“Good, bad, evil” Sergio Leone with the rogue Tuco Ramirez (aka “Rat”), instantly emerged from the subconscious, so that in comparison-comparison to reflect and demonstrate how far the director’s thought has advanced, what is secondary and what is new.
- Strange business. As soon as I get into the desert, I want to drink. It burns, right? They say that blondes with white skin can not stand for a long time under this sun.
... You have to carry less.
- Where are we going?
- Where? Where I'm going, amigo. That way. Only 100 miles of hot sand. Even armies are afraid to step foot here. 100 miles. It's a good walk. How did you say that to me last time?
“If you save energy, a guy like you, I think you can do it.”
And if you don't, you'll die. Only slowly. Very slowly, my friend.
One controls the other. Fear of using a weapon. At any moment, ready to pull the trigger. Without hesitation or regret. Without fear, for miles around no living soul. They won't. They won't come to the rescue. They won't.
What are the odds? They're almost gone. The hot sun and the pan cracked by the heat of the earth. Naked body and bare feet. Not a drop of water and the cynic's ironic face through the rifle's optical sight. You're doomed. Destined to die. Allotted time melts away with the departing forces. Death. She's close. One more step. And you're at the finish line.
How did it all start? Two in the desert. One idle hunter, another deputy sheriff. One is young, the other is white. A tragic accident leads them to the opposite side of the barricades. And now a new target has been identified for fun. Michael Douglas is a quality gloss of any film album. The predatory look, the cunning of a swindler burned by life, the serpent's quirkiness, the instant reaction - this is about him. And it's all here. And so the image created of the villain, the man on Wall Street, as an extension of himself, early, is very convincing. Yeah, financial tycoon. Yeah, money bag. Yes, the devilish embodiment of vice. Convincing. And beside him, in his brilliance, everything he comes into contact with turns into gold. In this case, his partner, the antipode.
What about "Good, Bad, Evil"? Any similarities? Something. Intangible. Hero pairing? I guess. Tuco is aka “Rat” and here his “rat”. There's a "good" blonde and there's a "good guy." The vicissitudes of the pen. Watching the torture. Yeah. Far away. The echo. But by and large, no. This tape has its own twist and its own path. Different. But the spectacular effect of observation, sweet aftertaste.
You can revisit it after a while.
The main character of the film Game of Survival is an elderly businessman John Madek, who arrives in the desert in Majava to hunt and relax. Since you can easily get lost in the desert on your own, John hires a local tracker named Ben, and together they go hunting.
A guest from the metropolis turns out to be an excellent shooter, but he is not restrained and wants to hit the prey as quickly as possible. Such an irresistibility must sooner or later lead to tragedy. And then John, seeing some shadow, shoots at her without thinking, striking directly into the heart of a local vagrant. The man committed a serious crime through his own negligence, and now he is facing punishment. But the main character himself does not intend to go to prison because of a vagrant. All he has to do is eliminate an unnecessary witness and get home quickly. Ben finds himself at gunpoint, and a long confrontation between the two men begins. Having become a game for a mad hunter, Ben must use all his quirkiness to survive.
The action-packed film begins as a measured and restrained narrative, but by the middle it turns into a fascinating action about the confrontation between two people. And if the main antagonist fights for his freedom, the local Ben tries to survive in a dangerous shootout. Amazing, picturesque shots make you watch movies of this nature online without looking away from the screen!
The film is good because everyone can find themselves in conditions where they have to survive and fight nature, even if not in the same scenario as in the film, but in fact it can be. And it's scary, and it hurt me to watch the torment of the protagonist.
Ben (Jeremy Irwin) works as a guide in the Mojave Desert. He has a trailer nearby and a girlfriend who wants to make a career in the big city, not vegetate away from civilization. After a quarrel, the young man arrives at the office, where he is waiting for a new client – an influential top manager of a large company named Madek (Michael Douglas). The gray-haired rich man in an exclusive jeep with a gun, the cost of which far exceeds Ben's annual income, offers him to ride with him in the desert and shoot game. Everything has already been settled with the boss - Madek paid him in cash, and therefore the hunting season will be open ahead of time. With a heartbreak, principled Ben gets in the car. Soon it turns out that the new client is obstinate, has a habit of asking unpleasant questions and shooting a gun wherever you go. The latter will prove fatal.
The Survival Game is a standard mid-budget action movie based on the novel by the prolific American fiction writer Robb White. However, the literary basis is very difficult to see in this picture about a fugitive and a pursuer, the script of which could easily "collect on the knee" any three-man from VGIK. Things are not much better with the director. Faced with a crisis of not only ideas, but also professional personnel, Hollywood is increasingly engaged foreigners. So this time, in the director’s chair, the producers called the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Leonetti, whose track record includes the drama “White Square”, a low-rated and shot for little money picture, very far from the action genre. Although when you watch the Survival Game, Mr. Leonetti is difficult to scold seriously, since having at his disposal banal material, he nevertheless manages to generate a rather energetic and sometimes exciting spectacle on the screen. This is largely due to his participation in the Michael Douglas film. The twice-Oscar-winning winner played neatly in the Survival Game after triumphantly defeating throat cancer. Confident and full of vitality, Douglas infectiously and easily tries on his usual image of a wealthy businessman not pure in hand, but at the same time, charming, damn. Therefore, about the young and faceless Jeremy Irvine, the second actor who played in this film, we can say the following: yes, son, on the one hand, you fell for it, because you appeared in the frame with a living Hollywood legend. And on the other hand, you're just as unlucky, because next to a domineering, aging lion-like Michael, you look at best a terrified, gray-coloured puppy.
