30 Aug Samaritan Review

SAMARITAN

dir. Julius Avery, starring Sylvester Stallone, Javon Walton, and Pilou Asbæk

A quarter century ago in Granite City, superhero Samaritan and his arch enemy Nemesis fight to the death in a fiery warehouse duel, leaving both presumed to be dead. In current times 13 year old Sam Cleary, obsessed with Samaritan, begins to suspect his reclusive and eccentric neighbor Joe may be him. Working in Granite City’s sanitation department, Joe keeps to himself and attempts to repair old antiques. When the old man saves Sam from a gang of bullies, the bond between them begins as Sam slowly coaxes Joe back out into a world that’s falling into decay and ruin.

Samaritan, an attempt at a fresh original superhero story that’s not reliant on decades of history or the baggage of superfan expectation, gives us a look at a world that has degraded into crime-ridden disarray after the decades without its superhuman. In a similar vein to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns (which features an aging Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement to be Batman again), Samaritan, grey and grizzled, has withdrawn from society. Unfortunately, the comparisons end there, as The Dark Knight Returns would go on to be a heralded work of fiction and Samaritan is an inert and barren attempt at cashing in on the current superhero craze. Written by Bragi F. Schut, the film carries a number of well-worn tropes: eccentric loners, spunky young kids and their beleaguered parents, chaotic villains and their underdeveloped arm candy. Unfortunately, almost none of this is mined or explored past its surface value; nothing new of note is added to these tropes, leaving the audience with a copy of a copy of a copy, resulting in a film that feels heartless and empty.

Starring Sylvester Stallone, the energy of Samaritan directly reflects the energy his character Joe carries through the film, which is to say none. This is by far the most uninspired Stallone has been in a film to date; the veteran action actor mumbles and shuffles his way through scenes with as little emoting as possible. It’s clear Stallone is up there in years; at 76 years old, no one is expecting high caliber action sequences, which should lead to a focus in the dramatic character-driven beats. Sadly, he falls short of the mark there, as well. Also starring Javon Walton as Sam Cleary, the 16 year old actor brings a measure of much needed charm and cheekiness to the movie. As the film’s core character, Walton has the most to do and his tenderness in scenes with his mother when compared to his scenes with Samaritan or fellow Samaritan enthusiast (played wonderfully by Martin Starr), Walton imbues each scene with a different type of energy and presence.

Of the film’s many shortcomings, perhaps the most egregious is the central antagonist Cyrus, played by former Game of Thrones actor Pilou Asbæk. A paper-thin villain with little motivation outside of a sort of general reckless chaos, Cyrus’ overall goal is never clearly stated, nor any part of it actually executed. Superheroes (and, more increasingly, superhero movies in general) are only as interesting as the supervillains they face and Samaritan is a clear example that with such a weak villain, the story falters under the weight of its own mediocrity. Pilou Asbæk himself works as best he can, but the paltry meal he’s served makes for a starved performance.

Directed by Julius Avery, Samaritan makes for the Australian filmmaker’s third feature length outing. Coming off the impressive 2018 action horror movie Overlord, Samaritan is a step backwards in Avery’s career. Whereas Overlord was filled with energy and dynamism, Samaritan by comparison feels lifeless and sluggish, and not just due to the mashed potatoed delivery from Stallone. Avery’s direction is uninspired and flat, failing to provide any flourish or flare to an otherwise lackluster screenplay. Bragi F. Schut’s screenplay is absent of any real punch, and while his attempts to endear Samaritan to Sam are laudable, the overall blandness of the characters will leave some audiences unwilling to be fully invested in them, or in the story itself.

Overall, Samaritan ends up disappointing on a number of facets: writing, directing, editing, and acting being only a few. While there was a glimmer of an effective story of an aging superpowered person wishing to live a quiet life away from any scrutiny, the film is mostly comprised of cliches, tired rehashed gimmicks, and ineffective character development. The smartly executed third act twist isn’t enough to carry the weight of such a bland offering for the superhero genre. Samaritan is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Review by Darryl Mansel