American Muscle - DVD

Movie: Ten years John Falcon (Nick Principe) served, betrayed by, of all people, his own brother Sam (Todd Farmer) and the love of his life Darling (Robin Sydney). Now John is out for revenge. Revenge on all those who once called themselves his friends and who abandoned him ten years ago. And to top it off, he's going after Sam. With his pump shotgun and his old '68 Plymouth Duster, he sets out on a bloody vendetta that initially goes according to plan. But when Sam gets wind that his brother is free again and wants revenge on him, he too brings out the heavy guns...

With American Muscle, filmmaker Ravi Dahr has delivered a directorial debut in the best grindhouse tradition. His style is at times somewhat reminiscent of a cross between the Jason Statham smash Crank and early Tarantino. However, the script does not reach the class of Tarantino. Because the very simple revenge story does not exactly shine with clever dialogues, but rather relies on the politically not always correct staging. It's brutal, evil, cynical and also a bit sexist. But Dahr always sprinkles enough irony into this mix to avoid the danger of being dismissed as an annoying piece of macho cinema.

If you acknowledge the completely over-the-top violence, the exaggerated clichés and also the camera angles constantly focused on the rather intimate body regions of the actresses as an ironic stylistic device, then American Muscle is really a lot of fun. So then, the very one-dimensional acting of lead actor Nick Principe is absolutely fitting and makes for extremely amusing moments in some scenes. Overall, what Ravi Dahr has put together here on a mini-budget can really be considered a decent directorial debut - at least if you appreciate the grindhouse cinema of the 70s. This isn't particularly sophisticated, deep or even morally worthwhile. Nor does logic ever give the story a wide berth. Quite the contrary. But then, that's precisely the appeal of films like American Muscle, which provide such an entertaining contrast to mainstream fare smoothed out by studio bosses.

So, because it's brushed rather against the grain here, this relentless vendetta is also more likely to be something for a manageable target audience that appreciates the very aspects of the film that many would dismiss as weaknesses. With a better script and a little more coolness American Muscle could have been really great. As it is, the whole thing is still a really decent grindhouse revival with some really effective imagery, especially considering the low budget. For all who can get involved with it, therefore, a clear: Recommended!

Picture + Sound: The image of the DVD pleases with its very atmospheric, dirty look, which is further supported by the rather earthy color scheme and the slightly overdrawn contrasts. The image sharpness is decent, with only slight blurs to be discerned here and there. However, these could also be a deliberately used stylistic device, adheres to the film but overall a somewhat trashy grindhouse look. The sound is present in a decent Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which reveals a pleasant dynamic during gun battles or faster car rides. Good!

Extras: The only bonus the DVD has to offer is the trailer for the film.

Conclusion: American Muscle is a brutal, dirty, and not exactly politically correct B-movie. Not skimping on blood and scantily clad ladies, Ravi Dahr's feature debut is reminiscent of the over-the-top style of Crank in its best moments, but overall lacks some of the elegant cool of early Tarantino to give this crude vendetta more than good entertainment value. The DVD is technically well done, but there is no bonus material worth mentioning. Overall, however, this is enough for fans of lush grindhouse fare for a decent: Recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp