Review of El Gringo

El Gringo (2012)
7/10
Solid action South of the Border
5 August 2020
This action movie is centred on an unnamed American policeman who, following an operation that goes badly wrong, crosses the border into Mexico with a large bag full of money. He makes his way to the town of El Fronteras where he gets a very frosty reception. He can't even buy a glass of water. The town is run by a corrupt sheriff and a criminal gang; they don't want strangers in their town and the rest of the population are too scared to confront them. Our protagonist's only ally is the woman who runs the bar and even she will be pleased when he leaves. Things get worse when people learn what is in his bag.

This film was never going to be in contention to win any awards but if you are looking for action you can do a lot worse. The rudimentary plot might not be the most original but it provides a good excuse for plenty of stylishly shot action. Scott Adkins does a solid job as our protagonist and other notable performances come from Yvette Yates, as the bar owner; Sofía Sisniega, as a would-be gang member and Christian Slater as Adkin's boss. For the most part the film is near non-stop action or moments where action could erupt at any moment. There is also a degree of humour at times and an unnecessary, but fairly tame, sex scene. Overall I wouldn't say this is a must see film but it is worth watching if you are a fan of action; it was certainly better than I expected.
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