From The Hollywood Reporter · Jordan Mintzer · · 1m 20s
Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino in a holy mess
A Luc Besson-produced action flick so out of time it feels like a 1990s script pulled from a drawer.
In brief
A Luc Besson-produced action flick so out of time it feels like a 1990s script pulled from a drawer. Father Joe plays like a forgotten 90s Besson script dusted off for a paycheck, and the confusion starts with why Pacino and Sutherland said yes. Originally reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
A bargain bin action flick
Father Joe is the latest Luc Besson-produced action movie, and the review files it under bargain bin from the first paragraph.
“the latest Luc Besson-produced bargain bin action flick”
Why did they say yes
The first question the movie raises is what Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino were thinking when they signed on.
“What the hell, forgive me father, I meant what the heck, were Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino thinking”
What year is this
The second question is when the film is set. Nothing on screen agrees with anything else.
“When is the movie supposed to be taking place?”
Cars from one decade
The cars all look like they rolled off a late 70s or 80s lot, setting one timeline in the viewer's head.
“The cars all seem to be from the late '70s or '80s”
Tech from another
Then desktop PCs and old Nokia phones show up, which pushes the best guess to sometime in the 1990s.
“there are desktop PCs and old Nokia cell phones”
A script from the drawer
The 90s were Besson's peak, with La Femme Nikita and The Professional. The reviewer suspects he wrote this then, shelved it, and revived it for money.
“stuffed it in a drawer, and then for reasons that are most likely financial, decided to resurrect it”
What matters most
Father Joe plays like a forgotten 90s Besson script dusted off for a paycheck, and the confusion starts with why Pacino and Sutherland said yes.
