Sylvester Stallone Bullet To The Head

2012 American film

Bullet to the Head
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Walter Hill
Written by	Alessandro Camon
Based on	Du plomb dans la tête by Matz
Produced past	Alexandra Milchan Alfred Gough Miles Millar Courtney Solomon Kevin King-Templeton
Starring	Sylvester Stallone Sung Kang Sarah Shahi Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Christian Slater Jason Momoa
Cinematography	Lloyd Ahern II
Edited by	Tim Alverson
Music by	Steve Mazzaro
Product companies	Dark Castle Amusement IM Global Millar Gough Ink Emjag Subsequently Night Films
Distributed past	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	November 14, 2012 (2012-11-14) (Rome Pic Festival) Feb 1, 2013 (2013-02-01) (United States)
Running fourth dimension	91 minutes^[1]
Land	Us
Language	English
Budget	$40–55 1000000^[2] ^[three]
Box office	$22.6 million^[3]

Bullet to the Head is a 2012 American activeness film directed by Walter Loma. The screenplay by Alessandro Camon was based on the French graphic novel Du plomb dans la tête written by Matz and illustrated by Colin Wilson. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christian Slater, and Jason Momoa. Alexandra Milchan, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Kevin King-Templeton produced the film. The movie follows a hitman (Stallone) and a cop (Kang) who are forced to work together to bring downwardly a decadent businessman (Akinnuoye-Agbaje) later they are targeted by the man of affairs's assassin (Momoa).

The film had an exclusive test screening at the International Rome Moving picture Festival on November fourteen, 2012^[four] and was officially released in US theatres on Feb 1, 2013. The pic received mixed reviews and was a box part bomb.

Plot [edit]

In the urban center of New Orleans, hitman Jimmy Bobo and his partner Louis Blanchard kill a corrupt former MPDC policeman, Hank Greely, although Bobo leaves a prostitute, Lola, live. Later, at a bar, Blanchard is murdered past another hitman, Keegan, who also attempts to kill Bobo but fails.

Washington, D.C., Detective Taylor Kwon arrives in New Orleans to investigate his former partner'southward death and meets Lieutenant Lebreton, who informs him Lola confirmed Greely was assassinated. Kwon goes to the morgue, and, after seeing Blanchard's body and finding out who he is, he deduces that Blanchard and Bobo killed Greely. Meanwhile, Keegan meets with his employer, Robert Morel, and Morel's lawyer Marcus Baptiste. Baptiste reveals that Greely tried to blackmail Morel, and provided local mobster Baby Jack with a file detailing Morel's illegal operations. Keegan later on kills Baby Jack and his men and retrieves the file.

Kwon meets Bobo in a bar and informs him that he knows Bobo and Blanchard killed Greely. Bobo leaves, and when Kwon tries to follow him, he is attacked by corrupt cops who were ordered by Morel to preclude Kwon from further investigating almost Greely. Kwon manages to disarm and gun downward one of the corrupt cops merely is wounded by the other. Bobo rescues Kwon by running over the other cop and takes him to a tattoo parlor, where Bobo'south estranged daughter, Lisa, treats Kwon'due south wounds. They later go to a massage parlor where Bobo interrogates Ronnie Earl, the middleman who hired Bobo and Blanchard on Morel's behalf. Ronnie Earl tries to impale Bobo, but Bobo manages to impale him, although his gun jams. Bobo later confronts Kwon, who admits to having tampered with Bobo's gun, nearly causing his death. Bobo and Kwon concord to piece of work together.

Bobo and Kwon kidnap Baptiste and take him to Bobo's house, where he is forced to give them a flash drive detailing Morel's plans to acquire housing projects and demolish them to build office buildings and reveals Keegan is an ex-mercenary hired to be Morel'southward enforcer. Afterwards, Bobo shoots him in the caput. Keegan and his men trace Baptiste's cellphone to Bobo'south house, just Bobo and Kwon are able to escape and detonate a bomb, killing Keegan's men. Keegan escapes and swears revenge on Bobo. Angered at Bobo's methods, Kwon abandons him and continues lonely.

Kwon meets with Lieutenant Lebreton to enquire for his help, but Lebreton tries to kill him, as he is also on Morel's payroll. Bobo kills him and saves Kwon. Meanwhile, Keegan learns well-nigh Lisa and kidnaps her. Morel then calls Bobo and offers to trade Lisa for the wink drive. Bobo agrees, and meets with Morel in an abased warehouse, where he delivers the flash bulldoze to him and Lisa is returned to him, while Kwon infiltrates the building to arrest Morel killing several of Morel'southward men along style. Keegan becomes furious when Bobo is allowed to leave; he kills Morel and his men before against Bobo; they fight until Bobo stabs Keegan in the throat and Kwon shoots him dead from distant.

