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May 2011
cast: Sam Worthington, Steve Bastoni, Johnny Boxer, Ben Dalton, and Jason Crewes
writer and director: Tim Boyle
85 minutes (18) 2005
widescreen ratio 1.78:1
Metrodome DVD Region 2
RATING: 7/10
review by James A. Stewart
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Fink!
You'd be forgiven for assuming that Fink was a London-based film musing on the subjective consciousness of an individual - but no, the title
is not a colloquial representation of how a Londoner would say 'think'. Instead, Fink is an Australian based action comedy set around an
incredulous series of events happening to a seemingly disparate bunch of characters.
Fink has been released on DVD six years after its original release date to take advantage of Sam Worthington's international fame. The fact
that he is plastered all over the cover despite not being the most prominent character is testament to this, but a bit of cynical marketing is par
for the course these days. This movie, also known as Pros And Ex-Cons (in USA) and 3 The Hard Way (in Australia), doesn't have anything
immensely standout about it yet it still works. Done on a reported budget of $300,000 AUD, Fink has a tagline that goes '4 hitmen, 3 slackers, 2
hackers and a man named Fink!'
The tagline pretty much sums up the movie. Fink, the character, hires a couple of bumbling hitmen who kill the wrong mark which sets in motion a
series of events that leads to a low-budget shoot-up between the cast to end the film. The other two hitmen are real pros, but are somehow about
as intelligent as sleepy Neanderthals. The two hackers, well, they are caught in the middle through nothing other than arrogance and the three
slackers are the viewer's favourites, the ones we all want to win.
In many ways, there is a lot wrong with this film. The sound is patchy and the acting is somewhat wooden at times, with some of the characters
actually becoming borderline parodies of themselves, especially Johnny Boxer's Jesse Bouncer and the gang lord Terence Fink himself. It was as
if they were told to be beyond menacing. Even Worthington, now of
Avatar, Clash Of The Titans remake, and
Terminator Salvation fame, isn't exactly impressive as one half of
the flopping hitmen.
To add to this, the script is cringe-worthy on a regular basis: so, why 7/10 for the review? In a word - fun. Despite the obvious flaws in the
overall package this is a genuinely enjoyable film to watch. There are a couple of scenes which are quite brilliant. The poker match where a player,
one of the hackers, bets his left testicle is priceless - especially when he is told his bet is only valid once his ball is on the table. The three
hackers - who between them look like dumbfounded members of Goldie Lookin' Chain - are a laugh whenever on screen and the idiocy of the two bumbling
hitmen is a quite comical.
There are no DVD extras but the end credits do have a bloopers reel running through it.
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