Bad Karma (2012) User Reviews

Crime Thriller

[fuzaporlapiza · 6/10 · 24 November 2012]

This ain't no bad movie but, in my opinion, a blockbuster neither. It's a story about a messed up ex criminal who's trying hard to start all over again. He found himself a nice woman and got a honest job. He does very well until his old partner in crime is released from jail. This bad hearted ex partner in crime doesn't accept that others build up a decent life and starts to do extreme damage to them.

The movie could have been better if there was a little bit of humor in it, it's just so serious that I got a little bored. The story is nasty but the thrilling moments hardly kept me focused.

This movie is worth watching if you don't expect much and if you're interested in the violent world of drugs and crime. There's even a little chunk of drama present.

No harm ... No (but it was) foul

[Ed-Shullivan · 4/10 · 19 March 2014]

This was not a very creative nor suspenseful film. The story line is about a drugged out petty criminal named Molloy played by Ray Liotta. His partner in crime is a scrupulous low life named Mack played by Dominic Purcell. I thought both actors played their respective roles admirably but the film fell victim to a very weak script.

Molloy agrees to rob some drug lords with the vicious thief Mack of both their drugs and the cash being exchanged. In the process of robbing the drug lords Mack falls victim to a sting operation by the police and he is arrested on the spot. Molloy on the other hand was assigned the job to drive the getaway car but before the robbery is finished Molloy suffers a severe heart failure while he is driving the getaway car up to the drug den. So both men get arrested and Mack does some heavy time in prison where he has nothing to do but plot his vengeance against his driver Molloy who stood him up whilst having a heart attack behind the wheel.

During the years that past while Mack is behind the prison walls Molloy's near fatal heart attack gives him a wake up call and he cleans up his act and moves in with a lovely woman who owns a women's clothing store. When Mack is released from prison he has no intention of reforming his evil ways, but instead goes on a personal mission to get even with Molloy who he blames for his last incarceration.

This story line is nothing new, and through no fault of the good acting by Ray Liotta and Dominic Purcell, the film just lacks any suspense and is very predictable. Mack frames Molloy during a video taped robbery and murder and then Mack really gets under Molloy's skin by showing him how easy it would be to murder Molloy's girlfriend if he wanted to do so. And this is the gist of the film two bad guys, one turns his life around and then gets tormented by his old crony who is pushing him beyond the means of most men's temper mental threshold. Simply put I thought the film was rotten in spite of the two lead characters strong performances. I gave it a 4 out of 10 rating.

Not awful, but still pretty bad.

[jackasstrange · 4/10 · 1 November 2013]

I bought this film yesterday. I was expecting a very dull and forgettable film, judging by the actually awful typical from B films kind of cover. It was a blind-choice. And just like i was expecting, it is a pointless film experience. It hasn't the 'charm' of a B film either. So yeah: pretty forgettable bad film. Super cliché crime- films situations almost killed this film single handed. The premise 'past coming back to disturb the bad guy seeking for a new life', is probably one of the most overused ever.

And is bad executed, to worsen the situation. The events presented in the movie are far from being convincing. The character development looks pretty awful as well. If wasn't for Liotta acting, the movie would be just a painful watching experience. However, despite the fact that his acting saved it from being unwatchable, it wasn't enough to save the film from being just a little more than awful. Yeah, it has a few 'highlight' moments which are worth....my 50 cents. But acting alone does not make a film.

In my opinion, if you are planing to watch this film, don't. It has nothing interesting or good apart from the acting, so just don't waste your time. 3.8/10

Not "Bad Karma", just a really "Bad Movie"

[ulric99 · 1/10 · 27 August 2012]

I got to see this yesterday with a friend. Because it had a 9.7 rating, I hoped (incorrectly as it turned out), that this may be a good movie.

It was little better than a pile of steaming horsesh*t.

Liotta plays a down & out criminal who is out of jail and can't keep himself off drugs and alcohol. Following an accident, en-route to helping Purcell rob some drug dealers, Liotta gets his life together and moves north from Sydney to the Gold Coast.

Fast forward 3-years. Here, he is living with the lady of his dreams. Purcell is now out of jail (only 3 years for an armed holdup of drug dealers, using an Uzi ??? sounds way too brief) and tracks down Liotta and starts to make his life a misery.