Initially, the film “Beyond the Reach” was declared in the domestic box office as “Radius of Action” and its official premiere was postponed several times. In general, in the original translation, “Beyond the Reach” means “Beyond the Reach” or, using current well-established expressions, “Out of range”. But already close to the release of the film, he was still given the name “Survival Game”. The name is loud, capacious, only when it is used, the viewer should begin to produce adrenaline in anticipation of real action and drive. However, not so long ago - in 2012 - a film with the same name was released with the participation of Amanda Seyfried ("Gone, which can be translated as "Missing", based on the plot of that thriller), and there were also films in 1994 ("Surviving the Game) and in 2007 ("Backwoods). In general, somehow our translators came by such a sonorous name, the viewer can get confused. Although it might not be confusing, if any of these films were more or less remarkable and the film of 2014 with Michael Douglas was not such a desirable exception.
The film “Beyond the Reach” was shot by inexperienced director Jean-Baptiste Leonetti, who had only one film in his track record ("White Square, released in 2011), and he stopped at a minimum number of views. Hollywood knows at least two Leonettis — John R. Leonetti and Matthew F. Leonetti — apparently relatives and quite successful and talented cameramen. But Jean-Baptiste is hardly part of their dynasty, since his surname is spelled differently in transcription (Leonetti versus Leonetti). And here Jean-Baptiste has special complaints about the film. There was a feeling that he was afraid that his film starred Michael Douglas and tried hard not to bend the stick, but was worth the risk. The fact is that in the scenes when the viewer was supposed to have an adrenaline rush, Leonetti seemed to find the opportunity to achieve this effect with a probe, but as if he jerked himself, not bringing the start to the end. Someone experienced should take Jean-Baptiste under his patronage, because he still has potential.
"Beyond the Reach" is a novel by writer Robb White, who was born in the Philippines. This is not the first film adaptation of the author’s work – among the famous films based on his works of horror “House of Night Ghosts” (released in 1999) and “Thirteen Ghosts” (in 2001). However, “The Survival Game” is a psychological thriller that comes from the terrible phenomenon of “Hunting People”. There have already been films with such a plot, so a sophisticated viewer can declare that the motive is worn out. But anyway, with a good quality of the picture, everyone will forget that something similar could already be seen. But, unfortunately, due to the not brought to the climax of the most tense moments in the film, this Game of Survival does not invigorate its suspense, although there were certainly options for this. And greatly spoiled the overall impression of the film finale, which in its illogicality is quite comparable to the mistake of completing the film “Fallen” with Denzel Washington in the title role (who saw this film, will understand what I mean). For this, the director and screenwriter-adapter Stephen Sasko should be given a hat, but for now I will definitely remove a score for this in the final assessment.
The film “Beyond the Reach” on the cast is held only by two performers: Michael Douglas and Jeremy Irwin. They will play the theme of hunter and victim, which will play out in the desert. By the way, the area where the shooting took place (Farmington and in its vicinity, in the state of New Mexico), was selected very successfully and the cameraman Russell Carpenter, who worked in many notable projects, including Titanic, for which he received an Oscar, perfectly shot this tape without making a single mistake. Nor did Michael Douglas deserve criticism. Just think: the actor is already 70 years old, but he still looks great in thrillers, becoming an iconic actor for the genre. His clever, sometimes funny, somewhat sassy hero turns into a ruthless killer when the deal of his life is at stake. Here Douglas is somewhat reminiscent of himself from the film “Perfect Murder” (1998), and there and here the actor looked powerful and convincing. But Jeremy Irwin did not show that he hushed before the authority of Douglas, but he did not even get close to the level of the master. It doesn’t do the movie any good either.
So, "Beyond the Reach" can watch fans of the genre of psychological thriller with a plot on the theme of hopeless situations and contact with imminent death, where the hero of their last forces wants to escape. It is also recommended for those who love and respect Michael Douglas. But others will find a considerable number of sagging moments in the film. It’s a pity, but it could have been much better.
6 out of 10
“Beyond the Reach” is a human-hunting movie. Only if in such works of cinema as “Difficult Target”, “Running Man”, “Survival Game” of 1994 people were hunted solely for pleasure, then the plot of the film by Jean-Baptiste Leonetti in this sense is somewhat different from the above tapes. What do we see here? Rich bastard accidentally kills with a powerful rifle, quite suitable for killing elephants, grandfather, suddenly jumped out of the rock. As you perfectly understand, the unfortunate old man was elementary confused with a rare breed of boar, whose head as a collectible unit wanted to hang an unwitting killer on the wall. Slightly biting his elbows and burning for the view, the millionaire offers the conductor a large bribe so that the guy does not tell anyone anything. It is not quite a desire for an uncle to lose his reputation at work or, even worse, to go to prison because of some old man (especially, it was an accident – fatal, but still an accident). Naturally, according to the laws of the genre, the noble young man refuses this adventure. And then the businessman begins his cruel game of cat and mouse, not wanting to follow the tracker.
The movie, let’s face it, didn’t turn out well. And it is not the plot, the cast or the scene that is to blame for his failure. He's just boring. There's no intrigue. There is no atmosphere of tension. The same difficult target forced empathy for the heroes; Survival Tournament was wacky in places but extremely dynamic, and Survival Game with Ice T impressed with a powerful acting ensemble. There is almost nothing like this here. However, in fairness, it is worth noting the undoubted advantages of the picture - the views of the desert itself, which acts as a kind of invisible monster, giving a state of hopelessness, as well as terrible blisters from burns on the victim's face. No more positives. It is better to keep silent about the absence of elementary logic in the actions of the actors.
