Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Distributed by: Lionsgate Films
Written by Nick McCann
52/100
Joe Carnahan has been on my radar for years without me fully realizing it. Not exactly a household name or someone with a flawless track record, but when conditions align, the man knows how to deliver punchy mayhem. Unfortunately, his latest action outing doesn’t showcase those talents particularly well.
Unlike the manic ensembles and gleeful chaos of Carnahan’s previous work, “Shadow Force” pumps the brakes to chase more emotional resonance. This mashup of family values and assassin espionage had me half-expecting Robert Rodriguez to pop up and announce a new “Spy Kids” installment. The cheese factor runs high throughout, though I’ll admit some comedic beats land decently. What really sinks things is how uninteresting the story plays out—predictable turns, exposition dumps, and a structure that never finds its footing.
All of that might be forgivable if the characters felt genuine. Omar Sy and Kerry Washington do what they can with the material, occasionally finding moments to shine. But the script can’t figure out how to balance their dual lives as reformed killers and devoted parents, leaving them stranded in a sea of groan-worthy jokes. Jahleel Kamara brings the expected innocent charm as their son—he’s got less to lose here. The supporting cast occasionally taps into Carnahan’s typically crazed energy, though everyone’s stuck playing walking clichés. Mark Strong keeps things appropriately ruthless while Da’Vine Joy Randolph absolutely owns every sidekick quip thrown her way.
This becomes one of those films where any physical action feels like a godsend. But even that relief gets undercut by set pieces that look and feel technically flat. The staging lacks visual flair (one particular car chase thinks it’s channeling “Mad Max” but falls embarrassingly short), and there’s a frustrating tendency to tease fights or cut them off before they get going. Not every sequence suffers—the better ones benefit from letting the camera breathe in those lush Central American locations. But nothing here sticks in your memory or even delivers competent thrills.
“Shadow Force” would barely pass muster as late-night direct-to-video fodder. The story lacks any real pull, and the action needed way more firepower. For a title that suggests shadowy intensity, the actual result plays more goofy than expected—and not in any fun way. I kept waiting for Danny Trejo to swing around a corner and start fighting off some walking thumbs.
“Shadow Force” Trailer
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