Review: Stallone's 'Samaritan' brings matinee thrills to Prime Video

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Samaritan
3 out of 5 Stars
Director: Julius Avery
Writer: Bragi F. Schut
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Javon “Wanna” Walton, Pilou Asbæk, Dascha Polanco, Moises Arias
Genre: Action
Rated: PG-13 for strong violence and strong language

Studio Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary (Javon “Wanna” Walton) suspects that his mysterious and reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith (Sylvester Stallone) is actually a legend hiding in plain sight. Twenty years ago, Granite City’s super-powered vigilante, Samaritan, was reported dead after a fiery warehouse battle with his rival, Nemesis. Most believe Samaritan perished in the fire, but some in the city, like Sam, have hope that he is still alive. With crime on the rise and the city on the brink of chaos, Sam makes it his mission to coax his neighbor out of hiding to save the city from ruin.

Review: From the director of “Overlord” and the writer of “Escape Room” comes a new action film with a superhero twist starring legendary the Sylvester Stallone. The fruit of their labor is equal to the sum of its parts.

Those looking for the reinvention of the wheel will need to temper their expectations. Those in search of an entertaining matinee feature won’t be disappointed because “Samaritan” feels like the spiritual successor to the action films that I would watch on Saturday afternoons in the 1980s.

That shouldn’t be viewed as an insult. In fact, it’s more of a recommendation. Bragi F. Schut’s screenplay is too generic to be considered original, but director Julius Avery does a good job of creating momentum and then gets out of the way as the narrative rumbles towards it climax. It’s a perfectly affable film with theater-quality production values.

The performances are generally good. Sylvester Stallone has always been a better actor than many of his action star contemporaries. He’s not doing anything special here, but he’s also not holding the film back. Javon “Wanna” Walton’s performance is a little rigid and his excitement forced, but he’s rarely a distraction. In a nod to the past, Pilou Asbæk’s Cyrus is an over-the-top villain and Moises Arias chews even more scenery as one of his underlings. Awards won’t be forthcoming, but they’re giving exactly what the director/screenplay seem to be asking of them.

If you like Stallone, action films in general, and already have a Prime account (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” kicks off on Friday if you need more incentive) I’d recommend spending an afternoon or late night with “Samaritan.”