On July 26, Lionsgate Studios released their new action film, Criminal, starring Kevin Costner and Gary Oldman, on 4K Ultra-HD, Blu-ray and DVD. It also came out on Digital HD on July 12. The movie is fast paced with an almost sci-fi feel and it pulls your attention from start to finish.
Costner plays a death-row inmate, Jerico, with no emotions due to a brain injury when he was a child. In an effort to stop a dangerous anarchist from having access to United States military launch codes, Oldman hires a doctor, played by Tommy Lee Jones, to implant a dead CIA operative’s memories and skills into Jerico’s brain. Can they keep him in line long enough to get the information that they need?
While the sciencey bits of this movie were a little far-fetched, the film was still intriguing. It’s a game of cat and mouse with very dangerous players and it sucks you in. While Jerico is still a bad guy, you can’t help but root for him as he begins to feel the prior operative’s emotions. Can it fix his brain? Will he finish his mission before reverting to his old self? It’s all extremely exciting and a bloody race to the end.
The film had its cheesy areas as they tried to make it into more of a feel-good flick. The ending comes to mind immediately. However, its action sequences come out ahead and keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s definitely worth the cash to rent or buy. Grab it in any format for a thrill-packed grown up movie night.
See the trailer for Criminal below: