Rent Standoff (2016)

Standoff review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

I always try to approach every movie with a positive attitude, peering into what each film is trying to do and is it doing it well. This can be rather hard in the realm of direct-to-video action flicks that tend to blur into a mesh of bullets and brainless bouts. Indeed, the very synopsis is generic enough, describing the events as that of a redemption-seeking veteran protecting a witness from an assassin. But what Shandoff lacks in an original premise (or a title for that matter) it mostly makes up for with its grit and gusto.

Laurence Fishburne eases into the villain role of Roger quite well with age, playing a brutal hitman with ruthless efficiency. There’s just something about Fishburne in a leather jacket that makes him seem so powerful. During one of his latest crimes, the tween girl, Bird (Ella Ballentine), witnesses his inhumanity. Feeling her life is in danger, she quickly retreats to the protection of Carter (Thomas Jane) and seeks his house as a means of hiding from the killer. But it will do little good as the no-nonsense Roger wastes little time in shooting up anyone who could potentially stand in his way. And from there it’s an intense gunfight between hitman and protector, the cops occasionally stopping by to get shot at.

Standoff takes care never to be overly ambitious with its limited budget. The story and camera work echo that of a stageplay production, leaving a lot of wiggle room for strong performances. And this is initially shocked me, the way such a film leans more into the talk than the bullets. We get to know a lot about Roger and Carter as they try to outsmart and gain the upper hand on each other. Both have strengths they take advantage of and weakness that make their battle a close call. Credit is certainly deserving of director Adam Alleca for having some faith in the writing of what could’ve been a mindless action picture.

The acting talents of Fishburne and Jane can’t be overstated. Fishburne has almost too much fun in this role of a hitman who toys with his targets while Jane has that rough grit to his desperation. One role that shouldn’t be counted out, however, is that of Ella Ballentine serving as the innocence of the picture to make the duel of Roger and Carter all the more compelling and nerve-wracking.

My only major gripe with Standoff is that wears out its premise a little too early. The showdown of two men amid one girl has its thrills, including some well-done shootouts, but it lingers perhaps too much on its dialogue. Most of it is exceptionally delivered and yet it doesn’t quite have the edge-of-your-seat build that it could really use to launch itself out of the direct-to-video doldrums. As it stands, though, this is one of the more competent low-budget action films I’ve seen in quite some time and that simply can’t be ignored, especially since it features Fishburne and Jane doing the best they can with a limited environment.