IN A NUTSHELL:
The story is about an ex-military doctor who finds herself in a deadly battle for survival when the Irish mafia seize control of the hospital where she works. When her son is taken hostage, she is forced to rely upon her battle-hardened past and lethal skills after realizing there's no one left to save the day but her.
The bloody ordeal at Mercy Hospital was directed by Tony Dean Smith. Writing credits go to Alex Wright.
THINGS I LIKED:
Jon Voight is always a pleasure to see in films. I love that he's 85 years old and still making movies! Good for him! He seems to be enjoying himself in this role. In the film, he has an Irish accent as the elder who leads a bunch of idiot bad guys with hot heads who don't make logical decisions. I'm going to Ireland this summer for the first time ever! So excited!
Leah Gibson is beautiful, smart, and courageous in her role in this action flick. She's got some serious skills and can kick butt. In addition, she is a singer and dancer in real life. When she's not filming, she performs in cabaret nightclubs as a singer. She might not look familiar to many viewers, but I'm sure you've seen her in some movies and TV shows. She did a fantastic job! Fun fact: She has a twin sister...I do too!
Unfortunately, Jonathan Rhys Meyers has the heart and a desire to act in a big movie, but he has mostly been cast in mediocre films. He was fantastic in the popular TV show "The Tudors" but has never cemented his action skills in any Hollywood blockbusters yet.
There is some humor in the movie, although not all of it lands.
You'll definitely get a Die Hard vibe. One of the bad guys even says, "Yipee kiyay..." ha ha
There is a lot of shooting and action.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
The movie has a B- movie look and feel to it.
Little details are messed up for anyone bothered by that kind of thing. For example, a man gets moved to a gurney in a hospital, yet no one noticed the bomb strapped to his chest right next to him?
Since the movie is called Mercy, after the name of the hospital, it would have been good to have someone use the word "mercy" in one of their lines, as in "Show me some mercy!" If they did, I guess I missed it.
The Irish gang was just really hot-headed and stupid. They make dumb decisions that just don't make any sense. Surely, one of them could have come up with a better solution to their problem.
Where were all of the other patients, doctors, janitors, nurses, and other workers during the day shift?
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
Lots of profanity and many F-bombs
In a disgusting scene, a man cuts off someone's ear.
Wow, there sure are a bunch of characters with anger management problems.
We see bloodied bodies
A man explodes from a bomb strapped to his chest.
Lots of violence with guns and hand-to-hand combat
A lot of people get shot, bloodied, and die
A child is taken as a hostage in a dangerous situation.
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