The creators tried to catch up with the drama in the relationship between the main character and his girlfriend. The latter wants to go to the city to go to college, and her fiancé wants to stay in this hole in order to continue working as a guide and not to violate the allegedly hereditary tradition. This allegedly "drama" of tears does not squeeze out at all, but on the contrary - causes dislike for the boy, because for the latter it is not clear what is more important than his beloved.
Maybe through this film shot a hidden advertisement for Mercedes? If this is the case, then the advertising is bad, because about the three-axle truck, which has a clearance almost like that of the army KAMAZ, nothing is really possible to learn. Only the exterior and interior are shown. For the entire timekeeping, the car drives only on a flat surface, without trying to climb even a small hill. It's all about failure.
Verdict: a dull desert thriller, most of the time you have to yawn. All this flimsy design holds the acting skills of Michael Douglas.
5 out of 10
I don’t know why this movie was so negative. Both critics and viewers.
It is quite a decent thriller about despair and a situation in which one of the characters is doomed to become the victim of a man who can buy everything for money, even the desert where all the action unfolded.
The deadly fight of a rich man who prefers sunny beaches and cocktails to the sunny desert and a hunting rifle and his accompanying guide will last only as long as a person can spend in the desert without water and shelter from the merciless sun.
It is in such conditions that one of the characters will be, after the other makes a fatal shot. It is this shot that will divide the lives of both before and after.
The film is presented in the format of a protracted duel, where one hunter and the other victim. And I personally liked it. The only thing I didn’t understand was the ending. Here it really turned out to be very weak, played and completely unnecessary.
This film reminded me of a three-year-old film with the same name and Amanda Seyfried in the lead role. The situations are similar and there is also a victim and a ruthless hunter. As well as the new film, they both look with interest and have their own heat.
The film with Michael Douglas and Jeremy Irwin in the lead roles is worth watching if:
1. You are a fan of Douglas, one of the most prominent actors in Hollywood.
2. You like movies about survival in deserted and hopeless situations.
3. You are fascinated by wildlife and its pristine appearance.
Again, if you ignore the ending, the film was not bad. It is always interesting to watch how a person turns into prey and the most important trophy that can be imagined for a sophisticated and burnt hunter.
But the final scenes spoiled the final impression of the film. Here. I have everything.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.
I haven't seen old Douglas in the ranks for a long time, probably since Ghosts of Ex-Girls. It is unlikely that at this age he will pull the rabbit out of the hat, all the best roles have long been played and experienced. Although this film is exclusively based on him, the veteran almost lost his skills and charisma. However, his on-screen opponent Jeremy Irwin is acceptable, but there are no stars from the sky either.
The film is in an overwhelming minority and does not live up to its title. A clear lack of heat, passion and adrenaline. Unfortunately, the movie “The Game of Survival” loses, and in every sense of the word. It’s an ordinary game of cat and mouse, even without any intuition. Excessive stretching of unnecessary scenes leads to a lack of refinement in general. And the vision of the director Jean-Baptiste Leonetti limps on both legs, neither lacks the debutante of the artist’s creative look.
The eye pleases only desert landscapes and the “beast” of the Mercedes brand. And the irreplaceable sound of a sniper rifle and falling cartridges are my personal “addictions”. The film is not bad, otherwise it can not be, because behind the camera himself Russell Carpenter (Difficult target, Titanic and at worst a death warrant). But still, he is not trying very hard here, maybe the fee or “inspired”. Directness is very tiresome and only occasionally Michael Douglas suffocates this “training day”.
The plot is simple. One fat cat wants to hunt sheep. After receiving the consent of the local sheriff and “closed eyes” to the lack of a license, the financial insurer, along with the local tracker Ben (Jeremy Irvine), goes hunting. The rich man for some reason rubs into Ben's trust, throwing witty jokes and climbing into the guy's soul. But this comes to an end when during the hunt, in a hurry to catch up with his game, the hero of Michael Douglas shoots at a moving target in the hills and then it turns out that this is not a ram, but a homeless person. Naturally, as a businessman, this can be a serious blow to his reputation. Taking measures, the fat cat goes too far and as a result, Ben has to run naked in the desert, and the rich man chases a new target.
In addition, while watching, a lot of questions ripen to the writer. What was Ben and his girlfriend's problem, if they get along well, exchange expensive gifts and share a bed? Why are they acting like sufferers for no reason? No warring "Capucinoids" were noticed, and Ben seems to have had to give his girlfriend's brother to the shark (I remember Tsunami 3D). Then what's the problem? What are the annoying "shushukani" of this couple? Is it a girl's trip? No matter how funny my slippers are, it has become a tragic problem. And at the end of the film, he again happens to the girl and "no problem." The same can be said for Murdack (Michael Douglas), who first plans to pin everything on Ben and then diligently shoots him to kill himself by hand? Then why fry Ben and the audience in the sun for an hour? ? Are you nervous? All right, you got it...
I came across this movie by accident. I decided to look, and also interested in the description:" A corporate shark and his poor young guide will play the most dangerous game while hunting in the Mojave Desert. Also on the poster for the film was seen charismatic Michael Douglas with a sniper rifle, which also could not but interest. From the very beginning, the film interested me. Not the first time, it's boring. After showing a huge six-wheeled monster (which, by the way, was later shown almost more often than the main characters), I got interested.
