Rage (2014)

Written by John Chard on August 24, 2016

Ooh look, it's another revenge thriller.

Nicolas Cage stars as a reformed mobster who is forced to go back to his violent ways when his daughter is kidnapped by baddies.

It is what it is really, a Nic Cage starrer that does exactly what the plot synopsis suggests. Does it bring anything new to the revenge formula of genre film making? Absolutely not. But on reflection there are very few that have improved upon originals from as far back as Fritz Lang's Fury in 1936. Sure there is more blood now, more gruesome deaths to put bums on theatre seats, but the majority of them remain soulless, existing only for the point of existing. The market is there for those who either enjoy such genre splatters, or for those who like me just merely wanted a brainless pic to pass the time away with - which of course means leaving said brain at the door.

It's all very preposterous, even insulting at times, but this is actually no worse than some of the more praised revenge thrillers of recent times - but that just makes the point that ultimately the bar hasn't been set high for a considerable time now. So wake up film makers! Give us something new! 5/10