Underwhelming
Summary
Mafia Wars is elevated by the cast of Cam Gigandet and Tom Welling and the Italian setting makes for some nice visuals. It’s let down by the low budget giving us unconvincing explosions and CG squibs so there are no majorly memorable action sequences.
Plot: An ex-con gets released early from prison only to be forced into an undercover unit of six men and on his first day the other five are all killed. Now he must face the men who he was tasked to spy on.
Review: I’ve always enjoyed movies about undercover cops as they are usually unbearably tense; the recent release of Mafia Wars stars Tom Welling as an inmate in an Italian prison who is freed by a detective, but only under the condition he goes undercover with local psychopath Griff (Cam Gigandet). I like that this entire movie is set in Italy as it always looks very cinematic and grand.
Tom Welling is my Clark Kent as I grew up watching Smallville and it’s nice to see him in a leading role again; I haven’t seen him in much since Smallville, but I did meet him a few years ago and he seems like a super cool guy in real life. I’m not sure I buy him as a tough guy as he has a bit of a soft face but I’m always rooting for him just for his sheer likeability. Speaking of Smallville, there is a line about Superman in this movie which is a bit corny and groan inducing.
Cam Gigandet always makes for a fun villain and he chews the scenery here as Griff who is trying to take over the Mob. He looks like he’s having a fun time and it’s him that elevates this movie.
The lack of a budget is what lets this movie down as we get unconvincing CG explosions, blood and muzzle flare which is disappointing and takes you out of it. The whole point in action movies is to watch cool stunts and action scenes, but when it looks cheap it kind of defeats the purpose. It’s hardly a terrible movie though and there is enough action to keep things moving in the brisk runtime.
Overall, Mafia Wars has a scene stealing turn from Cam Gigandet and Tom Welling makes for a sympathetic lead; it gets quite tense and times and the Italy setting feels fresh. It’s let down by the lack of budget which means the action scenes aren’t anything amazing.