FILM REVIEW OF "ABDUCTION" (2019)

Hollywood makes three kinds of sci-fi flicks. First, epics that occur in space. Second, stories that transpire on Earth. Third, yarns that utilize both settings. "Abduction" (** OUT OF ****) qualifies as the second. The premise of "Assassination Games" director Ernie Barbarash's "Abduction," a tolerably cheesy sci-fi saga mashed up with a crime thriller, is utterly preposterous. The elaborate but convoluted premise virtually defies synopsis. Imagine the kind of movie those schlockmeisters at Asylum Studios would crank out about 'aliens trafficking in humans,' and you'll see why "Abduction" earns points for its goofy SyFy Channel charm. Aliens from another dimension can "bend space time," but they're are running out of that commodity. When they entered our world, they disrupted our three-dimensions and wound up marooned here ever since. Apparently, these aliens-called 'Visitors'--had established contact earlier with the ancient Chinese back in the Stone Age. While time ticks away at their expense, the Visitors have embarked on a hunt for humans with either "specific genetic codes" or exceptional 'chi.' The pseudoscience of Feng shui plays a critical part in the flawed navigational system of the Visitor's starship. These singular humans can produce enough chi to propel the Visitors through the three-dimensional matter in the Earth's gravitational pull. None of these humans, however, will survive the journey. Basically, all you need to know is that the Visitors have abducted Scott Adkins' daughter and nothing is going to stop our hero from getting her back alive. Clearly, Barbarash and "Operation Rogue" writer Michael MacLean have appropriated "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and combined it with "Taken."

These sinister aliens, sauntering around in dark robes with hoods covering their cadaverous faces, are fairly straightforward. Not only do they speak in predictably ominous tones, but they also can emit a light from the palms of their hands. Near the end of this nimble 97-minute nonsense, the Visitors unveil themselves in their native form as towering, green, crystalline, warriors. Omniscient and infallible as these Visitors appear, they make a supreme error when they abduct British SWAT team leader Andrew Quinn (Scott Adkins of "Avengement") and his adolescent daughter Lucy simultaneously. As one of two protagonists in this buddy picture, Quinn searches desperately for his missing daughter. She is one of many Earthlings shanghaied by these space invaders to salvage their malfunctioning navigation system. In a parallel plot, a deadly assassin who has never missed a single shot in his entire life, Connor (Andy On of "Zombie Fight Club"), promises his wife he will quit killing people for an Asian crime syndicate. Connor yearns to turn over a new leaf. Unexpectedly, the Visitors clad like monks in robes materialize mysteriously in his apartment and abduct his wife. Inevitably, Quinn and Connor collide with each other when they tangle with these formidable aliens. Connor tries to shoot them, but they dissolve his bullets into dust!

"Abduction" unfolds in a gloomy warehouse where a huge, sweaty thug trundles unconscious humans around in a wheelbarrow. Quinn finds himself among other less fortunate humans who the aliens have seized as slave labor. These woebegone souls have a spider-like apparatus attached to the nape of their necks with a glowing jade emerald at the center. The atmosphere is ominous as Quinn fights one of the monks and takes a blow to the chest that literally knocks him backwards some twenty feet or more through a solid brick wall of a towering temple to plunge into a watery abyss. Miraculously, Quinn survives the fall! After he climbs out of the water, Quinn discovers he is in Vietnam at the Victory Fountain Park in Ho Chi Minh City. Wandering the city without a clue, he lives like a vagrant until the police arrest him and turn him over to hospital authorities for observation. Quinn suffers from the effects of time travel. Not only does he stutter unless slapped, but he also has become an amnesiac. Eventually, he tells his tale of woe to a Vietnamese doctor, psychiatrist Dr. Anna Pham (Truong Ngoc Anh of "Truy Sat"), about aliens abducting his daughter on Sunday, 7 January 1985. Imagine our hero's shock and stupefaction when Dr. Pham informs him the year is 2018. Quinn is appalled at this revelation, but he convinces Dr. Pham that he is no lunatic. When they consult with her elderly mentor, Dr. Dao (Aki Aleong of "Pound of Flesh"), the latter explains how the aliens use Feng shui as a navigational tool which will enable them to leave the earth.

Presumably, Quinn and his daughter were caught in the same net. He managed to escape and tracked her down. The aliens thwarted his initial rescue attempt. Although Quinn was one of many humans the Visitors grabbed, he lacked the "specific genetic codes," so they relegated him to drone ranks with the emerald apparatus. Principally, "Abduction" harkens back to the post-apocalyptic, sci-fi television show "Falling Skies" (2011 to 2015) on TNT, where enemy aliens captured humans and controlled them with a similar spinal contraption. Barbarash has done his share of action movies with Jean-Claude Van Damme, so he is no stranger to martial arts actioneers. As outlandish as the sci-fi plot is, "Abduction" musters occasional footholds of gravity with Barbarash's acrobatic staging of various fight scenes. He focuses on the collective plight of Scott Adkins and Andy On. Their shenanigans with martial arts and silenced pistols proves far more cinematic than these monolithic, CGI-forged, extra-terrestrials. As villains, the Visitors are comparably lukewarm. Early action depicting Connor's clash with a trigger-happy gang of Russians boasts ramped up levels of violence comparable to Keanu Reeves' "John Wick" shoot'em ups. Adkins is comparable to Roddy Piper in John Carpenter's "They Live" (1988), while On is the equivalent of Chow Yun Fat in John Woo's "The Killer" (1989). "Abduction" qualifies as the kind of picture best watched with lots of beer and pizza, but it has none of the electrifying intensity of "Avengement," another recent Scott Adkins outing.

FILM REVIEW OF ''VAULT" (2019)

"Almost Mercy" writer & director Tom DeNucci and co-scenarist B. Dalton bite off more than they can chew in "Vault," (** OUT OF ****) an ambitious but humdrum portrayal of a momentous robbery that also heralded the decline of La Cosa Nostra in America. Basically, "Vault" depicts a little known but spectacular $34 million robbery committed by two small-time hoods who never learned that crime doesn't pay. The infamous robbery took place on the morning of August 14, 1975, at the Hudson Fur Storage at 101 Cranston Street in Providence's West Side in Rhode Island. Not only did they pull off this once-in-a-lifetime robbery without casualties, but they also got clean away with more loot than you can ever imagine. Afterward, however, they discover that claiming their share of the loot would be an involved and drawn-out proposition. Up-and-coming thespians Theo Rossi and Clive Standen, who headline this low-budget crime saga, orchestrate the operation in this cliché riddled heist caper. Several familiar crime genre stalwarts, Chazz Palminteri, Don Johnson, William Forsythe, Burt Young, Andrew Divoff, and Victor Pastore, provide sturdy support in peripheral roles in this 99-minute, R-rated potboiler. DeNucci and company score brownie points galore for restoring the year 1975 with nothing egregious to burst the nostalgic bubble. Unfortunately, DeNucci isn't as gifted a maestro as Martin Scorsese, especially since his historic Mafia heist in "Goodfellas" (1990), co-starring Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, shares certain similarities with "Vault." Despite its' commendable production values, "Vault" generates little excitement, resorts to hackneyed movie formulas, and ultimately tempts you to fast-forward the action to fadeout. Indeed, crime doesn't pay in "Vault," but the authorities have never able to prove in court without a shadow of a doubt who ordered the robbery. DeNucci and Dalton have their own take on the mystery man. The action boils down to criminals versus criminals. In fact, the police are seen only occasionally! At the same time, DeNucci chronicles the friendship between the two protagonists, Deuce (Theo Rossi of "Cloverfield") and Chucky (Clive Standen of "Patient Zero"), who met when they were fifteen. DeNucci delivers few surprises along the way, and the action is wholly derivative. The supreme irony of "Vault" is the Mafia may have been the culprits who made off with the $34 million. Crime buffs may tolerate it once but watching it more than once might be sleep inducing.

