Force of Nature (2020) Poster

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6/10
Only if you have no better alternative.
ThomDerd2 July 2020
This is ok to watch but only if you have exhausted your options. If you are looking for some action sequences supported by a good cast and and a good overall story, then this might be fun. The story is actually fine, the actors are also fine and the acting is fine. However, there are big problems with the dialogue and some action scenes, which sometimes make you think you are watching a B-movie with A-list actors... The director decided to create good action sequences but very boring and rather useless in-between conversations. The moments where there is no action, sometimes make no sense. If you are willing to go past that, then you 'd end up with an ok film experience. This film is kinda saved by its good cast. Also the hurricane concept is not really present as you would expect it to be, judging by the way they promoted this film. 6/10
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5/10
"Oxy-moron. It's good for the pain."
classicsoncall27 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Gee, how many guys did John the Baptist (David Zayas) need to rob a bunch of paintings? I don't recall how big his gang was starting out, but five of his men were taken out before he became pet food himself, which still left his locksmith somewhere at the end still standing. So that would be a total of seven, which made for a lot of guys sharing in the proceeds, provided you could sell all those masterpieces on the black market.

So anyway, there's not much to recommend here. A couple of reviewers for this film mention how Mel Gibson seems to be going the way of Bruce Willis in these sub-par action flicks, which is something I thought of as well when this thing got under way. However I did like the nuance Gibson provided to the character he portrayed, a retired ex-cop with a nasty lung condition that made it seem like he was heading for his last roundup, even without the bad guys showing up. Ray Barrett (Gibson) wheezed and hacked his way through the picture while cracking wise with Cardillo (Emile Hirsch) and Pena ( Stephanie Cayo), partner cops responding at first to a dust up at the local grocery, then moving on to evacuate an apartment complex ahead of a major hurricane.

Here's the million dollar question I'd like someone to answer - how is it that John the Baptist, who probably wore a shirt about a size 3XL, manage to fit into Cardilo's cop uniform, which was no bigger than a Large?
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4/10
Couldn't believe how bad this movie was
mister_bateman30 June 2020
This is one of those movies where you keep wondering how the hell it made it through quality control. Is there even such a thing, or did someone just have some money to launder, because telling a good, or even just a coherent story definitely doesn't seem to have mattered. Some cliché bad guys, a flimsy reason for them to shoot at some good guys and of course a stupid nazi subplot shoehorned into the mix because there can't be a Hollywood movie where we aren't reminded of that, can there? It's boring and tedious, there is no suspense, the characters are lame and nothing they do makes any sense. You don't care about any of them, so when the guy and the girl in between gunfights connect through small talk about their previous lives, it's nothing but awkward. Mel Gibson was just a side show too.

Absolute waste of time. Stay away.
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4/10
Mel is the whole show (for all of 15 minutes)
meduzahollywood30 June 2020
Love him or hate him, Mel Gibson always gives 100% in whatever he does.

And he is the only reason to watch this typical Emmett/Furla time-wasting action picture. Here, subbing for Bruce Willis who usually is the nominal "star" of these poorly-written & directed tax write-offs, Mel does his best as an ex-NYC cop trying to stop a group of bad guys robbing a run-down apartment block during a hurricane.

Whatever talent indy director Michael Polish one showed is now depleted as he puts his cast -- most of them looking like they're sleepwalking except for an earnest performance by Stephanie Cayo -- through the requisite 90 minutes of low budget thrills.

The question that needs to be asked is: With every other person in Los Angeles writing screenplays, why can't EF Films find something worth the time and effort? Why waste talented people on such schlock?
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3/10
Unwatchable
christoddlee21 July 2020
This movie is terrible. Couldn't even finish it. Thought it had enough names in it to be decent, but it's not. Hard pass.
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4/10
Poorly Written
arfdawg-130 June 2020
Hard to believe this flick cost $23 million to make. It's very cheaply done.

It's also very poorly written and completely implausible. In fact, some of the scenes are downright stupid.

Mel Gibson is barely in the film. Or at least not as much as the other characters. But he's decent . The other actors not so much.

What it comes down to is this -- it's a really horrible script. The guy who wrote this is really amateurish. In a better writer's hands, this could have been a good movie.
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6/10
Entertaining :)
Guanche4830 November 2020
I was expecting a lot more, but .. it is very entertaining , also kind of funny. Action comedy! Lots of action, also a couple of boring moments which didn't make sense... but I think that is the point of this movie. ;)
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4/10
Neither the crime nor the storm were thrilling nuff to captivate the attention cos the script is worse than a 90s b movie.
Fella_shibby30 June 2020
Generous with a 4 only cos of Gibson, otherwise this film is a total time waster. In fact, revisiting Hard Rain starring Christian Slater is much better than this lousy film. I dont kno why Gibson agreed to do this film. This movie belonged to Bruce Willis, Seagal, Van Damme, Cage, etc.

