The Lazarus Papers (2010)

Luckily I found out in advance that this film was nothing like what the cover art suggested it would be and even though it also goes under the title THE MERCENARY the plot doesn't really revolve around any kind of mercenary. It's really a very odd film but I didn't think it was bad at all. The plot was intriguing enough to draw my attention and it was very different to other films Gary Daniels had appeared in before.I thought about giving a synopsis which I don't normally do so that people would have a better idea of what to expect but I discovered the plot actually sounds more confusing than it really is. If you watch the film itself the plot makes more sense because there is more than one character story and sometimes it goes from being a supernatural drama to a love story to an action movie and during the third act it's all three at once.On the technical side it's really well made, the cinematography is very nicely done and the acting isn't all that bad. The characters do start to grow on you after a while and granted the film isn't perfect by any means.Overall, it's a very odd film but not bad but I recommend you ignore the cover art as it doesn't really represent what the film really is about. You can expect to see an intriguing plot that is more of a supernatural story with a bit of romance and a few mild action scenes.

The only reason I watched this is because one of the directors of the company I work for asked me to look at it. It had confused him and so he wondered if I could make any sense out of it. Well, I could, but it's so badly made that I really struggled. The acting, the script… everything about was amateurish and didn't really have any quality to it. More of my thoughts after this brief summary.When a village in South East Asia is attacked by a mercenary, Sebastian Riker, he murders the village holy man and healer, Aroon, and takes a girl, Nana to work as a prostitute. Little does he know but Aroon cannot die, his powers will not allow that until he can find someone to take his place. So he wanders the land looking for such a person. Some time later Nana is addicted to heroin and working for Riker as a prostitute. He has a scam, luring unsuspecting American tourists over with the promise of a marriage to one of his girls. Of course they get robbed and left in the street. Terminal patient Lonny Smith is such a victim, but he doesn't know it when he meets Nana. She is struck by his honesty and decides to break away from Riker. They go to a refugee camp near her former village, but Riker is on their trail and he wants his cash. I'll leave it there… I've probably made it sound a lot more interesting than it really is! I don't think the Spoiler Police will be bothered this time though.As I've already said, this is not a very good film and one I really cannot recommend by any stretch of the imagination. It's very poorly produced and, I'm guessing, had a tiny budget. I'll just give a few name checks so you can see just who you're not going to see acting pretty woefully. Danny Trejo played Aroon, Gary Daniels played Sebastian Riker, Krystal Vee played Nana and Johnny Lee Played Lonny Smith. Oh, and I should mention a small part for Damon Whitaker (Forest Whitaker 's brother) as Dock Bagley (a cop).My Score: 3.3/10.IMDb Score: 2.5/10 (based on 329 votes at the time of going to press).Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A (No listing).

If you were expecting an action packed thriller having picked this up based on the title, star names, or cover art, then you will be disappointed. It is essentially a supernatural drama, with only brief moments of action. The helicopters on the DVD cover art, do not in-fact appear in the film.It is refreshing to see Daniels take on a more prominent speaking role (which he does well), but would also be rewarding to see him kicking more ass in this film. Trejo adds an element of enigmatic charisma, but too many unresolved details surround the character for it to play out with satisfaction.Johnny Lee's acting is excellent and he carries the film's intrigue well. He is unfortunately let down by his on-screen counter-part, Krystal Vee, who's erratic and inconsistent delivery fumble the opportunities the script had to shine.Though well directed, and with some excellent cinematography, this film is ultimately let down by a slightly bizarre performance from the lead actress, and lack of action for the aficionados.

Wow, another drive you crazy DVD rental that wants you to pick up in the video stores and cheat you to waste several $s and a section of your lifetime that you could never get back. The screenplay is so stupid and ridiculous. The Latino actor who played in the "Machete" has become so popular and he's so smart to cash in while he's still hot or lukewarm. This time, he played a tribal magician who could heal the blind and could see his massacred tribal people.... Give me a break.I simply couldn't find any excuse to watch along after 20 minutes. The scenario is so stupid and the acting...!? The reason why I still want to write a review is because I consider myself a good Samaritan, I don't want you to waste your hard earned money to waste on this pathetic movie.