ReelBob: ‘In Action’ ★★★
By Bob Bloom
“In Action” is like one of those no-budget home movies a teenage film buff and his friends would shoot over a few weekends — except this satire is a bit more sophisticated and professional.
It works because it speaks to the wannabe writer in all of us. Admit it, you’ve had ideas for a movie and perhaps even written a script — or started one.
“In Action” speaks to the film nerd within us all.
It’s basically a two-man show, written by, directed and starring Sean Kenealy and Eric Silvera.
They play Sean and Eric, two college buddies who have drifted apart, but are reunited at a mutual friend’s wedding.
Back in the day, they had a falling out over a script they were writing, abandoned the project and got on with their lives. Both are married; one works in an advertising agency, the other is a stay-at-home dad. And both are dissatisfied.
After much bickering, they decide to try writing again, but since they live in separate states, they swap plot ideas via email.
They title their project “Arctic War.” It’s an action-thriller in which a terrorist attack is planned for the wedding of the president’s daughter because most government officials will be in attendance.
Sean and Eric are kidnapped, stripped to their underwear and thrown into a dank and bare basement-like room.
There they are threatened with torture and death if they do not reveal the climax of their movies. Their captors want to know how the terrorists breach the tight security that would surround the wedding.
The problem is that Sean and Eric don’t have any idea how that is accomplished.
At this point, “In Action” falls back on tried-and-true improbable escapes and preposterous situations while paying homage to a myriad of genre films produced in the last 20-to-30 years.
Kenealy and Silvera working with what seems like a $1.50 budget, threadbare sets, toy weapons, as well as some rudimentary animation and dressed up action figures, embrace the outlandishness not only of their characters’ situations but of action-movie tropes themselves.
The one drawback of “In Action” is there’s not enough action and too much talk. Also, Kenealy and Silvera enjoy showing off their cinematic knowledge by having Sean and Eric stuff us with too many movie references.
“In Action” does highlight these filmmakers’ affection for the genre and all its outlandish silliness.
And at a quick 79 minutes, it makes for breezy viewing.
Supposedly, the movie will be available on some VOD platforms beginning May 7, so you can check it out for yourself.
If you’re a fan of action flicks, “In Action” will provide you with some laughs.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
IN ACTION
3 stars out of 4
Not rated, language, violence