An old businessman and a young guide go to the desert. They talk, they are suspicious of each other, and in general the situation is gloomy. However, because of his pontificate, a businessman accidentally kills a man who is met in the same desert. The young guide decides to play the hero, but as a result his attempt fails. And now the rich man points a rifle at his guide and sends our “batman” half-naked on foot on an unforgettable journey through the desert. I don’t want to go any further because I can’t spoil it.
From all of the above follows a huge such, fat minus - desert. Yeah, I understand if it's happening there, it makes sense that it's going to be shown. But after 40 minutes of the film, it is almost impossible to watch it, although the landscape sometimes pleases the eye. Land, rocks and caves can be long in memory. The quality of the shooting did not disappoint. But this desert. I'm very annoyed by the sand.
The second, sitting on steroids minus, is a very stupid and cliché ending. No, it's just something! I didn't expect such nonsense. If the whole movie I watched with curiosity, then after the end of the film I laughed.
I did not notice any more serious shortcomings. Except that in each frame show "Mercedes". It was an incredible coincidence.
Fortunately, it's not that bad. A couple of things are saving this movie. First of all, acting is not bad. The bombastic, narcissistic rich, worried about his material state turned out well, but in the performance of such an actor, it would not have turned out otherwise. "Hero" turned out not so successful, too serious and pure man. You won't find them these days. But the emotions of a deserted man he conveyed believably. Personally, I believed him. And envied... I also want a magic wand that can fit a barrel of water at any time. The second plus is the incredible footage transmitted by the operator. Yes, yes, I wrote above that I hate sand and the desert infuriates. But maybe I'm the only one in the world. The shooting really pleased. The third plus is not a trivial story and a situation that no one would want to get into. Yes, something similar could be seen in other films, but I did not remember them, and this one was deposited in memory.
Bottom line.
The film made me feel mixed. Everything seems to be there to interest you. Good actors, unused history, magnificent landscapes. It is a pity that on their background stand out completely stupid and banal minuses. I want to put a low rating on the film, I just reach for the button with the number 4, but I can’t. This movie really caught my eye.
The only realized potential of the film is the locations where the shooting took place, the ruthless sun and the unlimited expanses of the desert produce their effect. But the idea to show the game in “cats and bears” is not new, moreover, implemented quite mediocre.
The first thing that strikes the impression of this film is logic. The young hero first takes money for the lack of a hunting license from the hero Michael Douglas, then accidentally killing a person in the desert gives the go-ahead to "hush up" this case, and he later makes attempts to call someone for help. The threat itself did not exist at this point in history.
Next, the hero of Michael Douglas tries to kill a young guide, while observing the formal rules of caution and wants to adjust it to his script. But again - the cartridges, traces of the car and a dozen other evidence, which already clearly indicate that hush up under a clean case will not succeed and this does not embarrass the main villain, and especially the director of the film.
Well, at the end - having formally handled the whole matter, the main villain, instead of using the services of some killer, banally comes to the house of a young guide. "The Survival Game" - a weak film, smells of some cheapness or production contribution Luke Besson. It is not necessary to watch.
I do not know what Robb White wrote in his novel, but the film adaptation of his work, carried out by Jean-Baptiste Leonetti, showed us a very average spectacle. The creators failed to implant voltage, dynamics and drive into it in the right amount, which are only fragmentary. And the imagination in terms of the plot they did not have enough – I wanted more intrigue, twisting, stronger emotions. The ending turned out to be crumpled, there are clearly other, more clear and less hasty, with the thought: “I would rather finish”, options. Even with an adjustment for possible reference to the source (I don’t know what the ending in the book is), I think the finale could be approached more creatively.
With the characters, too, everything did not go very smoothly: they are templates to the bottom. This is especially true of Ben (Jeremy Irvine). This is a character like whom and wholly coincide with him in all respects - the story of life, character, motives of actions - we saw in the cinema a great many. So here the authors should have shown at least minimal imagination, but no. All patterns and stamps, without the slightest light. How Ben will act and what he will say can be easily calculated to the word and minute, and therefore the hero of Irvine in The Game ... is boring, except for a couple of moments.
There's too much in Maddock, in my opinion. Here and depraved billionaire (accessories, in fairness, impressive, here without question), and half-sentimental moments romantic, easily turning into a burned pragmatic cynic, and conservative with claims to patriarchal-knightly nobility, and much more. That's just ruthless sadist Michael Douglas completely "register" failed. And the fact that you often don't understand what Maddock actually wants is very annoying and spoils your impressions. As a result, his hero as a brutal killer is often believed, again, with difficulty. Although in general, the game Michael I want to note: it is thanks to her "The game for survival" you can watch, he plays for himself and "for that guy", that is, Irving. And thanks to Douglas, his Maddock will still be remembered by the viewer. Neither talent, nor charm, nor crazy energy and charisma did not lose Douglas in his later years, and gray hair, by the way, suits him very much. Without making titanic efforts, he pulls on his shoulders from the quagmire of banality and mediocrity an extremely average spectacle, which means that professionalism has not gone anywhere. I am waiting for more good role from Douglas, give him God of health and creative strength.
There is nothing more to say about this film. Everything is very average, respectively
I don't know where to start! Perhaps because of how people reacted to this wonderful thriller. I haven't seen any good grades! All you can say about this film is rude! I am surprised, because the film is very interesting with a twisted plot and an unexpected ending! Yes, the film is not an Oscar contender, but still? After all, he's always keeping you in suspense, what will happen, will Ben survive, what will happen next? These questions will come to you every 2 minutes. You need to understand the film in its entirety, not write that it is boring.
