Film Review: "Bullet to the Head" (2012).

"Revenge never gets old" in Bullet to the Head. This action film directed by Walter Hill, adapted by Alessandro Camon, and based on the French graphic novel Du plomb dans la tête written by Matz and illustrated by Colin Wilson. The film follows Jimmy Bobo, an assassin, and detective Taylor Kwon who join forces to take revenge on Robert Nkomo Morel, the person responsible for killing their respective partners.

In February 2011, Wayne Kramer was originally direct the adaptation of Nolent's graphic novel with Camon penned the script, and Sylvester Stallone and Thomas Jane to star, under the working title Headshot. However, he ultimately life the project when his vision of the film was darker than Stallone wanted. When Kramer left the project, Jane suggested Stallone to hire Hill. In early April, Hill was hired to replace Kramer after he had a film fall apart six weeks before that he had been trying to do for a year. This marked Hill's first directorial effort since Undisputed (2002). After Hill took over directorial duties, producer Joel Silver came on board the project and fired Jane because he wanted an ethnic guy for the other lead role. Sung Kang was subsequently cast. Stallone and Hill performed uncredited re-writes. By late June, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater, and Holt McCallany rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late August. Filming took place in New Orleans, Louisiana. In late August, it was announced that the film would be released on April 13, 2012. In late February 2012, the release date was moved back to February 1, 2013. Shortly before the film's release, many trade and industry publications published stories that the studio had taken the final cut away from director Hill and they had given the film to Stallone to make an all new cut. Hill and Stallone have both denied the story.

The film stars Stallone, Kang, Shahi, Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Momoa, Slater, and McCallany. Wry, cold and confident, the cast, especially Stallone, squint and blast their way through the film, a blazing pistol in each hand. Stalone does good work in this dusty action flick.

Bullet to the Head makes no excuses about what it is: an old-fashioned shoot-'em-up with an invincible hero. However, the film chokes to death on Walter Hill's dusty artistry. A Walter Hill dud with super cool Stallone. The film is an overcooked action picture that poorly blends the Western and the gangster film. For all the gunplay and assorted violence, there is nothing between the action scenes to engage the audience. The film is such a desperately cheerless film, so dry and laconic and wrung out, that you wonder if the filmmakers ever thought that in any way it could be... fun. This film is nothing more than a time-filler, something you can have on in the background while you're doing something else, and can glance at whenever the shooting starts. One of the dullest gunslinger movies of the new generation.

Simon says Bullet to the Head receives: