Target Practice (2010)

Rich Riedel's promising directorial debut should please action fans and art-house connisseurs alike.Riedel's primary experience is in editing, and it shows. The story is paced expertly to build up the maximum tension possible.The acting is a bit uneven but there are some very strong performances here, notably from Eltony Williams.The indie film world doesn't produce a whole lot of action films, so it's important to recognize the talents that do emerge so that they find success. An action film world populated solely by directors who came up through the studio system isn't what anyone needs. Riedel has a bright future.

A group of guys go into the woods for a boys weekend away and end up running for their lives from a homegrown terrorist operation they stumbled upon. The action starts early and doesn't let up.I really liked this movie. It was a smart indie action film. It's not a big budget, Hollywood, Brangelina movie. So it's not for everyone. But if you want something exciting, new and well done, this is a great movie. I actually like the unpolished look and feel of it much like I like the original "Halloween" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It's the "indieness" that helps keep the tension alive along with the smart writing and direction.Can't wait to see what Riedel comes up with next.

I feel sorry for the makers of this movie for what I am about to write. Better luck next time.I watch a lot of indie movies, and I don't think a big budget necessarily makes a good movie. However, the action genre is probably not the place you'd want to start out in with a super-low budget, and I must say that it was sub-par to most other indie flicks I've seen. The only thing that stands out in a good way is the gory parts with effects/makeup.I have trouble deciding if the poor acting was due to bad directing, scripting, bad actors but probably a combination of all. Only the Al-Qaeda leader character was somewhat realistic. All other roles felt like a group of ten-year-old boys in grown-up bodies arguing with each other. Already in the first scenes I am asking myself "How are these people even friends?", because they behave like a dysfunctional family where nobody has any respect for each other whatsoever and will start shouting like crazy over nothing. This repeats throughout the movie. Not even the CIA agent can keep his cool (this is a person who is supposed to have had years of background checks and psyche evaluations?).The unlikely group of people traveling together behave like if they want to get in trouble (kind of like in horror movies where half naked girls walk out in the forest alone shouting "is there anybody there?"). Very irrational. See a car at the side of the road with bullet holes? - don't walk into the woods.Also not likely: * The homegrown terrorists are using Kalashnikovs(?) I don't think they are very easy to come by in northern America, and they have horrible accuracy. According to experts they are only an advantage when the enemy does not have a gun at all, or for shooting into crowds. Not something you would use for target practice, or be able to make those long range head shots. If you are making a movie about terrorists - at least know this much about them. * After the first shoot-out the terrorists simply give the unarmed civilians a 5 minute head start to run away and hide. * Nobody would in real life go back and fight 17 trained killers, when they have the option to flee and get help. Especially if you have no training yourself. This guy does not even know how to hold a rifle. Still he manages somehow to outs-shoot all of the terrorists.(Footnote: I took interest in this movie after reading the existing reviews on IMDb (12/21 2010) (all positive), but after watching the movie I must say they were in my opinion most probably strongly biased (written in promotional fashion and 9/10 score). Everyone have the right to their own opinion in a review, but at least be genuine. IMDb admins - feel free to remove this foot note if you disagree.)

This is a terrific picture with great action, suspense, and atmosphere.Director Rich Riedel not only understands the impact of flashy, noisy gun play, he also gets the importance of silence as an almost unbearable agent of tension. Excellent performances by all of the cast. And a brilliant use of location where he transforms the great outdoors into Hell. I first saw this picture as an Executive Board member for one of the many festivals that screened it. Board enthusiasm for TARGET PRACTICE was robust and unanimous, and the film was a huge audience favorite. See it!