In the French action-thriller 22 Bullets, Jean Reno’s character does his best impersonation of 50 Cent: he’s shot 22 times by the crime family he deserted. After emerging from a coma, Reno delves into his crime-ridden past in an attempt to gain vengeance against his would-be assassins. 22 Bullets falls flat with plot inconsistencies—Reno can no longer use his right hand, but seems to be able to drive a motorcycle off-road—and a lack of character development. The movie tries to get philosophical at one point as the characters attempt to explore the ethics of crime in society, but with little success, failed by tepid action scenes and rudimentary dialogue.
This article appears in Apr 21-27, 2011.