I'm a movie buff (something the title of this blog probably hints at), and as an outgrowth of that I've become a Netflix junkie. Honestly, I'm not sure what I did before that movie service came along, because it satisfies this insatiable craving I have for films.
One of the things that I love about Netflix is that it not only lets me sample blockbusters, but also gives me access to smaller films that I might otherwise have never come across. Some of those movies I end up completely despising, like a pile of dogshit that you accidentally step in. Others, however, end up being something of a guilty pleasure. Blunt Force Trauma is one of the latter.
First of all the movie has a very interesting premise: there is an underground duelling society where people put on bulletproof jackets and then shoot at each other at close range. You basically win the duel by shooting your opponent enough times - in his vest - that he can't go on. (The name of the movie comes from the fact that, even though though a bulletproof vest prevents a fired round from penetrating a person's body, they still suffer severe blunt force trauma from the impact.) Hitting your opponent anywhere other than the vest is an automatic loss - although I can't imagine that's much consolation to the guy who gets his head blown off.
The main character (played by Ryan Kwanten of "True Blood" fame) is one of the insane assholes participating in these duels. He's actually one of the most proficient at it, and has quickly reached the point where he's having difficulty finding challengers. His goal, however, is to face off against Zorringer, who is universally acknowledged as the best of the best in this "sport." However, a challenge to the mysterious, never-seen Zorringer is by invitation only. Moreover, there's a buy-in, meaning that you have to pay up in order to face the big dog. Last but not least, none of those who have accepted the invite have ever come back.
Needless to say, this isn't your average movie. I mean, the premise alone was worth the price of admission in my book. There are plenty of "underground-fight-club" type movies, but a duelling club? That's a little outside the box, and I like it. The film was well-scripted and managed to combine a lot of different elements: action, romance, crime, revenge, and more. With all of that, the movie had the potential to be a mess, but it actually comes together quite nicely into a cohesive whole.
As I watched the movie, it occurred to me that Blunt Force Trauma was eerily similar to a film I saw many years ago called Circle of Iron. Starring the late David Carradine (who rose to fame starring in the hit series Kung Fu), Circle of Iron is a somewhat mystical tale of a martial artist who embarks on quest for enlightenment. In this instance, however, enlightenment can only come by finding and defeating a wizard known as Zetan. Along the way, he has to pass certain trials (which usually involving fighting someone) before finally learning where to find Zetan.
In retrospect, BFT can almost be seen as an updating of CoI, which was based on a story by the legendary Bruce Lee (who had intended to star in it before his untimely death). I enjoyed both movies very much.
Despite the unusual premise, there were only two things that I found odd about Blunt Force Trauma: (1) Despite what I said above, no one ever got their head blown off - at least not in a duel. You'd think that it would be likely to occur, but the most that ever happens is somebody gets winged. (2) I had to watch the end of the movie several times before I got a hint of how it concludes, because it's not especially clear. I certainly won't give it away here (I know, after spoilers galore above, right?), but I'd be curious as to whether anyone else who saw it reached the same conclusion that I did. Regardless, this was a good movie in my opinion, and not one that necessarily needed to be made better.
