TACFEST III Review: Bryan G. Thompson Is The Perfect Weapon In A Flawed But Fascinating Action Thriller
Blowback enjoyed its premiere at this year’s third edition of the International Toledo Action Film Festival & Expo where it was awarded Best Stunt Coordinator, and an Honorary mention for Best International Feature Film.
Sometimes I get wind of things late. With Blowback, I was unaware the film was also getting some screentime in Toledo this year, so color me surprised when I saw the film included in the line-up forwarded to me by our own Mike Garcia who served as a juror to this year’s third edition at TACFEST.
At any rate, getting to see it gave me a chance to dive into what actor, producer and filmmaker Bryan G. Thompson can do after hitting my radar in the last few years, collaborating with George Karja’s own upcoming directorial/starring effort, Rough Dog. The two also collaborated on Blowback as well with Karja, credited for servicing the action alongside celebrated martial arts star and independent filmmaker Willie “The Bam” Johnson (1 Out Of 100).
The plot is simple enough that you can pretty much get a handle on things almost immediately if you’re the type to watch a lot of movies. Otherwise, the fan service here does suffice as well at times with Thompson holding his own in the genre. He’s got a handful of titles already available for streaming which folks can check out on FAST platform, Tubi, like Rogue Cell and Rogue Cell 2, so you’re welcome to warm yourselves up before this one rolls out.
In the meantime, Blowback introduces us to Ares (Thompson), a husband and family man whose life is turned upside down when a violent home invasion ensues with the kidnapping of his wife, Lisa (Marquita McSwain). With little options on the table and desperate for answers, he avers to King (Clifton Powell), his estranged father and renowned crime boss, trusting that King might be able to point him in the right direction. With their daughter in the care of their federal agent auntie, Mary (Jamiah Dancil), the rest of the film sees Ares on the warpath to find Lisa, tearing up hordes of men working for two different crimebosses, ultimately to uncover a major twist.
The acting serves better in some areas than others, and it didn’t help that the sound came off as underdeveloped as it did during dialogue scenes, which tends to take away quite a bit from the drama. Also, and again, the plot is pretty expectant enough that you don’t have to work too hard to figure out what the ruse is. That leaves plenty of room for the viewer to just sit back and enjoy the ride as Thompson’s Ares takes out the trash which is pretty much the film’s strongest selling point, next to supporting actor Powell’s performance which lends the film its necessary vitality.
The remainder of the film’s acting does well in some are over others, while the post-production sound editing could have been way better for key dialogue scenes, and definitely holds back the potential and resonance of the drama. As for the fight action, Karja’s choreography is a fun watch along with the cinematography which greatly follows similar models that I’ve seen in action direction. Even McSwain’s character gets a moment later on to glimmer when she tussles with one of her captors using her own fists and feet, and a set of keys to use as a makeshift weapon against her armed assailant.
Admittedly, there are nitpicks that hamper some of the action throughout the film in its overall delivery, making it look more stilted or discontinuous at times than preferred. Invariably though, the set pieces are fun enough to service action fans, from fight scenes in a warehouse, a Spanish nightclub, to a gauntlet of sword-wielding and gun-toting henchmen. There’s a flashback sequence included in the mix as well, which brings Johnson’s own action direction to the forefront with some of his students, including one of Johnson’s children, Zarion Johnson who plays a younger version of Ares.
Blowback culminates its story with a layer of interfamilial drama between father and son that eventually brings things full circle with ample dramatic effect by the end. It bookends an otherwise servicable action thriller by Thompson & Co., with goods that are plenty easy to sell to its target fanbase, as hard as it is to make any action film, and especially in today’s market.
