Sylvester Stallone has lived a dual life in 2018. He gave us Creed II while also completing filming on Rambo: The Last Blood, but he also has starred in a few direct to VOD flicks. The first, Escape Plan 2, was a monumental disappointment, especially for those who enjoyed the first film, and his latest, Backtrace, which also stars Ryan Guzman, Christopher McDonald, and Matthew Modine is now available at your favorite streaming spot or a boutique movie theatre near you.
The film is actually pretty good considering what it is. Matthew Modine plays an armed robber who suffered memory loss from the opening shoot out and is in a psych ward for seven years unable to remember his past, when he’s busted out and injected with a new serum to regain his memory.
Stallone plays the local detective who has been on the case since the start, while Christopher McDonald shows up as the smarmy FBI agent brought in to clean up the case once Modine is on the lam. Sure, there are plot holes and there is some shoddy acting along the way, the film isn’t perfect, it’s not an indie art house darling, it’s not a big budget movie, it’s a lean action thriller that is held together by an enjoyable turn by Modine, a fun performance from McDonald, and the onscreen persona of Stallone.
There isn’t a big takeaway from the film, other than it’s a fun movie that clocks in just shy of 90 minutes, and screenwriter succeeds more than he fails at delivering an emotionally impactful story that give the main ensemble a dramatic core.
Stallone has a bit more than a glorified cameo and is given a decent amount of screen time, while Modine is the centerpiece of the film that propels it forward.
Review by Frank Mengarelli
Summary
Backtrace stands above most of the straight to VOD actioneers with a compelling turn by Matthew Modine with a foundation of Sylvester Stallone’s on-screen gravitas.
