Stream It Or Skip It: ‘AKA’ on Netflix, a Modestly Satisfying French Action-Thriller About a Bruiser and the Little Boy he Befriends

These of us who grunted our manner by one or each of the Misplaced Bullet motion pictures could increase an eyebrow of curiosity within the basic path of AKA (now on Netflix). The French action-thriller boasts two of the Bullet boys, star Alban Lenoir, who additionally co-writes with Morgan S. Dalibert, who shifts out of the cinematographer’s chair to direct his first function. They shift from the goofiness of their earlier movies to a extra critical crime-drama a couple of special-ops gentleman who isn’t significantly GENTLE in the best way he goes about his enterprise. However he’s completely a MAN, as a result of he can take a bullet and shrug it off like he merely stubbed a toe. In different phrases, bear down for some brutality, people!

AKA: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Adam Franco (Lenoir) is a brute: Large and hulking with post-neanderthal options, he’s a no-wound-a-staple-gun-and-some-duct-tape-can’t-fix type of fella. We meet him as he’s disguised as a prisoner and led into an underground lair by Tunisian terrorists. Properly, he is aware of he’s disguised as a prisoner – the terrorists assume he’s only a common prisoner-prisoner. And it’s probably the final assume they’ll ever have thunk, as a result of Adam makes brief work of them by way of gun, knife and fist, then goes about his actual enterprise, which I gained’t reveal, however let’s simply say it positive looks like a number of the blackest black ops ever. 

The aforementioned has nothing to do with the vast majority of the plot right here, but it surely does set up that Adam is a sociopath who can gun down a number of dozen folks after which go dwelling for a peaceable little nappy-poo. Perhaps breakfast tastes higher after littering a panorama with corpses? Anyway, his subsequent task per the muckity-mucks – you already know, ministers and commanders whose properties have kitchens the scale of small airplane hangars – is to flush out a Sudanese warlord (Kevin Layne) who’s the prime suspect in a Paris bombing. The trail to success is, in fact, convoluted, as a result of it entails getting a gig as a thug for an area gangster, Victor Pastore (Eric Cantona), who’s a enterprise affiliate of the suspected terrorist. Adam makes his presence vital amongst Pastore’s squad by rising to the problem of the largest goon amongst all of the man’s goons, and almost killing stated largest goon with a single punch to the throat. Maybe it goes with out saying that Adam is a person of few phrases; he speaks along with his FISTS, and loudly at that.

The dynamic within the Pastore family is, in a phrase, problematic. The boss’ spouse Natalya (Sveva Alviti) runs his nightclub brothels; her teenage daughter Helene (Lucille Guillaume) and younger son Joe (Noe Chabbat) are from a previous relationship, so Victor treats them like crap. Adam and fellow employed gun Pee Wee (Saidou Camara) do some good old school violent enterprise for the boss; in the meantime, Adam secretly experiences again to a few allies monitoring him in a stakeout van. We study a pair issues about Adam, together with a really darkish second from his previous, and the very spectacular indisputable fact that he was as soon as shot 5 occasions from point-blank vary and lived, and has the scars to show it. (One imagines he took a day, possibly two, to convalesce.) However issues get particularly sticky when Adam earns little Joe’s admiration by flicking a college bully within the nostril actually onerous. That earns Adam an invitation to Joe’s party. And he reveals up! With a present! It’s a punching bag! I suppose this monosyllabic slab has a coronary heart someplace underneath all that meat in spite of everything. And it simply would possibly make this gig much more difficult than it already is.

What Motion pictures Will It Remind You Of?: AKA is a borderline-generic French action-thriller that’s form of a mix of The Transporter with The Skilled. And like so many trendy action-thrillers, it probably wouldn’t exist with out John Wick.

Efficiency Price Watching: Boilerplate characters abound in AKA, however anybody with a modicum of fascination for robust, silent sorts will admire Lenoir’s sternfaced mug masking a gooey middle with a mushy spot for scrawny little dudes like Joe. 

Memorable Dialogue: Little Joe notices a shiner by Adam’s eye, and takes the large man to activity with a little bit of comedian irony: “You must actually discover ways to combat.” 

Intercourse and Pores and skin: Adam leaves a roomful of skimpily dressed dancing girls to beat up a half-dozen mooks exterior; Adam murders a complete slew of faceless prison doofuses in a brothel whereas one paying buyer doesn’t even cease goin’ at it with a girl.

Our Take: With AKA, Lenoir and Dalibert have a bit one thing to say about political corruption, and I’m torn between appreciating their need to do extra than simply string collectively a collection of ripping motion sequences, and wishing they’d simply strung collectively a collection of ripping motion sequences. The plot at occasions appears extra convoluted than it’s value, and deep into the third act, we’re anticipating an Adam rampage and given a walloping heap of sentiment. And it’s useful. However is it enjoyable? It may’ve been extra enjoyable, is the lingering feeling right here.

These late developments encourage a bit of ethical wrestling that’s a bit too late in coming, however higher late than by no means, I suppose. In any other case, the movie is a well-known navigation of backalleys and drug dens, with the antihero protagonist proving his mettle as a nigh-unstoppable motion determine, and a little bit of the Pastore household’s home dysfunction thrown in for coloration. It sidesteps a number of the monster-man/little-kid cliches you would possibly count on, but in addition leaves you wanting extra of that humanist dynamic. At two hours, it’s loads of film, and it’ll maintain your curiosity. But it surely’s not going to blow you away, both.

Our Name: AKA does motion fairly properly, and drama not in addition to it may, and intrigue and suspense not significantly properly in any respect. But I say STREAM IT, as a result of it’s adequate in efficiency and path to fulfill.

John Serba is a contract author and movie critic primarily based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.