Purcell kills a couple of people in a shopping mart and blackmails Liotta to helping him with one last robbery.

The plot of this story is passable, the acting from both leads is atrocious, the music is woeful, the ending is just ludicrous.

Having said all that, I think that this movie most likely got its 9.7 rating by having friends and family of the director, producer and others to cast a good vote. The movie was finished a year ago and is only being released now - could that be because the crew wanted to distance themselves from this ultra-lame movie ?

This is one to hold off getting in the early days. Wait until it's on weekly rental at your DVD store.

IMDb is losing its credibility!

[LOL101LOL · 1/10 · 27 August 2012]

I am just so sick and tired of these over rated ratings on IMDb, and this other piece of rubbish is just proof of it. A rating of 9.4 should have been a dead give away, and the fact it stars a washed up Hollywood star, and set in Australia. sure there are some, and I say some good Aussie films, but this is not one of them.

And having such a high ratings on here and not hearing about all those potential Oscars that go with such a high rating film is just more proof that things are not what they seem.

I am the only one to blame for seeing this rubbish, but I was mislead, so people be warned, this is rubbish! And how did drugie Ray Liotta get into Australia? anyway avoid at all times.

1 out of 10

Watch if you want to waste time.

[belindar-2 · 2/10 · 4 February 2015]

Once upon a time Ray Liotta was a great actor. But somewhere down the road he lost his footing. He made his bones in "Goodfellers", the poof he lost it. I only watched this film because he was in it, now I wish I had not wasted my time. The only good thing I can say about this film is that it ended right. However getting to the ending was a painful experience. I give this film a 2 because of the ending. If you have 90 minutes to waste then watch it, if not go to the next one. This is not a film that will leave anyone with a feel good moment. The plot was fair the subplot was not worth it. If you must suffer through this film Don't throw your money away; find a way to watch it free.

Bad movie Karma with Ray in Oz

[videorama-759-859391 · 4/10 · 3 February 2014]

From the opening scene, where we take sheer delight in seeing a tubby, long haired Liotta washed up on a Sydney shore like a beached whale, we clearly know what's ahead, and we patently know were not in for any masterpiece. A near death experience that has Liotta crashing through a Sydney pharmacy, in King's Cross, while late to rendezvous with his not so lucky mate, sees him paying for it three years later. Now, relocated, a reformed Liotta, finds his past catching up with him, in the form of embittered ex con (Purcell) who spent the past years in the slammer, as that unfortunate rendezvous resulted in a sting operation, so we can see why Purcell's quite peeved. From here, this movie, becomes a basic by the numbers situation drama, where an obsessed Purcell keeps reappearing in Liotta's life, after having him cornered in a convenience store hold up/set up candid camera and all. Liotta isn't going down easy. It's not the best timing with Liotta, close to proposing to his new love, Vanessa Gray, one of the better performers. She doesn't yet know of his criminal past, so we can see Liotta's peril, while he also has his parole officer (Andy "Wolf Creek" Mcphee) on his back. So the rooting begins for Liotta to overthrow this thorn in his side, as he finally breaks, where it's not going to be easy. I must say Bad Karma is colourfully entertaining, but it also has some bloody pathetic moments, and embarrassingly bad dialogue, especially towards the end that I almost couldn't believe I was hearing. It has some nice nubile bodied chicks in the raw too, one who gets a little too pokey with Purcell. I couldn't believe all the disfavour with Purcell's performance. I thought he was the best in the film. An older, overweight, haggard Liotta was quite good too, as we could sympathize a lot with him, as much wanting him to rid Purcell as him. Great aboriginal actor, by none the finest I've seen of his race, Aaron was very strong as Liotta's ex con mate, Bear. Like nearly everything filmed on the Gold Coast (though being a Sydney lover, I liked the early shots in the film) again here's a poor and forgettable effort, this one of a guy trying to go straight. Watch Bad Karma at the laughing expense of Liotta, as it is an entertainer, but as a movie, one of 2012's worst, the first half of the title truly describes it's merit. I did too like Liotta's girlfriend's pad.