It must be eminently more gratifying being Bruce Willis’ accountant as opposed to his agent. Over the past few years Willis has, through various contractual obligations, appeared in a series of limp, bland VOD titles where presumably he pockets most of the budget. Often, for only a few minutes of screentime. Apex Predator aka Apex, is just the latest in a long line. So, while the agent works hard to secure her former A-list client interesting, relevant roles the pension fund keeps growing. Or maybe nobody cares. And if they don’t, why should the audience?
Not so much phoning in the performance as writing it on a postcard and forgetting to mail it, Willis wanders around a forested island as a stereotypical group of individuals hunt him down, having paid millions for the pleasure.
It’s dull. Tediously, frustratingly, tiresomely dull.
The hunters bicker amongst themselves, seemingly happy to kill each other as much as seek their intended target. Neal McDonough does his best as the pantomime villain, but even he cannot inspire interest. And Willis, in between eating radioactive berries and hiding in trees, delivers dialogue as if he has only recently learned the English language, and has already forgotten most of it.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to remember Willis as the action star he was, able to channel the everyman and deliver punchlines with a cheeky wink. Apex, along with Midnight in the Switchgrass, Fortress, and numerous others are tarnishing the legacy. And a quick glance at his IMDB page tells you there are 10 films in post-production.
Perhaps it’s time to watch Die Hard again, after all, it is a Christmas movie.
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