FREE FIRE (2017) ** ½

You know that scene in every action movie where the good guy gets winged by the villain’s bullet and he hides behind a corner and taunts his enemy?  Free Fire is like a feature length version of that scene.  It features an assorted group of oddballs coming to a dilapidated warehouse to do an arms deal.  Two of the men get to fighting, words are exchanged, and pretty soon, everyone has their guns drawn.  They get off a couple shots and everyone winds up shot and ducking for cover.  The rest of the film is nothing more than the characters angling for position, firing off shots, and trying to worm their way out of the situation. 

This is a rather audacious idea, but unfortunately director Ben (High Rise) Wheatley allows things to run on much too long for it to be entirely successful.  In many ways, it feels like someone’s first movie, given the single location, the fair amount of black comedy, and the sometimes-cheesy tough guy banter.  You’d think someone as seasoned as Wheatley would be able to make it work though.  While there are some funny stretches and an occasional clever gag, the whole thing never quite clicks. 

This must have been an interesting and challenging concept for Wheatley.  How do you make a shootout last for virtually an entire hour?  Although Wheatley doesn’t quite pull it off, in retrospect, it’s amazing just how much mileage Wheatley and his cast got out of the premise.    

On the outset, Free Fire looks like one of those ‘90s inspired Tarantino crime comedies (right down to the cheesy ‘70s fashions).  Really, it’s more like a DTV action movie with a slightly better pedigree.  It has a single location, claustrophobic action, and an eclectic cast.  I can’t quite pull the trigger and call it a “good” film, but it’s definitely a near-miss.