Tom DeNucci covers a lot of ground with little flair in this half-baked but historically exciting yarn. During the opening 30 minutes, DeNucci and Dalton introduce Deuce and Chucky, and their first scene together is reminiscent of a Tarantino conversation from one of his early films. Poised to rob a pawnshop, Deuce refuses to wear a mask. Futilely, Chucky argues with him about wearing a mask. Everybody will only remember the muzzle of his revolver, Deuce rants, rather than his facial features. Eventually, Chucky relents and then sheds his own mask. The two gunmen enter the store and brandish their weapons. All but one of the employees, Karyn (Samira Wiley of "Rob the Mob"), refuses to cooperate with Deuce's revolver staring her in the face. Deuce marvels at Karyn's defiance and finds himself attracted to this fearless African American dame. Oddly enough, despite her initial hostility, Karyn reciprocates Deuce's interest. Later, she accompanies Deuce home and samples his mother's cooking. Meanwhile, Deuce and Chucky get too big for their britches and try to rob two banks in the same day. Indeed, they might have gotten away with it, had Deuce not enlisted his younger brother, Tommy (Michael Zuccola of "Erebus"), as their getaway driver. As he listens to the police-band radio, Tommy loses his nerve and splits seconds before Deuce and Chucky dive into the backseat. The police surprise the pair, and they land in prison. A shady Frenchman, Gerry Quimette (Don Johnson of "Miami Vice") recruits them as bodyguards to protect him from the Mafia. Since he is French, Gerry cannot become a Made-Man, and Mafia chieftain Raymond Patriarca (Chazz Palminteri of "The Usual Suspects") isn't happy with Gerry's blasphemous request. Nevertheless, Raymond and Gerry have a complicated history of collaboration, and Gerry knows more about Mafia business than any non-Italian could and still rise for breakfast each day. After our protagonists are released from prison, Gerry contacts them about a heist at the Hudson Fur Company. He promises them each a $70-thousand payday. Initially, Deuce is leery about it, but Chucky persuades him to change his mind. They hire five accomplices to help them clean out about 146 safety deposit boxes in a huge commercial vault at a private warehouse. Nobody has ever dared to rob Hudson Furs, probably because everybody knew it was a Mafia safehouse.

DeNucci directs "Vault" as if it were a documentary. First, neither Deuce nor Chucky engage our sympathy. Low-life thieves that these characters are, the enigmatic actors portraying them struggle to give them any redeeming qualities. Little about Deuce and Chucky is likeable. Second, by the time these two give up the ghost, you'll find nothing amusing about their naïveté. Morally, DeNucci glorifies neither the crime nor the criminals. DeNucci stages the heist, but he doesn't generate a palatable sense of either dread or suspense. The actual robbery is more monotonous than nerve-racking. Our protagonists aren't even in the vault while their accomplices drill industriously into one safe deposit box after another, piling up heaps of currency on the floor. Meantime, Deuce and Chucky keep several Hudson Fur Storage employees at gunpoint. Indeed, "Vault" musters a surprise or two, and one is the reversal ending that surprises both of them. DeNucci helms the first two-thirds of "Vault" with efficiency rather than finesse, while the final third, where Deuce and Karyn reunite, spirals into boredom. At this point, you'd think these guys would have realized they would get their share of the lead instead of the loot. Despite the unique significance of its historical background, "Vault" qualifies as routine at best and uninspiring at worst.

FILM REVIEW OF ''ATTRITION" (2019)

Surprisingly, the latest Steven Seagal actioneer "Attrition" (**1/2 OUT OF ****) qualifies as a notch above the last 36 movies he has starred in since "Half-Past Dead" (2002). Basically, a standard-issue abduction yarn, with a dash of fantasy, "Attrition" benefits from Seagal's above average but formulaic screenplay as well as "Borderland" French director Mathieu Weschler's polished helming. Weschler's touch permeates this by-the-numbers crime melodrama and makes everything palatable. He imparts a sense of spontaneity rarely seen in Seagal's quickly made, contrived, cookie cutter sagas. Jordan Dieselberg's editing, Vincent Vieillard-Baron's widescreen cinematography, and Can Aydin's dynamic stunt work--involving at least 33 Asian stunt men--are all impeccably forged into a unified whole. You don't witness this level of craftsmanship in most run-of-the-mill Seagal shoot'em ups. Predictably, the star casts himself as another durable, but conscious-stricken government Black Ops agent who renounces violence. He hangs up his guns and disbands his unit. Axe (Steven Seagal of "Under Siege") pledges to atone for the lifetime of death and destruction that he has inflicted over the years. Genuinely contrite, he channels his energies and expertise as a doctor to serve the people of a poor, remote, jungle community.

Mind you, with its human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, and martial arts faceoffs, you've seen variants of "Attrition" with other genre stalwarts, such as Jackie Chan. Seagal plays the tall, dark, bearded Axe as a truly sympathetic fellow in this gritty, homicidal thriller. The scene where he persuades a desperate dad to refrain from committing suicide so his young son will not face an orphan's future is incredibly sentimental. Furthermore, "Attrition" boasts two other scenes where different characters break down and gush tears of gratitude for the compassion shown them. In another scene, a character learns his Master is his own father! Reportedly, Seagal planned a scene about Chinese girls mud wrestling in the nude, but Weschler convinced him to remove this objectionable scene since it would have been incompatible with the film's somber tone. The genius of Weschler's direction is that he doesn't wear out either his welcome or Seagal's with this nimble, atmospheric, 85-minute, R-rated actioneer. Naturally, the despicable villains are no match for our invincible heroes, and the final assault on Qmom's lair is staged with both flair and efficiency. Nobody gives a bad performance, and the sprawling Thai scenery is breathtaking. None of this, of course, will matter to most Segalites, but they will be rewarded amply with a firefight at the outset and even greater one during the third act.

