VFW
review by Bobby Blakey
In a world where every action and horror film seems to be a rip off of something else it is always fun to find something that brings something new to the game. The latest, VFW features a great cast including Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Martin Kove, David Patrick Kelly, Sierra McCormick, Tom Williamson, Travis Hammer, Dora Madison, George Wendt and Fred Williamson, but does it bring that something fresh to the genre or will it not be a place worth hanging out?
VFW follows a typical night for a group of war veterans at the local VFW turns into an all-out battle for survival when a teenage girl runs into the bar with a bag of stolen drugs. Suddenly under attack from a gang of punk mutants looking to get back what’s theirs – at any cost – the vets use every weapon they can put together to protect the girl, and their VFW, in the biggest fight of their lives. I knew nothing about this movie going in which was a great choice as it ended up being a great blood spewing time.
The story here is pretty simple setting up a future that is not quite sci-fi or horror, but balances on the edge of both. In reality it is just crazed druggies and a simplistic reason to put these characters in the line of fire for a violent fight for survival. I have always loved films that use limited locations to maximum effectiveness and this one is no difference. The majority of the film takes place at the VFW hence the name, but make no mistake there is no shortage of fun.
The cast all look to be having a blast with each of them bringing the pain. There is something about bringing older actors into a scenario where they are kicking butt that can be a ton of fun when it works and here it does just that. These old school veterans are unwittingly thrust into this fight and the cast they chose to portray them are perfection. Each of them are given their moment and showcase that they might be older but still not to be messed with.
Not knowing what I was getting into, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of gore here. They have delivered horror level blood baths throughout and some great kills that had me smiling from ear to ear. I loved this movie and had a ton of fun with it. If you love blood, action and that old school vibe then VFW is the movie for you.