Movie Reviews

‘I Am Vengeance: Retaliation’ Review – Non-stop Action

By Dom Fisher
June 19, 2020
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Synopsis:

Former special-forces soldier John Gold is given the opportunity to bring Sean Teague, the man who betrayed his team on their final mission in Eastern Europe several years ago to justice.

Action movies! What comes to mind? Is it, big guns, bigger explosions, brolic men, attractive women, car chases, and knuckle to face combat? I hope so. If you need that fight flick fix, I Am Vengeance: Retaliation has got you covered. The follow-up to 2018s more story-driven I Am Vengeance, this time there’s no holding back. Full of actors with resume’s filled with stunt work and combat sports, it’s head to tail non-stop action. Inspired by action films of the past, this sequel is rife with the action-hero spirits of Stallone and Schwarzenegger. We’ve had Cobra, The Terminator, John Wick, and now we have John Gold to add to the list. Starting off with a bang, this movie is beautifully fight choreographed with some of the best fights involving some badass women. With its added comedic moments, its a great escape from our daily craziness. While it’s plot may not be overly complex, it allows for the hand to hand combat to shine through.

The storyline isn’t directly related to its predecessor, however, the premise is a callback to a part of Gold’s past from the original story that is mentioned only momentarily. Hopefully they are able to follow on that with a prequel because I want to know what happened on that final mission. Led by Stu Bennett whose charisma and skills made him a star in the WWE; his portrayal of John Gold is nothing short of that same energy. I had a lot of fun watching the movie in all of its ass-kicking glory. The only negative for me was that the cat and mouse, hostage hot potato got kind of stale after awhile. It got to a point where I was yelling, just shoot him already. Nevertheless, if you’re a fan of action films I think you’ll enjoy I Am Vengeance: Retaliation. Its rewatchability is about medium.

Plot & Pace

Ex special-forces soldier, John Gold, known as a one-man army has been tasked with capturing his former partner, Sean Teague. Not only is there bad blood between the two but Gold would rather see the Teague in a body bag. With the help of a small team, Gold, hired by an old boss, must bring Teague to justice and somehow avoid killing him. The movie movies at a smooth pace as it starts very quickly. It gets congested at in the middle but finishes strong.

Characters & Chemistry

Stu Bennett as John Gold is a no-nonsense kickass machine. His back and forth chemistry with Sean Teague (Vinnie Jones) is violent and at times humorous. The standouts for me were Phoebe Robinson-Galvin as Kate and Katrina Durden as Jen Quaid. The two had amazing fight scenes and almost stole the show.

I Am Vengeance: Retaliation is now available through Video On Demand. Enjoy and stay safe.