Review: Dave Bautista is the best save of 'Final Score'
Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 3:59 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 4:00 PM Central
by John Couture
You know what they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Well, if that saying is true then Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sudden Death should be extremely flattered by Final Score.
As I started to watch the film, I was immediately taken aback by how similar these films were. In fact, I had to search the Internet just to make sure that this wasn't some sort of remake of Sudden Death. If you exchange hockey for soccer, then you basically have the exact same movie.
What Sudden Death doesn't have though is Dave Bautista and that makes every difference in the world. Don't get me wrong, I loved Sudden Death when it first came out. What can I say? I'm a tried and true hockey fan and there's just not that many hockey movies out there, let alone one filled with so much action.
But it is uncanny how similar these two films are. In Final Score, Bautista plays an ex-soldier whose niece is kidnapped by bad actors intent on settling an old score. For his part, Bautista must help the terrorists capture a former Russian revolutionary or they will blow up the packed stadium, killing everyone inside.
Much like the film Sudden Death, the protagonist is given the balance of the game, in this case, 90 minutes, to complete his task or else. Much like the earlier movie, the added tension of a clock winding down to an explosion is played to maximum effect. The result is a film that is both taut and unpredictable, because honestly, how do they even determine how much injury time to add at the end of a game?
All kidding aside, the film is ripe for mockery and I am sure some will rightfully do so, but I was transfixed by Bautista's charisma. Sure, he's not as stoically comical as he is in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, but he brings a certain resonance to the role that not even Jean-Claude Van Damme was able to muster during his prime.
The problem I had with Van Damme is that everything was so precise and scripted that I often felt as though I were watching a ballet and not an action flick. Bautista is able to impart a fluidity that brings honesty to his character. I am able to buy the fact that he's an ex-soldier because he checks off all of the boxes. Not only that, but he's a likable fellow I am immediately cheering for him to survive.
The rest of the cast is regrettably forgettable and seem to come directly from central casting under the title of East European heavy. The notable exception is Pierce Brosnan, but not in a good way.
While I do appreciate some of the risks that they take with his character, I just had a hard time accepting Pierce's lousy Russian accent. His performance is fine and he adds a new wrinkle to the story that I wasn't expecting to be honest, but I just lose focus anytime he opens his mouth.
While Final Score tries it's hardest not to reinvent the wheel, the film is an enjoyable 105 minutes. Dave Bautista is a veritable action star and this film proves that he will have plenty of work available to him when his days starring in Marvel films come to an end.
Final Score is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
