Film leaves eyes ‘Bloodshot’

Nolan Fullington, Columnist

“Bloodshot” is Sony’s latest pathetic attempt at jump-starting a new cinematic universe. Originally, the film was to feature Jared Leto in the lead role, but we somehow ended up with Vin Diesel, who is either mumbling or yelling.

It was directed by a first-time feature director David S. F. Wilson, who Sony could just boss around.

In a futuristic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a cyborg with no memory of his past. Now known to the public as “RoboCop,” he seeks revenge on the people responsible for his tragic present.

It’s just “RoboCop.” This film is just a watered-down, less intelligent, and another forgettable attempt at doing “RoboCop.” Because of Vin Diesel, it’s also very apparent that Sony is using the “Bloodshot” intellectual property to cash in.

“Bloodshot” is actually reminiscent of 2017’s “The Mummy,” where a studio decides to start a cinematic universe with a big-name star before having made one decent film in said universe; they’re more concerned about making the most globally-appealing film that the result is a blunt and rather boring film.

If Sony was actually serious about making a quality “Bloodshot” film, Vin Diesel would not be in this film. However, Sony knows that Vin Diesel has the key to the international market (mainly China), but that all blew back in Sony’s face because of the global pandemic.

It should be noted that wholly original ideas rarely exist in films today. It is said that there are only seven plots in existence, but it’s all about how you use and execute said plots.

However, “Bloodshot” offers nothing innovative or new on top of an all-too-familiar plot. But as a standalone film, completely dissociated with “RoboCop,” it’s the usual mind-numbing, punchy-smashy film where all conflict is solved with zero wit or intelligence, but rather by brute force.

In the film “RoboCop,” Alex Murphy (RoboCop) has no memory of his life before the cyborg suit, but he also has physical and emotional barriers to overcome throughout the film.

“RoboCop” also has charm, wit, satire, style and fun. Even when comparing “Bloodshot” to the majority of X-Men films, Logan is always in constant pain physically and emotionally and you can tell how weathered and tortured he is.

“Bloodshot” just has an indestructible man who can’t be killed and shows no emotion beyond yelling viciously at people.

This film is more concerned with lighting a tunnel up with flares for no reason so that a computer-generated Vin Diesel can punch things in slow motion that was shot solely to be featured in the trailer.

It should also be noted that in said trailer, the film’s biggest plot points and twists are revealed. So there is no real reason to see the film at this point because nothing in the film that’s not featured in the trailer is worth seeing other than another mumbling performance from Vin Diesel whose eyes are half shut throughout the entire film.

It’s also the kind of film where all of the enemies are set to the easiest setting like a video game and you sit and watch Vin Diesel be a perfect character who never gets beaten down or even punched for that matter. Those kinds of characters are not interesting because they have nothing to overcome.

Bloodshot can do anything because some magic nanobots just allow him to somehow. “Bloodshot” is just beat-for-beat “RoboCop” minus all the charm, wit, fun, satire, intelligence and nuisance.