I want to pay special attention to the age rating of +18, which was given to this film. Is this a joke or what? There are a lot of movies with propaganda, violence and abuse, but what about this movie? The maximum that is not allowed here is murder, drinking alcohol, hunting without permission, attempted murder and 2-3 words, which are expressed in a rude form, and all this is expressed in the smallest form. I think that is unjustified. From the strength of the film should get +16.
Let's get straight to the story. Once upon a time, there was Ben, who was a tracker. Suddenly, he gets a call from the sheriff who says that some powerful politician wants to hunt, and for this he needs the best tracker in the state. Ben comes to the case, where he gets acquainted with the politician himself. Then they go hunting, where they rest and eat. At dawn, they decided to go out on a hunt, where Ben witnesses how Madock kills his loved one, who spent his whole life together with Ben. It seems all is well, now they will go to the city, but then comes the intrigue. It’s not that simple, Ben, Madock says. Forcing Ben to undress, Madock dumps him in the desert and watches him try to survive at all costs, and he seems to succeed.
A great movie, a great acting, and I’ll give credit to the six-wheeled Mercedes Gelandewagen 6X6, which I really liked! In general, do not listen to the comments of people who do not understand anything in films, but just watch what you really like!
7.5 out of 10
In a sense, the famous Hollywood actor Michael Douglas is the personification of a quality thriller. His best roles are associated with this genre and Douglas is in no hurry to part with him, periodically starring in tense dramatic films as a hero and villain. And in each of his hypostases, Douglas looks quite organic, thereby proving that at one time the Oscar was not by chance. “I’ve had enough!”, “Game” and many other films probably would not have become classics of the genre if the restless Michael did not decorate them with his presence. Unfortunately, in recent years, he does not often indulge us with his vivid images, but loyal fans of the star are in no hurry to write him off for retirement. And he himself is not going to retire, continuing to star in various projects and periodically performing the functions of a producer. One of the most remarkable films of Michael Douglas was to be “The Survival Game”, based on the novel by Robb White “On the Guard of Death”. The works of the famous writer have repeatedly become the object of interest from filmmakers. Including White was the author of the story, put in the basis of the famous horror “House of Night Ghosts”. Thus, everyone expected that Michael Douglas, who showed considerable initiative to film White’s novel, would once again please us with his strong work and prove that his years of professionalism are not a hindrance. And indeed, the play of the Hollywood legend is beyond praise, but the game itself was not what you expect.
So, the plot of the film unfolds in the vast expanses of the Mojave desert. Young guide Ben (Jeremy Irvine) recently said goodbye to his beloved girl, went to study at the university and was left alone, dreaming that someday his life will change for the better and he will be reunited with his beloved, as more relatives in his life are not left. Dreams are one thing, work is another. The local sheriff asks Ben to help a visiting millionaire Madok (Douglas), who arrived in Mojave to hunt the rarest beast - a fathorn, the murder costs a lot of money. Since Madock pays a lot of money, Ben quickly agrees and goes with the businessman to the heart of the desert, where without supplies and shelter it is likely to die before the sunset of the first day. Nothing foreshadowed trouble for the heroes, except Madock’s persistent desire to show his talents as a skilled shooter as soon as possible. Despite Ben’s pleas not to rush, the millionaire still takes up arms and shoots into the shadow that appeared nearby. Expecting that it was a beast, the heroes went to check and found that instead of a fathorn, Madok shot a local hermit. Realizing that it is so easy to get away with it, the hero of Michael Douglas tries to make a deal with Ben, promising him the opportunity to study with his girlfriend and other material benefits in exchange for hiding traces of the crime. However, the young man does not want to become a criminal and get everything he dreamed of by hiding traces of murder. And then between the heroes begins a long confrontation, the price of which becomes life.
A truly talented actor is able to show the character of his character in just a few minutes spent on the screen. Michael Douglas refers to just such performers, because he surprisingly clearly captures the energy of his characters and is able to the viewer either empathize with him or hate him at first sight. In The Survival Game, he refers to the latter and tries to show us that business and his own wealth are more important to Madock than anything else. It does not matter to him that he took a person’s life and exposes the guide to attack. Nothing matters to him when one of the most important trades of his career and any wrong decision can ruin everything once and for all. But Madock doesn't go the easy way. He needs no one to guess that he is to blame for the murder and for this millionaire comes up with a simple plan - to take all his clothes from the boy and send him to the desert, where nature will complete Madok's undertakings. Well, to frame Ben and impersonate him as a madman is a matter of technique. Only now the millionaire forgot that the guide lives in Mojave from an early age and knows all its secrets.
Jeremy Irwin did not get lost against the background of his senior colleague and played his game at a very high level. The filmmakers paid much attention to the character of the hero in order to show that despite poverty and lack of prospects, he has something to strive for and to fight for. Ben has strong character and high moral standards. And at first he must endure the smug Madock. Helping him in every endeavor, but when things get out of hand. The guide does not doubt for a second that you need to do the right thing. There is nothing unique in the character of the hero Irvine, because he is another heroic righteous man, but just such a character must confront the aggressive Madok, who personifies all the vices of a rich society that will never understand the philosophy of the poor.
