Movie Review # 87 Poker Run (2009)

Release: 2009
Director: Julian Higgins
Writer(s): Julian Higgins, Bertie Higgins, Larry Madill
Cast: Bertie Higgins, Robert Thorne, Jasmine Waltz, J.D. Rudometkin, Debra Hopkins, Jay Wisell


Ratings:
Rotten Tomatoes: 15% Audience
IMDb: 3.4/10 Stars
Netflix: 2.5 Stars


Review:
I love motorcycles and the free living lifestyle that it brings. It is because of this love affair that I wanted to watch this movie. It caught my interest with the title Poker Run and its premise of evil bikers. Sadly I could have not been more fooled by this movie. As it took all my expectations and flushed them with my hopes down the toilet.

This movie written by a trio of writers and directed by Julian Higgins. Is a cheap gore fest with minimal thrills. Tossed in with horrid writing, bad acting and a ton of gritty hand cam carnage. Which is great if the movie actually was actually a thriller. Instead of what it really is which is a bore. Maybe it is just me but I want suspense in my thrillers not excessive gore and nudity. Which this one has both.

Both of which are used for shock and awe instead of story progression. Unlike movies like Saw or Hostel where the gore was tied in to the movie. This one just does it for fun. Like kill this guy and cut of his hands. Which is a literal scene in this movie. Which is insulting to me and more than likely to several others out there. On the flip side there are some that will love this movie.

Those people will look past the flaws. The down trodden script, the bad acting and shotty camera work and see a below average to average thriller. Which never expounds or explores who the characters are. Instead they give us cookie cutter people that have no real souls or hearts. It is because of this fatal flaw that you never grow to care about them either as they are punished or mutilated.

Which is sad as in todays age of movies special effects, gore and action are what sells movies. Instead of story and narrative like the old days. Which is one thing this movie needed more than anything. But because of either the lack of caring by the trio of writers or the director this movie never gets up where it could be and what we are left with is a slow and boring movie.

One that I can not recommend to anyone outside people who love thrillers. But that is a stretch instead if you like bad horror movies you could do worse than this. But not by much.

My Rating:  .5/5 Stars