The film Play Dirty hits the screen after a brief hiatus, proving to be the perfect energetic jolt for a movie review comeback. This violent heist comedy, directed by Shane Black, is an exhilarating ride, especially when you don’t dwell too much on the chaotic action unfolding before your eyes.
The movie kicks off with an explosive pre-credits sequence: a racetrack robbery gone horribly wrong. Master thief Parker (Mark Wahlberg) barely escapes with his life after his entire crew is wiped out by the cunning getaway driver, Zen (Rosa Salazar).
Vowing vengeance for his fallen comrade, Philly (Thomas Jane), Parker embarks on a quest to find Zen. He enlists the help of Grofield (LaKeith Stanfield), a fellow career criminal who unenthusiastically runs a theater. After a series of intense shootouts and sudden fatalities, Parker eventually tracks down Zen. However, his revenge plans are put on hold as Zen is embroiled in a much larger, high-stakes operation: planning to rob an entire country.
The film’s middle section, unfortunately, drags a bit, filled with frenetic running and fighting that doesn’t always advance the plot significantly. We learn that Zen once belonged to a death squad in an unnamed Latin American country – let’s call it “Somewhere-istan” for simplicity. This nation is on the verge of prosperity thanks to the discovery of a 16th-century sunken Spanish galleon overflowing with treasures, including the priceless figurehead, “The Lady of Arintero,” alone worth half a billion dollars.
However, the corrupt dictator, De La Paz (Alejandro Edda), has a sinister plan. He intends to display the treasure at a special UN exhibition in New York, only to stage its theft and portray himself as a victim, while secretly pocketing the immense wealth. Zen, alongside Colonel Ortiz (Hemky Madera) and other patriotic citizens, conspires to reclaim the loot from De La Paz and save their country. What follows is a whirlwind of double-crosses, intense gunfights, and a particularly thrilling sequence involving a runaway garbage train.
Parker’s eclectic crew includes familiar faces like the stoner getaway driver, Stan (Chai Hansen), and the quirky couple, Ed (Keegan-Michael Key) and Brenda (Claire Lovering). Meanwhile, Parker, who famously “walks where the ice is thick,” finds himself at odds with local crime boss Lozini (Tony Shalhoub), whose operations are handled by the incompetent, bitcoin-obsessed Kincaid (Nat Wolff). Adding to the mix are a repulsive billionaire, Phineas Paul (Chukwudi Iwuji), and an impregnable, time-locked safe.
Director Shane Black, who also penned the screenplay, based the film on Richard Stark’s 1962 crime thriller The Hunter. This story has seen previous adaptations in 1967’s Point Blank and the 1999 Mel Gibson vehicle, Payback.
While mildly entertaining, the film suffers from excessive violence. Mark Wahlberg’s portrayal of the amoral Parker struggles to elicit much audience investment, leaving viewers somewhat detached from his schemes. Ultimately, the most engaging aspects of Play Dirty are its outrageous chase sequences and, notably, every scene featuring Rosa Salazar, whose electrifying performance truly lights up the screen.
Movie Details: Play Dirty
Play Dirty is now available for streaming on Prime Video.