A DEA agent provides former Marine Tim Kearney with a way out of his prison sentence: impersonate Bobby Z, a recently deceased drug dealer, in a hostage switch with a crime lord.
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Title: Bobby Z (2007)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Paul Walker | ... | Tim Kearney | |
| Laurence Fishburne | ... | Tad Grusza | |
| 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 | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (120) »
Storyline
A DEA agent provides former Marine Tim Kearney with a way out of his prison sentence: impersonate Bobby Z, a recently deceased drug dealer, in a hostage switch with a crime lord. When the negotiations go awry, Kearney flees, with Z's son in tow. Written by Anonymous
Plot Keywords:
woman wearing black lingerie | prison | on the run | drug lord | vegan |Taglines:
To live a life of his own, he has to die first. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for violence, some drug use, language and brief nudity | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
20 April 2007 (Italy) See more »Also Known As:
Bobby Z See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$22,000,000 (estimated)Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$413,454Company Credits
Production Co:
Millennium Films, Eclectic Pictures, Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH & Co. KG IV See more »
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Jorge Escobar: [throwing down photo] This guy is perfect. His name is Tim Kearney, three-time loser from Palm Dale.
Tad Gruzsa: Definitely a resemblance. Family?
Jorge Escobar: Mom's dead, dad split.
Tad Gruzsa: Uncles, aunts, brothers, sister?
Jorge Escobar: Tim's an only child. On his own since he was 15.
See more »
Written by Lila Downs and Paul Cohen
Performed by Lila Downs
Published by Nara Music and Cloud People Music(BMI)
Courtesy of Narada Productions,Inc.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Josh Stewart was in Dark Knight Rises and Lawrence Fishbourne was in Batman vs Superman See more »Goofs
The bike that Paul Walker's character uses to escape from Brian Cervier's ranch switches from a four stroke to a two stroke in the scene where it runs out of gas. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Jorge Escobar: [throwing down photo] This guy is perfect. His name is Tim Kearney, three-time loser from Palm Dale.
Tad Gruzsa: Definitely a resemblance. Family?
Jorge Escobar: Mom's dead, dad split.
Tad Gruzsa: Uncles, aunts, brothers, sister?
Jorge Escobar: Tim's an only child. On his own since he was 15.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The European versions of this film open and close with a hippie played by Bruce Dern talking about the death and life of Bobby Z. The US version does not have these scenes which open and bookend the movie. See more »Soundtracks
Agua De RosasWritten by Lila Downs and Paul Cohen
Performed by Lila Downs
Published by Nara Music and Cloud People Music(BMI)
Courtesy of Narada Productions,Inc.
See more »
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The plot: Kearny, a loser convict,is pushed into impersonating Bobby Z, a larger-than-life drug dealer, in a hostage trade, only to find both his own and Bobby Z's enemies trying to kill him.
Herzfeld previously directed 2 Days in the Valley, a Tarantino ripoff if ever there was one. However, unlike most people, I actually kind of liked it. This movie is another attempt to clone Tarantino's style, heavy on flashbacks, stylized violence, and witty anti-heroes. Unfortunately, it's not all that great, but it did manage to keep my interest for the runtime.
Bobby Z is built up as a small-time celebrity in the local surfer scene, as well as a rising star in drug distribution. Kearney, on the other hand, is a three time loser with a price on his head. The movie compares and contrasts their personalities many times, with Bobby Z being revealed as a manipulative, egocentric jerk, while Kearney shows many admirable qualities despite his impulsive violence.
After a somewhat grim opening, the movie becomes quite lighthearted. In fact, I'm really at a loss as to why they even opened the movie with such a dark and disturbing bit of character development if they were just going to completely ignore it for the rest of the film. Oh well. Much of the movie is like this, however. Whenever anything shocking and dramatic happens, it's instantly forgotten by the next scene, where everyone pretends that it never happened. Even being shot seems to be glossed over rather quickly with some cursory first aid. It reminded me of a video game, where picking up a first aid kit heals your character of all wounds.
The acting was passable. It was certainly better than many direct-to-video movies, but nobody really stood out. I guess the script didn't really allow anyone to shine, though I was probably most disappointed that Laurence Fishburne was given such a bland role. Still, it's always fun to see him, even if it's in such a small and clichéd role.
If you're looking for an action movie, this will probably satisfy you, but I'd be surprised if you remembered it later or recommended it to your friends.