Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

rogerdarlington This crime thriller is only original in that it is Australian rather than American (or British) and presents a much darker side of the nation than we usually see in the movies. Written and directed by Julius Avery as his first full-length feature, this is an accomplished work centred on the relationship between hardened criminal Brendan Lynch (Scottish Ewan McGregor as the 'Gun') and minor felon 19 year old JR (Australian newcomer Brenton Thwaites as the 'Son'). It seems very unlikely that these two would be incarcerated in the same high security prison but I guess that, if they hadn't been, we'd have had no plot. I confess that I rented the film to see Swedish actress Alicia Vikander but she has a fairly small role as a gangster's moll from Eastern Europe. Even if unoriginal and sporting too many references to monkeys, there is plenty of violence, action and double-crossing in this entertaining rampage with a hot soundtrack.

Niki Kefala Nice movie in general, with action, and good performances from all the actors, but something makes "Son of a gun" a boring film. I don't know what is exactly, maybe because the story is something that you have seen many times before in the past. Or maybe because the action it flows very slow. Moreover, the direction is not good enough to put this film in the category of "excellent heist movies". The romance on "Son of a gun" makes it a little more interesting and in combination with the presence of Ewan McGregor -who is not at his best, unfortunately- is a movie that, I think, worth your time even if you are bored at the end.

leonblackwood Review: I quite enjoyed this film because it's full of raw, intense drama but it does take some time to get going and the storyline is a bit sketchy. Its about a prison inmate who becomes friends with the top dog, Ewan McGregor, after accepting his protection from a group of rapist. When JR gets released from prison he has to help Ewan to escape because he helped him against the bullies. Once out, they plan a gold heist whilst dodging the law but JR ends up falling in love and wants to get away from Ewan because of his ruthless tactics. After getting double crossed and a few shootouts, it all starts to become a bit too much for JR so he starts to plan a way out with his new found love. The storyline was quite good because you don't know what's going to happen from one scene to the next. Ewan McGregor played the baddie quite well but I found the guy who played the lead, Brenton Thwaites, to be quite dull and unemotional. The love story was also a bit weak along with there awful planning which was basically, shoot and hope. Anyway, you really don't know who is good and who is bad throughout the film and Ewan's untrustworthy manner made the movie quite intense. In all, it's worth a watch but don't expect anything amazing. Watchable!Round-Up: Ewan McGregor's career has really had its ups and downs. From playing the young Obi- Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise to playing a cop in the awful Mortdecai, he really has come far from his early days in Trainspotting. At 44, he has starred in over 60 movies which isn't bad for someone who started his career in 1994 in Being Human. The director, Julius Avery, has only made a few TV shorts in his career so this is his first major film. He didn't do a bad job with the project because I did feel entertained throughout the film but I wasn't impressed with the leading actor. Brenton Thwaites, who also starred in the Giver, Maleficent, the Signal and Oculus, has a role in the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie so I hope that he does a better job with that. At 25, the young Australian born actor hasn't done to bad in his career so far but he lacks screen charisma and emotion.I recommend this movie to people who are into their crime/action/drama movies about a young prison inmate who becomes friends with a big time thug and ends up planning a gold heist with him. 5/10

zardoz-13 This above-average, Australian-set heist thriller is neither as grandiose nor as exciting as Michael Mann's legendary "Heat," but director Julius Avery's first full-length crime melodrama isn't a total write-off. Brenton Thwaites of "The Giver" is a young man thrown into an Aussie prison who soon learns that being a good-looking lad behind bars has its disadvantages. A homosexual contingent of inmates has already taken advantage of her cell mate, and they have fixed their bony eyes on him when two other scruffy inmates intervene. These fellows are Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor of "Star Wars") and Sterlo (Matt Nable), and Lynch takes a liking to the J.R. They become friends, and J.R. gives Lynch advice about his chess game. Since he has been sentenced to a mere six months, J.R. gets out and arranges things through another treacherous individual, Sam Lennox (Jacek Koman), to break Lynch and two of his buddies out of prison. The audacious jailbreak resembles a similar jailbreak from the Charles Bronson thriller "Breakout" where a helicopter was used to rescue a prison. After Lynch and his mates make their way outside of the prison to an open field within the walls, J.R. forces the pilot to set down and Lynch and company clamber aboard and fly away. Sam has set up a gold ingot heist at a gold mine, and Lynch brings J.R. in on the job. While they are hiding out from the authorities courtesy of Sam, J.R. gets involved in a romantic relationship with a Tasha (Alicia Vikander) who works as a waitress at Sam's strip club. Lynch warns J.R. about the complications that woman can create, but J.R. ignores him and Tasha and he fall in love.Our protagonists pull off the heist and make a successful getaway. Unfortunately, the faithful Sterlo dies during the careening car chase. Like all memorable heist thrillers, getting the loot constitutes one set of obstacles. Naturally, Sam betrays Lynch and company. Nevertheless, Tasha warns J.R. in time for them to escape. Sam now has $4 million in gold and plans to exchange it for cash in Melbourne. Lynch and J.R. make their way to Melbourne and recover the gold after they convince an assassin sent by Sam to knock them out to join them. Lynch is still dead set against having Tasha around and relates how a women wound up sending him back to prison. Ironically, despite showing J.R. the ropes of the crime business, Lynch is surprised when J.R. and Tasha turn the tables on him and escape with all the gold. Honorable man that J.R. is, he buries Lynch's share in a graveyard while Lynch sits out another prison sentence. At this juncture of the action, everything gets a little muddled. All we know is that J.R. pulled a switch on Lynch after Lynch had decided to double-cross J.R. for his own good and give him three-quarters of a million dollars. Lynch has purchased a boat and appears to have life made. Instead, he winds up at a laundry mat and the authorities show up and arrest him. Meantime, J.R. and Tasha get away.A shortage of suspense, a muddled third act, and not enough hair-raising action slows down "Son of the Gun," but if you've got an afternoon to fill, this qualifies as an above-average, atmospheric yarn.