The Aggression Scale (2012)
Starring: Ray Wise, Derek Mears, Dana Ashbrook
Writer: Ben Powell
Director: Steven C. Miller
Story:
A mob boss out on bail has the idea zipping around in his head of
getting the hell outta town with his son. Unfortunately, the
shit ton of money he plans to do such an escape with has been stolen.
So, he puts several of his boys on a mission- go find his money. Make
it nasty and make it hurt. They have 48 hours. When the gang do a
home invasion on some newlyweds and their children, they get more than they bargained for when dealing with Owen,
the husband's troubled as fuck son.
Review:
I guess most people who have seen The
Aggression Scale by now are viewing it as the violent crime/home
invasion counterpart to Chris Columbus' Home Alone. That's a pretty
fair assessment, especially when the film's second half kicks in. The
young character Owen --played by Ryan Hartwig-- is silent and more fearless
version of Kevin McCallister, like say if John Rambo First Blood era
was his father and taught him to be a badass motherfucker. He trained
him to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat
things that would make a billy goat puke! Sorry, I'm getting carried away, but that's how I perceive this hardcore little fucker.
Moving on.
Direction and cinematography are
amazing. So many shots in The Aggression Scale are set up perfectly,
and the color contrast is lush and beautiful. Some of the outside
sequences are absolutely gorgeous, even when you're just staring at a
yard from the back bed of a moving truck. It's just lit the fuck up
and in your face. One of my favorite moments is shortly after the
family pull into the driveway of their new mansion like home- the
camera travels through the hallways, up the stairs, jumping from
character to character, and it all appears to be one take. It's
pretty damn awesome. There's all kinds of other interesting camera
sequences like this throughout. The flick also opens with 80s neon
style title credits and I ate that shit up. No complaints here at all.
Mike Strain Jr. and Fantasy Creation FX
bring the special make-up, and we got some pretty cool stuff going
on. Straight up gang style killings handled with no remorse. Then,
you got the shit Owen does, which is all pretty fun to watch. To be truthful, though, it's the intensity of the violence more so than the
gore factor that sets this madness on fucking fire.
The original music by Kevin Riepl is
another high point for The Aggression Scale; it's perhaps my favorite
aspect. Completely loud and bassy. The opening theme fucking flows
through your whole body and grabs your attention with a quickness.
Excellent choice here, dudes! There's a slo-mo sequence of the
henchmen coming though an elevator door early on in the film, and the
music makes this moment absolutely fucking reek of coolness. Love it.
A few times it gets quiet, save for a truly meaty bass part that
drops from high to low. Almost made me feel like I was about to
experience the brown note. Sadly (depending on how you look at it),
that didn't happen.
I found the acting to be a mixed bag,
unfortunately. Ben Powell's story flows well, but when some people
are giving stiff performances it kind of weighs the greatness down.
My main issues are with Lisa Rotondi and Fabianne Therese as mother
and daughter (Maggie and Lauren), respectively. There's a moment
where the two are setting on a bed together and the mother is trying
to coax Lauren into giving their new family conditions a chance. I
hate to say it, but it's uncomfortably melodramatic; just too
much. This is also a moment where the music kinda fails, too, going
way over the top with the slow, cheerless shit. Rotondi isn't always
bad, whereas Therese gets more annoying as the film progresses.
Luckily, a lot of other talents make up for this. Ryan Hartwig as
troubled son, Owen, absolutely shreds in his part, and he has nary a
fucking word to say. The kid kills with body language and is a true delight
to watch. Tell ya what- I hadn't seen Dana Ashbrook in a long fucking
time. Probably since Twin Peaks, and it's been a minute since I
watched any of that. Going back further, I loved the hell out of this
dude in Waxwork, Return of the Living Dead II, and even as the rebel
boyfriend with emotion in She's Out of Control. It was truly fucking
great to see him here, and in one helluva mean ass role as Lloyd, the
main henchman. Lastly, be delighted to see Derek Mears as one of the gang sidekicks and Ray Wise in the role of head mob boss,
Bellavance. Mears is quite humorous and Wise, while limited, is fun
as always.
Final Thoughts:
Wrapping this up- The Aggression Scale
is one badass little flick with a lot going for it. Despite my minor nitpicking, the good aspects are far more plentiful than the
bad. Once this sumbitch gets going, it just doesn't let up. I'd also
like to note that the replay value is pretty high, especially
watching it with friends on their first viewing. Hearing a couple of
buddies say “Holy fucking shit!” at the same exact times that
I said “Holy fucking shit!” make watching it over and over
pretty damn enjoyable. Recommended.
