By Paul Hall
Starting over is a real thing for so many individuals. Whether coming out of a bad relationship, leaving a job that saps your lifeblood, or just digging out from mountains of debt, when people are given the opportunity to make a new start, many jump at it. In the new film Vanquish, we see one such woman who gets a second chance.
Victoria (Ruby Rose) has a messy past. She is a single mother and her daughter needs some expensive medical care. Her boss is Damon (Morgan Freeman), a former police commissioner who is currently in a wheelchair and needs constant care. Victoria serves as Damon’s caretaker and he treats her and her daughter as family.
There is history between these two. It seems Damon may have been the only person between Victoria and prison (or worse). He gave her a second chance at life, and now Damon has another proposition, one that uses the talents that got Victoria in trouble with Russian drug couriers. Her initial hesitation turns to agreement when Damon uses a bargaining chip that Victoria can’t resist: He takes her daughter. Now, Victoria must make five pickups for the former police commissioner and he will pay for her daughter’s treatments.
The pickups consist of bags of cash from some of the most unsavory locales in the city. Victoria has skills: She can outmaneuver anyone on her motorcycle and hold her own against the toughest men and women the bad guys can throw at her. Because of her past, many of these pickups involve individuals who just might have a history with Victoria and a grudge to settle. Can she make all five pickups and vanquish her past before starting life over again?
I really like Rose and I love Freeman, but this is a film that underuses both of them. Freeman delivers momentary glimpses of vintage performances, but those glimpses are fleeting and spaced out in a way that minimizes the man’s talents. But it isn’t only Freeman who feels wasted here, as Rose becomes a robot in her chase to finish the job laid out for her.
Scenes felt independent of each other and not part of a cohesive narrative. A story that held so much promise was sloppily executed. I really wanted to like this effort, but the brooding and ominous tones of the film as it plods to its ultimate resolution vanquished my interest.
Vanquish feels like a mountain of missed opportunities, but that doesn’t stop my hope for a bright future for Rose and continued excellence from Freeman.
Paul’s Grade: C-
Vanquish
Rated R
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Ruby Rose, Patrick Muldoon
Director: George Gallo