ALREADY DEAD is a very low budget B-movie filmed in an abandoned factory complex (as so many are). While it starts off on a strong footing, with an intriguing plot along the lines of the Nicolas Cage flick JUSTICE or one of the many revenge thrillers made over the years, it gradually loses steam until becoming another generic shoot-em-out in the second half.
The first half is surprisingly mature, though. It involves some unpleasant torture sequences a la HOSTEL, but it justifies them through a moral quandary storyline which has you intrigued. The first half is an essential two-hander, although Christopher Plummer cameos; of the central twosome, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS's Til Schweiger convinces as a man who may or may not be a child murderer, although the lead (Ron Eldard) gives a weaker performance.
Unfortunately the early promise soon evaporates in favour of routine, low-rent action and this is where the film stalls. To do action successfully you need skill, style and plenty of suspense between the shoot-outs, but what we get are scenes of two guys talking in a dark room interspersed with the most forgettable gun fights ever. Despite the presence of B-movie veteran Patrick Kilpatrick it never generates excitement due to staid direction and uneventful scripting, which is a shame as ALREADY DEAD had the potential to be something genuinely interesting.
The first half is surprisingly mature, though. It involves some unpleasant torture sequences a la HOSTEL, but it justifies them through a moral quandary storyline which has you intrigued. The first half is an essential two-hander, although Christopher Plummer cameos; of the central twosome, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS's Til Schweiger convinces as a man who may or may not be a child murderer, although the lead (Ron Eldard) gives a weaker performance.
Unfortunately the early promise soon evaporates in favour of routine, low-rent action and this is where the film stalls. To do action successfully you need skill, style and plenty of suspense between the shoot-outs, but what we get are scenes of two guys talking in a dark room interspersed with the most forgettable gun fights ever. Despite the presence of B-movie veteran Patrick Kilpatrick it never generates excitement due to staid direction and uneventful scripting, which is a shame as ALREADY DEAD had the potential to be something genuinely interesting.