Returning from a break, Shane Black’s latest, Play Dirty, proved to be just the jolt needed to shake off any cinematic cobwebs. This explosive and violent heist comedy, while perhaps not a masterpiece, certainly grabs your attention.
The film kicks off with a bang: an explosive pre-credits heist at a racetrack counting room spirals into chaos. Master thief Parker (Mark Wahlberg) barely escapes with his life, while his entire crew is ruthlessly wiped out by their treacherous getaway driver, Zen (Rosa Salazar).
Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield star in ‘Play Dirty’.
Driven by a vow to avenge his former associate, Philly (Thomas Jane), Parker embarks on a hunt for Zen. He enlists the aid of Grofield (LaKeith Stanfield), a fellow criminal whose day job involves running a failing theater. After navigating a labyrinth of shootouts and sudden fatalities, Parker finally locates Zen, only to discover she’s embroiled in an even larger, more audacious scheme: nothing less than robbing an entire country.
Regrettably, the film’s midsection suffers from a noticeable slump, filled with excessive running and fighting that ultimately progresses the plot very little. We learn that Zen has a shadowy past, having been part of a death squad in an unspecified Latin American nation – a place seemingly located somewhere near ‘Generic-istan’.
Play Dirty (English)
- Director: Shane Black
- Cast: Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key
- Runtime: 127 minutes
- Storyline: A master thief is double crossed only to find himself on the brink of a heist of a lifetime
Zen’s homeland is on the cusp of prosperity, all thanks to the recent discovery of a 16th-century sunken Spanish galleon. This vessel is laden with unimaginable riches, including its ornate figurehead, ‘The Lady of Arintero,’ valued at a staggering half a billion dollars.
However, the nation’s perpetually corrupt dictator, De La Paz (Alejandro Edda), intends to exhibit the treasure at the UN in New York. His nefarious plan involves staging its theft, allowing him to feign victimhood while secretly pocketing the immense fortune.
Determined to reclaim their country’s heritage and thwart the dictator, Zen teams up with Colonel Ortiz (Hemky Madera) and other patriots to steal the bounty from De La Paz. What ensues is a dizzying cascade of double-crosses, intense shootouts, and an unexpectedly thrilling chase involving a runaway garbage train.
Parker assembles a motley crew of quirky characters: Stan (Chai Hansen), the perpetually stoned getaway driver; the incessantly chattering couple, Ed (Keegan-Michael Key) and Brenda (Claire Lovering). Always treading cautiously, Parker soon finds himself clashing with local crime boss Lozini (Tony Shalhoub), whose operations are handled by the incompetent, cryptocurrency-obsessed Kincaid (Nat Wolff). Adding to the mix are a repulsive billionaire, Phineas Paul (Chukwudi Iwuji), and the daunting challenge of an unbreakable, time-locked safe.
Claire Lovering and Keegan-Michael Key in ‘Play Dirty’.
Director Shane Black not only helms the film but also penned the screenplay, drawing inspiration from Richard Stark’s 1962 crime thriller, The Hunter. Interestingly, this novel has seen two previous cinematic adaptations: 1967’s Point Blank and the 1999 Mel Gibson vehicle, Payback.
While Play Dirty offers some mild entertainment, its violence often feels gratuitous. Mark Wahlberg struggles to imbue the morally ambiguous Parker with any depth, making it difficult for the audience to genuinely care about his convoluted schemes. Ultimately, the film’s most captivating moments lie in its outlandish chase sequences and, without a doubt, in every scene graced by Rosa Salazar, whose electrifying presence elevates the entire production.
Catch Play Dirty now streaming on Prime Video.