Director: Adrian Grunberg
Talent: Mel Gibson, Peter Stormare, Dean Norris
Release Date: May 11th 2012
Despite Adrian Grunberg being director (former AD to Mel), this is 100% a Mel Gibson joint. With the Gibber producing and co-writing as well as starring, the man who was Officer Martin Riggs returns to similar action and acting territory (minus the characteristic tourettic implosions, due to recent press no doubt) in How I Spent My Summer Vacation (US title: Get The Gringo). Mr. Gibson, for whatever else he is (hint: rhymes with spigot), is able to make an action film and, borrowing the mould for classics such as Yojimbo and For A Few Dollars More, he plants himself as the drifter in the corrupted town – an American crook in a Tijuana prison that would leave Ross Kemp bubbling at the mouth – and proceeds to shrewdly navigate it in order to escape and reclaim his ill-gotten millions. Unsurprisingly, he turns out to be nobler than we first assumed, sourcing a mother-son duo that need a good rescuing and, later on, could possibly rescue him (!). There are some decent explosions, bullets, jaded quips etc. but nothing special, and fans of the genre may find it more interesting in relation to the 1980’s American action movie than as a film-in-itself. With all the controversy surrounding Mel these days, one might find it rather easy to read underlying motives to the production of this film, professionally and personally, but I’ll let you be the judge if you feel the urge to see a passable action piece that returns somewhat wistfully to better times.
Words: Tom Pierce
