Saw The Hunted (thanks, Basil!) It was an action-thriller. It's the premise of Rambo with a good bit of The Fugitive mixed in. The idea is that super-ranger Aaron has gone rogue and Tommy Lee, his trainer and all-round gruff but cool guy, must bring him in. The film is very fun. I enjoyed watching the two wily survivors outwit each other. Usually action films repulse me for their insistence on macho posturing. In this one, the two square off in a feral, desperate manner. There's less adoration and more fear.
The film opens with the golden voice of Johnny Cash telling a folksy version of the story of Isaac. This is slightly off, I think. The rest of the film tries to tie a father/son relationship between the ranger and his trainer, but Isaac's is a slightly different story than one of mere infanticide. Daedalus and Icarus would have been more apt I think (unless, as ever, I've missed the point.) There's also some stuff with Tommy Lee establishing himself as a true woodsman by rescuing a white wolf (don't do this, by the way. Wolves will bite the shit out of you.) It gives the ending a hopeful note however. Elements of the film are quite clever. Not clever enough to move this film from action to think-piece, but who wants a think-piece?
The film felt fresh to me and interesting. It entertains and gives fights that are not kung-fu ballets and are not jittery messes but are ugly and efficient. There is a refreshing lack of glamour and an emphasis on setting up themes and getting the characters to represent things. These themes and so forth don't always gel perfectly, but A for effort, man.
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