scale. Where’s the robot army?
Can we give POTUS super-powers? Does it have to be set in Finland? But Helander goes all out
here, and Big Game wouldn’t
seem out of place alongside
‘90s blockbuster fare like Air
Force One and Con Air. Made for
a mere 13 million, Helander has
gotten serious bang for his buck,
keeping computer graphic (CG)
treated to moments of sweetness between the film’s unlikely
heroic duo, who trade lessons in
survival garnered from lives led
in disparate but equally hostile
environments - the rough terrain of Northern Finland and the
treacherous corridors of Washington DC. Helander’s film is at
once a celebration and a critique
of Scandinavian machismo.
When he becomes the prey of big game hunters,
the US president’s only hope of survival lies
with a 13 year old Finnish boy.
to a distraction free minimum
and exploiting the stunning location for extra production value.
While it has its share of oneliners and amusing beats, Big
Game plays its premise with a
commendably straight face, and
a beating heart. Alongside the
thunderous set-pieces we’re
New Jersey Stage
When the defiant Oskari tells
Bill “In Finland you have to be
tough,” his face is torn between
pride and despondency.
Playing a weak man forced to
portray an outward strength,
Jackson is given a chance to
self-examine his career. “You
don’t have to be tough; you just
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