It is worth noting that the acting of Douglas and Irvine is the main asset of the Survival Game. But as for the script and the direction, everything is not as smooth as we would like. What began as a promising, exciting thriller actually turned into a not very dynamic, down-to-earth adventure film without unexpected plot twists. I would like the creators to constantly surprise us with something and show the real struggle of characters, not its faded copy. There is no doubt that the actors play well. Bela is that they have nothing to play. For some reason, the hard novel-source decided to rework into a movie suitable for the widest audience, smoothing out all the sharp corners. And the fact that the film was given the highest age rating does not really mean anything. "Survival Game" is only trying to shock us with the sight of the charred back of the conductor and his downed callosum feet. But in any average horror movie, the naturalistic component is far more disgusting than the dirtiest footage of the film. To top it all off, Madock and Ben's misadventures in Mohove end too quickly, ending at half. It seems that the producers, led by Douglas, wanted to drive their film into an hour and a half frame in favor of the smooth development of the story. Well, the final scene and generally fights with its all-conquering stupidity and complete lack of logic. It seems that no one knew how to finish the film and the ending was shot and edited in a hurry on the eve of the release of “Survival Game” on the screen, which drives the final nail into the coffin of the film. But Michael Douglas is still pretty ugly!
5 out of 10
What was Michael Douglas doing in 1972? He achieved his first success in cinema, emerging from the shadow of the famous father - in particular, starring in the series "Streets of San Francisco". In the same year on the shelves appeared the book of the venerable American writer Robb White “Deathwatch”, receiving the award named after Edgar Poe. Considering that the two main characters of the book - the elderly magnate Madok and the very young boy Ben - 28-year-old Duglas hardly had a chance to star in the ecranization of this book: for Ben he was already "old", and before Madok he "did not boast" of his forty years. Ecranization, published in 1974 (Savages, 1974) did not exist. There is nothing impossible in the world of cinema. Almost half a century later, a new era of Roman went into production, and now the elderly Douglas for the role of Madok was perfect.
The novel “On the Guard of Death” did not belong to the horror genre, but his author knew about horror stories – collaborating with the famous director William Castle, Robb became the author of the script of such classic horror films as “House of Night Ghosts” (1959), “Tonning” (1959), “Prize” (1960). And the situation in which the hero of the book Ben falls, in full can go beyond the scenario of horror - to find himself in a rocked desert, without clothes, without water, in the sights of an unscrupulous bastard-sadist ... The plot of the book is uneasily reminiscent of Spielberg’s “Duel” – there, too, a man found himself in the middle of a desert country one on one with a madman on a nearby car. This situation turned out to be sufficiently universal to be transferred almost unchanged to our days - and if Robb White already has nothing to say about this second erosion - he died in a costly accident in 1990 - then we are given the opportunity to evaluate this film / reaction.
“Old school” is felt in the film from the beginning and to the end – having cut a couple of little scenes with a computer and a mobile phone, we get a practically authentic cardinal of the 70s. Only the desert and the sun. And a runaway victim. And a hunter. Classic. To pull out such a film in a modern multiplex, when in the next room there are “Forsages” and “Avengers”, only actors can, plus a good “kartinka”, plus “magic of the cinema”.
With the actors of the "Survival Game" everything is fine. Michael Douglas clearly did not lose all the powder in the powder girls - and, besides, almost for the first time in his career, a notorious scoundrel plays. Negative personances were given to him before, but if the unclean financier Gekko of Wall Street caused sympathy, then the god Madok is “bad” to the point of being karikaturnosti – he is smug, selfish, rude, and even braconnier, giving a bribe to the local sheriff. His unwitting victim, Ben’s guide, is played by young Jeremy Irwin, thanks to whom Spielberg’s figure resurfaces – specifically in his film “War Kon” Irwin made his debut in the cinema. Movies of the Spielberg scale since then he did not get (“Woman in black 2” is, of course, good, but not so cool), so “Survival Game” became for him a great chance to show himself. And he does. Irvine's character goes through so much physical torment that you begin to perceive the film as a natural body-horror - it is burned by the sun to redness, its skin bubbles and bursts, it is dehydrated, exhausted and excavated in the mud. Particularly impressive are these sufferings on the background of the sloping madman Madok, sipping a martini with an olive from a chilled glass. As a bonus, Ronnie Cox, who played many years ago another corporate villain in Robocop, is attached to the acting team.
"Kartinka" in the film is wonderful - the majestic plateau and mountains of the Mojave Desert fascinate, the terrain - like on Marsa, many frames of the film look like it was shot for the National Geographic magazine. The scorching sun, sharp stones, prickly bushes and gray dust - from the ecran it seems to blow heat and despair.
And here is the "magic of the movie" is not enough. Whether it's the lack of "chemistry" between rivals, or in the story itself. The very formulation of the question - how can a young man survive in the desert in a 50-degree heat in his underwear at the sight of a maniac? - gives the answer: no. But we're not watching a horror arthouse, but a thriller with Michael Douglas! The chances of “victim” and “hunter” must be balanced. But what? Very simple! We make Ben the most experienced tracker who knows the terrain like five fingers. And let all sorts of cachets be buried in the sand, which the hero can use against the “bad uncle”. And let's have a cave and water. And have him find slingshots with precision. And let him find all sorts of abandoned divans on the way, from which you can make porters. And... and that’s how slowly the hero gets only so many “bonuses”, that suddenly you stop sympathizing with him – the guy and so well “epirovan”. And for such an emotionally poised film, such a thought is disastrous. Too lucky a guy will get. And too lethargic turns out to be an all-powerful villain.
A controversial plot decision seems to smear the culmination in the last twenty minutes of the film. In comparison with the same “Duel”, where the end is swift and merciless, in “Survival Game”, we get the final “in three acts” – in addition, the action at the end leaves the scorched desert, lowering the heat – like the surrounding temperature, so intrigue.
