Customer Reviews

The Prodigy (Unrated)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Picked this movie up at a rental place on a whim; the concept sounded intriguing-crazy, lone-wolf assassin finds his potential replacement in the form of a lower-tier mob enforcer, and puts him through hell to see if he is worthy. Knowing it was a low budget independent production and fearing the worst, I was extremely pleased at the overall look of the film: acting, production values, special effects, music were all topnotch. And the story was tight and tense from beginning to end. But the thing that really stood out for me was the hand-to-hand combat scenes: brutal, fast and vicious streetfighting like you'd see in real life, not like in the "movies." It made you hurt watching these guys beat the crap out of each other. I just placed an order w/ Amazon to purchase my own copy. Do yourselves a favor and check out this movie now! You will not be disappointed.

When I first read the reviews on this page,
they led me to believe I had found my new "Professional"
Suffice to say, the reviewers here hyped it up waaaaaaay too much.
It was a good flick, don't get me wrong,
and it would have been dynamite if I had no expectations,
or had just discovered it on HBO or Showtime.
But as it stands, Leon is still the king of the hitmen.
(And will be for quite some time)

The first line of this flick is great.(excellent in fact)
But the following twenty minutes or so, play out like very other action movie ever created.
A deal goes south, and the lead starts flying.
(When exatly do deals go as planned in these movies)
Enter a mysterious masked hitman,
who single handedly takes out every cat in the joint,
and you got yourself a typical action flick.
After this mundane madness, the real movie starts.
There isn't much in the way of blood & gore or extreme action.
But boy does the tension more than makes up for that.
This flick WILL keep you floating on edge of your seat.
(I can't stress this point enough)

The rest of this flick is reminiscent of a serial killer/police melodrama.
With the disgruntled gang members running around in circles
while our masked marauder leaves them plenty of bodies & clues to follow.
But it's all a game,
He wants a prodigy,
someone to continue his grisly work.

Most of the characers in the film are very like-able,
MOST of them.
The main-character (however) is the dullest in the film.
His psycho friend, on the other hand, is quite a hoot.
And while the acting doesn't deter from the experience,
it does little to enrich it either.
Essentially the acting leaves much to be desired.
If it were better, I might have been deeply immersed in the plot.
But it wasn't.
So I wasn't

MORAL OF THE STORY:
When the bullets are flying,
and the bodies are dropping,
you know school is in session.
Ding Ding

I randomly got a hold of this juicy film, and was happy that I did. The action scenes were on point, and the cinematography of the film only added to the fluidity and raw styling of those scenes. This is an action film made for those who love action films.

This film was very intriguing, and good action. Well made, and good acting by the actors. The hitman assasin held my attention because he did a good acting job. I was very surprised at the ending. One of the those movies you can watch over and over again. To all you critics, make and act in your own movie before you critize others work. I hate people who constantly have to critize anything no matter how good the work is, just jealous want to be's without a life, or their just snobs.

There is a short list of films that can keep me up past my bedtime, and this one accomplished that. I was on edge, biting my fingernails. Holt Boggs gives a stunning performance as Truman Fisher; a mobster who tries to track down a crazed killer messing up their game. Though the mob has their own share of cruel hombres, the man they're hunting is 'off the charts'. Though the movie is a serious thriller and not for the squeamish, it does have comic moments that come at the right time, never nibbling the edge off the tension.

What tops off Holt Bogg's performance was his expressive eyes. We know he's a killer too, but we see the humanity and the anguish in his manner and expressions. I've seen this overdone, but Boggs nails it perfectly. Had he been born in a earlier era he would've been a hit in the Silent Film industry; Boggs can show us all with his eyes. There were great scenes played by supporting actors as well, and the movie was well-written with a seamless, non-sagging feel to the dialogue.

The Prodigy is a must watch for action/thriller lovers, and I know we'll be seeing Holt Bogg's in more leading roles.

I've taught martial arts and hand-to-hand since the early seventies and the fight scenes in most movies are so hokey, the technique so pathetic, the reactions so comical (think Olivier Grunier) that I want to throw tomatoes at the screen. Lead Holt Boggs and stunt advisor Ron Balicki put together some of the most realistic and brutal fights ever filmed for this movie. That said, Holt Boggs, a black belt with "action hero" in his future for sure, is first of all an extraordinarily gifted actor who made his character, a hapless low level mob lieutenant, so real on every level, sympathetic, even heroic (You really have to see this guy act), it's like you know him, like you grew up with him in the neighborhood. He's that smart kid that should have made it, but fell in with the wrong crowd and went the wrong way because all his friends were doing it, and you want him to survive this insanity and do something better with his life. Usually these film characters are like cardboard cut-outs even when played by a DeNiro. This movie and these characters, it was more like being in the room with the actual people, part of the mob crew. For a movie with an over-the-top premise, all the characters except the assassin were grounded and believable and reacting as you would expect people to react to some incredibly bizarre and unstoppable lunatic popping in and out of their lives leaving a trail of carnage and bodies. You really gotta see this film.

I bought this DVD on a whim, thinking it might be a decent shoot-em-up if nothing else. Instead, I watched a disturbing, yet riveting film about a consumate hitman searching for someone to follow in his footsteps. The ghost-like assassin tests the man he has chosen as replacement. Unknowing and unwilling, the replacement tries desperately to foil him and protect his love-interest and friends. The assassin kills them all to "free" the "prodigy" of the things that would hold him back from his destiny.

There are no silly car chases or unrealistic shootouts. It is the tale of a sadistic, yet cerebral killer playing a deadly game with another human being to make the younger man worthy of becoming his replacement.

This was certainly *not* my kind of movie. Having said that, I was impressed by the power this film had to capture my attention and hold it.

If you like well done action movies that keep you wondering "what's next?!" then this film is for you! From the opening scenes, the action and story line kept me locked in on my screen. Holt Boggs gives an excellent performance as the main character of this crime/action tale-keep an eye on this up and coming actor! Add this movie to your collection-now!
Charlie

The best shoot em up action, drama, horror movie that no one knows about. A must see!

This movie is a little indi treat. The budget was low, so you won't get all of the bells and whistles you will with similar big budget fair, but this movie lacks for nothing. With an engaging plot line, fine acting and smart cinematography PRODIGY has met and raised the bar for indi actioners.