This is an interesting film all right. The story takes it's inspiration from the Richard Connell 1924 short story 'Suriving the Game'. It's not a new idea, but it's one of the best takes on it.
Anyway, on to the meat of the story. The main character is the homeless Jack Mason (Ice-T) who quickly decided that he's sick of life. However, he's saved in the nick of time by a seemingly well-meaning man named Cole (playerd by the incomparable Charles S. Dutton). Cole managed to convince Mason to give life another try by offering him a job. The stories a little slow in the beginning, but things start picking up when Mason goes for the interview and meets the man he'll be working for, Burns (Rutger Hauer of Ladyhawk fame.) Mason manages to land the job and a few scenes later he's in the wilderness. This is where the story really starts rolling- we get to meet the remaining four characters of the story. The group includes nut-job Doc Hawkins, played by Gary Busy. Wolfe Sr. (F. Murray Abraham) a wall street cutthroat, and his naive son Wolfe Jr.. The last person we get to meet is Griphon (John C. McGinley, Dr. Cox from 'Scrubs')who seems ready to flip out at any moment.
Well, dinner commences and everyone get to know each other, and Mason goes to bed... Only to wake up with gun in his face. We knew this would happen, but it's just as fun to see him tossed out into the wilderness amidst threats and jeers from everyone (save for Jr- who's freaking out). Mason is left with little choice but to run like hell as the hunters have breakfast.
What I like about this story is that each of the hunters aren't 2D killers- they've all got complex back stories and both their's and Mason's are woven into the story as it progresses... Hawkins and Griphon argue over who'll get Mason first while Wolfe browbeats his son into going along ("He's a homeless piece of trash. Nothing... less then nothing!") The group sets out on ATVs and motorcycles, brandishing everything from automatic shotguns to crossbows.
However, like the novella, the prey turns out to be a little better than they expected. Cole and Burns smile (in their own subtext riddled way)- declaring that Mason's doubled back to the cabin... something that's never happened before.
Sufice to say, the group burst into the Cabin. Hawkins and Wolfe Sr. rush inside just as Burns realizes it's a trap. The cabin explodes (thanks to a trap set by Mason)as the hunters narrowly gets out... There's a great moment where Hawkins tries to kill Mason. "I like my meat rare!" Only to have things turned on him as he's thrown back into the cabin as Mason utters "try well done!" However, as the men take note of the situation, they discover that Hawkins has been killed. Burns smiles and remarks "This is where it gets good." ...And it does! The remaining men set after Mason. Jr continues to try and get the hell out of this situation, but his father is set on making a man out of him ("You're not going to embarrass me.")They start splitting up when they get a whiff of Mason, only to fall for another trick. This time, it's Griphon who get's waylaid by Mason.
The hunters continue after Mason. Burns makes it clear that he's more concerned with getting Mason then rescuing Griphon. Eventually, Griphon returns, remarking that he was let go but has no idea where Mason went (now armed with HIS Shotgun. Griphon want's out- he's ready to get his act together and leave. But Burns lets Cole shoot him- who's grinning the whole time! Jr flips out at this point and his father attempts to calm him down- trying to pin both deaths on Mason's shoulders! A potshot at the group tips Burns and Cole off to Mason's whereabouts. The three of them had been trading insults (over little headsets) back in forth amusingly, till Cole gets feat up with it and hops onto his ATV- triggering one of the raddest deaths on screen. (Mason had jimmied with the thing earlier)Cole's death sets off Burns, who'd been having a ball up till that moment. He's tired of the game- he want's Mason dead.
There's a nice exchange between Sr and Jr. "...It wasn't supposed to be like this." "How the F*ck was it supposed to be?!" The two of them follow Burns more out of fear then any desire to hunt.
For the entire film, the music has been solid, the editing great, and the shooting set to vivid cephia tones and arrays of greens. But the visuals get really cool when night falls (by this point, a trap had killed Jr and Wolfe openly remarks "after we kill Mason, I'm going to settle things with you." Burns just grins at this and welcomes the death challenge). Everything is set in strong blacks and dark blues as the two men wait for Mason to come after them...
And he does! Wolfe, starts freaking out even more and throws his gun away- challenging Mason to a fight. The bit where he turns around in time to see Ice-T's ghostly face point blank is brilliant! ...The movie should have ended in the woods. With it down to Burns and Mason, the confrontation would have been more then enough. This is really the biggest weakness of the film is the '2nd ending' aspect. Abraham has an academy award, but overacts in a couple of scenes (one of them critical to his character!) The "cave scene" is rather silly, but forgivable. Still, it's a good movie for the most part and fun to watch.
