Writer: Lorraine Tan

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Watch this if you liked: “Die Hard", "Hitman" and "Transporter"

"Rocky" fans, be sure to catch this movie. "Bullet To The Head" is a gory, violent, murderous and vengeful film starring the legendary "Rocky" star, Sylvester Stallone as Jimmy Bobo, a professional hitman who forms an unlikely partnership with "The Fast And The Furious" star, Sung Kang as Detective Taylor Kwon. After watching their respective partners die, the duo team up to hunt down their common enemy and anyone that stands in their way is obliterated.

The story is based on Alexis Nolent's famous French graphic novel, "Du Plomb Dans La Tete", which translates to the movie's title. In 2004, the book won the award for "Best Story" at the Prix Saint-Michel comics awards and was optioned as a movie by Warner Bros.

This gripping thriller is packed with tons of gun action and violence, both of which can be over the top and unrealistic at times, but it is bound to keep you glued to the screen. Some people may not like the excessive violence though.

However, the storyline is typical and cliched for the genre, not to mention dull at times with the anti-hero, Stallone, mercilessly killing every bad guy he meets and Sung Kang playing the good cop who wants to follow the law to the letter.

In a recent interview with Director Walter Hill, Kang mentioned waiting for 30 years just to collaborate with Stallone. Quoting from the same interview, he said, "Action movies to me are dramas with recognizable human beings that are in extraordinary situations". Indeed, a veteran actor like Stallone truly delivered the character of Jimmy Bobo as a modern hit man. His signature one-liner is humorous but not overly cheesy and brought a lighter note to an otherwise typical action film.

This film is obviously a Sylvester Stallone vehicle, produced to draw in audiences based on his star power rather than the script or the cinematography of the film. Wayne Kramer, who was supposed to direct the film, left because Stallone was not happy with his version of the film.

Overall "Bullet To The Head" is worth a watch if you are a big fan of Sylvester Stallone or just have some time to kill.

Cinema Online, 31 January 2013