An ex-military man with a haunted past, Colton (Scott Adkins) journeys to the heart of Mexico to retrieve his kidnapped niece, Hailey (Madison Lawlor), who’s being held prisoner by cartel kingpin Fernando (Tony Perez), who’s tangled up with the teen’s stepfather in the drug running game. Demolishing a fortified compound to collect the girl, Colton returns to Arizona to reunite Hailey with her mother, Angela (Caitlin Keats), only to be tracked by Fernando and his collection of armed enforcers, with plans to execute their new enemy.
While corrupt Sheriff Jasper (Nick Chindlund) attempts to subdue Colton, all hell breaks loose when cartel thugs arrive to finish the job, with Fernando especially concerned about a missing flash drive the American inadvertently collected in the Mexican melee. Perhaps aware that he’s working with a thin plot, Florentine hits the ground running with “Close Range,” staging a lean assault sequence that follows Colton into a Mexican compound, unarmed and on the hunt for Hailey, who’s locked away somewhere in the building.
Beginning the brawl while armed with only a belt, Colton commences the flurry of attacks on Fernando’s doofy soldiers, picking off enemies one at a time before numbers begin to increase, requiring a more advanced plan of attack and sharp instincts. It’s an appealing opener, watching Adkins steamroll his way through elevators, rooms, and hallways, using strength and speed to disarm and pick off goons daring to challenge him. Florentine is right behind with his camera, electing to cover the action in long, unbroken takes, celebrating his
star’s flexibility and power, while trying to expand the feature visual reach as it visits sparely decorated rooms populated with jaw-pumping stuntmen. Florentine goes overboard on occasion, adding whooshing sounds to camera pans, and performances aren’t exactly encouraged, only tolerated, with Adkins doing his best to remain in terminator mode for much of the effort. Suspense is nominal, but the body count remains high, and there’s something
endearing about Florentine’s attempt to make a ‘90s-era Jean- Claude Van Damme movie in 2015, with Adkins a compelling bone-breaker. Nobody is going to confuse “Close Range” for high art, but for those in the mood for a theme park stunt show that celebrates smashmouth confrontations and packs light in the drama department, the picture is entertaining, especially when it’s locked in berserker mode.