Released today on Blu-Ray and DVD is the action-thriller ACCELERATION starring Natalie Burn (The Expendables 3), who also produced the project, veteran action star Dolph Lundgren (Creed II), and Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints).
So here’s the skinny, “Acceleration” is about a getaway female driver named ‘Rhona,’ who has one night to complete a list of five dangerous assignments and save her kidnapped son from a crime lord named Vladik. But here’s the real: the movie jumped right into action, with no time for any character development, and I hadn’t the slightest clue or reason why I was supposed to care about Rhona or her journey.
The very first scene seemed to imply that I should be rooting for Lundgren’s character Vladik and he would be the focal point of the story. However, shortly after the opening scene, viewers learn of Rhona’s mission and it was clearer that Vladik was (possibly) a bad guy, who was tracking Rhona to ensure the missions were completed. And I emphasize “possibly” because there was another “bigger bad” played by Flanery, who’s later introduced – muddling the story and confusing an already underdeveloped plot.
As for Burn, she never once made me believe that she was a lethal force, and there was no professional hints of expertise in the action. On top of that, the story left much to be desired and I, as the viewer, never fully understood how the connections were made for each task she had to complete.
It was darn near the end of the film before an explanation was given about Rhona and Vladik’s connection, and when the bigger reveal was unraveled I’d already lost interest – and had given up trying to follow along for details.
In the end, “Acceleration” is a flashy, underdeveloped action flick with no major substance. Even the addition of stars like Danny Trejo (Machete, Madness in the Method), Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (The A-Team), and Best Actress Academy-award nominee and Golden Globe winner Sally Kirkland (Anna, JFK) weren’t enough to elevate this story. I rate it 1.5 out of 5 beats on the MMTrometer.
Until next thought, Thomasena
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