Kwon retrieves the flash bulldoze and Bobo shoots him in the shoulder to make it appear as if Kwon failed to capture him. Lisa decides to stay with Kwon waiting for the law and Bobo leaves. He later meets Kwon at a bar, where Kwon tells him he did not mention Bobo'due south involvement to the police this time, merely if Bobo continues in the business, Kwon will take him downwards. Bobo welcomes him to effort and drives off into the dark.

Cast [edit]

Sylvester Stallone as James "Jimmy Bobo" Bonomo
Sung Kang as Detective Taylor Kwon
Sarah Shahi every bit Lisa Bonomo
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje equally Robert Nkomo Morel
Jason Momoa as Keegan
Christian Slater every bit Marcus Baptiste
Jon Seda as Louie Blanchard
Holt McCallany every bit Hank Greely
Brian Van Holt as Ronnie "Cowboy Ronnie" Earl
Weronika Rosati as Lola
Dane Rhodes as Lieutenant Lebreton
Marcus Lyle Brown as Detective Towne
Douglas Grand. Griffin as Jack "Baby Jack" LeMoyne
Don Yesso as St. Charles Bartender
Dana Gourrier equally Deputy Coroner^[v]

Product [edit]

Development [edit]

The moving-picture show is based on Alexis Nolent's French graphic novel Du Plomb Dans La Tête ("Pb in the Head"), with a screenplay by Alessandro Camon under the working title "Headshot".^[six] The producing team previously produced the motion-picture show I Am Number Iv. An executive fastened to the film has said, "[This movie] is exactly the type of fast-paced, universally themed project that suits our business model. Sylvester Stallone is an international icon and we're actually excited to exist in business with him."^[vii]

Originally Wayne Kramer was fastened to straight, but left the projection when his vision of the motion-picture show was darker than Stallone wanted.^[eight] Sylvester Stallone then called Walter Hill who had just had a movie autumn autonomously six weeks before that he had been trying to do for a year.^[9] Hill later recalled:

When Sly and I first talked most doing information technology, I told him I thought if nosotros did it every bit an homage to '70s or '80s activity films – and if he got a haircut and if we played it not at some nuclear level and left a little room for humor – everything would probably work out. I mean, this is one of those plots... Y'all know, in terms of the real globe, they're adequately preposterous. Merely that'due south OK. That's part of the given. As long as you don't break the rules and contradict yourself within that sensibility, people go for the ride.... Sly and I have known each other for probably 35 years. I have ever been a neat gentleman of Sly's. Nearly directors beloved movie stars because they're such fabled tools to tell stories with. Sly is an actor simply he'south a star and he'south been a star for a very long time. When he sent me this, there was a feeling on both our parts, that if this was ever going to happen – u.s. working together – we better sit down and practise information technology. Fourth dimension is moving on.^[x]

Casting [edit]

Thomas Jane was originally cast for the office that would eventually become to Sung Kang. The role was recast at the insistence of producer Joel Silver, stating a need for a "more than 'ethnic' histrion" to entreatment to a wider audition.^[11] ^[12] Hill stated:

The real truth is these movies are all foreign driven. They need domestic releases. If the economics are right, people feel like they can exist commercial in a reasonable way domestically. Only they're really foreign driven. This motion picture would not exist without expectation of the strange audience being vastly greater than the domestic.^[10]

Colina said he wanted to have fun with the genre:

We're not breaking new ground. Nosotros're trying to exist entertaining within a format that's familiar. There's a kind of ice skating that goes on where y'all must permit the audience know that you're non taking yourself besides seriously. But at the same fourth dimension, the jokes are funny only the bullets are real. The jeopardy has to be real. When it gets outlandish, there needs to exist no migrate into parody – cocky-parody, mayhap inevitable for quondam directors.^[ten]

Hill said the film would exist chosen a "buddy flick" but that he fabricated "anti-buddy movies":

They don't like each other. They're not going to like each other. The virtually they're going to reach by the end is a kind of grudging respect. I'm just comfy with that. It seems to be an inherently more dramatic situation than if they're friendly and they get forth and respect each other. Also, frankly, it gives you better avenue to work in humor. These things take to be leavened with humor. It really reinforces the action.^[x]

Filming [edit]

Bullet to the Head was shot in New Orleans and started filming on June 27, 2011.^[seven] Loma:

1 of the things I like nigh New Orleans is it feels like you're in a western with the architecture. All the balconies, the erstwhile buildings, it feels like you're in the 1880s. Some of information technology spills into the movie. I don't know how much of it creeps into the edges and helps you or how much of it is just by pattern. Usually you're trying to tell a narrative through your characters and have all this stuff bleed in effectually the edges.^[ix]

