January 10th: Play Dirty
Play Dirty
Released: 2025
Directed by: Shane Black
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Tony Shalhoub, Keegan-Michael Key
I have seen Parker in Point Blank with Lee Marvin (as Walker instead of Parker) and Payback with Mel Gibson (as Porter instead of Parker). The antiest of anti-heroes. A thief who will kill whoever he needs to get what he feels he deserves. He has a pretty straight forward code of honor: I get my share, you get yours.
Shane Black knows how to direct action movies, especially action comedies. He makes great action scenes while moving the story along at a solid clip without slowing down. He makes silly movies fun and entertaining.
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Mark Wahlberg is a guy who, for me, can make entertaining movies less entertaining. He knows how to play action roles but he’s almost a guy who would have been more at home in the heyday of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis than the 21st century. LaKeith Stanfield is too good an actor for this movie. He is great but he is not given a whole lot to do.
The plot is an action heist flick without too many twists. A couple but none that were shocking. This movie gets good with car chases and other action set pieces along with goofy banter.
Small Observations:
- Tony Shalhoub does well as the exasperated head of the Parker villains, the Outfit. A dirty criminal in a job that is becoming less and less dirty and more white collar.
- Mel Gibson played Parker in Payback. He also played Mark Wahlberg’s dad in Daddy’s Home 2. Considering each of their, shall we say, problematic racial histories, they aren’t too far apart.
- It is set at Christmas, like all of Shane Black’s films. Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys, and part of Last Action Hero all take place during Christmas.
- MCU actors: 0 unless you count Thomas Jane’s the Punisher as someone from an alternate timeline, then 1
Overall Ranking: B
It’s a fun movie. Nothing to write home about. Shane Black does his thing, to the benefit of the audience. Mark Wahlberg does his thing, to the detriment of the audience. If you want an action movie where you don’t have to think much and just have silly fun. This is a pretty good way to do it. You might want to give it a shot.
