‘Stone Cold Fox’ Review – Love Letter To ’80s Action Thrillers Gets Lost In The Mail

Whether you grew up in the ’80s and pine for its nostalgia, or are just one of the successive generations who have been caught in the seemingly rad extension of that decade, there is something about the ’80s. Call it a vibe or an aura, the decade and its movies have a distinct style and effect. In this case, I’m talking about the total cheese-fest movies. The Death Wishes, Big Trouble in Little China, Commando, to name a few, all capture that 80s, pedal to the metal, non-stop action thrill ride.

Films in this genre of action/adventure and revenge/thriller over the succeeding decades have become more sophisticated. Audiences have come to expect a lot more than mere shoot-outs and a lot of fist-punching action. Yet there is something quaint —and, albeit a tad dated —to revisit this era and see what was, or, in the case of Stone Cold Fox, what attempts to be. 

In a movie dripping with ’80s decor and pumping out vibes faster than one-liners, Stone Cold Fox is a throwback to the revenge thriller popularized in this era. Starring Kiernan Shipka as Fox, she plays a woman searching for her family after escaping an abusive commune. But when the queenpin Goldie (Krysten Ritter) kidnaps her sister, things get hairy. She turns a bent-cop (Kiefer Sutherland) loose on her, leaving Fox no choice but to return to the place she escaped from if she has any hope of saving her sister. 

On the one hand, the movie has a charm to it that makes it quintessentially 80s. The look of the film, the attention to detail, all of that is a plus in its favor. Furthermore, Shipka’s lead performance is enough to make the whole thing worthwhile. She is kicking-ass and taking names, and we love her for it. There is also an added charm in the movie’s gender reversal, which makes it even more entertaining.

On the other hand, the story itself is predictable. This isn’t really a knock, since the movies that inspired this one are usually one-note and nothing more. A revenge thriller does not plunge too deeply, though Stone Cold Fox does offer a bit of a twist, which most audiences will see a mile away.

It isn’t easy to say if the added emotional beats give this relatively flat story any momentum or weight. In many ways, beyond being expected, the film’s twists do nothing. It gives Fox some emotional baggage that arrives too late for us to really care. Another strike against the film is the flat characters, aside from Shipka. 

Now, it is not necessarily the movie’s fault. Supporting characters in this kind of 80s flick were largely forgettable and inconsequential. That all being said, the characters, as written, are pedestrian. Goldie is a tapestry of cliches. Even though Ritter is giving it her all, the character comes off as flat, lacking any threat or intrigue. 

Regrettably, these problems are the script’s fault. While there is an apparent affinity for the genre, much of Stone Cold Fox feels like style over substance, from the title right down to the end credits. These types of films have a distinct DNA. We get some action and a couple of fights, but there is a missing spark that usually cranks even the worst of these movies up to a watchable guilty pleasure. While the effort is there to recapture the zany, propulsive action, much of this movie feels like a hollow imitation rather than a heartfelt love letter.

Fortunately, Shikpa does what she can with a weak script. Her natural on-screen charisma is apparent. We are at least along for the ride; it’s only too bad the ride does not end up anywhere we want to go, much less return.  

Stone Cold Fox is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Vertical Entertainment.