Even the localized title of the film shows how many fans gave up on this project: the original "Beyond the Reach" (which can be interpreted as "Out of reach", and like "Out of the Mountain Ridges of Rich"), we are entitled to the original "Beyond the Reach" in 2012, without the title of the film "Game" ("Game in the same time"). Plus almost zero promotional support. As a result, the film goes in cinemas completely unnoticed - and not deserved, because both Douglas and Irwin play quite powerfully. If you focus on a slow, old-fashioned lad, then you can get pleasure from the film in full. Only the new “Duel” film will not become. Douglas, probably, everything is equal - his star status will not take away, and here Jeremy Irvine such projects can backfire - one model appearance and similarity to Casper Van Dean for success in Hollywood, alas, is not enough. That’s where the “survival game” really is. And while Irvine's luck doesn't smile as often as his screen hero...
Why you should watch: the whole film literally "pulled" charismatic villain performed by Michael Douglas. The famous actor put all the talent in his character, added him a few personal movements and “crown phrases”. As is often the case, he was much brighter than the main character. It’s funny that by the end of the film, I had much more empathy for Michael Douglas than for Jeremy Irwin, the lead actor in the film.
The obvious advantages include camera work and music.
Thanks to interesting frames, bundles, sharp editing and constant movement of the camera, the director managed to revive even static shots.
The music blends perfectly with picturesque images of the mountain desert. In important moments, it conveys the tension of the heroes, their “struggle of minds”. Occasionally you can feel the tension of the main character Matt, and contrasting with him the hunting calm of his opponent - a billionaire.
Why you should not watch: Against the background of Michael Douglas, all the other characters seem faded extras. The main character does not cause sympathy, and is not remembered. The rest of the actors have so little screen time that they simply do not have a chance to please us with something memorable.
All the characters are annoyingly one-sided. It is clear that the authors did not try to put at least a little depth into them. Their motives are extremely clear and straightforward, and their actions will surprise you more than once with their inconsistency. This is probably the weakest part of the picture. Due to the far-fetched script moves and commitment to simplicity, the film will not be able to offer you anything new. There is a whole fragment, completely copying a scene from the Western of the 60s.
To my great regret, the director spoiled a very unconventional ending. Continuing the narrative, the picture loses its unusual “highlight” and finally returns to the old, extremely simple formula.
Conclusion: the film "The Game of Survival" can inspire a sense of nostalgia for old, uncomplicated thrillers - action movies. However, excessive simplicity spoils the entire impression of the film. This movie is suitable for a friendly get-together, when the film itself “goes by the wayside”. But go to the cinema for this premiere I strongly advise.
Of course, the new film of the French director-newcomer Jean-Baptiste Leonetti will definitely enter my personal top 10 most underrated films of this year. At first glance, this seems to be something very strange, because all the creative components of the film, although they did not give the soul a child’s delight, but they did not cause thoughts about such a grandiose failure (in the world box office, the tape, released last September, collected the shameful 45 thousand dollars). The main claims of Western viewers and critics were ridiculously monotonous: viscous storytelling, inconclusive characters, total boredom due to the lack of at least some dynamics, Michael Douglas got old and drank his talent further down the list. And the most interesting thing is that it really applies to the painting. But only instead of scolding her for such blunders, I, on the contrary, wanted to write all this down to her merits, because the Game of Survival, for all its sins, undoubtedly stands out against the background of the passing blockbusters of the last decade.
A young guy Ben is worried about breaking up with his girlfriend, who went to college, works as a lifeguard in a town somewhere on the edge of Nevada and works as a forester, arranging entertainment safaris for rich people who want to spend a bundle of bills for hunting boars, deer and mountain yaks. One day, his client becomes a pompous elderly cooler from sunny Los Angeles Madock, who, in circumvention of the license, wants to shoot in the wild. During the hunt, the businessman accidentally kills a local madman who loves to wander the mountains of the Mojave desert, and offers Ben to make a deal with his conscience - to hide the corpse and safely forget about everything. The boy decides to play nobility and tries to hand over the citizen to the cops, which causes him a violent hysterical reaction. Madock strips Ben naked and lets him walk through the desert until he dies of dehydration. Safari on too honest "policeman" can be considered open.
From the very first frames of the plot plot plot, when the main character in one of the swimsuits begins to run through the desert from the code-charged dead head of a hunter, "Survival Game" wildly resembles the original "Traveler" with Rudger Hauer. There is such a tense expectation in the air that at some point the viewer, watching the hunt for a defenseless victim, begins to sympathize more with the pursuer. The cruel rich, sitting in a comfortable leather chair, drinks martinis, communicates with business partners and cold-bloodedly does not give the boy a second break, then taking away his boots found, then driving him with dynamite checkers. Douglas, back in the eighties, trained in the embodiment of images of real bad guys on the screen, here still looks convincing and infernal, drawing on himself two-thirds of the entire narrative.
Leonetti managed to create an atmosphere of total hopelessness. Literally up to the last scenes, it seems to the viewer that the naive ranger has no chance before the punishing hand of a man so rich that any civil and human laws for him are just a fiction, an unnecessary rattle that cannot stop him from wanting to hunt his like. “The Survival Game” gives the impression of a truly adult movie, which tries to show all the meanness and baseness of human nature.
