Final Score
                     
Director: Scott Mann
Year: 2018
Rating: 6.0
Here is yet one more Die Hard clone but that is ok by me. Whether it takes place in an office building, a skyscraper, a ship, an airplane or like here a football (soccer) stadium, I like them. The one man in the right place at the right time is a great theme. Especially if he has skills and the villains are real baddies. Hell, if it was a cast of cats, I would still watch it. At this point, these types of films are quite predictable but that is much of the pleasure of them. You know the hero will come through and all the baddies will end up dead. You have to add the personal touch though to make it effective - the hero must have a loved one at risk - maybe an issue to deal with - hopefully a sidekick. Die Hard had the wife, his divorce and the black cop on the outside helping him. Here we get a daughter, guilt and a Muslim stadium employee helping him. At some point, the villains will find out that the hero has a personal stake in killing them and use that to their advantage. So ya, basically the same film but having it take place in a huge stadium packed with rabid football fans gives it a different look. I give the filmmakers credit for making it look very realistic. How much was actually shot during a football game and how much faked. I am not too discerning, so it all looked convincing to me. Considering that the shoot much have taken weeks, it must have logistically been challenging.

 

Knox is in London from his mercenary duties somewhere in the world. He is visiting the wife and daughter Danni (Lara Peake) of a fallen comrade that he feels was his responsibility. He knows shit about football and likes it less but he has two tickets to take Danni to a big game against a Russian team. Fortunately for him, he doesn't have to spend much time watching the game. Knox is played by Dave Bautista and it is nice seeing him as a real life human for once. He is Drax in the Guardian of the Galaxy films. Before that a top WWE fighter. His neck is thicker than my waist. When I was younger. As for his acting skills, let's say that Drax is a good fit for him. But he is believable as a force of nature.

 

Unknown to him a band of ex-military Russian forces have taken over the stadium, cut off communications and shut the gates tight. They want someone in the stands and will blow up the stadium unless they find him. The reason is silly and too complicated to go into - but damn they get Pierce Brosnan in beard to play him. I assume the beard and Russian accent was in hopes that no one would recognize him and wonder why he was in this. The Russian terrorist is played by Ray Stevenson from tons of films but the Rome TV show being a favorite.

 

At some point early in the game Danni runs off to snog with some lame boyfriend who wants to get into her pants. Knox gets the help of Faisal (Amit Shah) to help him find the office to look for Danni. Faisal as it turns out knows every nook and cranny of the stadium and being Muslim - called a Paki of course by fans - comes in handy later on when he has to evacuate the stands. They find a Russian guarding the elevator and after having to kill him, the Die Hard action is on as they chase after Knox and he slowly whittles them down in various ways. It gets ambitious with a motorcycle chase, shoot-outs on the roof and nobody noticing - because football is just so fascinating. It reaches levels of absurdity but that is what we expect from these types of films.