Our conscientious hero and his Black Ops team mount a rescue operation during the murky pre-credit sequence of "Attrition," with Axe providing some insightful, voice-over narration that reflects his philosophy. "The weight of war is a heavy burden to bear. Some say it's a necessity, a stage on which good can triumph over evil. But sometimes, the cost is too great to justify the means. For all the lines that have been crossed in the name of justice, taking a life for a life will only perpetuate the cycle. The war must be fought from within. It would take a lifetime to make amends for the terrible things I've done." As Axe and his heavily armed team blast their way into a dilapidated factory, they slaughter the opposition without a qualm. Their triumph over evil is short-lived. Axe discovers that the object of their mission, a beautiful young girl, has bled out from a chest wound. Three years later, our hero settles in the Far East, abides by the teachings of Buddha, and uses his medical skills to alleviate suffering among the destitute in the jungles of Thailand. Axe turns away nobody from his non-profit clinic.

Inevitably, Axe's serenity is shattered after the sinister villain, Qmom (Kang Yu of "Kung Fu Jungle"), dispatches his gimlet-eyed henchmen to kidnap a twenty-year-old girl, Tara (newcomer Ting Sue), who refuses to accept Qmom's hospitality. An open-air market scene with hundreds of sheets draped across corridors of makeshift clothesline scaffolding demonstrates Weschler's flair. Qmom's men pursue Tara through this colorful maze. Nevertheless, the best efforts of our damsel-in-distress to elude the villains proves futile. The bad guys catch her and deliver her to Qmom. This tense scene bristles with kinetic energy and dazzling flashes of color. The freshly dyed, rectangular sheets hanging up on display break up the monotony of the humdrum settings. Later, Tara's brokenhearted father appeals to Axe for help. He explains his oldest daughter was born with an amazing gift to heal. Apparently, Qmom has kidnapped Tara because he believes she can heal him. This unsavory opium dealer lives in luxury in a nightclub/fortress, because he doesn't feel safe enough to venture out of it into the sunlight. He learns about Tara from a street gambler who owes him a bundle. The only derivative scene that stands out "Attrition" is Qmom's entrance. Our villain is shown sparring vigorously with a bloody punching bag. The bag splits open after Qmom concludes his workout, and out dangles a dead man's arm. Presumably, the James Bond extravaganza "Die Another Day" (2002), where the North Korean villain beat an adversary to death who was sewn up in a punching bag, may have inspired Weschler.

Since thirty-eight minutes has elapsed in "Attrition," you know that Axe cannot refuse the grieving father. Indeed, our hero has been awakened from his sleep by a winged angel who converses with him on more than one occasion about the forthcoming confrontation. Reluctantly, Axe reassembles his elite team of troubleshooters, in a flavorful homage to Sylvester Stallone's "Expendables" franchise as the heroes gather. They set out to rescue Tara. Unlike the opening scene with its ill-fated hostage, Axe resolves to see that the same outcome doesn't occur twice. Staunch Steven Seagal fans won't be disappointed with the slickly orchestrated "Attrition." The finale at Qmom's heavily guarded stronghold has everybody either tackling or killing bad guys. Watching Seagal give the arrogant opium dealer his just comeuppance is swell stuff.

FILM REVIEW OF "THE GOLDEN ARROW" (1962)

American actor Tab Hunter is cast as an Arabian prince in Italian director Antonio Margheriti's fourth film "The Golden Arrow," (*** OUT OF ****) a lavish, sword and sorcery, fantasy yarn about a dashing young gent who sets out to reclaim his rightful position in society after he learns that he is descended from royal blood. Sporting an anachronistic hair-style, Hunter knows nothing about his genuine biological father—the Sultan of Damascus--and remembers only the bandits that raised him from infancy. Scenarists Giorgio Arlorio of "The Mercenary," Augusto Frassinetti & Bruno Vailati of "The Thief of Bagdad," Giorgio Prosperi of "Indiscretion of an American Wife," and Filippo Sanjust of "The Seventh Sword," have cobbled together bits and pieces from other classic tales, such as the Arthurian legend about pulling Excalibur out of a rock, to forge their outrageous, entertaining, but formulaic epic. Hassan (Tab Hunter of "Damned Yankees") plays a man not only seeking to avenge his slain father but also marry an attractive princess and ascend to the throne of Damascus. The slim but muscular Hunter looks fit as a bandit chieftain, and he gets to perform his share of acrobatics in this far-fetch fable. Nevertheless, Hunter's fans may be disappointed to learn that the former teen heartthrob has been dubbed by another actor. Chiefly, the baritone voice of the other actor sounds more appropriate for an individual of his background. Although it is unmistakable everybody has been dubbed, the dubbing matches the lips better than most European adventures in the early 196os.

