Banderas channels his gentlemanly charisma as the surly Cuda, who prefers to communicate with stony glares rather than words. His intensity is skilfully undercut by a tinge of underlying emotion, even if it's simplistically sketched in the script. He also has superbly jagged chemistry with Aria, who uses his magnetic physicality to make the hothead Stray sympathetic. Meanwhile, Bosworth plays nicely against type as the ruthless Estelle, who offers Cuda a "retirement package" in the form of her massive henchman Doom (Smith).

Several climactic confrontations in the final act feel more grounded than expected in movies like this. Most notable is the way Hughes avoids over-choreographed action to instead orchestrate tautly controlled bloodbaths. So while some of the dialog becomes rather corny, and the narrative itself feels oddly under-cooked, the film remains intriguing and involving all the way through. This is a terrific feature debut for Hughes, who proves that he can make something entertaining within even the most hackneyed genre.

themes, language, violence

5.Jan.23

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