By John Mulderig
There’s not much cinematic bounty to be derived from Mutiny (Lionsgate). A star vehicle for the ever-brooding Jason Statham, director Jean-François Richet’s action flick is dreary from the start and eventually deteriorates into an explicitly revenge-driven bloodbath.
To unravel the conspiracy that led to the gunning down of his beloved employer, Thai shipping magnate Tibu Campallo (Ramon Tikaram), ex-Royal-Marine-turned-bodyguard Cole Reed (Jason Statham) stows away on one of the deceased tycoon’s vessels. There he discovers a secret cargo of human trafficking victims.
To free them, Reed teams with Angie Ellis (Annabelle Wallis), a sympathetic crew member who knew nothing about what was really going on onboard. As the duo struggles to stay one step ahead of the ship’s ruthless skipper, Captain Marko Madsen (Roland Moller), they’re aided by the sharp-witted commander (Adrian Lester) of a US Navy craft sailing in nearby waters.
Once the script, written by Lindsay Michel and J.P. Davis, establishes Reed as a champion of the oppressed, the question merely becomes how many creative ways he can find to slay his evil opponents.
The means he adopts include, inter alia, a longshoreman’s hook and a high-powered harpoon. In the end, it all adds up to a mayday for moviegoers.
The film contains excessive gory violence, a vengeance theme, a couple of instances each of profanity, milder swearing and crude talk, frequent rough language and a few crass terms. The OSV News classification is O – morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R – restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
