Friday 8 June 2018

Headshot (4 Stars)


Is this Indonesia's answer to "The Bourne Identity"? The film begins with a man lying in hospital with a junior doctor sleeping on the couch next to his bed. He's been in a coma ever since he was washed up on the shore with a bullet lodged in his head. An operation has removed the bullet from his head, but he has to go to a hospital in Jakarta to have the remaining metal shards removed. The doctor is off duty, but she doesn't want to go home because she's fascinated by him. Who is he?

When he wakes up he doesn't remember his name or anything about his life, so the doctor calls him Ishmael. She offers to send him to Jakarta, but first he wants to meet the fisherman who dragged him out of the water. The two become friends, but before he can be sent to Jakarta things happen. Deadly assassins come trying to kill him, but he has fighting skills that are enough to defend himself.

This is a fascinating mystery and a thrilling action film with over-the-top violence. It's been criticised by people who say that nobody is killed with a single bullet when 20 can be used. I don't find that bad. It's understandable in the heat of battle. If you shoot someone and he falls over you can't be certain he's dead, so you have to shoot him a second time. And a third. And a fourth. And a fifth.....

Iko Uwais is an amazing fighter. He was also responsible for the choreography of the fight scenes in "Headshot". He isn't quite as invincible as in the Raid films, but his slightly weaker state is appropriate for this film.

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