Paradise City -An Epic Sun, Sea and Murder-Mystery
Directed by: Chuck Russell
Starring: John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Blake Jenner, Praya Lundberg, with Stephen Dorff
Synopsis: Movie icons and Pulp Fiction co-stars Bruce Willis and John Travolta face off in this action-packed thriller. When bounty hunter Ian Swan (Willis) is shot and presumed dead after disappearing in Maui waters, Swan’s son, Ryan (Blake Jenner), his ex-partner (Stephen Dorff), and a local detective (Praya Lundberg) set out to find his killers. After being threatened by a ruthless power broker (Travolta), it appears Ryan and his team are out of options — until an excursion to the closely guarded island community of Paradise City unites them with an unforeseen ally.
Chuck Russell & Edward Drake are a POWERHOUSE duo!
Director Chuck Russell directs this thriller written by director/writer Edward Drake. Drake is known for writing roles that fit Bruce, and Paradise City proves that.
The movie opens with an explosive shootout that has Willis reliving his glory days and selling a good performance. There is no doubt that it will catch your attention right away.
Blake Jenner portrays Ryan Swan, the son of Bruce’s Ian Swan. As a result of the epic standoff at the start of the movie, Ian is presumed dead and Ryan is left to find out the truth. With the help of Ian’s former partner Robbie and a detective named Savannah. This crew carve a path of destruction as they search for answers.
We are provided with a glimpses into how Ian wound up where he was at the beginning of the movie by flashing back and forth between his past and his present. This way of story telling helkps us keep invested in the overall plotline.
That HEAT moment
There is also a key scene where Bruce and Travolta meet across a table in a dimly lit restaurant for the first time, I think viewers will call it the “Heat” moment. Director Chuck Russell worked on Michael Mann’s assassin movie, Collateral, with Michael Mann (director of Heat). Among Bruce’s most recent iconic moments is this scene that reunited him with his Pulp Fiction co-star.
The Maui islands are beautiful, and director Chuck Russell does not fail to show their beauty. In the event that viewers do not like the movie, we can guarantee one thing, Chuck and co may have just planned your next vacation.
Verdict
Bruce gives a strong performance as Ian Swan in Paradise City. At the end of the film, Bruce is on the loose, dispatching a number of bad guys until he meets Travolta’s character Buckley for their final showdown.
As a villain, Travolta is always watchable. Have you ever wanted to see Travolta drop someone from a helicopter into a volcano? Then this movie is for you.
The film is characterised by Bruce’s good performance and Travolta’s charismatic villainous return. These icons of cinema shared the screen once again, and it was great to see them. Renegade fans should also keep an eye out for Branscombe Richmond, still kicking ass all these years later!
