Big Game (Review)

Big Game (2015)

Action, Adventure

Directed By: Jalmari Helander

Back in 2010 Jalmari Helander introduced himself to the movie universe with his fantastic little holiday horror film Rare Exports. The film boasted a clever twist on Christmas time fun and has since gained a sizable cult following and respect of movie geeks everywhere. So naturally we all were curious what his next film would be. He was given a lot more money this time around and he used it to his advantage. Big Game is a silly, summertime fun film that captures the spirit of classic adventure tales like The Goonies and Escape From New York while never taking itself too seriously. In his sophomore outing, Jalmari Helander may not have outdone his previous work but, he has created a fun adventure film that can be enjoyed by all ages.

The story is simple; Air Force One is shot down over Finland and the President (Samuel L. Jackson) becomes stranded in the wilderness after his escape pod lands in the middle of nowhere. It's not all bad luck for POTUS though, as young Oskari (Onni Tommila) is prowling the woods on a hunt. He is participating in a sort of coming of age ceremony where he must go into the wilderness at age thirteen and return with a kill. Instead he runs into the President, and in a weird twist of fate becomes his last and only line of protection. Now the two must find their way out of the woods and back to safety while a team of psychopathic terrorists follow closely behind.

This movie knows exactly what it is and never tries to be anything else. This is a silly film about a small Finnish kid fighting through the wilderness while protecting the President of the United States. If that doesn't sound entertaining as hell to you, then don't see this movie. Otherwise, this film does not disappoint as it is funny, charming, fun and action packed. Its main goal is to entertain and it does everything possible to do just that. There are gun fights, plane crashes, epic survival moments, plenty of laughs, and a lot to smile at.

Sam Jackson as the sissy president is perfect and it is great to see him do something a little different while still keeping his classic attitude. Paired up with the young Onni Tommila (Rare Exports) the two work great off of each other and without them, this movie doesn’t hit its mark. It is actually believable that this young kid can not only survive the wilderness but actually get the president to safety as well. It is pretty great watching a thirteen year old have more courage than the most powerful man in the world and not be afraid to throw it in his face. The cracks are filled with some fine support as well from familiar faces like Ray Stevenson and Victor Garber, both adding some welcomed acting brass to the smaller roles.

Big Game basically plays as a love letter from Helander to all of his favorite films and film makers. You can see and feel the influence of classic action and adventure movies throughout and yet he still makes the film feel completely fresh. This is in big part due to the landscape and natural beauty, the use of the mountains and forest make for some gorgeous cinematography. There are no sets and studios here, just Mother Nature and all her awe. Many smaller foreign films have utilized their surroundings to make incredible looking films on a low budget (See Tommy Wirkola's Dead Snow) and this is another car in that train. Even though this film boasted a decent size budget this movie has almost no impact without the location shooting.

This film is not ground breaking or game changing, it is simply a ninety minute ride through the mind of Jalmari Helander. Many people had high expectations for this film after the success of Rare Exports and although it may not be as original and memorable as that, it is definitely one worth checking out. We don't get too many action movies that can be enjoyed by an entire family (people shrugged off Tomorrowland earlier this year, I enjoyed it quite a bit) so if you’re looking for something you can sit down and watch with everyone I'd recommend giving this a look. Big Game is nothing short of fun and will keep you smiling from beginning to end. It's hardly the best of the year but it is one that deserves to be seen and I think a lot of you will find it is right up your alley.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!