Action movies have evolved since the days of the past. The action hero no longer exists and things now have to be done in a way that caters to the audience’s expectations, especially when dealing with the suspense of disbelief. There is also a current trend in which aging action stars make movies that recall those glory days, trying to duplicate memories of past success. Sometimes it works, and most times it doesn’t. But thankfully Bullet to the Head does work, and it offers a little bit more thanks to director Walter Hill.
The plot follows assassin Jimmy Bobo and detective Taylor Kwon who form a reluctant team to track down the people who are responsible for their respective partner’s death. Sylvester Stallone plays the assassin and does what he does best in every action movie. I give him props for being in his sixties and being able to still do this kind of work. Sang Kung plays the detective and does a good job but the film focuses more on Stallone.
The story in the movie isn’t the most interesting or original idea to grace Hollywood but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It has enough entertainment to get you by and it has a few more redeeming qualities that make it better than just passable. The film has a mostly blues soundtrack which fits very well with the New Orleans setting. Being a blues fan, it’s nice to hear a score a little different from what a standard action film would have.
The visuals are great in this movie. I know most people won’t be checking out the scenery in an action flick but it’s notable. Walter Hill is very old school; he always prefers to shoot on location rather than use sets. It’s respectable since built sets and CGI are the new standard of movies today. You could even call his directing style very bricks and mortar, which would best describe his action scenes.
The action sequences are not the longest, but they are well done and involve the actors doing many of their own stunts. Hill also likes to do unusual things with his action scenes which make them interesting. Most notably, there is a scene in a bathroom as well as a scene in a parking garage that stand out, although the final action scene was very entertaining, too.
My only complaint about the action was that Kang didn’t get enough in comparison to Stallone. Finally, this film had some light humor. The best part about it is that it serves as homage to 70s and 80s films as well as poke fun at it. It’s a nice touch.
While this film isn’t anything special, it was entertaining, which I believe is what matters most. That’s why this movie deserves some credit. Where it lacks in story or thought-provoking issues, it makes up for it by being fun. Maybe Stallone needs to quit because he’s too old as many will say, but whether Stallone can’t capture his glory days or just enjoy his job more than he should is irrelevant at this point.
The director is the reason I saw this movie, not the actors. When it comes to the soundtrack, action scenes, scenery, and homage to a forgotten era, it’s done well. I know what to expect from Walter Hill and as usual, he delivers.

Grade: B