{"id":14660,"date":"2017-03-25T16:52:13","date_gmt":"2017-03-25T23:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/?p=14660"},"modified":"2017-03-25T16:53:00","modified_gmt":"2017-03-25T23:53:00","slug":"review-arsenal-bd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/2017\/03\/review-arsenal-bd\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Arsenal BD + Screen Caps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Arsenal<\/em><\/strong> is the type of movie that makes you wonder who exactly is financing it with a bad script and a so-so performance by its lead actor. The only redeeming value, if you can call it that, is seeing Nic Cage doing vintage Nic Cage who is wildly hilarious.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Arsenal<\/span>
\n(2017)<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Genre(s): <\/strong>Thriller, Drama, Crime
\nLionsgate | R \u2013 92 min. \u2013 $24.99 | March 28, 2017<\/p>\n

Date Published:<\/strong> 03\/25\/2017 | Author:<\/strong> The Movieman<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
MOVIE INFO:
\n<\/u>Directed by: <\/strong>Steven C. Miller
\nWriter(s): <\/strong>Jason Mosberg (written by)
\nCast: <\/strong>Adrian Grenier, Johnathon Schaech, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Lydia Hull<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DISC INFO:
\n<\/u>Features: <\/strong>Commentary, Featurette, Interviews, Trailer
\nDigital Copy: <\/strong>Yes
\nFormats Included: <\/strong>Blu-ray
\nNumber of Discs: <\/strong>1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio: <\/strong>English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
\nVideo: <\/strong>1080p\/Widescreen 1.85
\nSubtitles: <\/strong>English SDH, Spanish
\nDisc Size: <\/strong>22.5 GB
\nCodec: <\/strong>MPEG-4 AVC
\nRegion(s): <\/strong>A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n

THE MOVIE \u2014 1.0\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Well, this was an interesting movie. Not for the plot or the main actors, but Nicolas Cage who seemed to be in an all together different thing than everyone else. This was a performance that harkened back to his 1988 classic Vampire\u2019s Kiss<\/em> with Cage being oh so Cage-y. He\u2019s not quite that<\/em> insane but so close and I\u2019d say without him, this would\u2019ve been another bad and forgettable pic, it\u2019s just bad…<\/p>\n

The plot focuses on blue collar entrepreneur and family man JP (ADRIAN GRENIER) whose older brother, Mikey (JOHNATHON SCHAECH), has anything but a stable life and has resorted to dealing drugs using the money JP gave him, only to have it ripped off by a couple of thugs. With a daughter to take care of, he\u2019s in dire need. Growing up, Mikey worked for local crime boss Eddie King (NICOLAS CAGE) where his life went off the rails though he also cared for JP after their uncle\u2019s suicide.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

King, believing Mikey owed him, proposes an opportunity to extort money from JP with a kidnapping scheme. Soon enough, JP does receive a call demanding $300,000 and how it\u2019s up to JP to track down sources on the streets, with the help of vice cop Sal and friend Sal (JOHN CUSACK), and discover if the kidnapping was real or if his bro is using him.<\/p>\n

I honestly don\u2019t know why I continue to subject myself to these crime-thrillers. Sure, Arsenal<\/em><\/strong> does boast an interesting enough cast, though the studio employs the same template as their other low rent flicks by nabbing a couple of names (i.e. Nic Cage and John Cusack) and have them on location for a day. I have to think, if it weren\u2019t for Cage, this easily would\u2019ve been forgettable. In his few scenes, Cage so chews the scenary to that I must commend Schaech for somehow getting through their scenes with him without breaking\u00a0 because Cage is so outrageously over-the-top, it stands out as everyone else (from the main to supporting cast) plays is rather straight. This is vintage outrageous Cage.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As I said, the other cast members are rather bland. I couldn\u2019t really buy Adrian Grenier as some successful businessman who somehow turns into a \u201cbad-ass\u201d who can wield a gun and seek vengeance. Schaech meanwhile plays disheveled rather well, however and the few scenes he has with Grenier weren\u2019t bad. John Cusack, like Cage, no doubt was only on location for a day and had one piece of wardrobe: black coat, black pants, black headband. He\u2019s alright in a limited part but could\u2019ve easily been removed and wouldn\u2019t have been missed.<\/p>\n

From a script written by Jason Mosberg (debut), Arsenal<\/em><\/strong> was directed by Steven C. Miller who previously helmed a couple other Grindstone films (Extraction<\/em> and Marauders<\/em>) and has Escape Plan 2: Hades<\/em> in production (mainly for the Chinese market more so than Stateside). Considering the script, budget and Cage, I\u2019m not entirely sure if he had a chance to even actually make it good. That said, it would appear he was channeling his inner Guy Richie with some slow-mo shots that were more ridiculous than thrilling.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I suppose if you want a good laugh seeing Cage chew the scenery, Arsenal <\/em><\/strong>might be worthy of a rental, otherwise let it be lost amongst the numerous other direct-to-video flicks that have come and gone.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n

SPECIAL FEATURES \u2013 2.25\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

This release comes with a matted and title embossed slip cover<\/strong>. Inside is a Digital HD<\/u><\/strong> copy.<\/p>\n

Audio Commentary<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Director Steven C. Miller and Actor Johnathon Schaech provide a light-hearted and fun track giving anecdotal stories some of the more interesting ones being about Nicolas Cage who was only on location for one day.<\/p>\n

Building an Arsenal<\/em> (9:47; HD)<\/u><\/strong> is your usual behind-the-scenes featurette with interviews by members of the cast and crew talking about the characters and story.<\/p>\n

Extended Interviews (TRT 26:40; HD):<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n