the Samuel L. Jackson thriller Damaged, available on Amazon…
It had the potential to be a great movie. Even a great movie. Instead, it was a Samuel L. Jackson thriller. CorruptionNow streaming on Amazon Prime, the film is a bit mediocre: It's a captivating 98 minutes of story, but it's partially disjointed due to poor editing and direction.
There's always been a guarantee that a movie starring Samuel L. Jackson would be worth the effort. He's a passionate actor who shifts beautifully between characterization and persona immersion. CorruptionIt's like a date gone wrong, hoping for a home run but realizing by the time you get to third base that it's unsatisfying, no matter how much you try to have fun. Corruption.
Chicago's unfinished business resurfaces in Scotland
The story begins with an unlikely beginning: Scottish police are baffled by the emergence of a serial killer whose modus operandi is frighteningly similar to that of an elusive murderer who roamed the streets of Chicago years ago. American detectives are as brilliant as anyone, so of course the Scottish police turn to the Chicago police for help. Top detective Dan Lawson (Jackson) is dispatched across the Atlantic to catch the previously elusive serial killer.
Lawson's character is a violent alcoholic still grieving the loss of a lover at the hands of the same killer. Driven by revenge, he teams up with Detective Glenn Boyd (Gianni Capaldi) and a detective called Bravo, who somehow appears in the film from Lawson's unsolved case past. As the investigation unfolds, a series of murders unfolds, creating a grim landscape for Edinburgh.
A confusing investigation and a weak drama
Investigations are all over the place, arrests are made for no apparent reason, some suspects are cornered only to be released in pointless standoffs, and interrogations are crammed into scenes with little meaning or consequence, if only to demonstrate Dawson's troubled mind and state.
Then, when Boyd's wife is murdered, the rest of the film gets interesting. The tortured soul of a man who has lost the one he loves is, well, predictably, never quite there. Boyd's vengeance, anger and inner turmoil aren't convincing; they're just comically flat-lined. Moments of remorse are easily mistaken for a hangover, and Jackson's brusque personality and whiskey-swilling character never quite get anywhere.
Sit down Corruption It leaves you feeling unsettled. It's hard to pinpoint why. Maybe the editing completely ruins the attempt at storytelling. Likewise, maybe the directing is poor, as no one's acting has any real depth, the character development is flimsy, and even the filming seems rushed. It feels like you need to go to the toilet, but are trying to avoid it. To put it crudely, that's what it looks like. A visual feast could have made up for the lack of entertainment value of the rest of the film.
Unpleasant Viewing Experience: “Damaged” Misses the Point
climax Corruption In the film, it can only be explained as a coincidence, but the ending, intended as irony or otherwise, completely misses the point. Damaged is an overall horrible film.
And we've seen this movie before: take your pick of any Bruce Willis or Nicolas Cage B-movie. Corruption This is the kind of movie that mediocrity sets in at the end of a career. Denzel Washington's latest film was on the same brink, and Jackson jumped in. Let's hope he doesn't do it again.
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