Boy Kills World: Non-stop action and dark humour, but will it be for everyone?
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| Boy Kills World: Non-stop action and dark humour, but will it be for everyone? |
Boy Kills World: Killer Action Can't Save Flawed Story
If you crave mind-blowing action sequences, look no further than Boy Kills World. Breathtaking fight scenes, expertly choreographed and starring martial arts legend Yayan Ruhian (The Raid), pepper the film. However, these bursts of brilliance are trapped within a messy narrative.
The problem lies in the stark contrast between the two halves of the film. Director Mortiz Mohr struggles to blend a sophomoric dystopian comedy-drama with the action mastery delivered by stunt coordinator Dawid Szatarski.
The action? Pure adrenaline rush. But to reach it, you have to slog through an uneven mix of drama, dialogue, and attempts at humor that constantly derail the momentum.
Think Hunger Games on a bad acid trip. Borrowing from anime and YA fiction, Boy Kills World aspires to be an East-meets-West mashup, but the fusion fails to ignite. Bill Skarsgård portrays "Boy," a mute martial artist on a revenge mission. Trained by a mysterious shaman (Ruhian), Boy seeks to dismantle the Van Der Koy family – a media dynasty run by sadistic sisters (Famke Janssen and Michelle Dockery).
The film relies heavily on H. Jon Benjamin's (Archer) signature voice as Boy's internal monologue. This sets the comedic tone, but the jokes mostly fall flat. Training montages reeking of bad CGI and scenes featuring Boy arguing with his dead sister's ghost quickly grate.
As Boy embarks on his bloody quest, the narrative introduces a slew of forgettable villains. The "comedy" relief provided by bickering brothers-in-law (Sharlto Copley and Brett Gelman) is more cringe than chuckle-worthy. Their presence exposes the film's shallow world-building.
Boy Kills World hints at a commentary on colonialism, with the white Van Der Koy family suppressing a seemingly multi-ethnic population. However, it never delves deeper, leaving a confusing and underdeveloped subtext.
Ultimately, Boy Kills World offers a "turn your brain off" experience, but even then, the entertainment value fluctuates wildly. While the action sequences are undeniably impressive, they're not enough to salvage the film's flaws.