Hassan and his outcasts manage to enter to palace in Damascus where the festivities are scheduled to occur. A fair-sized crowd has assembled to see who can launch a golden arrow. The golden arrow is indeed unusual. The future ruler of Damascus as well as husband to the princess must be physically able to shoot the magic arrow. Furthermore, the arrow acts like a boomerang because it returns to the archer after it has found its mark. Three noble leaders struggle to let the arrow fly. Sadly, they fail in their efforts. Only one man can send the golden arrow streaking aloft. Hassan masquerades as a nobleman from the Islands of Flame, and he exhibits his uncanny power when he propels the arrow successfully into flight. Hassan exploits this ceremony as an opportunity to kidnap Jamila (Rossana Podestà of "Helen of Troy") and hold her for ransom. Ironically, he becomes so enamored of the princess that he double-crosses his cronies and releases her. The three suitors, the Prince of Bassora (Renato Baldini of "Snow Devils") and two others set out to find Jamila something that no other man can give her. She decides to make one of them her future husband when he brings back that something special. Ultimately, these three men fail, and the worst loser of the three is Bassora. Bassora leads his army against Damascus so he can claim Jamila as his bride. Predictably, Jamila has prayed to Allah, and the god dispatches three genies to help Hassan find the golden arrow and save Damascus from Bassora.

The widescreen cinematography of "Valdez is Coming" lenser Gábor Pogány is absolutely gorgeous. Every composition could easily accommodate a picture postcard. Mario Serandrei's editing is just as good. He doesn't allow shots to linger to the point of boredom. The production designs and set decoration are equally noteworthy. Everything about "The Golden Arrow" except its charming visual effects and formulaic looks really striking. Margheriti directs at a whirlwind pace and his scribes spring surprises often enough to keep these adolescent antics entertaining, though I suspect the depiction of the cultures may be inappropriate. Lastly, composer Mario Nascimbene provides an orchestral soundtrack that underscores each twist, and the theme for the genies is memorable. Some parts of the film were shot on location at Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el Bahari, in Egypt. The sprawling, large-scale confrontation between Hassan and his genies atop flying carpets bombing the army of the Prince of Bassora is something you don't often see in movies. If you want clean, wholesome, juvenile entertainment, nothing about "The Golden Arrow" should offend you.

FILM REVIEW OF "DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE" (2019)

Most of us watch movies to escape the drudgery of our everyday lives.  We want our heroes to vanquish the villains and reap the rewards of their valor.  Hollywood often provides the dessert of a happy ending.  If it makes us feel sufficiently good, perhaps we’ll watch it again.  Depending on our maturity, we don’t want to experience too much reality.  Teenagers crave mindless horror movies because death poses little threat to them than it does to grown-ups. Nobody wants to see their heroes die tragically, despite the suspense that makes us sweat out the ending.  If you prefer films with sugarcoated endings rather than a meandering melodrama where anything appears possible, you should probably shun the Mel Gibson & Vince Vaughn crime thriller “Dragged Across Concrete” (**** OUT OF ****), a gritty saga about two cops who have crossed the line one time too many.  Writer & director S. Craig Zahler maintains the reputation he has forged for himself in his last two movies: “Bone Tomahawk” (2015) and “Brawl in Cell Block 99” (2017), relentlessly brutal outings where the heroes face odds hopelessly stacked against them.  Watching “Dragged Across Concrete” for Mel Gibson fans won’t remind them of the shenanigans of the “Lethal Weapon” franchise.  Suspenseful, lingering, but heavyweight in every aspect from fade-in to fade out, this austere R-rated crime yarn is neither as pitiless as “Bone Tomahawk” nor as pugnacious as “Brawl in Cell Block 99.” If you relish movies where the protagonists improvise against the unexpected to dispatch their adversaries, you might enjoy it more than the snowflakes who will be alienated by its nihilism.  Thirty years ago when the stars were younger and life offered the prospect of greater optimism, movies like “Dragged Across Concrete” could never have been financed.  Clocking in at an intractable 158-minutes, this elaborate heist caper boasts memorable characters, top-notch casting, but its soap bubble of optimism bursts before more than a quarter of an hour elapses.

