I Am Wrath (2016) was a "good-ish" movie, but barely. John Travolta played a decent role, but honestly, I liked his sidekick a lot more. Christopher Meloni as Dennis was a far more likable and believable character, while Travolta almost felt bored playing the lead.
Going into it, I was a little behind on when the film was released, so I originally assumed it was a late-90s direct-to-video action flick. Thinking of it as a 90s movie, I was thinking it wasn't terrible. Then I realized it actually came out in 2016... yikes. Travolta's hairline looks like a painted-on G.I. Joe haircut that doesn't remotely look real on camera.
About 85% of the plot was stupidly predictable. Who passes the weapon to who at the very end was about the only genuine shocker, but even then, it leaves you asking how that person could possibly know he was in danger and would need a gun at that exact second.
Beyond the predictable writing, some of the digital special effects definitely felt low-budget. Then there is the issue of lazy pacing. In what should have been the most impossible escape scene, instead of showing us how our hero gets out of a deadly mess without setting off alarms or getting hurt, the director just lazy jump-cuts to a "tada, all done!" moment. But of course, a crooked politician still manages to get a piece of Travolta right after, purely because the politician is the main villain and the script needed him to land a hit.
When I think of John Travolta, I still think Swordfish is probably his best work. If you think there is a better Travolta movie out there, let me know your thoughts!
Ultimately, this is just not one of the better revenge films I have seen, and I would not want to be in a situation that required me to watch it again. IMDb is sitting at a 5.4 out of 10, and that feels pretty spot on. I am going to have to give I Am Wrath a 2 out of 5 stars, with one of those points purely awarded because it at least didn't drag on forever.
My Rating: 2 / 5 Stars