Bruce Willis has been cast in an action-thriller and not some moody, Oscar-worthy, think piece? Surely you jest! While it’s true Willis has a pretty diverse career, even with upcoming features like Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” and Rian Johnson’s sci-fi film “Looper,” the action-thriller genre has been Willis’ bread and butter ever since he muttered the phrase “Yippie Kay Yay…”
Variety has word that Willis is up for Columbia’s “Five Against A Bullet,” which follows a Mexican politician who hires the world’s five best bodyguards after his father is brutally slain by a drug cartel, requiring him to use the extra protection for an upcoming campaign run. As you would imagine, Willis is set to play one of the body guards, in a script from Alex Litvak who’s given us such action classics as 2010’s “Predators” and Paul W.S. Anderson’s 3D-enriched “Three Musketeers.”
Anyways, this is a move that falls squarely into Willis’ comfort zone, and if you’ve seen any of his recent action-thrillers, they’re practically unwatchable. From “Hostage” to “16 Blocks” and especially “Live Free and Die Hard,” Willis has forgotten how to exude the rough and engaging charm that made him a star as John McClane. He’s a good actor, but anybody who’s seen “Red” or “Surrogates” knows that he’s not averse to phoning it in. But perhaps with the right director, this could turn about to be something above average rather than just another team up of action heroes (which the premise seems to indicate).
Willis will be in your local theater kicking butt soon one way or another, but whether or not it’s worth watching is another question entirely.
