Underrated
Summary
Eastwood’s last hurrah (?) as a grizzled lawman is a fun, laid back thriller that showcases the icon’s easy going persona and style.
Plot: after a near fatal heart attack took him out of the game, a retired FBI Manhunter finds himself back in action when his arch nemesis, nicknamed the Code Killer, reappears.
Review: A box office disappointment upon release, Blood Work is most likely going to be Clint’s final turn as a gruff lawman, so I take special pleasure in watching it. While critics tore it apart and criticized it for being formulaic, I enjoy the fact that it plays with a familiar genre and offers a new spin on the material.
Eastwood ain’t Dirty Harry in this film. McCaleb is an old man who’s bad heart has left him a shell of his former self. Struggling to do action hero stuff, Eastwood presents a character more vulnerable and aware than before. This guy is reverse Dirty Harry. He has limitations, and a lifetime of tracking killers has taken a toll on his soul. And health.
I thought it was brave that Eastwood played a character his own age who is seen having medical procedures and being physically and spiritually exposed. Does that mean he doesn’t kick any ass? Hell no!!
Eastwood delivers a couple of note worthy action sequences (the opening chase and a parking lot shootout) are well done and show he still knows how to capture that gritty, city mayhem.
Jeff Daniels steals almost every scene he’s in as Eastwood’s bohemian neighbour and would-be partner. The pair reportedly got along like champs when they shot the film, and it shows on screen. Daniels is an underrated actor in my opinion and I love him in this fun pic.
Any whodunnit always has the audience wondering about the killer’s motive and identity. Blood Work’s killer has a pretty good motive, but the identity reveal is kinda pat since by the time the last act rolls around, there’s only a couple of people it can be.
The rest of the cast do well with their roles. Paul Rodriguez is a blast as a homicide cop jealous of McCaleb’s abilities and Wanda DeJesus plays a woman who’s far more than eye candy. Especially at the film’s hectic, shoot-em-up finale.
Overall, Blood Work is a fun thriller, well directed and acted by cinema’s most enduring talent. With this pic, Eastwood showed he wasn’t afraid to try new things in a familiar genre. I left the theatre smiling when I saw it back in 2002, and I still smile now when I watch it. Ride on, Clint.