The lead actor Emile Hirsch has a double chin. The lead villain David Zayas shud hav at least remove his goatee to delete his Dexter image from our minds. He ain't convincing at all. In fact Lance Henrickson wud have done a better job. Kate Bosworth is looking haggard. Stephanie Cayo with her make up n style is looking too hot for a cop. Gibson is totally wasted.

Ther is a scene where aft all the commotion n firing, characters have plenty of time to stitch the wound n chitchat. Ther is no hand to hand combat, no good gun action sequences, no tension or suspense, the ending with the uniform is predictable n laughable n to be honest ther is no planning or proper heist. Its jus plain burglary.

All thru the film I was waiting for some dog attack scene but wot a dud man.
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6/10
Not Mel
kosmasp1 February 2021
By Force of Nature they mean something else ... well at least that's what I'd say. You may disagree. Mel Gibson has quite the easy role to play here. He plays the "too old for that ..." thing, that you may know from another output of his, but played by another actor. Emilie Hirsch is supposed to be the main character here and Kate Bosworth too. The latter being the one that has some interesting moments and developments.

Overall this is a neat little thriller and action movie. Nothing really impressive, but nothing that is really bad either. I may be a bit too nice with my rating - especially considering other things I've rated, but overall you'll find me being generous rather than the other way around. The bad guy (also known from the Dexter TV show amongst many other things) is quite charismatic, but has as many flaws as the movie itself ...
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1/10
Mel please.... Why?????
welsh-phillips8 August 2020
I just don't understand why Mel was in this movie!! Please someone explain why he would even think of acting in such a horrible movie.

There is nothing good about this movie.
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9/10
A pretty good film
ajkbiotech29 April 2021
Contrary to many posted reviews, this is a decent film with a coherent plot, good actors and acting, and twists and turns.

You don't know what's happening until the end.

Good film!
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7/10
It's not the greatest but it's worth a watch
maxd11-198-19899128 April 2021
It's very noisy with all the rain.

Mel Gibson is quite funny in this film.

The other actors are perfectly ok - I'm sure all the snowflake wannabes reviewing the film have lots of criticisms of the casting.

It's not Tier 1 but it's worth a watch/
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3/10
How bad can it get?
omendata30 June 2020
As bad as this but I have seen worse.

Terrible convoluted and improbable storyline (keeping a Tiger in your flat - new one on me) but hey its a movie I can forgive that if the action, cgi, acting and photography and music are spot on - problem is they are not either!

It is a bit of a blam blam no thank you mam, dreadfully dull and predictable; cmon tell me you didnt figure out what the tiger was going to do as soon as you knew it was in the cupboard lol....and what is the venerable Mel Gibson doing in this? Has he finally hit the Nic Cage & Ron Perlman bottom of the barrel, take any old drivel for a paycheque?

As a Mel fan I am very sad to see him in this!

Nothing much more needs be said as this is a real turkey and no mistake, it has no redeeming features apart from maybe Kate Bosworth but even she looks a bit jaded and tired.

Cinematic landmine - Avoid at all costs and protect your wallet from this one!
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1/10
So bad you guys
rachel-322103 July 2020
The script is so bad it's laughable. It's cut together so poorly it just confuses you mostly. Half way through I'm checking IMDb to see if this movie was sitting on a shelf and only released because of COVID. Nothing in this movie is worth the watch. Nothing.
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5/10
Tiger in The Cupboard
BOOKSMART130 June 2020
Force of Nature has a few entertaining moments, but it's very forgettable and it blends in with a hundred other movies. However, Mel Gibson was the main attraction that I was eager to watch this film. But the Mel of Lethal Weapon was shown as coughing and stubborn old man. Besides he has short role in the movie. The fight scenes aren't that bad, all things considered. Force of Nature is not a bad film. It had its fair share of problems, but for a low budget action film with an aging action star, it's not bad at all.
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1/10
Something you would expect from Bruce Willis!!
algreen-1506130 June 2020
Where to start!! Let's start with Mel Gibson. Its seems now a days a lot of these low budget action films are casting once great actors from the 80s and 90s in small roles to entice fans. Bruce Willis being a prime example! Gibson doesn't have a great deal of screen time in this film. The main stars are Emile Hersch and Kate Bosworth. It centres around the occupants of an apartment complex during a hurricane refusing to leave, and to make matters worse there are some nasty men now looking for something in one of the rooms. Enter Hersch the hero cop trying to get everyone out with the help of Gibson's daughter Bosworth. That's it!! You could of put Danny Glover in the apartment next door and called it lethal weapon 5. I wanted to turn the movie off afte 30 minutes but the wife insisted we finished!!
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7/10
Could be more strong
nethy-nho11 January 2021
The idea is great but get lost many times, the characters are not so interesting, but at least the visual effects are convincing and as a whole is a great fun.
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2/10
Terrible and inconsistent direction
cruise011 July 2020
Force of Nature (1 out of 5 stars).