“Dragged Across Concrete” opens with two seasoned plainclothes detectives on a stakeout.  Brett Ridgeman (Mel Gibson of “Braveheart”) and Anthony Lurasetti (Vince Vaughn of “Clay Pigeons”) flush an African-American drug dealer out of a high-rise apartment complex after another cop impersonates a plumber to complain about a water leak.  The drug dealer flees via the fire escape, and Ridgeman and Lurasetti collar him.  Ridgeman questions him about the whereabouts of a duffel bag of heroin.  As he grinds his shoe into the nape of the dastard’s neck, Ridgeman learns about a partially deaf Latino woman shacked up in the apartment with the drug dealer.  Unbeknownst to the detectives, an apartment dweller some floors up has made a video of their excessive force.  Although the two cops have made a major bust, everything they’ve done comes back to haunt them.  Ridgeman’s former partner, Detective Lieutenant Calvert (Don Johnson of “Miami Vice”), suspends them without pay.  The two aren’t happy with the consequences.  Bridgeman’s better days have passed, and Lurasetti is accustomed to having the finer things.  Unlike Lieutenant Calvert, Ridgeman has failed to change with the times.  He does good, solid, police work, but displays little compassion.  His wife, a former cop, Melanie (Laurie Holden of “The Mist”) quit the force because of multiple sclerosis.  Moreover, the Ridgemans live in a low-life neighborhood, and their teenage daughter, Sara (Jordyn Ashley Olson of “The Shack”), endures bullies every time she comes home from school.  Ridgeman wants to move his family to a better side of town. Ridgeman’s younger partner Lurasetti plans to propose to his beautiful fiancée, Denise (Tattiawna Jones of “Tully”), but the departmental suspension threatens to cramp his style. 

Ridgeman learns from a criminal informant, Friedrich (Udo Kier of “Blade”), about a felon in town who has been planning a big crime.  Initially reluctant to cross the line without his badge, Lurasetti goes along with Ridgeman, and they stake out this suspicious crook, Lorentz Vogelmann (Thomas Kretschmann of “Resident Evil: Apocalypse”), who plans to orchestrate a once-in-a-lifetime haul that will set him up for life.  Part of his plan requires the help of two trigger-happy accomplices.  Furthermore, Vogelmann hires two African-Americans as drivers, Biscuit (Michael Jai White of “Black Dynamite”) and his childhood chum, Henry Johns (Tory Kittles of “Get Rich or Die Tryin'”), who has just gotten out of  prison.  Johns discovers that not only has his mother lost her job, but she has also resorted to prostitution to pay her bills.  Unfortunately, she and his crippled brother are so deep in debt they face eviction.  Reluctantly, Johns joins Biscuit as a back-up driver for Vogelmann to help them out. 

Patience is required to appreciate “Dragged Across Concrete.”  This heist film unfolds methodically, and we are as baffled as these two cops about Vogelmann’s designs. Characterization is really sturdy here.  Ridgeman calculates everything in percentages.  Can they thwart Vogelmann and survive?  Gibson looks terrific with his silver hair and thick mustache.  Life hasn’t treated Ridgeman well, but he has himself to blame, too.  Despite the disparity in their ages, the two stars radiate chemistry.  You can believe they’re partners because they know each other with a familiarity that has bred mutual respect. The villains are hopelessly homicidal.  Garbed from head to toe in impersonal black outfits, they wear goggles and wield magazine-fed, submachine guns equipped with silencers.  They issue lethal threats, and they show no mercy.  Vogelmann has planned his heist painstakingly, and Biscuit and Johns realize that they may be expendable.  Shrewdly, they stash cellophane-wrapped, automatic pistols out of sight in case they suspect Vogelmann of treachery.  Writer & director S. Craig Zahler isn’t cut from the same cloth as cult director Quentin Tarantino.  Zahler refuses to impress us with clever references to influential crime films, and his dialogue is straightforward like the realistic dialogue in Jack Webb’s vintage “Dragnet” television series.  Zahler’s characters are philosophical, but they are neither pretentious nor loquacious. Basically, “Dragged Across Concrete” qualifies as a hard-boiled melodrama that offers no easy way out for anybody.