Hill said he told Stallone "to play things more casually. I wanted him to play his natural personality as much as possible. He's a very engaging guy. I told him, "I'm non interested in you inventing a graphic symbol as much equally imagining yourself as character." He went right with that."^[10]

Music [edit]

Bullet to the Head: Original Move Motion-picture show Soundtrack
Soundtrack album
Released	2013
Genre	Soundtrack
Label	Varèse Sarabande (USA)
Producer	Hans Zimmer

The soundtrack album was released digitally on January 29, 2013 and in stores on February nineteen. The album features the film'south score, consisting of 15 tracks composed by Steve Mazzaro and produced by Hans Zimmer.^[xiii]

Release [edit]

On August 23, 2011, it was announced that the moving-picture show would be released on April 13, 2012. On February 23, 2012, the release date was moved back. It was released on February 1, 2013.

Reception [edit]

Box office [edit]

Bullet to the Head was Sylvester Stallone's worst opening weekend gross in 32 years, and his second-everyman opening weekend gross of all fourth dimension.^[14] ^[fifteen] Bullet to the Head made $4,458,201 for its opening weekend. Equally of March 24, 2013, the film has grossed $9,489,829 in the United States and $12,457,380 worldwide for a total of $21,947,209, declining to bring dorsum its $40 million budget.^[16]

Critical response [edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 46% based on 140 reviews, with boilerplate rating of five.08/ten. The site's consensus reads: "Bullet to the Head 'southward unapologetically trashy thrills evoke memories of its star and director's proud cinematic pasts – but sadly, those memories are only near all information technology has to offer".^[17] On Metacritic the picture show has score of 48/100 based on reviews from 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[18] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a course B− on scale of A to F.^[19] Jay Weissberg of Variety called information technology "a kickass actioner driven by personality rather than plot".^[20]

Accolades [edit]

Sylvester Stallone was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actor for his performances in this film, Escape Programme and Grudge Match, where he lost to Jaden Smith for After Earth.

References [edit]

^ "BULLET TO THE HEAD (15)". British Lath of Film Classification. 2012-xi-30. Retrieved 2012-11-30 .
^ FilmL.A. (May 2014). "2013 Feature Flick Written report" (PDF). FilmL.A. Characteristic Film Report . Retrieved June 29, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Bullet to the Head (2013)". The Numbers . Retrieved June nineteen, 2014.
^ Eric J. Lyman (November 14, 2012). "Walter Colina's 'Bullet to the Head' Wednesday's Highlights at Rome Fest". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 15 November 2012.
^ Weissberg, Jay (November 14, 2012). "Bullet to the Head". Variety. Diverseness Media, LLC. Penske Business organization Media, LLC. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 810134503. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
^ (2011-06-thirteen). "Sung Kang Joins Stallone's Headshot". Empire. Retrieved 2011-06-xvi.
^ ^a ^b (2011-02-06). "Sylvester Stallone to Star equally Hitman in 'Headshot'" The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2011-03-thirty.
^ Anderton, Ethan. (2011-06-03). "Wayne Kramer Will Next Write and Direct Futuristic Drama 'Ecstasia'". Firstshowing.internet. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
^ ^a ^b "Director Walter Loma Talks About Finally Working With Sylvester Stallone, Film vs. Digital, and Adapting the Graphic Novel on the Fix of BULLET TO THE Head" past Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub ColliderJanuary 24, 2013
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^{due east} 'Bullet to the Head': Walter Hill on Stallone, 'anti-buddy' movies LA Times 31 Jan 2013] accessed 26 April 2015
^ "Thomas Jane talks virtually being fired from HEADSHOT and THE LYCAN – News". GeekTyrant. 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2011-12-16 .
^ (2011-05-30). "Thomas Jane Also White for Sylvester Stallone's 'Headshot'". WorstPreviews.com. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
^ "Bullet to the Caput' Soundtrack Details". filmmusicreporter. Retrieved 2013-02-12 .
^ Adam B. Vary, "'Bullet To The Head' Opens With Sylvester Stallone's Worst Weekend Box Office In 32 Years", Buzzfeed, February 3, 2013.
^ Scott Gwin, "Stallone Bites Bullet to the Head", CinemaBlend, Weekend Box Office.
^ Daily box office report for three-14-2013.
^ "Bullet to the Head (2013)". Retrieved 18 May 2020 – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
^ "Bullet to the Head Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-02-07 .
^ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2019-04-21 .
^ Weissberg, Jay (November fourteen, 2012). "Review: 'Bullet to the Head'". Variety . Retrieved April 15, 2016.