Force of Nature is a terrible action film. Taking place in a hurricane. As a bad guy robs a bank. And comes across an apartment complex. Where a cop and hos partner are trying to evacuate Mel Gibsons character and his daughter.

Boring plot. Inconsistent direction. Dull characters. The acting was terrible. Emile Hirsch is unbelievable as a officer. Looks washed out as a cop. Kate Bosworth looked bored with her character. Mel Gibson just being a dead beat character was also dull. The action was boring. The music score was terrible.

Almost everything about this film is terrible.
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7/10
UNDERRATED GUILTY PLEASURE...OFF-BEAT & STRANGE
LeonLouisRicci27 August 2021
This Movie has a Conglomerate of Goofy Cops & Robbers and is Graphic-Violence Prone.

A Shoot-Em-Up with Visceral and Close-Up Confrontations with some Over-the-Top Shenanigans.

It Doesn't Take Itself Serious for a Minute and that Adds to the Surreal Situations, like a "Whats-It" in the Closet.

Also Hiding in the Closets are Priceless Artworks.

Stolen Nazi Paintings that the Villains want to Steal from the Old Nazi Thief.

It's Brutal and Never Still for a Minute as the Stand-Offs and Chases are Confined in Rooms and Staircases in a High-Rise.

With a Raging Hurricane Adding Wind and Rain to the Mixed-Up Mania.

Its Quirky Characters, Highlighted by David Zayas as "John the Baptist" that has No Problem Blowing Away Old Ladies and Bystanders in a Heartbeat.

Mel Gibson is a Cranky Old-Timer Cop that Relishes to be Back in Action and Kills a Plethora of Bad-Guys between Coughing and Wincing in Pain.

In the Midst of all the Mayhem Emile Hirsch and Kate Bosworth Fall in Love.

It's Bizarre and Beyond the Pale...Completely Nutzoid.

It's a Guilty Pleasure that has been Misunderstood and Panned by Most.

But if You Like Ultra-Violence and Strange Stuff in Your Action Movies.

This One is Recommended.
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2/10
Horrible
wollid-65-8582529 July 2020
Horrible plot, bad acting, and predictable "twist". I had a difficult time even finishing the movie.
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8/10
Worth watching
midgetman-7648324 August 2021
It's worth a watch if you appreciate 80's action flicks. I've noticed the low viewer ratings... we've been spoiled over the last 20+ years with modern special effects. Although it's somewhat similar to "Hard Rain", it's a decent story with decent action. If it came out in the 80's or 90's it probably would've been a blockbuster.
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7/10
HURRICANE HEIST
kirbylee70-599-5261794 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Like most action stars of the 70s through 90s Mel Gibson seems to have fallen from grace in Hollywood. Due to his infamous rants, divorce issues and the fact that he proved them all wrong by directing one of the most successful religious films of all time, he can't seem to find top notch movies to star in these days. In spite of that he's done some amazing movies in the past few years. He played a great bad guy in THE EXPENDABLES 3, was a bad cop in DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE and did an amazing job in the drama THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN. And he directed HACKSAW RIDGE.

But like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis he seems to have been regulated to movies that are going straight to DVD rather than on the big screen. That's sad because he still has the ability to outperform many of the young actors we're seeing these days. That being said we come to his newest film FORCE OF NATURE, a movie where he's actually not the main lead.

The film takes place in San Juan, Puerto Rico as a hurricane is about to hit. Everyone is boarding up buildings and making preparations. Two suspicious gunmen led by John (David Zayas) take a woman hostage to a bank where they force her to open her deposit box. Inside is a stolen painting and they get information from her leading to more before killing her.

Police officers Cardillo (Emile Hirsch) and Jess (Stephanie Cayo) are sent out to handle a situation where a man named Griffin (William Catlett) was trying to buy 100 lbs. of meat. When asked why he tells them he has a pet back at his apartment he needs to feed before the hurricane hits. They agree to take him by and once there get a call that assistance is needed to remove several other tenants in the building. They come across an elderly man on the lower floor (Jorge Luis Ramos) and are told about two tenants upstairs, Ray (Mel Gibson) and his daughter Troy (Kate Bosworth).

Griffin goes to his place and the officers head on up to Ray's. But Ray has no interest in leaving. Coughing and ill Troy wants to put him in rehabilitation but he refuses. An ex-police officer he recognizes Cardillo and we learn of an incident in his past where he shot and killed his partner as an officer in NYC.

The two stories collide when it turns out the old man was actually an ex-Nazi who has something the thieves are looking for. They show up and shoot the apartment owner in front of Cardillo who rounds up his partner and the old man and they head for Griffin's apartment. There they find out the hard way why Griffin needed the meat as he's attacked, wounded and in need to medical assistance. Fortunately Troy is a doctor.

