Have you ever seen a trailer for a movie and thought it would be complete shite, but still you end up watching it at it’s not all that bad? No? Really? Well, it’s just happened to me. Sky Cinema has just released their latest original production called Final Score. Here’s what I thought about it.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
What Is Final Score About?
It’s impossible to ignore the most obvious comparison when it comes to Final Score. It’s Die Hard at a football game. The movie mainly takes place in West Ham’s old football ground; Upton Park – also known as The Boleyn Ground. An ex-soldier, Michael Knox, attending a game with his ‘niece’, the daughter of his fallen comrade. During the game, she wanders off and while she’s gone it transpires that there are heavily armed Russian criminals holding the packed stadium to ransom in order to find a former political leader in the crowd.
As you might imagine, the film follows Knox trying to save the stadium while protecting his ‘niece’.
I can’t help but feel this is a movie of convenience. West Ham had just left their stadium meaning there was a lovely set for the filmmakers to use. However, that’s not a good enough reason to either like or not like this movie.
Final Score Cast
The big names in this movie are Dave Bautista and Pierce Brosnan. Bautista is best know as a WWE wrestler and for his role as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy, though that looks to be coming to an end. Brosnan somehow got his name on the movie poster despite playing a minor role in Final Score. He has a few lines and only really starts to appear really late on in the film. I feel his inclusion was a coup for the Sky Cinema production and they wanted to sing about it. Don’t get me wrong, he’s grand like, but he just doesn’t do a whole lot.
Personally, I’d be lobbing Ray Stevenson on the poster because he’s in the whole thing. The Northern Irish actor, perhaps best known for his appearance in the Thor movies, but I know I know him best for his role as the bad guy in Dexter. We also get a look at Amit Shah playing stadium steward Faisil and Lara Peake playing Knox’s ‘niece’.
It’s a nice cast. Shah brings some humour to the table but Bautista’s size is nothing short of incredible. Watch out for him sitting on a bar stool to get an idea of how big the man is. To be honest, it doesn’t take away from his ability to nail an action role. This movie was made for him.
Is Final Score Worth the Watch?
Right, so here’s the trailer I saw:
My first reaction was that this was going to be bonkers and Brosnan hasn’t been in a good movie for quite some time. I was reluctant to give Final Score the time of day. But when you’re hungover, you’re a little more open to just watching something where you can easily follow the plot and I think that’s why I quite enjoyed this movie.
Earlier this year, the new Mission Impossible caught me off guard by being excellent and Final Score has gone and done the same thing. It’s ludicrous in parts, like totally insane. I’m talking Bautista riding a motorbike through Upton Park then eventually landing the same bike on the roof of one of the stands. The crowd’s complete inability to notice what’s going on around them is perhaps my favourite thing about the movie. At one point, Bautista literally swings across in front of the crowd, they see him and also see him land on the big screen in the stadium. When he lands, he gets into a fist fight, but no one notices because they are already back watching West Ham in a European semi-final (perhaps the most unrealistic thing about the whole film).
There are some scenes where the CGI is terrible, other scenes where Bautista takes on a ridiculous number of police officers and plenty of other madness throughout this nearly two hours action romp. But still, it’s actually not that bad at all.
It’s unrealistic and insane, but it’s also funny and entertaining
Sure, it’s unrealistic and insane, but it’s also funny and to be totally honest, it’s always entertaining. What more could you want from a film like? Sky Cinema originals haven’t been hit and miss so far, they’ve been miss but if you like action, you’ll enjoy this.
So What Are Sky Cinema Originals?
It’s a mad concept but in a chord-cutting world where many are now depending on Netflix instead of Sky TV, it’s a unique thing to see. Sky Cinema Originals, as you might have worked out, are movies produced by Sky. The difference is that when they are ready for release they are launched in cinemas and on Sky Cinema. That means Sky customers can watch a brand new movie in the comfort of their own home. Pretty neat.
Final Score: The Verdict
Don’t expect this to win any Oscars, but if you’re looking for something to pass the time and art an action fan, I don’t think this will disappoint. If you’re a Sky Cinema customers, g’wan sure.
