With a handful of chuck-norris jokes and sometimes more, sometimes less well-aged action stars, who not only met with their creaks, but also with their self-ironic punch lines, “Expendables 2” in 2012 not only caused a moody entertainment for genre fans. No wonder that the $ 100 million action spectacle re-enacted the triple of its production costs worldwide. It was the last big hit for director Simon West who, after the (undeserved!) Flop of the Jason-Statham-Vehikel “Wild Card” (2015) at least in the USA, could no longer realize further prestigious production and, after his luck after the criticism, such as “Stratton” or “Gun Shy”, in the meantime in the meantime in the Chinese action cinema (“Skyfire”, ” Legend Hunters “) looking for.
Now the native Brit is back in his home country-with an action comedy, in which this time is not a group of mercenaries, but a somewhat rusty contract killer is about to retire. Who looking at the top-class cast list-with the two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (“Django Unchained”) and Action Heroine Lucy Liu-a black-humorous gag fireworks as with the thematically similar killer comedy “Bruges see … And die?” Expected, however, is disappointed: Tired gags and desolate shootouts take care of “Old Guy – old dog with new tricks“Even in the better moments for a maximum medium-sized fun factor.
Christoph Waltz and Cooper Hoffman obviously have fun – unfortunately the spark does not really jump over to the audience.
Finally the rail can take off: The Mafia order killer Danny Dolinski (Christoph Waltz), which suffers from arthritis in his hand, can finally go back to his bloody job. Only he gets the young and wild young killer Wihlborg (Cooper Hoffman) aside from his boss Opal (Ann Akinjirin). Together with Danny's girlfriend, the nightclub owner Anata (Lucy Liu), the unequal duo breaks up to Belfast to eliminate the next destinations. But there the trio soon ends up unexpectedly on the list of shooting of her mysterious organization …
“Old Guy – old dog with new tricks” on Amazon*
With a brown leather jacket, mustache and-at least in the German version, in which he synchronized himself-a lot of Wiener Schmäh gives Christoph Waltz a contract killer-fossil that has already fallen out of time, which-not very age-appropriate-is still legally cleared up to Electro parties. Cooper Hoffman (“Licorice Pizza”) with lacquered fingernails, straight-edge life and colorful clothes questions pretty much all stereotypes of traditional masculinity with lacquered fingernails. Of course, clearly oversubscribed figure clichés bounce together – but the two stars act in such a pleasure that their cubes, some of which have become clumsy, are quite enjoyable.
In addition to this bright and less subtle generation conflict, Greg Johnson (“The Last Son”) also strikes more serious tones in his surprising script, for example when both have their own opinion on collateral damage, especially when it comes to children. For Lucy Liu (“Red One-alarm level Christmas”), there is only an ungrateful part: As a pretty accessory, she can throw herself in a new dress and meet an old (sex) acquaintance in the restaurant in Belfast. To progress the thin plot that ripples, however, all of this contributes little.
In contrast to his young colleague, Danny Dolinski (Christoph Waltz) believes that if necessary, children can also do an end.
The biggest problem of “Old Guy – old dog with new tricks” is its low pace. There is no lack of irony that a conspiratorial meeting takes place on the ranks of a greyhound racetrack. And also that many particularly stubborn scenes with forward-looking jazz improvisations or gaudy rock passages are more effort than helpful. In any case, tension does not arise in most murder orders in the ranks of high-ranking syndicate members. Because although the numerous difficulties with bodyguards and surveillance cameras are teased on a golf course or in a house by the sea, they no longer play a real role on site. The goals are then rather unspectacularly snapping out the light in short shoot-outs without potentially tension.
At least a longer action sequence in which Dolinski reaches deep into the trick box for a successful distraction maneuver. But this also proves to be a bitter disappointment due to its visible low-budget aesthetic. Even the grand finale with a rich bodycount takes place in a lovelessly-cheap department store set, which only looks uglier. But that is now probably the reality of the now 63-year-old Action Maestros: The times when Simon West in Hollywood explosive big budget fireworks such as “Con Air” or “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” was finally over-even if he still does not still not use B productions like “Bride Hard” in the quirks think.
Conclusion: an action comedy that is clearly lacking in action, drive and successful punch lines. Even with a well-placed Christoph Waltz as arthritis mandate killer, Simon West, in “Old Guy-old dog with new tricks”, does not manage to build on his former Hollywood successes.