This movie could well be a cult classic, but will be unlikely to achieve mainstream success. The opening scenes where the blue collar and white collar criminals team up to rob a bank are slow and confused, and characters are not adequately developed, nor is a clear theme established. However, the action really picks up when the first gunfight occurs. The fighting is very well choreographed, and we have a real thriller on our hands at this point. The proceeding twist for the criminal characters to relocate to Iceland is rather novel, but the pace once again slows down as they adapt to Icelandic life, and the commentary about Iceland’s “strangeness” may not resonate with international viewers. Once we are introduced to the mid-movie antagonists, we start to see the movie really become the gem that it is. Characters really come into their own, and we have a series of events that really get you invested. The costuming in these scenes are also astounding, and will be the inspiration of cosplayers for years to come. The impact of the mid-movie conflict is somewhat cheapened by the deaths of several minor characters and the swiftness with which these antagonists are defeated, but the action is once again good and pleasing to watch. When the government-cyborg robocop comes in, many viewers are left shaking their heads in confusion, and the plot loses itself in a haze of (admittedly beautiful) gunfire. This does lead to some very quotable moments though, and oddly enough sets the movie up for a satisfying conclusion that actually does arrive at the point it was trying to make, if in a roundabout way.
6/10 Guilty pleasure.