| Deadly Weapon (1988) Cast:Rodney Eastman, Kim Walker, Walter Koening, Ed Nelson,William Sanderson A teenage outcast finds a superpowered gun that gives him power for the first time ever in his life, with it he decides to even the score with bullies and his alcoholic dad, although the government wants to get the gun back and kill the kid in this interesting although surreal attempt to tell a revenge story. What is most interesting about Deadly Weapon is how much it speaks about the teenager's mindset. In the beginning of the movie Rodney Eastman has endured hell at school and then hell at home thanks to his father. It's really surprising that this movie works sometimes. The movie certainly sets the protagonist up as a generally good natured kid who just wants to be left alone, infact despite getting vengeance on his father, he actually refrains from killing his bullies, so the movie seems to be working on fundamental level restraint. All the kid wants is to get out alive and indeed doesn't even realize how dangerous he or the situation is. Another fascinating subplot is one that features his mother, who walked out on the kid. The sharp irony is that the government agent who wants to kill the teenager actually slaps his mother across the face because of her saying "I don't care if he dies or not" is something that gives a kick to the proceedings and it's here we start to feel sorry for the kid. The movie becomes quite surreal at times, infact one starts to wonder about the kid, since he keeps saying he's an alien so when the climax comes, things have gotten so bizarre and surreal that the movie feels like a dream. I'm not sure if I can call this a good movie but it's watchable and wonderfully weird with enough good ideas and a sensitive approach to the story which makes it quite memorable. D.Michael Minar*** |