Whether it's Unforgiven, True Grit or any number of Liam Neeson movies, there is something inherently appealing about seeing older dudes kicking serious ass. In The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot, actor Sam Elliot takes on the role of a total badass who is almost mythic in his badassery. Check out the trailer for The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot below.
At the beginning of this trailer, Ron Livingston's character provides the exposition we need to know Sam Elliot's character, Calvin Barr. This is a guy with a legendary reputation, the subject of countless tall tales among those who knew him and a man for whom the feats documented in Chuck Norris facts would seem tame. It gave me a Big Fish vibe, that these stories are products of wild imaginations taking kernels of truth and spinning wondrous yarns.
When we see Sam Elliot's character being mugged, you figure this trailer can go one of two ways: either this guy never was what they say, or is no longer, and he is going to get beat up, or the stories are true and these thieves made a grave miscalculation. Thankfully, it turns out to be the latter.
What's surprising is that from there, the trailer doesn't turn into the movie that the title might lead you to think it is. If you only knew the title, you might think this would be a fun and outlandish action movie with a larger than life badass character at its center. But what we get is a movie that is much more serious in tone.
It is about a badass character, but one that lives with regret. Even the more fantastical story elements are played straight. Sam Elliot looks brilliant in the role, coming across every bit the badass that the film's incredible title promises, while having none of the carefree attitude you might expect from someone who could be dubbed the most interesting man in the world.
In this alternate history/fantasy world, Bigfoot is real and he is the source of some sort of pandemic threatening the entire world. For whatever reason, the powers that be need to enlist Calvin Barr, who I presume is a legendary hunter as well, to track the mythical creature down and kill it, thus saving the world once more.
At the same time, we are seeing Calvin Barr's past, when he killed Hitler, a decision that he now regrets, even if he had it coming. Like many great cinematic killers, Sam Elliot's character takes no pride in his skills. I expect this may cause some inner conflict for him when he is once again called upon to take a life.
This all makes for a very interesting trailer and I imagine a fascinating film because this movie is playing with different genres and fantasy elements, all while playing everything straight with a serious and melancholy tone. It is an adventure film, a contagion movie and a World War II story all in one.
I was in to see this movie based on the title alone, but this trailer has me truly curious how such a unique story with a surprising tone will all come together. Not to mention that Sam Elliot is always worth watching, especially coming off of his brilliant and heartbreaking turn in A Star is Born.
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot is written and directed by Robert D. Kryzkowski, and is his feature directorial debut. It arrives in theaters and on demand on February 8. For all of the biggest movies heading to theaters in 2019, check out our release schedule.