Anyway, on to the meat of the story. The main character is the homeless Jack Mason (Ice-T) who quickly decided that he's sick of life. However, he's saved in the nick of time by a seemingly well-meaning man named Cole (playerd by the incomparable Charles S. Dutton). Cole managed to convince Mason to give life another try by offering him a job. The stories a little slow in the beginning, but things start picking up when Mason goes for the interview and meets the man he'll be working for, Burns (Rutger Hauer of Ladyhawk fame.) Mason manages to land the job and a few scenes later he's in the wilderness. This is where the story really starts rolling- we get to meet the remaining four characters of the story. The group includes nut-job Doc Hawkins, played by Gary Busy. Wolfe Sr. (F. Murray Abraham) a wall street cutthroat, and his naive son Wolfe Jr.. The last person we get to meet is Griphon (John C. McGinley, Dr. Cox from 'Scrubs')who seems ready to flip out at any moment.
Well, dinner commences and everyone get to know each other, and Mason goes to bed... Only to wake up with gun in his face. We knew this would happen, but it's just as fun to see him tossed out into the wilderness amidst threats and jeers from everyone (save for Jr- who's freaking out). Mason is left with little choice but to run like hell as the hunters have breakfast.
What I like about this story is that each of the hunters aren't 2D killers- they've all got complex back stories and both their's and Mason's are woven into the story as it progresses... Hawkins and Griphon argue over who'll get Mason first while Wolfe browbeats his son into going along ("He's a homeless piece of trash. Nothing... less then nothing!") The group sets out on ATVs and motorcycles, brandishing everything from automatic shotguns to crossbows.
However, like the novella, the prey turns out to be a little better than they expected. Cole and Burns smile (in their own subtext riddled way)- declaring that Mason's doubled back to the cabin... something that's never happened before.
Sufice to say, the group burst into the Cabin. Hawkins and Wolfe Sr. rush inside just as Burns realizes it's a trap. The cabin explodes (thanks to a trap set by Mason)as the hunters narrowly gets out... There's a great moment where Hawkins tries to kill Mason. "I like my meat rare!" Only to have things turned on him as he's thrown back into the cabin as Mason utters "try well done!" However, as the men take note of the situation, they discover that Hawkins has been killed. Burns smiles and remarks "This is where it gets good." ...And it does! The remaining men set after Mason. Jr continues to try and get the hell out of this situation, but his father is set on making a man out of him ("You're not going to embarrass me.")They start splitting up when they get a whiff of Mason, only to fall for another trick. This time, it's Griphon who get's waylaid by Mason.
The hunters continue after Mason. Burns makes it clear that he's more concerned with getting Mason then rescuing Griphon. Eventually, Griphon returns, remarking that he was let go but has no idea where Mason went (now armed with HIS Shotgun. Griphon want's out- he's ready to get his act together and leave. But Burns lets Cole shoot him- who's grinning the whole time! Jr flips out at this point and his father attempts to calm him down- trying to pin both deaths on Mason's shoulders! A potshot at the group tips Burns and Cole off to Mason's whereabouts. The three of them had been trading insults (over little headsets) back in forth amusingly, till Cole gets feat up with it and hops onto his ATV- triggering one of the raddest deaths on screen. (Mason had jimmied with the thing earlier)Cole's death sets off Burns, who'd been having a ball up till that moment. He's tired of the game- he want's Mason dead.
There's a nice exchange between Sr and Jr. "...It wasn't supposed to be like this." "How the F*ck was it supposed to be?!" The two of them follow Burns more out of fear then any desire to hunt.
For the entire film, the music has been solid, the editing great, and the shooting set to vivid cephia tones and arrays of greens. But the visuals get really cool when night falls (by this point, a trap had killed Jr and Wolfe openly remarks "after we kill Mason, I'm going to settle things with you." Burns just grins at this and welcomes the death challenge). Everything is set in strong blacks and dark blues as the two men wait for Mason to come after them...
And he does! Wolfe, starts freaking out even more and throws his gun away- challenging Mason to a fight. The bit where he turns around in time to see Ice-T's ghostly face point blank is brilliant! ...The movie should have ended in the woods. With it down to Burns and Mason, the confrontation would have been more then enough. This is really the biggest weakness of the film is the '2nd ending' aspect. Abraham has an academy award, but overacts in a couple of scenes (one of them critical to his character!) The "cave scene" is rather silly, but forgivable. Still, it's a good movie for the most part and fun to watch.