With the thieves armed to the teeth more than one confrontation between various pairings here will obviously take place. We'll also discover what it is the thieves are after and why it involves the old man. And of course whatever it was in Griffin's closet will come into play at some point. The plot holes are all over the place and the familiarity with certain situations is obvious. The question becomes is the movie still worth watching, is it entertaining?

Yes it's entertaining enough if you don't mind a barrage of F bombs dropped like the rain hitting the windows outside the building here. The cast does their best to soldier through what feels like a thin plot that's pulled together from several other movies in the past. The camera work looks solid enough but offers nothing amazing. The direction is there but feels more workman like than substantive.

Gibson as Ray is the biggest name in the cast but relegated to an angry codger here who knows how to use a gun. His character is more of an aside than the main focus and comes in to help when the fighting starts. But it is the rest who are the main story here and for being the name above the title that's a bit sad. He deserves better. Hirsch does a solid job as does Bosworth but neither stands out. The same for the rest of the cast with perhaps the exception of Zayas who makes a slick bad guy.

If you're looking for something to rent and watch then you might get a kick out of this one. I don't think it's a film many will add to their collections unless they want to own every picture Gibson has ever made. If you're bored and want something though this one should do the trick.
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2/10
WOW
orecul22430 August 2020
Wasn't 15 minutes into this movie and knew it sucked
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1/10
Force of Nature is indeed a force to be reckoned with... for the "Worst Movies Of All-Time" contest.
msbreviews30 June 2020
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One of the worst movies I've seen in my entire life! No, I'm not going to ease you in. I literally spent ninety minutes of my weekend feeling frustrated, angry, stressed out, and genuinely annoyed at how many aspects Force of Nature is horrible at. This is an atrocious film in every imaginable way. There's no redeeming quality or a little tiny positive note. I'm going to be as straightforward as I can. I'm not going to waste the usual time I need to write a review, this one will be written in less than fifteen minutes.

First of all, the narrative. This movie is about a group of thieves that attempt to steal something from a building during a storm. It's a Category 5 hurricane, and all the film shows is rain. There are no windows breaking, doors flying, or any sort of indication that the weather is dangerous in any way. Every single character is plainly stupid. There's no way of describing them more accurately. Everyone makes astonishingly dumb decisions, based on the most illogical and unrealistic scenarios.

The action lacks everything it must have: energy, choreography, good editing, and everything else you can think of. A character dies, the camera goes in for a close-up, and the eyes are still freaking moving. That's the level of amateurism Force of Nature displays. The sound design comes from the past century, with punches, kicks, and gunshots sounding like I'm watching an anime. The editing is terrible throughout, but it's far from grabbing the spotlight with so many baffling stuff.

Even the cast delivers laughable performances. Emile Hirsch (Cardillo) has the worst emotional range I've ever seen in an actor. His expressions are cringe-worthy in almost every single situation, independently of how serious the latter is or not. I have no idea what Mel Gibson (Ray) is doing in such a wretched flick. The "plot armor" that protagonists regularly possess is taken to a whole new level. Usually, they survive a 99%-chance of dying scenario, and the audience simply accept it. But the "bad guys" in this movie are ridiculously portrayed, almost like the actors are interpreting caricatures of their characters.

Throughout the whole film, I felt continuously frustrated. Every single minute is packed with story inconsistencies and truly irritating characters. I've never felt so uncomfortable watching a movie before. I never wished so hard for a film to finally end. I was moving around on my couch and giving these nervous chuckles because I was honestly feeling extremely annoyed at what I was watching. Michael Polish and Cory Miller should be ashamed of what they did. This is an embarrassment for any filmmaker. Believe me: I could easily write 2000+ words about this piece...

Force of Nature is indeed a force to be reckoned with... for the "Worst Movies I've Ever Seen" contest. From the baffling character decisions to the illogically absurd narrative, Michael Polish directs an appalling film packed with excruciatingly embarrassing acting, horribly dated sound design, a nonsensical attempt at creating a catastrophic atmosphere, awful editing, impressively lousy action, and last but not least, one of the worst screenplays ever put to screen, by Cory Miller. The level of amateurism is genuinely jaw-dropping. I've never felt so uncomfortable watching a heist movie. I'm feeling incredibly frustrated, bitter, annoyed, and unsure how a film like this was made possible. Please, stay away from this abomination. Even if you're interested in watching it just to know how bad it actually is, be careful. Because you're not going to feel that well after watching Mel Gibson fall to this level.

Rating: F
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5/10
Its Just OK
damianphelps16 August 2020
I like watching Mel Gibson, take him out of this movie and I would give it 3.

Mel isn't exactly William Wallace in this movie, far from his best.
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