Watching – Boss Level (2021)

Technically, I watched this some time ago but it bubbled back into my memory after seeing it was leaving Netflix soon.

Boss Level manages to mix over the top video game style action (including highly style over substance assassins), family drama of an estranged father trying to do right by his son and wife, and the time loop dynamics of Groundhog Day and the best episode of Stargate – SG1: Window of Opportunity.

Top it off with hard luck hero Roy Pulver (played by Frank Grillo, a solid B movie actor when he’s not playing Crossbones in the MCU), fighting to save his loved ones (as well as the rest of the world) from the machinations of Big Bad Evil Guy Colonel Clive Ventor (wickedly played by Mel Gibson).

This movie has far more character development and thought put into the time loops than you would expect from the ads. Like many time loop plots, Roy learns from each loop. The repeats are largely skimmed over (thankfully), giving more time to some comedic loops and when Roy changes things. Just when the pacing of a loop starts to strain, a new element enters into the story and triggers a new path for Roy and new possibilities that might break him out of the loop (or at least fix his own broken relationships).

As a pulpy action with a sci fi twist, I enjoyed it. Frank Grillo is a solid tough guy action hero and the fight choreography entertaining. It hits the same sort of beats that Groundhog Day does – confusion, experimentation, despair, expertise, and eventually personal growth – but with lots of big guns, explosions, and sword fights. At a running time of 100 minutes, it goes by pretty quick.

For the Gamer Eye

As I made my way through a backlog of emails, I came across a blog post that clicked together with this all too well, ah synchronicity! So rather than reinventing a trope, I figured I would share the link and send some well deserved appreciation Johnn’s way

3 Tips for Running a Groundhog Day scenario