But all the conceptual magic of the tape crumbles right before our eyes in the second half of the action. It seems like the creators are getting tired by the minute. The closer to the final, the more scenes appear in the tape, which in their impenetrable stupidity can surprise even an experienced fan of militants from the nineties. The main characters in some unimaginable way suddenly lose their already not too justified motivation, scripted twists go into the category of banal excuses, and the atmosphere of the predator’s pursuit of his stupid victim begins to move into the format of schizophrenic “I’ll kill you anyway!” I am a rich man, and I am a rich man. Michael Douglas becomes frankly bored to squeeze out a convincing game, and the owner of a palm branch Jeremy Irvine generally turns into a dirty mess, ridiculously hiding from the pursuer and making frightened eyes kilata.
The game of survival is worth watching the first hour, and then quickly leave the auditorium. Then the film will remain in your memory as something atmospheric and unusual, something really unlike the muzzle blockbusters of recent years, filling the big screens like some anticultural plague. If you risk staying in the cinema longer, you will be insurmountable disappointment. Only famous directors can afford to deflate in the end. Laonetti, unfortunately, does not deserve this right.
4 out of 10
A rich, serious man in a big Mercedes and an expensive cannon decides to hunt for the beast he has long wanted to get into his collection of trophies. Going with a young boy, whom he was given as a guide, he accidentally kills an elderly man. Realizing that he made an unforgivable mistake, he offers the guy a lot of money, help in the future and other material values that he can afford – in short, offered a bribe. The guy seemed to agree, even the murdered grandfather buried, but moral feelings, apparently, after a couple of hours he played, and he makes an attempt to make a call that did not go unnoticed. A man in a Mercedes, pointing a gun at the guide, forces him to undress and sent him on an unforgettable journey through the endless expanses of the desert.
The logic in the actions of the heroes is very vague. If Rich still try to understand, with his desire to leave intact his career and business, especially because of such an accident, because the committed murder is just negligence, and not some manic preferences of the hero, which, of course, does not mean that he does not have them, given that he gave later. But it was later, when already agreed to a bribe boy decided to play the hero. He's kind of weird, to put it mildly. The main thing, when the “corporate shark” was not yet rigidly tuned and with a calm mine offered a plan for leaving, then he, therefore, chose money and, most of all, went to bury the corpse, but even an hour has not passed and he already shows the appearance of a boy whose soul is tormented by thoughts about what he did. You signed up! And the temperance of the “shark” is clear: five minutes ago everything was a bundle, and here is a number from the boy!
Well, then waited for very muddy and sultry, like the desert sun, shots of the boy’s walks through picturesque places under the supervision of an eagle’s eye, who watched the speed with which the village would give skates. But he was not so simple, and his GID skills used in full: then in the cave he hides, which leads to a hut with water, then among the rocks he gets lost, where the sofa for no reason, then just dig a canister out of the ground. In general, there is little faith in such accidents and gifts of fate, but the guy lasted until the night, and then a fight was waiting for us not for life, but for death.
The ending, of course, is extremely Hollywood and completely implausible, as in principle, and what happened in the desert. The thriller turned out to be much more bland than it could. A boring narrative, an uncharismatic protagonist who doesn't look like he could get out of a situation like this, and even the villain Douglas doesn't take it out because everything is too second-rate. This is not a game of survival, but a game of patience. Is it worth checking how much patience you have not turned off this movie? So I guess I don't.
The owner of a large firm, John Medoc, is in the process of making an important deal. To calm his nerves, John decides to hunt a mysterious beast named “fathorn”. The animal is found only in the south-western desert (a beautiful place, comfortable 55 degrees Celsius in the shade). The local sheriff gives the rich man the best guide, the boy's name is Ben. An impatient Medoc kills a local resident (confusing him with a fathorn) and Ben faces a dilemma: turn over the rich ghoul to the police, or take money from him, and secure a comfortable future for himself. What will win, stupidity or greed?
The intrigue dissipates twenty minutes after the film begins. Medoc chases a hideously honest Ben through the desert (it's not a spoiler, it's all in the trailer). The only question is who will win? Given Hollywood’s disgusting predisposition to good, the outcome is predictable. Well represented by country guy Jeremy Irwin. Stupid face, fence of unevenly broken teeth, condo talk about the truth – before us a typical Vasya from some American province like Oklahoma. A boring, scorched redneck.
Michael Douglas looks like a plucked eagle: still a proud profile, a scattering of ceramic teeth, a net of wrinkles, a flat-out steepness. From the poster, Rutger Hauer looks after a week-long binge - this is a deception of vision, Douglas is experiencing another (lost count, what kind of) youth, and plays in this film the old man "typical bastard." It acts too straightforwardly and uninventively. Grandfather is still capable of small meanness, but the former romanticism is no longer, the freshness of sensations is gone.
During the viewing, the idea arose that this film with the participation of Douglas and a couple of other people, is nothing more than a commercial for the company Mercedes. A sophisticated tank with reinforced rear suspension, six wheels, inside there is everything necessary for the autonomous existence of an entire company of infantrymen, except for the pool. The camera lovingly licks the car from all sides. Here's the front view - Douglas gazes courageously at the sun through steep glasses. Side view, the old man mixes himself a cocktail, opening the trunk. If you break the film into frames, you get a great advertising photo shoot.
In general, the film arouses sluggish interest, chamber action: Irwin – Douglas and the machine, does not excite much emotion. The boy is running in the desert, thirsty, blisters on his face, oh what a pity, we sympathize, we are very sorry, but it is clear that the boy will not die, otherwise the movie does not make sense. Of course, we share the indignation of the main character against the police - corrupt officials, taking bribes - it is very bad, ugly, it is a fat, indelible stain on the bright image of an American policeman. A far-fetched, ridiculous ending is a worthy conclusion for this raw, slurred film.
4 out of 10