Don’t you think it’s time that we try to forgive Mel Gibson? I mean, there are celebrities out there who have actually killed people and they get a pass. Matthew Broderick killed two people and no one really remembers that.
Woody Allen fucks and marries his adopted daughter then continues to make movies about it (Café Society), trying to justify his actions and even he gets a pass.
But why not Mel Gibson?
Yeah, he got drunk and said some sexist and racist things to his ex-wife. Have you heard from Kevin Sorbo lately? The guy has lost his damn mind. Besides making horrible religious propaganda movies, he’s been quoted saying religious movies can’t get made because “the jews” run Hollywood. And even he gets defenders.
I guess mainly because people are fucking nuts these days.
But still, no defenders for Mel Gibson.
Blood Father is a great movie, one where Mel gives maybe his best performance. This should have been his Taken, rejuvenating his action movie career. But nope, because he’s Mel Gibson, it really doesn’t matter how good of a film it is, no one is going to see it. It also doesn’t help that this was only shown in limited theaters around the US.
Hell, he directed a new film coming out soon, a religious war movie, and nowhere does it even say it was him that directed it.
Anyway, let’s get down to it!
Mel plays Link, an ex-alcoholic, ex-criminal, ex-biker and all around bad dude. But he’s turned his life around, or at least is trying really hard to. He tattoos out of his shitty trailer and goes to AA meetings. His sponsor being William H. Macy. They have some pretty good banter between them, making you believe their unusual relationship. He’s his best friend, but he’s also that guy who will slap the bottle out of your hand when you’re thinking of drinking again.
Link’s daughter, played by the lovely Erin Moriarty, has been missing for a few years. But on his birthday, he gets a phone call from her, asking for money.
Since running away, she’s been staying with a Mexican drug runner. He sets up stash houses, having ordinary people live in them to draw any suspicions away from the fact that the house is filled with cartel drugs. Unfortunately for Lydia (Link’s daughter) the stash house she was staying at had drugs go missing.
To prove herself innocent, she goes with her creep boyfriend Jonah and a couple of his crew to check on another stash house with missing drugs.
There they want Lydia to kill someone for them. After she refuses and a quick struggle with the gun, she ends up shooting Jonah, presumably killing him.
So now she’s on the run and the only person she knows to turn to is her deadbeat father.
Almost immediately, Jonah’s crew shows up and fills Mel’s trailer with bullet holes, even ramming their truck through it, flipping it over.
But you don’t fuck with Mel Gibson. He stands his ground long enough for the cops to scare them off. But seeing as he broke like a million parole violations and doesn’t want his daughter to get arrested for murder, they take off as well.
On the run, Mel goes to see an old friend played by Michael Parks. Who is always a blast to see. Instantly your film gets better with him in it. Got a movie about turning someone into a walrus? Well, put Michael Parks on it and you got yourself an entertaining 90 minutes.
Parks plays Preacher, Mel’s old biker gang captain. Link did time for this guy, so he owes Mel big. But seeing as he’s dealing with a bunch of scumbags here, Parks double crosses Mel and his daughter, turning her over for the $50,000 reward his ex-wife put out for her.
That’s another thing I skipped over, but might mention. Link’s ex-wife. He finally calls her to tell her he’s found their daughter and she doesn’t even give him the chance to speak. She’s moved on, married rich, couldn’t really care less about her drugged up runaway daughter. With parents like these, right?
Anyway, Michael Parks needs the money, selling Nazi memorabilia online doesn’t pay the bills like it used to. That’s another thing, this film has… moments. Moments that make you remember Mel the actor and not so much the character. Maybe it was done purposely, that’s why he took the role. There’s also these religious undertones here as well. It plays to his character because he is in AA, but seeing as this is Mel Gibson it makes you cringe a little. Or at least it did with me. Mel’s two big vices, crazy religion and booze.
Where was I? Oh yeah, Link gets away from Michael Parks and lays low at a hotel. He takes a visit to the prison he did time at to see some old friends, and find out more about who this Jonah person was.
Turns out he was the son of a big time cartel guy. And is suspected to have stolen the missing drugs… or was it money… I want to say drugs since they are drug runners. I want to call them narcos since I’ve been watching season 2 of Narcos lately.
Anyway, while this is happening, Jonah shows up and kidnaps Lydia. That’s right; being shot in the face wasn’t as lethal as you might think. Though I guess technically he was shot in the neck. Because there are no vital organs in the neck, right?!
Instead of killing her, Mel negotiates to trade her life for his. I’m not completely clear on the reasoning behind that. I’d have to watch that part over again to see why he’d want him too.
In kind of a funny scene, Mel heads back to see Michael Parks, raiding his arsenal. Parks gets the drop on him, but Mel quickly shoots through him. A much deserved death.
After pocketing a few grenades, Mel heads off to the meeting place. A spot out in the middle of nowhere. I always wondered how everyone found each other when meeting in places like this. Like was there a tatted up sicario giving him detailed directions over the phone? I wondered the same thing on Breaking Bad. I’m terrible with directions, so I’d get lost instantly. And it isn’t like you can stop and ask someone for directions.
I wouldn’t exactly call this an action film. It’s very low key in moments. Mostly it’s a drama, with some action and a bit of humor sprinkled in. But the ending, Mel kills the fuck out of these guys.
Actually, speaking of Breaking Bad (the greatest show ever made) the guy who played the creepy twin sicarios is in this. Playing another creepy sicario. He and Mel get into a gun battle to the death.
That’s one complaint I have about the film. Mel’s character dies! I mean, I was serious about this being his Taken. This had potential for some sequels. I mean, if they can squeeze two more sequels out of Taken, they can do it with Blood Father. It seemed like a missed opportunity. Though seeing how bad the Taken sequels are, maybe it is for the best. They’d probably get some hack like Olivier Megaton to direct them. Or that robot Skip Woods to write them.
It doesn’t end on a complete downer thankfully. Jonah is sent to prison where he runs into Mel’s old prison buddies looking for some payback. Which is the title of another great Mel Gibson film.
And his daughter Lydia has gotten herself in AA, I think even leading the meeting.
Like I said, this film is pretty great. Mel is a serious badass in this. He looks so damn intimidating with that beard. It actually sucks towards the end when he decides to shave it.
I can’t really recommend this film enough; really make sure you check it out if you ever get the chance to. And c’mon, give Mel a break already!
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