But to call Angel of Death a “full-length action movie,” as the film is indeed advertised, is a little disingenuous, if not necessarily incorrect. In truth, it is a series of short web-based vignettes that tie rather neatly together to form a 75-minute narrative. Consequently, it is, by its very nature, hamstrung from looking or feeling much like a fully produced film, so at fifteen minutes shy of an hour and a half and lacking the polish required for Hollywood-style gunfights and choreographed beat-downs, Angel of Death is neither “full length,” nor strictly speaking an action-movie. It is, however, serviceably entertaining for two very worthwhile reasons.
The first is comic-book veteran Ed Brubaker, whom you might know from books such as Incognito or The Death of Captain America. Brubaker, who has seemingly specialized in gritty, action-oriented crime fiction, is no doubt aiming to give Angel of Death a particularly comic-book feel – violent, stylized and broken into tight, interconnecting chapters. In fact, small portions of the movie are filmed using panels as transitions between sequences. And while the story of an assassin gone rogue is hardly anything new, the noir-ish dialogue is both witty and appropriately violent, and the staging of the action feels more inspired than it is well-executed. That said, the film feels broad – and, in truth, it’s supposed to be – replicating the feel of a 1960’s grindhouse piece, but those unfamiliar with the pedigree or design of the project might find the film too broad for their liking.
The second reason that Angel of Death is even vaugely enjoyable is Zoe Bell. Known mostly for her role in Tarantino’s Death Proof — as well as being Lucy Lawless’ stunt-double in Xena — Bell is ridiculously hot with a New Zealand accent that’d make a good dog break his leash. But not only is she eye-candy – putting the “sexy” in “sexy assassin” – she’s a more than capable action performer, drawing on her experience to make every kick and punch believable. There’s no reason to expect that Bell couldn’t one day be a star, though vehicles such as this are hardly the route to take. And aside from simply looking good and kicking ass, she’s proving to be a competent actress, as well.
Unfortunately, director Paul Etheredge isn’t given the budget or scale to really pull this off as anything more than a handful of watchable webisodes. The action isn’t big enough; the effects aren’t sharp enough; the camera doesn’t move enough; the photography doesn’t pop enough – and all this despite a clearly visible effort on-screen. Certainly,
Source: www.apakistannews.com
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