2020 the surprising cancer death of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman put the world in mourning. One of his last films, the action thriller “21 Bridges,” is now available on Amazon Prime Video subscription.
On August 28, 2020, it was announced that Chadwick Boseman passed away at the age of only 43 due to complications from colon cancer. One of the “Black Panther” star’s last films, the action thriller “21 Bridges,” is now available on Amazon Prime Video’s subscription service and is a recommendation for anyone in the mood for some classic genre cinema.
THIS IS WHAT “21 BRIDGES” IS ABOUT
It’s the worst day in 18 years for the officers of the New York Police Department: eight lawmen have been shot in one fell swoop, leaving the city’s cops feeling more than queasy. For the disgraced detective Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman), however, this is a great opportunity to make amends – because he, of all people, is supposed to track down the perpetrators in the metropolis.
To cut Manhattan off from the New York mainland as quickly as possible, all 21 bridges are closed for the first time in the city’s history. This means that no one can get in or out. As the city’s boundaries become more rigid than ever, the roles of the hunters and the hunted become increasingly blurred. Davis is on the trail of a massive conspiracy as he searches for the people behind it all…
OLD-SCHOOL-CINEMA LIKE FROM THE 1980S
For those who associate Chadwick Boseman primarily with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “21 Bridges” offers a thoroughly straightforward alternative. The action thriller takes its cues primarily from the tough genre cinema of the 1980s and 1990s, functioning as a big-city Western in which the makers* repeatedly express their passion for handmade shootouts.
In the official FILMSTARTS review, “21 Bridges” was not particularly celebrated, but chief critic Christoph Petersen nevertheless finds words of praise – especially for the gritty lead actor: “Chadwick Boseman embodies the protagonist as an intelligent, righteous, but also merciless man of the law a modern John Wayne figure with plenty of rough-around-the-edges charisma.”
“21 Bridges” is for all those movie fans who have largely grown tired of CGI-material battles. Instead, in Brian Kirk’s action thriller, great care is taken to ensure that the action not only looks real, but also that assistance from the high-powered computer is not absolutely necessary. The review states in this regard:
“The action scenes may not be particularly original, but they are competently realized without CGI frills. […] If you just want to see some handmade eighties action again, this might be the right place for you, despite all the weaknesses. “
