Wrath of Man Movie Review

Opens in theaters starting May 7th

“Wrath of Man” is full-throated action revenge movie with a massive body count and an unlimited supply of ammo. It is a real gut-punch of mayhem and murder, fueled by cash in armored trucks and people willing to kill to get at it. But when an innocent bystander gets caught in the crossfire, a devious plot comes together to turn the crooks into Swiss cheese.

Harry Hill (played by Jason Statham) gets a job working at an armored car depot. He gets the nickname ‘H’, and everyone there has a nickname. His boss Terry (played by Eddie Marsan) teams H up with ‘Bullet’ (played by Holt McCallany). He will also ride with ‘Boy Sweat Dave’ (played by Josh Hartnett). There was robbery a few months back, and two guards were killed. Also a young bystander was murdered by the thieves. H claims to have heard little about, but he is ready to make deliveries and pickups.

On his first job out, the truck is attacked. Dave and Bullet want to go straight by the rules. But H decides to dish out a little justice, along with the money bags. All of the bad guys get shot by H, including ‘Robber #6′ (played briefly by Post Malone). H becomes the ‘H’ero  at the depot. He has many more skills and background knowledge than he lets on. H is waiting to find the crew who pulled off the robbery months back. He has a more personal connection to what happened there than he wants to say.

H had a different life prior to becoming the cash truck guy.  He was in charge of some mysterious group that might be mob-related. He has connections to do things and get things that normal people would never have. He has connection with a really higher up dude named King (played by Andy Garcia, in a few cameos). But his crew has gotten information about a shady close-knit pack of ex-military operatives. These other guys are led by Jackson (played by Jeffrey Donovan) who was their old commanding officer. They all get along, except for one outcast named Jan (played by Scott Eastwood). Jan can be too much of a hot head, and he caused the deaths in that prior robbery.

The military heist group has now set their sights on taking out the armored car depot on Black Friday. That cash haul will be tremendous. Plus they have an ‘inside man’ in the depot. Everything is worked out with precision and with perfect timing. Except for the fact that H has decided to play by his own rules. There will be a collision of criminals at the depot, and each player is well-armed. Cash trucks will carry loads of dough into the place, and a bloodbath is waiting to happen.

H is mysterious and he is prepared. Any action that the ex-military robbers can take has been considered. All of that money is not on the mind of H. He is concerned only with being able to deliver his own form of justice. His own special high-velocity type of ‘justice’. But who was the inside man, and how did he help the crew? How many of the robbers will get away?  What was the connection to H and that initial robbery of the cash truck?

“Wrath of Man” is pretty tightly- wound, spring-loaded booby trap of heist movie. Based on an older French movie, Guy Ritchie takes a basic idea and gives it some loopy turns. The ‘H’ character is a focal point in the entire movie, and his motives become very clear. But he is shrouded with a back story full of mystery that is not fully explained. Jason Statham is rock-solid and is a well-oiled machine of a man. He is stone-faced and ready to pounce at the drop of a high-caliber round.

As the saying goes — “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham have found a way to take that dish up to ‘Heat of the Sun’ levels…

Opens in theaters starting May 7th