Mel Gibson is back and he is ready to prove that he is still a force to be reckoned with on screen. His newest project is Blood Father. Directed by Jean-Francois Richet, Blood Father gives Mel Gibson a deserved comeback.
Blood Father centers around a retired bike-gang member and a recovering alcoholic, John Link (Mel Gibson). After many years of being shunned by his daughter, Lydia (Erin Moriarty), finally calls him but its not the type of call he was hoping for. She gets in deep trouble with a Mexican drug cartel and they want her dead, so like any loving father would do-- he helps her.
At age 60, Mel Gibson ages quickly and looks broken down after past struggles with the media but he powers through to keep performing at a high level. Physically, he looks better than ever. Intimidating tattoos and a hulking presence, he sells you on being a former gang member and a total bad-ass! Like usual he gives a powerful and dynamic performance. This is Mel Gibson's best performance in a while. He, alone, makes this movie watchable.
Erin Moriarty was alright as the daughter. Her performance was average at best, but my problem was her character development. This movie is centered around her being in deep trouble with the cartel, but the character never seems to realize the deep shit that she is in. For example, while hiding out in a motel with her dad, she sneaks out of the room in the middle of the night to go flirt with a worker. That really confused me and took me out of the movie.
William H. Macy was present in this movie as he portrayed John Link's sponsor and best friend, Kirby Curtis. For the short period of time that he was present, he was excellent in his performance and had tremendous chemistry with Mel Gibson. They provided some comedy, in a very dark story-- But by the end, I couldn't help but feel disappointed with the wasted potential in his character.
Diego Luna portrays Jonah, who is Lydia's boyfriend and a member of the drug cartel. He is the movies main antagonist. The acting was a bit choppy and the Mexican accent he used was not believable, but I didn't care because I was too busy fan-boying over Mel Gibson.
Michael Parks makes a surprise cameo halfway through the movie. He portrays an ex bike-gang leader. I loved his performance. I thought he was a total jackass and all I could think about was how Mel Gibson should kill him. The problem I had with the character was that he wasn't fleshed out enough and I was confused at times when he and Mel Gibson would communicate about the past.
My biggest problem with the movie was how short it was. An added thirty minutes would have been proper. In that extra time, Erin Moriarty's character would have developed a little better, Michael Park's character would have had a little more impact on the movie, and Mel Gibson and William H. Macy's chemistry would have progressed even more than it already had.
Listed as "your average B-movie", Blood Father was not hyped or pushed for attention. I believe that the studio behind this production made a big mistake keeping it quiet because this movie was a very fun time. It was only set for a limited release. I believe, if given the opportunity for a wide release, this drama-thriller would compete for a top 3 box office spot.
In the end, Mel Gibson's Blood Father is worth the watch. More of a Drama than Action movie, this project proves that Mel Gibson is more than just an Action hero. He's back and he's better than ever.
Verdict: 9.5/10
