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The Big Bad Film Fest is slowly wrapping up this weekend on a very successful third year showing of some of the best that action cinema has to offer and with it, retro buddy cop action made a resounding and successful comeback in the efforts of director Steven C. Miller and his latest bullet fest with punchlines called Under Fire. Starring two very likable leads in Dylan Sprouce, who rocked the Die Hard style flick Aftermath, and Mason Gooding, the star of the sleeper horror hit Heart Eyes, Under Fire tells the story of two undercover agents, one for the DEA and the other the FBI, who have no idea that the other is in fact an agent as they are working the same case without the prior knowledge of the other. It’s a premise that screams sitcom variety, but the direction of Miller and his two leads fill the lean and mean 90-minute running time with hyper-kinetic running and gunning and hit the target humor to spare.
Griff (Sprouse) and Abbott (Gooding) are two lowly gunrunners who are looking to produce the score of a lifetime in acquiring a huge shipment of the white devil from a ruthless Mexican drug cartel. While attempting the transaction, things go from bad to worse as Abbott pulls out his DEA badge to make the arrest as Griff proceeds to showcase his own FBI credentials. Needless to say, the two agents who have spent a lot of time undercover together without actually knowing the other is…well…undercover must now learn to put his life in the other’s hands as World War III and our two wayward heroes must now go into survival mode amidst exploding landmines and the erupting salvo of bullets from a mysterious sniper located close by on a ridge. Bad day to say the least.
It’s sad but true that the buddy action pic went out several years ago with only fleeting glimpses of a resurgence here and there. Gone are the days when Riggs and Murtaugh or Tango and Cash lit up the screen with can’t miss chemistry and explosive, volatile action. Back in the day, directors like Richard Donner, Walter Hill and Tony Scott executed this subgenre of buddy testosterone to a T and it truly is a lost art nowadays.
Miller definitely is a fan of these types of action flicks, and it radiated through the film as Sprouse and Gooding work off each other incredibly well and are likeable and easy to love. This is important because if the stars don’t sync up, the movie will falter towards the finish line. You can tell that the actors were having a good time with the material while filming and if they weren’t, well then, they faked it until they made it. I would bet that Sprouse and Gooding were just as chummy as their alter egos eventually become and this makes for an enjoyable and fast paced little thriller that dares to deliver something a little different to the proceedings.
Throughout the movie, there are inevitable twists and turns that threaten to break up the newfound bromance and this layer of drama compliment the well scripted dialogue filled with robust punchlines and humorous discord to all the terrifying theatrics at play. Adrian Speckert and Cory Todd Hughes co-penned the script and both authors understood the assignment and most importantly, the audience it was meant for.
Most of the film and subsequent action takes place in one location which is the middle of the desert, but this works for its favor as the limited resources I’m sure Miller had for the film are put to good use with effects that sizzle and action beats that hit all the right notes. One aspect of the adrenaline I loved was Miller’s use of Matrix style slow-mo bullets that punctuate the danger to be had, and it delivers a reputable punch to the violence that is on screen. This is combined with kinetic sequences of our daunting heroes trying to stay alive and take down the baddies before they meet an unfortunate end.
Make no mistake, it’s Sprouse and Gooding who carry this film to the finish line on their shoulders, but they are complimented with a fine supporting cast. Odette Annable, who stars as Abbott’s object of affections plays to coy and does her very best in keeping up with the boys as the story unfolds. Emilio Riveria also shines in the role of Valentino who is on the other side of the proceedings as he is a crime boss with grumpy aptitude.
Under Fire is equal parts bravado laced action and deadpan funny and normally smaller films fall way short with either or, but I am here to say that Miller delivers on his promise while watching the trailer to fully pump yourself up before watching and the comedic tones are spot on and a welcome sight to all the carnage on display as well and there is a lot of it for a short, tight running time.
This movie just moves and moves at a rapid pace and there are several hell yeah moments including Sprouce John Wooing it in ultra slow motion and brandishing the always winning double gun crescendo while Gooding also gets ample opportunity to shine with key instances of heroic endeavors.
If anything fell short, it would have to be the failing to elaborate on a certain plot point but that, once again is a nitpick and even though it is a tad disappointing, it never full takes the viewer out of the experience. The mystery to the plot at one point fails to garner the win but hey, I’ve seen way worse so I give Miller and company a solid pass because everything else gels big time.
Overall, Under Fire is a slick and tidy buddy cop actioner that throws the Hail Mary back to the glory days of action cinema when this type of actioner ruled the theaters and video store shelves. The two very likable leads in Dylan Sprouse and Mason Gooding are a grand slam, and they work fiercely off each other for the desired results. The funny comes almost as fast as the bullets slicing through the air and if we were to see these two together again onscreen, I would welcome it with open arms. That is the biggest compliment that I can give this film, and it is a big one.
VERDICT: 3.5 Out of 5 Stars
Dylan Sprouce and Mason Gooding shine amid tracer fire and one-liners for an immensely enjoyable, raucous and rapid-fire viewing experience that channels the days of old!
Under Fire is also available on Digital & VOD from Vertical!
