Bullet Points: Killing Season
You should never judge a book by its cover. Someone said that a long time ago so it must be true. If you were to look at this cover you would most certainly not expect a fun and exhilarating action movie set against the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. You wouldn’t think that two men with a combined age of 133 would kick each others asses so much and turn out one of my sleeper hits of 2013. I suppose you could also say that this isn’t a book at all so judging it by its cover is actually a pretty decent way to go. I don’t care…do what you want.
The Gist: An Army Veteran (DeNiro) lives a secluded life in the Appalachian mountains. His peaceful and serene existence is threatened when a foreigner (Travolta) from his past appears with vengeance on his mind. Now the two will engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse as they struggle to survive against one another.
The Cast: Robert DeNiro plays a former Colonel who was present during the US intervention in Bosnia in the early 90’s. My biggest complaint here is that I don’t remember any major operations by ground forces against the Serbs and I certainly don’t remember these internment camps that DeNiro and his boys find. The original script had the movie taking place in the 1970’s with the two main characters having served on opposite sides during World War 2; DeNiro being an American G.I. and Travolta being a German soldier. That seems to make much more sense than the mess that we’re given here. Also, DeNiro would ahve been the oldest soldier ever in 1994 and I don’t see too many full-bird Colonels carrying rifles in the field.
Dr. Travolta might be checking DeNiro’s prostate or murdering him like Robin Hood. Could be both?
The Villain: John Travolta gives a bizarre performance. I guess you could say that about most of the stuff he does these days but his hair was a big distraction for me as it looked like it was sprayed on from a can ordered from a late-night infomercial. C’mon dude, we know you’re bald. His accent just seems like too much at times. I can’t tell if I like it or it’s the worst thing I’ve ever heard. Despite those two things, I actually enjoyed the back and forth between Bobby and John as neither one of them really felt like they were the better man in the duel. Calling John the villain is also a matter of perspective. Unlike most movies his actions aren’t surprising and I don’t blame him for what he did.
I just wish someone would pull the trigger and stop blabbing so much.
The Action: For a film starring two old ass geezers like DeNiro and Travolta, this puppy doesn’t skip out on any of the action. The two pretty much go at it from the first moment they meet till the credits roll and everyone stood up to adjust their underwear. They warm up with some Jaegar and a little Johnny Cash but they’re stabbing and shooting each other with bows and arrows in no time. If this was real life both men would need a serious vacation cause they take one hell of a beating over the course of the film. I’d like to say that the finish was good but I was pretty disappointed that a movie called “Killing Season” had such a surprising lack of killing.
DeNiro does his best Batman impression but Travolta is not buying it.
Take it Home:
- Friday the 13th: Travolta has the Jason Vorhees walk down. He never seems to be in a rush but he always catches up.
- Favorite Quote: John- “What if I like pain?” Bob- “This might be your lucky day.”
- Bring Your Night Vision: The final act is mostly at night so it’s a bit difficult to tell what the hell is going on.
- Face/Off 2: DeNiro actually replaced Nicolas Cage. We could have had that Face/Off sequel that we’ve all been begging for.
Rating: 3.5/5
