|
|
MAXIMUM IMPACT
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak Cast: Alexander Nevsky, Kelly Hu, Mark Dacascos, Evgeniy Stychkin, Polina Butorina, Eric Roberts, Tom Arnold, Alphonso McAuley, Keith Powers, Maria Bravikova, Matthias Hues, Danny Trejo, Bai Ling, William Baldwin MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:50 Release Date: 9/28/18 (limited) |
|
Review by Mark Dujsik | September 27, 2018 Too much plot can ruin a comedy. Maximum Impact has a lot of plot—about a secret meeting between American and Russian officials, a kidnapping plan, a big-time gangster, and a union between FSB and Secret Service agents to save their own hides. It's also cheaply produced, embarrassingly performed, and loaded with attempted jokes that land with a thud and then tunnel many feet beneath the ground. The over-plotting might be the least of its offenses. The story is a jumble of characters and schemes revolving around the U.S. Secretary of State (played by Eric Roberts) having a clandestine meeting in Moscow with his Russian counterpart to ease tensions between their countries. There's also Tony (Mark Dacascos), a has-been actor (who's repeatedly mistaken for other Asian actors, because, apparently, casual racism is funny), planning to abduct the American official's granddaughter Brittany (Polina Butorina) in order to stop the meeting. Maxim (Alexander Nevsky), a hulking FSB tech expert, and Kate (Kelly Hu), with the Secret Service, team up when they think Brittany has been kidnapped. It turns out that she just ran away with a local rock star, but that's besides the point. Tony acts as if his plan worked, and the agents have to cover up for their mistake or potentially lose their jobs. Also, Tom Arnold plays a guy who repeatedly has to urinate, even if that means using a plane's bathroom when the underage Brittany is in there (He could ask her to leave, but where's the creepy joke in that?). There are many, many, many more characters here, who exist primarily to add complications and awkward jokes (a lot involving sexual harassment) to the already confounding story. Screenwriter Ross LaManna is working under the assumption that more of everything is best, even if there's no logical or narrative reason to have more, and director Andrzej Bartkowiak appears to be completely lost in terms of editing, tone, timing, and, well, everything else. Maybe it's just paranoia talking, but Maximum Impact often seems like a Russian propaganda effort gone dreadfully awry. If not for information in the news and a federal investigation into a certain presidential campaign, the movie would be high on the list partnerships between the United States and Russia that have had terrible consequences. Copyright © 2018 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
Buy Related Products
|
