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Ghost Canyon

'Speed Kills' [Blu-ray+DVD+Digital]
(John Travolta, Katheryn Winnick, Jennifer Esposito, Michael Weston, James Remar, et al / Blu-ray+DVD+Digital / R / 2019 / Lionsgate Films)

Overview: Speedboat racing champion and multimillionaire, Ben Aronoff (John Travolta), leads a double life that lands him in trouble with the law and drug lords.

Blu-ray Verdict: Released in a select band of distribution areas in late 2018 and actually named after its fifth production company (Speed Kills Production, naturally), 'Speed Kills' seems like a fitting title.

Fitting for its star John Travolta, that is. John's waxy, self-tan character loves his fast boats, loves his fast woman, loves his fast cash, and well, you know the rest.

Indeed, believe it or not, 'Speed Kills' is actually inspired by a true story, but sorta feels spoofed and hard pressed to do any justice to that underlying fact, sadly.

Saddled with a running time of 102 minutes that could've been stretched out to two-plus hours (gee I never thought I'd say that), 'Speed Kills' has a murky storytelling arc, a seemingly low budget, stark production values, and pivotal scenes that are cut rather too quickly, in my humble opinion.

With a timeline spanning about 25 years, the film is like a condensed motorboat version of 'Goodfellas' and 'Blow'! The presence of actor Jordi Molla only enhances that standpoint!

Directed by first-timer Jodi Scurfield, 'Speed Kills' also contains random freeze-frames (never liked that aspect of cheap filmmaking) and even a bizarre cameo by Tom Sizemore (that shows he's aged about 9,000 years since we last saw him on screen!).

Chronicling one Ben Aronoff (played by John "I just came from the set of Gotti" Travolta), Aronoff is a speedboat racing champion who has made millions not only racing boats but building them as well.

Mysteriously, and without much explanation, Ben is also a bad husband and a credulous drug trafficker that's unwillingly connected to the Mob.

In retrospect, 'Speed Kills' has a bunch of known troupers that fade in and out (Jennifer Esposito, Matthew Modine as George Bush, Kellan Lutz, and James Remar), who all add, in their small parts, the overall story, sure, but needlessly, for the most part.

It's like, well, they do what they can with sparingly undeveloped parts. As for Travolta, well he's not bad here despite almost devoting his caked, makeup presence to self-parody.

In closing, 'Speed Kills' is entertaining, novel, and absorbing in spots. It uses its Mafia violence effectively (when needed) and contains a happy-go-lucky, '60s pop soundtrack rather neatly.

'Speed Kills' arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital), DVD and Digital January 15th, 2019 from Lionsgate. This is a Widescreen Presentation (2.39:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

Official Trailer

www.LGF.com





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