Ghost Soldier review

If you enjoy Jason Statham movies, particularly The Beekeeper, you should get out and see Ghost Soldier.

Jim Caviezel essentially plays the same kind of character Statham frequently portrays: an extraordinarily dangerous man with a mysterious background who unleashes an almost biblical level of violence against people who have made the mistake of victimizing someone under his protection.

In this case, he’s protecting a Hispanic family living on a ranch in the American West. A group of investors with apparent foreign connections wants their property, initially attempting to acquire it through legal means before resorting to intimidation and violence.

Unfortunately for them, the family has a protector whose background appears to involve both military special operations and intelligence work.

The film is a little strange and occasionally awkward, but I really enjoyed it.

One of its more interesting elements is the technology. Caviezel’s character has access to an assortment of sophisticated weapons and equipment that sometimes seem closer to what you might encounter in a military science-fiction video game than in a conventional action movie. The ghost soldiers themselves have the appearance and capabilities of an elite special operations unit, with some rather unusual technological advantages.

The result is a violent, entertaining revenge thriller built around a familiar premise: an extraordinarily capable man dispensing brutal justice against people who have abused the powerless.

Readers of Dungeon Crawler Carl might appreciate my characterization of Caviezel’s role as something approaching Uzi Jesus. Given Caviezel’s association with The Passion of the Christ, the comparison seems particularly appropriate.

It’s essentially Jim Caviezel doing a Jason Statham movie, but with cooler weapons.

I had a great time with it and would encourage action fans to see it.