155. Dragged Across Concrete; movie review
Cert 18
159 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody violence, gory images
Yes, Mel Gibson is still around and, yes, Vince Vaughn is a better straight actor than a comic.
Dragged Across Concrete offers confirmation of both of these assertions as the duo team up as unconventional cop partners.
Gibson, who remains best known for his crazed Martin Riggs character in the Lethal Weapon series, still shows a streak of the old gung-ho.
Only a few minutes of S. Craig Zahler's film pass before his wizened police officer is suspended for stamping on the head of a hoodlum who is suspected of selling drugs to schoolchildren.
The maverick police officer is undone because he is recorded on a mobile phone by a member of the public who sends the footage to a TV channel.
How times have changed since Riggs and Murtagh used to chance their arms in the 80s.
I digress.
Neither Gibson nor Vaughn's detectives are put off by their suspensions or the potential aggravation at home of jeopardising their careers when they set off in pursuit of dangerous criminals.
The pair are quirky in a similar vein to the Lethal Weapon characters but the violence is more in line with the last time Vaughn teamed up with Zahler for the very bloody Cell Block 99.
Gore also abounded in Zahler's other feature Bone Tomahawk - therefore, it should be no big surprise to see a face literally shot off during Dragged Across Concrete and an avalanche of blood and guts.
Nevertheless, this a full-on thriller which grabs despite the overflowing brains and intestines.
I am now convinced that Vaughn is better at straight roles than comedy and I was surprised how nostalgic I felt for Gibson.
Zahler's movie is so relentless I felt as if I had been through a gym session just watching it.
It also avoids movie cliches and for that alone it deserves to be watched.
Reasons to avoid: The blood and guts are overdone
Laughs: A couple of chuckles
Jumps: One
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Did you know? Films either starring or directed by Mel Gibson have earned over US$2.5 billion, in the United States alone.
The final word. S.Craig Zahler: "I needed someone who could match Vince Vaughn in terms of persona and charisma and intensity on screen and as a partner and Mel Gibson was an obvious choice right away and I think he delivered a terrific performance and I think they have a wonderful chemistry."
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