Surely you must have watched a film that you thought was so bad up pops a mushroom of sentiment egging you on saying that it was so bad it was good! “Escape From New York” was a 1981 film with Ernest Borgnine and Kurt Russell serving as an example of this as regards the performance of Ernest Borgnine an Academy Award Best Actor winner in 1956 for the film “Marty” whose performance as a taxi driver in “Escape From New York” was so miserable oddly it was brilliant. In the television realm and prime example is the 1968-70 television series “It Takes a Thief” starring Mr. Insincere (but handsome) Robert Wagner.
For a good part of “Going In” the acting and writing was rotten but was it intentionally so in an attempt to create a spoof for example of “Miami Vice”? I conclude the intent here would appear to be a comedy of some sort reinforced by the action in the 56th minute of the film where two Orthodox Jews save our protagonists from ostensibly vicious but incompetent Ninja Warrior types.
The film is set in 1989 Toronto. Two long intentionally lost former friends reunite. Leslie (Evan Rissi) is a hyper logical philosophy professor. Rueben (Ira Goldman) is a black Jamaican Jew. Both were (years ago) smash up, hard drinking DEA nightmares. Rueben’s brother has been kidnapped by evil drug baron Feng the man behind Pearl a ultrapowerful drug that offers a short intense out of body experience but it is highly addictive. Feng offers twice yearly tournaments where combatants face extreme danger including death. The winner receives a parsimonious $30,000 prize. Invitations to participate are difficult to obtain but Rueben and Leslie secure invitations. In a quasi “Cabaret” fashion the contest proceeds and lots of contestants’ hands are being severed. The film takes a serious twist and becomes a quasi fantasy then suddenly concludes with a satirical thrust on governmental anti-drug programmes.
Not that you dear readers ever take anything seriously but my advice is that don’t watch “Going In” thinking it is a serious film. That will ruin half the fun.
Theatrical release on 29November2023.
Rissi wrote and directed.
RKS Film Rating: 83/100.
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