The Death and Life of Bobby Z (2007)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

John Herzfeld

Writers (WGA):

Bob Krakower (screenplay) &
Allen Lawrence (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 November 2007 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

You can't out-run yourself.

Plot:

A DEA agent provides former Marine Tim Kearney with a way out of his prison sentence: impersonate Bobby Z...

Plot Keywords:

On The Run | Drug Lord | Prison | Chase Scene | Sex Positions

Cast

Paul Walker	...	Tim Kearney
Laurence Fishburne	...	Tad Gruzsa
Olivia Wilde	...	Elizabeth
Jason Flemyng	...	Brian
Keith Carradine	...	Johnson
Joaquim de Almeida	...	Don Huertero
J.R. Villarreal	...	Kit
Jason Lewis	...	Bobby Z
Jacob Vargas	...	Jorge Escobar
Michael Bowen	...	Duke
M.C. Gainey	...	Boom Boom
Josh Stewart	...	Monk
Margo Martindale	...	Macy
Raymond J. Barry	...	Stanley (as Raymond Barry)
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Mexican Detective

Also Known As:

Bobby Z (USA) (DVD title)
Kill Bobby Z - Ein Deal um Leben und Tod (Germany) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, some drug use, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

USA:97 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Block Productions

Trivia:

Initially, the film was going to be released theatrically by Warner Bros., who have a first look deal with Millennium Films, but after the film tested poorly, WB decided to pass. Sony picked it up as a direct-to-video feature.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: You can see a member of the crew walk by inside Monk's house when Elizabeth and Monk are sitting outside of his home talking about their future plans together.

Soundtrack:

Thing About Me

Movie was funny, entertaining and I enjoyed it.

While it's no worse than much of the action movie junk that makes it to theatres, Bobby Z, originally entitled The Death and Life of Bobby Z, is a action thriller with Tim Kearney (Walker) as our hero. Kearney is a convict who's an ex-Marine and clearly not so much a bad person as one who has frequently found himself in trouble due to circumstance rather than intent. This gives director John Herzfeld, whose own career hacs been on less than an up-tick since the appropriately named 15 Minutes came and went in about that long, a premise for having a good guy hero who still fits the label of a tough convict.

The slightly convoluted storyline sees Kearney – whose life is in peril since he killed a biker gang boss in prison (self defence, of course) – offered an opportunity to walk free, as long as he's willing to impersonate a drug kingpin who happens to look just like Kearney, and who has just died. Fishburne plays the Drug Enforcement Agency cop who puts Kearney up to this task.

Before you can say 'gunfights are fun', Kearney is being shot at by the cops, manhandled by Mexican drug thugs, pursued by the bikers, and generally in demand by everyone, regardless of whether they think he's Kearney or Bobby Z. Our hero, of course, dodges the bullets, battles the bad guys, befriends Bobby Z's son (who has never met his dad) and romances a beautiful woman (Olivia Wilde) whose relationship with the bad guys is a bit hazy, but clearly quite intimate.

Filled with head scratching twists and cornball dialogue, this is not exactly a brilliant film. Yet it's got a slick look and at least a few passably enjoyable action scenes. And Walker, while never likely to be mistaken for a Shakespearian thespian, has the good looks and charisma to lead the way here. At least his character isn't loaded down with as many stupidly threatening lines as Fishburne's. Wilde also does a passable job as Kearney's conflicted love interest; she's mainly called upon to look good (which she accomplishes rather easily), but also doesn't muff her lines when she does have something to say.

Movie was funny, entertaining and I enjoyed it.