Force of Nature (2020)

Directed by: Michael Polish | 99 minutes | action, drama | Actors: Emile Hirsch, Mel Gibson, David Zayas, Kate Bosworth, Stephanie Cayo, William Catlett, Jorge Luis Ramos, Joksan Ramos, Blas Sien Diaz, Tyler Jon Olson, Julio Ramos Velez, Sebastian Vázquez, Jesy McKinney

At one time, Mel Gibson was just about the greatest action hero on Earth. The actor guaranteed box office success and almost always delivered quality. Unfortunately, he was a big fan of the bottle, had a rather turbulent personal life and his anti-Semitic one-liners were widely covered in the press. Gibson became persona non grata in Hollywood and especially made the news with his strange tricks and misogynistic behavior. Fortunately, peace has returned in recent years and the actor is making a real comeback. What is striking is that the best man is still a great actor and is completely devoted to his characters. Even weak bites like ‘Force Of Nature’ remain watchable thanks to Gibson.

An approaching storm forces police duo Cardillo (Emile Hirsch) and Jess (Stephanie Cayo) to evacuate an apartment complex. Troy (Kate Bosworth) and her gruff dad Ray (Gibson) don’t like that. They refuse to leave. Fortunately, because the agents still desperately need the help of this duo when a group of villains decide to raid the complex during the storm. Reportedly, $55 million is hidden in the property. Gross violence is not shunned during this search. That’s going to be a fight!

Films that combine natural disasters with action and robbery seem to become a subgenre in their own right. ‘The Hurricane Heist’ (2018) and ‘Bait’ (2012) are also good examples of this. Just a robbery or disaster is no longer enough. In the case of ‘Force Of Nature’ it is a storm. Not that this disaster adds much. It’s all about the action and the accompanying cheesy one-liners of the heroes. Gibson’s charisma takes him a long way. The actor is still nice to watch thanks to his bravado and the big wink with which he plays his character. The other cast members look rather pale. Nice movie for fans of Mad Mel.