Disc Reviews

Killing Season Review

11th Aug 2014

Benjamin Ford (De Niro) a retired soldier lives a solitary life away from the world (including from his family) in the woods. Emil Kovac (Travolta) a Serbian soldier comes looking for Ford. Both are relics of the Bosnian war and there is a score to settle.

What starts out as a mind against mind approach between the two men abruptly turns into the Most Dangerous Game when Kovac sets about hunting his nemesis forcing Ford to rely on his instincts to protect himself and then get even and get back.

The forever underused and underappreciated (trust us – see him in The Divide) Milo Ventimiglia pops up in an extended cameo as Ford’s son, further straining Benjamin’s past. But the focus remains on the two leads throughout as their game of cat and mouse continues to flip slop.

Mark Steven Johnson takes a break from CGI stuffed disasters like Ghost Rider and Daredevil and concentrates on a much more character driven film here.

Killing Season keeps you guessing. The moment you think it’s going to be a 90 minute scaled down version of the most dangerous game in the world it halts suddenly and becomes something different. The balance between the characters shifts to and fro in very unexpected ways, and often shocking – or even pain inducing.

De Niro and Travolta are both restrained in their performances. Travolta wisely keeps his character as calm as possible given the thick accent he has had to apply. If you are looking for any flare at all then you need look no further than Travolta’s interesting hair and facial grooming.

De Niro earns a few points for showing up at least in a role that requires him to be a bit more physical and it’s an improvement on all the phoned in comedies of late.

An interesting coupling of lead actors that should draw in and please fans of both camps/