Son Of A Gun [Blu-ray + Digital HD]

The real star of this action packed prison/crime drama is the youthful Aussie actor Brenton Thwaites (Oculus, Blue Lagoon, The Signal, The Giver) who has come a long way from playing pretty boy Prince Phillip in Maleficent. Incarcerated for some petty crime, he avoids being raped and beaten thanks to the help of Ewan McGregor and his fellow criminal buddies. EM takes BT under his protective wing and treats him like a master to student (shades of Episodes II and III of Star Wars). All is being prepared for an eventual prison break to be followed by a lucrative robbery. This is to be done after BT has already been released. The eventual idea was for BT to join up with EM and his escaped prison buddies to execute the pre-planned crime. Without giving anything away, there are a number of surprises and twists which, along with the constant action, keeps this movie going at a rapid pace. There is also a very human quality to all of this regardless of the lawlessness. In fact, it ultimately plays a crucial role in the film. BT has been given a moustache which, combined with a shaved head that is retained from his prison days and facial pallor, gives him an older and hardened appearance - highly appropriate for this film. Indeed, he is able to stand up to EM when necessary. The bond that evolves between these two is an essential feature of the movie. With two excellent actors as the leads along with an excellent supporting cast (especially Alicia Vikander as the one female representative in the mix), this film is far better than one might initially suspect and makes worthwhile viewing.

Excellent movie all the way through

A must-watch for fans of Ewan McGregor. While the two younger stars playing the romantic couple in this film fall pretty flat, McGregor gives the somewhat villainous Brendan shades of depth and subtlety that make him a fascinating character, only falling slightly short of Byronic heroism in that he is, after all, a thief. However, Brendan has a rigorous code of ethics that makes him interesting. I found the performances by Jacek Koman (Sam) and Matt Nable (Sterlo) similarly nuanced and intriguing, leaving me wondering about the characters' histories together. The most serious complaint I have is that the story takes entirely too long to establish. The film is nearly half over before the plot finally realizes its intent to get you invested in the characters' relationships to one another and emotionally involved in what they're doing/why they're doing it.

Big surprise, a really good story along with expert acting and direction. A real must see!!!

This is a really good action movie. Once it starts than it doesn't stop until the end. I really like Action Movies.

Agree with other reviewers here that thought the movie was ok, not outstanding. A lot of the plot was predictable, and some things just didn't make too much sense. Like setting the getaway car on fire. Then immediately pushing it into a reservoir. Recommendations: Non-mainstream crime thriller: "Hell Or High Water" - Outstanding. Non-mainstream crime thriller where the girl complicates things: "Layer Cake" - Great performance by Daniel Craig. :)

No flaws in disk. Sound good. I found the movie to be kind of a hidden gem.

At the end of this movie, all I could say was 'wow'. The beginning is a bit brutal but as it plays out, it gets better and by the end, it's great! It contains valuable lessons about life which slowly sneak up on you particularly during the final scenes. Hard to understand why some panned it, maybe they didn't get it?