‘Stand Your Ground’ Review
Stars: Daniel Stisen, Eric Roberts, Peter Stormare, Patrick Regis, Adam Basil, Phillip Ray Tommy, Akie Kotabe, Megan Lockhurst, Isobel Laidler, Beau Fowler | Written by Craig Walser, Sergey Zhelezko | Directed by Fansu Njie
“You should take the offer.”
From Fansu Njie, Stand Your Ground is a throwback picture straight from the action shelves of yesteryear. Pure formula and pure violence, this is an action film intended to invoke responses of those familiar with those no-nonsense, no bullsh*t, revenge films of the Reagan era heyday.
Former Special Forces operative, Jack Johnsen (Daniel Stisen), and his wife are on course for the dream life as they anticipate the birth of their newborn and the enjoyment of their home. However, the roadblock in their journey in the form of a crime organisation is in demand of their property and land, which ultimately leads to brute force and the untimely murder of both the wife and unborn child. In the process of this tragedy, Johnsen uses his own vengeance to strike back against his aggressors, resulting in long-term consequences for his short-term actions.
Stand Your Ground is well executed in its application of the revenge quest of: take them out, one by one, and finish with a huge showdown. From the get-go, Johnsen suffers from PTSD from his service. To no surprise, is it that these nightmarish flashbacks would evoke a monster response to the extent of awaking a beast. Stand Your Ground doesn’t play tricks with this background; the good and the bad both know that he’s lethal.
In the establishment of additional intrigue, there is the application of the law – and film title – Stand Your Ground. The law and the legal matters within the film of the same name are briefly encountered and dealt with, but not to great lengths, but instead just to connect between points.
Ultimately, a heavy, in-depth exploration of the law is wisely avoided with the intention of maintaining this film’s narrow journey and overall storytelling. Instead, where it does contribute in an effective manner is that Johnsen feels let down by the law, whilst the police force and justice system is presented in an excessively corrupt way. Perhaps, challenging corruption would have resulted in a fun spectacle, but instead, the villains are the targets of revenge, not the system.
For what is a generally solid revenge film, aided with great support from its players, composed of both Eric Roberts and Peter Stormare, the only disappointment from a fairly straightforward film is that its showpiece occasion and pay-off is quite underwhelming and forgettable. During a restrictively darkened visual, often repetitive finale, any creative or budget limitations are obviously present at this stage. However, up until that point, Fansu Njie excels in ensuring that the production value of Stand Your Ground is never questioned, but instead, the audience questions only how many people Jack Johnsen has to kill to avenge his family.
**½ 2.5/5
Stand Your Ground is out now.
