Blood Father is a lean, tough, and to-the-point B movie elevated by a ferocious and often self-reflexive performance by Mel Gibson. Bearded, burnt-out, and muscular, Gibson is instantly striking as a tattoo artist and former motorcycle gang member living in a trailer a few yards from his AA sponsor (William H. Macy) on a dusty stretch of California land. The dialogue gestures toward a past of brutality and vulgarity, and the regretful, bone-tired expression on the actor's face as he stares out at his small slice of desert scrapyard says the rest. The plot is set in motion when his estranged teenage daughter (Erin Moriarty) unexpectedly reenters his life; she is on the run after turning against her cartel-aligned lover (Diego Luna). Blood Father is a fairly formulaic genre exercise in many respects, though it has a certain blood-in-the-sand-outside-a-strip-club charge and, as a result, feels seedier and more electric than, say, an average Liam Neeson vehicle. It is Gibson who truly sets the film apart, though. He is clearly hungry—including for redemption in the public eye—and deeply committed, and he perfectly plays every note, whether it is a poignant, quiet father/daughter conversation or an ear-biting, face-smashing, flesh-tearing, gun-firing brawl.

B+

The last moment between the Gibson and Michael Parks characters is SO awesome.

I do not know if it would have ever grossed more than, say, Parker or Escape Plan, but I wish Lionsgate gave this a proper push. It is a crowd-pleasing movie (Taken with more balls and bile) playing to empty auditoriums. I saw it at this fairly rundown, out-of-the-way six-screener I have not gone to in 12 years. It opened there yesterday, sharing a screen with this Ed Westwick movie called Billionaire Ransom. There was one other dude in the room. I could hear parts of The Secret Life of Pets through the wall.

This was incredibly entertaining. Great action sequences and a surprising amount of humor as well. Definitely deserved a proper theatrical release. B+

I think it was a decent thriller that does everything good but nothing is great or new. It was entertaining throughout and Gibson does a good job here. The surprise twist and a murder before the big finale came out short according to me.

6/10

Such a badass film. It's not original in any way and doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table, but I really miss lean, mean, old school action films like this. Mel is just fantastically awesome here, and his scenes with Michael Parks while brief make this worth seeing alone. The action when it's there is very well done and brutal even though it isn't as action packed as you might think. I also liked the actress who played the daughter and enjoyed William H. Macy in his small role.

Blood Father gets going right from the start. I really enjoy the build-up of the story while the story of both father and daughter until then is being unveiled. It's very well shot, and has great performances from both Gibson and the daughter, as well as a fitting role for H. Macy. It's a rather simple story, but flows well and has some nice action scenes as well. I wouldn't call it a real action film though, as I was kind of expecting, it's more of a light drama with a script that let's Gibson be his coolest self. I don't remember it having a memorable score and it doesn't feel very grand either. There's a bit of a back story on the villain side being part of drug cartel but that didn't rung much with me. It's has a satisfying ending, and really wish for more Gibson movies please.

B+

My issue with the ending was that the father-daughter story kinda felt pushed into out throats specially the daughter's end of it. You cannot leave your parent for several years and say things like "I am not leaving without you" or atleast there wasn't an organic change at the daughter's side towards father. Gibson's character on the other hand is very convincing from the beginning.

I think it's quite easy to get enamored with a person if they within a very short period of time pretty much show they would die for you. Remember the daughter left the house when her dad was in prison and as a kid doesn't really know what kind of a person her dad was. She thinks to just use him for whatever and was clearly lost for several years. So to in a way get that change of heart on I suddenly care a lot for you, is very plausible for me. However definitely I think the daughter jumped very easily from being an addicted gangbanging member to becoming sane rather quickly. This could be drawn out to be, that she was always kind of good to heart and just even herself saw that life of crime as a way to escape. The trouble she had shooting the woman in the beginning adds to this too. Well, I think she wasn't very deeply written anyway, and I agree that Gibson's motivations are a lot more clear.

Yeah there are quick hints of it here and there but a scene or two centered around the transformation would have been nice specially for a movie that has more drama than action. I didn't connect the shooting the woman to father because she came to him only for getting the money/using him to escape.

Blood Father

Gibson is back in his element, very much reminiscent of How I Spent My Summer Vacation. He plays John Link, a grizzled, deadbeat man-with-a-past-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-law, with connections to and knowledge of the Mexican cartel. There's some Riggs in there too; the fiery nature, and the unexpected one liners. It is great stuff. It isn't original, some prospects are uneven, there is a lack of action scenes, and when the action does occur it is not the most bad ass. To some extent, the tone is lethargic, but the chase aspect ensures a simmering curiosity. And there is an underlying masculinity about an old-fashioned story of paternal redemption, especially with the strength of presence that Gibson provides. And this is Gibson's film (if the posters didn't already make that abundantly clear). There are others, such as a nice turn by William H. Macy, and an amiable performance by Erin Moriarty, but Gibson steals the show. Even without talking, his weathered face tells a story. His performance has substance. Struggling with a crime-filled past and a desire to stay clean and out of trouble, he is mildly restless, until his estranged daughter makes contact, then he has to battle with a lack of parental flair, the threat of prison, contract killers etc. His direct, cutthroat wisdom twinned with Moriarty's carefree rebelliousness makes for an engaging father-daughter relationship.

Blood Father is a lean, neatly-paced, pithily-made action film, and it is one of Gibson's better offerings in recent years.

A-

Awesome movie. Great action. Very well-done. I had a blast with it. Deserved a wide theatrical release.

8/10 (A-)