"Arsenal" (Lionsgate/Grindstone) rated R, a film directed by Steven C. Miller and written by Jason Mosberg is a dark crime thriller focusing on two troubled brothers. The older brother Mike, who got kicked out of the military and is unemployed, is being held hostage by crime boss, Eddie King (Nicolas Cage) because he is owed money for unfinished business. Sal, (John Cusack), a cop, and a friend of Mikey’s assists him in finding clues to the older brother’s whereabouts.
'Arsenal' is a bloody mess
In the beginning of the film, it shows flashbacks of the two brothers as youngsters spending time at the arcade, and the older brother is vicious to Mikey, abuses him, and refuses to loan him money to play the games.
The younger brother, Mikey (Johnathon Schaech) who is shown later in the film as an adult, is more prominent, and has a successful life of his own (with a wife and baby daughter). He is being held for ransom and is forced to fork over $200,000 to Eddie King to get his older brother back safely. The film takes on a serious tone and has violent and bloody scenes. It’s set in the deep south of Biloxi, Mississippi, and it's currently available on VOD and in select theaters.
Nicolas Cage's character Eddie resurrected
Some argue that this is the sequel to 1993’s film “Deadfall” directed by Nick’s brother, Christopher Coppola who makes a brief appearance as Eddie’s brother Buddy in "Arsenal." Nick is reprising the role of Eddie and looks like a cross between Sonny Bono and Gerard Depardieu, with the brown mullet wig, fake prosthetic nose, outlandish suits, and a hairy chest with bling.
The film deserves a Razzie Award for Nicolas Cage’s over-the-top acting and violent scenes. It’s another straight-to-DVD/On-Demand release that will no doubt premiere on Netflix and Amazon Video soon. The plot has a decent storyline, but the film falls flat on its face! If the Razzies were held today, it would get multiple awards for the “Worst Film of 2017” category!
The original title of the film was “Southern Fury.” The title was probably changed to “Arsenal” because of all the guns used in the film. But I prefer the title “Southern Fury” better. It’s more suitable because it’s set in the deep south and there is a lot of fury going on between the characters. I don’t understand why the title was changed at the last minute.
We tried to reach out to director, Steven Miller through his website but got no response.
Hollywood has gone mad! What will they think of next? Nicolas Cage has five more films coming out in 2017, including “Vengeance: A Love Story,” “The Humanity Bureau,” “Inconceivable,” “Mom and Dad,” and “Looking Glass.” Let’s hope there’s a major improvement.
I rate this film a D.
