FORMAT: DVD
The opening of Act of War is kind of amusing. Jack Scalia arrives at a swanky embassy party in Russia. When his credentials are denied, he tips the cabbie to ram the gate. The taxi winds up going beyond the gate and crashes through the front door and right into the main ballroom. Talk about crashing the party!
After that fun sequence, I was up for a good time. Unfortunately, that’s about where the fun stopped as the film became increasingly generic after the smashing opening. About a third of the way in, Act of War turns into yet another Die Hard clone where soldiers, led by a crazed military dude attempting a coup, storm the party and take everyone hostage. Naturally, it’s up Jack to save the day.
Look, I enjoy a good Die Hard in a… movie as much as the next action fan, and I’ll admit, some amusement can be had seeing how the filmmakers crassly steal from the Die Hard formula (right down to the slimy Ellis character, the revelation that the coup is merely a glorified robbery, and Scalia’s sweaty undershirt). However, it ultimately feels more of a filmed checklist of Die Hard cliches than an actual film. It’s a shame too especially when you consider the most novel part (the opening) was the most fun.
Part of the problem is the setting. It’s just a mansion out in the middle of nowhere. Die Hard in a… movies should have at least a memorable setting (think the plane in Passenger 57 or the train in Under Siege 2) that enhances the story. Then again, the original Die Hard took place at a party, but at least the skyscraper brought an element of peril to the proceedings.
Scalia’s handsome charm certainly carries the film further than you’d expect. Just imagine what he could’ve done if the script gave him some memorable dialogue and or funny one-liners. While Act of War is certainly watchable, it’s just that at the end of the day it’s nothing more than a mediocre action flick with little to offer to anyone other than die-hard fans of Die Hard rip-offs.
I thought this one was pretty good, the most memorable bit was the bad guy somehow surviving getting blown up with a rocket launcher and coming back for another fight.
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