Release Date: May 10, 2013 (Limited)
Currently Playing on VOD Platforms
Director: Uwe Boll
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Film Pulse Score: 6/10
Many years ago Uwe Boll arrived on the scene and quickly became known as the “King of the Video Game Movies”. He churned out films like Blood Rayne, House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark and In the Name of the King which were all soon followed by their respective sequels. His films were dismissed as some of the worst game adaptations ever produced and despite the pleas of humanity that he stop making films he just kept making them. Having only seen his early films, at least through Postal, this viewer was quite taken back that he had witnessed a first. The first Uwe Boll film he liked, not kinda liked as he did with Postal, but actually liked.
Jim and Rosie Baxford are going through tough times trying to make ends meet. Rosie is going through medical treatments and the bills are piling up. Jim is optimistic that they’ll get through it. However, reality comes crashing in when investments he had made on Wall Street have gone belly up due to shady dealings by the investors and now the couple are struggling to stay afloat. Matters continue to escalate until Jim is pushed over the edge and decides to do something about it.
Assault on Wall Street is actually a decent B-movie, revenge/fantasy, drama that it still amazes that it came from the mind of Uwe Boll. Boll exhibits a level of restraint that truly serves the story. Gone are the over the top flourishes, excess and stilted dialogue that he’s known for. Instead he allows the actors tell the story and he sits back and captures it on film. He brings together his usual canon of actors and they all give solid performances. Dominic Purcell, Edward Furlong, John Heard, Michael Pare, Keith David, Eric Roberts, Cline Howard and Erin Karpluk star. Karpluk is particularly good as Rosie.
Boll adapts a leisurely pace and is in no rush to get to the grittier part of the story. He allows the characters to develop, to grow on you and once he has you hooked he hits you; well it was a telegraphed hit but why carp. Like Joel Schumacher’s Falling Down you’re just waiting for Jim to blow up on people but Boll doesn’t do that here. It is played completely straight and while it lays things on a bit thick at some point it does work in a way.
Reminiscent of ‘80s revenge fantasy dramas such as Death Wish or The Exterminator, Assault on Wall Street is a surprisingly good B-movie that while it doesn’t shatter any molds or stand out above the crowd it is still a solid effort. When you consider who wrote and directed it the end result is even more surprising. This is a different kind of Boll film, heavy on drama and light on action. Believe it or not, this is actually a good Uwe Boll film.
I watched this just because I couldn’t imagine an Uwe Boll movie worth a 6/10 and I must say this is by far the best he’s ever made. Still not sure I’d give it a 6 but it was an entertaining watch.
I too watched this to find out how in hell Boll could make a 6 points movie and was pleasantly surprised. I gotta tell you, it was a little preachy and it was more like a B-movie but, i loved the way Boll took it’s time to develope it’s characters and I really loved the ending.