Cross

Cross is a 2011 superhero action film directed by Patrick Durham. The film stars Brian Austin Green, Michael Clarke Duncan, Vinnie Jones and Tom Sizemore. The movie is based on a fictional comic book series written by Durham himself.

The movie is anchored in a dystopian Los Angeles, which has been crippled by crime and corruption. At the heart of the screenplay is Brian Austin Green, who plays the role of Callan, also known as Cross, a street-wise vigilante who has inherited an ancient Celtic cross from his slain parents. But this is no ordinary cross: it is endowed with an ancient supernatural power that makes Callan exceptional.

Alongside Cross, a group of misfit fighters enable him to fight for justice while bearing their own notable idiosyncrasies. The team is delineated by a diverse array of characters such as a Cowboy, Backfire, the clairvoyant, War, a martial arts expert, and Riot, a hot-headed punk rock girl. It is this band of vibrant, edgy characters that adds a compelling dimension to the monochromatic landscape of the city, making their fight against evil a thrilling one in this comic book adaptation.

Michael Clarke Duncan lends an impressive performance as Erlik, the merciless kingpin of the criminal underworld worried about Cross and his team. Vinnie Jones stars as the intimidating Gunnar, Erlik's henchman, who adds an element of danger and menace to the plot. Working for Erlik, his job is to gather the remains of an ancient artifact - the same mysterious cross that Cross owns.

The unswerving villain, Erlik, plans to reconstruct the ancient artifact to become invincible. As he assembles the pieces, he realizes that the Celtic cross worn by Callan is the last piece he needs to become all-powerful. This knowledge sets the stage for an impending storm that threatens not only the fate of Callan and his unconventional team, but also the entire fate of humanity rests upon their shoulders.

Tom Sizemore gives a brawny performance as Detective Nitti, a worn-out, pragmatic gumshoe caught in the whirlwind of crime and corruption and tasked with untangling a city drowning in its own darkness. Despite his weariness from policing the gang-laden streets of Los Angeles, he must grapple with the rise of these new vigilantes and the escalation in the scale of crimes.

The crux of Cross revolves around the enthralling power dynamics and the unusual blend of forces of good, evil, and those that lie somewhere in between. Whirling the traditional hero-villain setup onto its head, it combines unique elements of Celtic mythology, vibrant doses of comic book aesthetics, and gritty action sequences.

All the while, the film excels in its pacing, maintaining a brisk tempo amid the evolving plotlines and developing characters. While Cross and his motley crew endeavor to maintain the fragile balance of good and evil, they are not unfamiliar with their personal demons, creating a sense of fallibility that makes them relatable.

The visual effects through the movie add an extra layer of grandeur to the overall storyline. The combat scenes are captured elegantly with the implementation of high-quality graphics that give the audience a tasteful visual delight. The screenplay and direction artfully craft a world embroidering reality and fantasy, resulting in a unique cinematic blend.

Cross is high on action but also resounds with notes of human vulnerability, doubt, and resurgence. While the fight scenes are gripped with adrenaline, interactions between the characters are laden with undercurrents of emotion and complex relationships, making the narrative multi-layered and engaging. Moreover, the film is underlined with an atmosphere of impending dread that keeps the viewers on their toes, making for an intriguing watch.

Throughout the film, Cross grates against the societal order in his quest to protect the city and ward off it's increasingly volatile criminal core. The movie dynamically portrays this struggle as he steps up, with his unique team, to face an adversary potentially mightier than anything they have ever encountered. In its essence, Cross is not merely a movie about heroes and villains, it resembles a captivating exploration of morality, sacrifice and the hazy line between the two.

Whether you're a fan of superhero flicks, love a good crime thriller, or just enjoy tales filled with mysticism and myth, Cross offers a unique amalgamation of all these elements making it an intriguing watch. For all its punches and battles, it is equally about the human spirit, companionship, and the constant battle to stand by what is right, which makes it resonate long after the end credits roll.