Despierta la furia

Una oscura película de atracos con un malote muy, MUY enfadado, motivado por la venganza. Bandas de matones ejemplares (¡el mejor era Darrell D'Silva!), tiradores brutos y una música superoscura y pesada que no deja de sonar y que contribuye a la seriedad de la película. Por supuesto, con una acción magníficamente dirigida y una magia de cámara envolvente, aunque la acción aún no haya ocurrido. En los dos primeros tercios, los flashbacks también se deleitan con la narración original de las causas de los hechos y la revelación gradual de la identidad del protagonista. Si el clímax (que es «solo» una pelea llena de acción) y el trato con el villano principal (que definitivamente no debía ser interpretado por un no actor Eastwood Jr.) fueran aún más sofisticados, Despierta la furia se convertiría en una pieza de género de referencia. (08.06.2021)

Guy Ritchie regresó a sus aguas natales con The Gentlemen: Los señores de la mafia, cogió un poco de aire y demostró que aún tiene madera. Con Despierta la furia demuestra que tiene la intención de seguir haciéndolo. Es un elegante espectáculo policíaco que toma la premisa de la infravalorada película francesa de hace 17 años El transportista y le injerta múltiples puntos de vista, mucha más acción y una dosis atómica de testosterona, todo ello acompañado de una partitura musical melódica y oscura. Hacía mucho tiempo que no me impresionaba tanto un tema musical en una nueva película como aquí. Si todo fuera un poco menos predecible, estaría más satisfecho, pero no obstante, bien por esto. (08.06.2021)

It's as if, after the more or less upbeat and cheerful The Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie decided he had to set things straight somehow, and he made the darkest, meanest film of his career. In Wrath of Man, he cuts back on his trademarks of frantic editing and narration, the film doesn't rush anywhere and has time to crawl under people's skin – and make you feel quite uncomfortable. Atmospherically, it reminds us of something between S. Craig Zahler's films and 70s thrillers, and thanks to the non-chronological narrative, it manages to be a fairly B-movie story into something you can't take your eyes off. And then we have Jason Statham, who has never had a better role in his life. His uncompromising expression and Ritchie's unexpected approach to directing (that music!) actually make the film quite uncomfortable to watch in the end. You can feel the anger, rage and aggression bubbling to the surface, with both men doing their best to delay the moment when the carnage breaks out. It's almost torturous, but it works brilliantly. Ritche has made a very different film than his fans would expect him to make. This vigorous sidestep shows that he's far from showing everything he can do as a filmmaker. I'm happy for him and his new release. Very happy. (30.05.2021)

Feel my Wrath! I'm shocked what a gem Wrath of Man turned out to be. I was expecting a classic Statham action movie, but instead I got a well thought-out revenge-heist and gangster film with an atmosphere so dense, raw, and unpleasant at times that I was genuinely scared. There is less action than I expected, but considering the overall result, I forgive everything. The trailer showed maybe 10%, and I was shocked at how the movie turned out. I had no idea where it was heading. Jason Statham definitely has the best role of his career playing an angry, pissed-off boss with a cold expression craving revenge, but at the same time, he has character and doesn't kill people who are not against him. This is the dreamed badass protagonist I love, and I finally got to see him. The young Scott Eastwood impresses as well. He shows for the first time that he can act, playing a slimy, cold, and evil character flawlessly. The story is told retrospectively from multiple angles and perspectives, just the way I like it. There are a lot of tough guys who command respect, blood is not spared, neither are corpses. The final heist plan is as well-thought-out as in Money Heist, and the action-packed half-hour at the end is more than satisfying. The sound effects of the guns are stunning! (no muffled gun barrels). The whole movie is accompanied by a gripping and dark soundtrack that elevates it even higher. I must praise the realism and authenticity of the entire story. (the scene with the SWAT team, those guys commanded so much respect that I started to wish they would never come out of that car, otherwise they would take me away!). The final reckoning is among the sweetest revenge endings I've ever seen, and of course, there was one unexpected twist. A truly amazing manly feat loaded in all directions, and I'm looking forward to watching it again! I enjoyed it immensely. A contender for movie of the year! 9/10. (26.05.2021)

In the first act I had a problem with the characters, they seemed strangely out of touch with reality in terms of their behaviour, but once the narrative switches to other points of view it somehow falls into place. Wrath of Man is a masculine film, cold and without any hint of humour. If I didn't know who made it, I'd be much more likely to guess I was watching S. Craig Zahler's new movie than Guy Ritchie's. I don't usually look forward to new Jason Statham films, and I wasn't expecting anything from this one either, but it ended up being surprisingly the best action flick of the year so far. The ending at the depo reminded me of Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, which is the best possible calling card. (26.05.2021)