In Bloodshot, diabolical tech bros bring Vin Diesel’s deceased marine Ray Garrison back to life with nanotechnology. The process imbues him with super strength, super healing, and super grudge-holding. His mission: hunt down the people who killed his family (who are actually political targets programed into his brain by corporate overlords — twist!).
Like Ray Garrison, the first trailer for Diesel’s Bloodshot, which hits theaters this February, also feels built from scraps, despite originating in the pages of Valiant Comics. There’s the spine of Robocop, the mission of Punisher, the fury of every Wolverine/X-Men vehicle, and the aesthetic of comic book movies of the early 2000s that weren’t quite sure they were comic book movies. But the movie pummels through the inspiration and simple premise to keep Diesel swinging, shooting, and scowling. At the worst, it’ll whet our appetite until Fast and the Furious 9, but we’re pulling for another XXX: Return of Xander Cage-like miracle.
Notably, Bloodshot is yet another major motion picture helmed by a graduate of Blur Studios, the animation company known for producing cinematic trailers and cutscenes for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Batman: Arkham Origins, the remastered Halo 2, and visual effects in Avatar and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In 2015, leaked CG test footage helped founder Tim Miller secure his directorial debut, Deadpool. After the movie’s success, Miller produced the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie for Blur animator-producer Jeff Fowler. Now creative director Dave Wilson will make his own feature debut with Bloodshot, penned by Kick-Ass 2 writer Jeff Wadlow. The movie leans a little more Deadpool than Sonic.
Bloodshot hits theaters on Feb. 21, 2020.
