There was a time when Mel Gibson was one of the most bankable stars on the planet. In recent years, however, we’ve seen him only sparingly in front of the camera. If you were a fan of Gibson in his action hero days of the 80’s and 90’s then it looks like his new film may be right down your alley. Check out the trailer for Blood Father.
In Blood Father, Mel Gibson will play John Link, an ex-con tattoo artist whose daughter comes back into his life after being missing for several years, and looks to have a great deal of bad news chasing after her. At one point in the trailer, we see a wanted poster with her picture on it, complete with a $30,000 reward, so it appears the daughter, played by Erin Moriarty, most recently of the Netflix series Jessica Jones, has followed in her father’s footsteps. With all the guns and cars, and the desert landscape, the trailer already feels like it’s something out of a Mad Max movie, though obviously, a more technologically advanced one. We’re not sure exactly what John Link went to prison for, but we’re pretty sure it was for something violent.
In the modern movie landscape, one can’t help but get a Taken vibe from Blood Father. It’s about a daughter who needs protection from a father who has a "very particular set of skills." The major difference here is that whileLiam Neeson did most of the chasing in Taken, Blood Father looks to have Mel Gibson as the one on the run.
Having said that, it’s not like Taken was a wholly original concept in itself, and the reason we go to see these movies anyway is to see the action sequences. Blood Father looks to have that covered. Mel has had a tough time in recent years, due to making some dumb decisions in his personal life, but we have to say this is just the sort of movie that we love to see him in. If enough people also agree, this could be the beginning of the career resurgence that the actor has been looking for. He’s also been working behind the camera on the WWII film Hacksaw Ridge, where he is back directing for the first time since 2006.
What do you think of Blood Father? Is this the late summer action movie you’ll be waiting for come August? Does the addition of Mel Gibson make you more, or less interested in checking it out? Let us know in the comments. Blood Father will hit theaters on August 25.
