Antonio Banderas stars in "The Enforcer," which will release in theaters on Friday. The most suspenseful element to “The Enforcer” isn’t found between credits or in the plot. It’s the unanswered question: Why Banderas would even bother with this movie?
Antonio Banderas stars in “The Enforcer,” which will release in theaters Friday. The Oscar nominee’s charisma is lost inside this hollow character who functions far more as an avatar moving the story forward than a fully realized performance.
Kate Bosworth stars in “The Enforcer.” Bosworth is a JCPenney villain, sitting behind a desk in a room she never leaves — meaning she shot all her scenes in one week — with bad wigs and misunderstood shoulder pads.
Mojean Aria, left, and Alexis Ren star in “The Enforcer.” A star isn’t born with Aria, who is shirtless in nearly every scene. The casting director fails this film as much as any other department does.
Antonio Banderas stars in "The Enforcer," which will release in theaters on Friday. The most suspenseful element to “The Enforcer” isn’t found between credits or in the plot. It’s the unanswered question: Why Banderas would even bother with this movie?
COURTESY
Antonio Banderas stars in “The Enforcer,” which will release in theaters Friday. The Oscar nominee’s charisma is lost inside this hollow character who functions far more as an avatar moving the story forward than a fully realized performance.
COURTESY
Kate Bosworth stars in “The Enforcer.” Bosworth is a JCPenney villain, sitting behind a desk in a room she never leaves — meaning she shot all her scenes in one week — with bad wigs and misunderstood shoulder pads.
COURTESY
Mojean Aria, left, and Alexis Ren star in “The Enforcer.” A star isn’t born with Aria, who is shirtless in nearly every scene. The casting director fails this film as much as any other department does.
On the poster you will see former action star Antonio Banderas (“The Mask of Zorro,” “Pain & Glory”) holding a gun with a menacing look, and a vintage muscle car at the bottom. The trailer will show you flashes of violence, sex, drugs and all the stereotypes of a modern-day Miami mob film.
“The Enforcer” is the feature film debut for Richard Hughes, who directs with a 90s television mindset. His inexperience is on display; he’s unable to creatively bolster the weak script. Characters interact in a lifeless, overly scripted manner, devoid of any realistic qualities. The dialogue is so bad, you can expect to see this flick showing up at interstate gas stations for $5 in record time. The most suspenseful element to “The Enforcer” isn’t found between credits or in the plot. It’s the unanswered question: Why Banderas would even bother with this movie?
The name Cuda (Banderas) means something in the criminal underworld of Miami. When he steps out of his vintage muscle car and points a gun at your head, there is no expectation of mercy. Recently released from prison, this enforcer seeks forgiveness from his estranged teenage daughter. Having squandered his chance as a father, he has a soft spot for troubled youth. Stray (Mojean Aria) is a young street fighter, barely getting by on bloodying men twice his size. Recruited by crime boss Estelle (Kate Bosworth), she pairs the suit-wearing classic Cuda with the slouchy novice. Stray falls in love with the first sex worker he meets, while Cuda befriends a teenager on the street, tangled up in the world of cybersex. Both men will risk their own lives to create better ones for the misfortunate.
American films haven’t been very kind to Banderas. Sure, he made a living in action films, but you only get a glimpse of his talent he shows when working in international cinema. The Oscar nominee’s charisma is lost inside this hollow character who functions far more as an avatar moving the story forward than a fully realized performance.
It’s a cheap film that never tries to make the most of a limited budget. Bosworth is a JCPenney villain, sitting behind a desk in a room she never leaves — meaning she shot all her scenes in one week — with bad wigs and misunderstood shoulder pads. A star isn’t born with Aria, who is shirtless in nearly every scene. The casting director fails this film as much as any other department does.
“The Enforcer” struggles to maintain a reason for us to watch, the filmmakers remedy is violence every twenty minutes. The script isn’t interested in developing characters, only doubling down on stereotypes. It’s Miami, so neon lots are used in almost every scene, versus trying to create a unique style or vision for the film.
The cybersex plot device also feels as antiquated as the visual stylings of the film. OnlyFans doesn’t exist in this version of Miami. What’s even more laughable is the representation of cybersex, with dungeons where young girls are locked in neon prisons with webcams, while drug-dealing rappers watch from a fancy smoke-filled pad from above. “The Enforcer” lacks cinematic creativity from every department, it’s a movie that’s more about meeting a quota than delivering actual entertainment.
Final Thought: Banderas’ talents are wasted on this no-thrills Miami mob movie.
Dustin Chase is a film critic and associate editor with Texas Art & Film, which is based in Galveston. Visit texasartfilm.com.
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