Directed by: Jason Eisener
Starring: Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, and Brian Downey
Reviewer: Brett Gallman
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Reviewer's Rating: *** (3 Stars)
Though he’s told he can’t solve all the world’s problems with a shotgun, that sure doesn’t stop Rutger Hauer’s titular hobo from trying to do so (with his titular shotgun) in Jason Eisener’s directorial debut. When Hauer’s train rolls into the ironically-named Hope Town, he finds a sordidly bleak city that recalls the apocalyptic wastelands from Escape From New York and Robocop. He decides to clean up the streets in a riotously over-the-top gorefest that further resembles Verhoeven’s film; it lacks Robocop’s satirical bite, but often manages to be morbidly humorous anyway. The film started life as a “fake trailer” on Canadian prints for Tarantino and Rodriguez’s Grindhouse, and the subject matter of the final product is indicative of its origin: it’s sleazy, profane, and probably offensive to the faint of heart.
Stylistically, Hobo With a Shotgun proves to be unexpectedly polished and far removed from its Grindhouse background; dynamic camera angles and vibrant lighting work along with the humor to create an entertaining romp that’s much more fun than it should be, what with the various eviscerations and gruesome sight gags (at one point, a corpse doubles as a homeless shelter). Dialogue is often the only thing more ridiculous than the spectacular gory effects work, but the film somehow manages to craft not one, but two great characters. Hauer is typically charismatic in the lead, while Molly Dunsworth is a fine hooker with a heart of gold; their bond becomes an unexpected backbone for a film that’s seemingly more concerned with shattering spines.
A righteously absurd and bloody take on vigilante flicks, Hobo With A Shotgun works as pure neo-exploitation and as a punked-out, urban spaghetti western update; Hauer rides into town accompanied by the Mark of the Devil theme, and the film lives up to the European legacy violent, vigilante legacy of badasses who similarly restored order one shell at a time.
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