If you are looking for a mindless actioner to waste an evening with, Kill 'Em All may just be what you are looking for. A no-nonsense martial arts movie that plays out like a video game, it has very little need for story. As it stands, there is very little exposition and what story it has is pretty much saved for the final act, barreling towards its conclusion. It is not a bad movie, per se, but one requiring a certain mindset to fully enjoy.
I must have had the right mindset when I watched because I rather enjoyed the ridiculous exercise. It does not offer anything new to the genre and the fights are not particularly special. But it does offer virtually non-stop action. Who doesn't enjoy some constant fisticuffs? Director Raimund Huber (Bangkok Adrenaline) and first time feature writer Ken Miller know what they are making here; it is not high art, just an entertaining B-movie.
The setup is simple. A bunch of assassins from around the world are kidnapped. This comes right after an opening montage showing some of them plying their trade, demonstrating a variety of methods (hand to hand, guns, explosives, etc.). The killers are drugged and when they awaken they are in a sealed room. The room is called the Killing Chamber, for pretty obvious reasons. A voice speaks to them over a loudspeaker, introducing them as players before they are forced to fight each other to the death.
After a few quick kills, the remaining few decide to work together and escape. Of course, the voice does not wish to let them go easily and the remaining killers must face waves of anonymous bad guys if they hope to escape.
Seriously, there is nothing to the story. As the end approaches we get some flashback stuff as they try to cram in a reason for us to care, but it is too little too late. This is not a movie about caring for the characters, this is about watching people fight.
Article comments
1 - oscar
exllent movie well done