Deadlock is the story of Mack (Patrick Muldoon), a former army ranger trying to keep his life afloat by working a hydroelectric plant which powers his small town. When an unhinged terrorist (Bruce Willis) and his team of mercenaries seize control of the facility and take hostages, Mack takes it upon himself to be the hero once more.
What works in Deadlock is the homage to the run-and-gun action-adventure films of the 1980s. Muldoon’s Mack is a one-man brigade, literally mowing down endless waves of villains who couldn’t hit the sky if they shot up. There’s no semblance of plot here: audiences will tune in for the absurd gunplay, cheesy lines, and a surprisingly decent score. In addition, there’s something rather enjoyable about seeing Willis, so often the protagonist, play a cold, unpredictable, psychopath. Deadlock is mindless, predictable entertainment and doesn’t feign any interest in being anything more than that.
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Viewers who roll their eyes at gaping plot holes, unclear character motivations, “convenient” story development, or invincible heroes may not enjoy Deadlock as much as others. This movie’s pitch is clearly: “What if we made Die Hard at a power plant, but this time Bruce Willis was the bad guy!” Very little, if any, further thought was put into developing the narrative.
Deadlock feels like a movie of a bygone era (although plenty are still made if you know where to look). Their intention is simply make fans the genre smile as they turn their brain off for about 90 minutes watching the lead dispatch evil-doers with aplomb.
Recommended if you Enjoyed: Commando, Hard Kill, A Good Day to Die Hard
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