Bullet (Danny Trejo) – Film Review

Danny Trejo (Machete, Breaking Bad) stars as Frank ‘Bullet’ Marasco, a cop who takes the law and a lot of guns into his own hands when his little grandson Mario (Kyle Villalovos) is kidnapped, in this Z-grade action thriller.

Frank has arrested cop killer Kane Cartel, who is sentenced to execution by lethal injection. To try to save him, Carlito Kane (Jonathan Banks) and Manual Kane (Eric Etebari) kidnap the daughter of the California Governor, her boyfriend and Frank’s grandson.

Last year a judge ordered an injunction against director Nick Lyon’s interference in the completion of the film. The director was understandably unhappy that producer Robert Rodriguez’s American United Media and FUNimation Entertainment took the film away from him.

There’s no clue how it would have been like in the director’s cut, but the present film is very scrappy indeed, although with vestiges and occasional flashes of a decent action thriller. The setup and storyline are fine. Trejo looks ancient, way, way past police retirement age, but it doesn’t matter a jot. He’s got something and he’s sticking to it – a bit of rough charisma and a lot of raw power, like a neo Charles Bronson.

Jonathan Banks makes a great villain as Carlito Kane, both eccentric, sadistic and scary, and Torsten Voges makes an excellent henchman as the German crazy Kruger. Both could come straight out of a Bond film. John Savage is OK as the troubled state Governor Johnson, who is told to free a death row prisoner and save him from execution in exchange for his kidnapped daughter’s life.

Elsewhere, there are some of the worst performances ever seen in a reputable movie. They’re so shamefully bad that they’re quite hilariously funny. They’ll be treasured by collectors of bad stuff in the movies. It’s vintage.

It’s such a shame this isn’t a better movie. There’s an honourable place for Z-grade action thrillers. They can be lots of fun. But they do have to be a bit better than this. I found myself still liking it enough till around half way, but after an hour I felt I’d had enough, and there was still another half an hour to go, and all of it predictable, formula stuff.

Still, cheaply and often poorly made as it is, Bullet isn’t too bad. There are lots worse. Trejo, Banks, Voges and Savage deserve better material. I hope they find it soon.

Trejo is 70 on May 16 2014.  A child drug addict and criminal, he was in and out of jail for 11 years. In San Quentin, he won the lightweight and welterweight boxing titles. In jail for armed robbery and drug offenses, he completed a rehabilitation programme. His film career started when he was offered extra/training/acting work on Runaway Train (1985). He may be tough but he’s only 5′ 5¾”.

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 derekwinnert.com

John Savage