Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
Force of Nature is a 2020 crime thriller directed by Michael Polish and starring Emile Hirsch, Mel Gibson, and Kate Bosworth. It follows the story of a gang of thieves who plan a heist during a hurricane and encounter trouble when a cop tries to force everyone in the building to evacuate.
Under The Lens: Script and Action
Script: Force of Nature is on paper a great story, a cop with a past meets a gritty retired cop and his daughter who is a doctor as they try and survive not only the hurricane but a gang of thieves looking for Nazi treasure. As I said its a great premise, but one that falls apart due to the lackluster writing and weird humor and conversations that come off as not appropriate for the setting. The cast is superb, and the chemistry between them is at times borderline good, however, the boring events and cheesy dialogue drag this picture down. In the end, the pictures crime was that nothing stood out, it was set in Puerto Rico, but nothing in the story involved the nation and honestly, the film could have been set in Miami or Texas and it would have changed nothing.
Action: A film with the premise it has, with Mel Gibson fighting a gang of heavily armed thieves makes one think they will be in for a picture that has lots of shooting, hand to hand combat and thrilling sequences of action. Not so in Force of Nature, there are a few action scenes, that play out very boring, a few gunshots and running down hallways. That’s it, in one scene the two heroes are cornered by a villain in a room fun of guns, knives, and swords. The viewer would think we were in for a great action scene involving these cool weapons, but no, the villain is quickly shot by the heroine and they move on. Lastly, the final climactic confrontation with the villain, which involves the last of his henchmen, our heroes, and a loose Panther (Yes there is a panther in the apartments) started then the camera zooms outside and we see the windows light up with gunfire, and that is all we see. Its very disappointing.
Highlights
Michael Polish brings a little of his famed camera work in and we are treated to a few nice shots of the hurricane.
Mel Gibson is perfectly cast as a elderly ex cop angry at the world.
Emile Hirsch and Kate Bosworth did have some chemistry and the few good scenes involved them.
Quotable Quote
John The Baptist: I know everything, I’m John the Baptist
Something to think about
Have you ever been trapped by a hurricane? What was it like? Would you leave if given the chance?
Conclusion
Force of Nature is a motion picture that has a stellar cast, and a good premise but suffers from a weak script and boring action scenes. The characters on screen are wasted as they are never allowed to truly fly free and be brought to life by the actors playing them. The picture’s main hook, its location in Puerto Rico, plays no role in the story and ends up feeling like a tacked-on gimmick to sell rentals. Force of Nature is sadly not worth your time and is best regulated to the bottom of the $5 bin.
