Knee-Jerk Review: "Gran Torino"

"Gran Torino" is a good film but it does not play out the way you would expect after seeing it's trailers and hearing what it's about. Eastwood plays an old man, Walt, who hates the world and just wants to be left alone. The promotion for the movie would have you believe that the film is about Eastwood's character fighting the gangs that are taking over his neighborhood, and there is a little of that, but it is really about the relationship between Walt and Tau, the boy next-door. It's a good story and it has a lot of heart and an emotional payoff but it never gets around to the action hinted at in the promotion. It may be a better film by exploring this relationship but the entertainment value is much lower. One other problem is that all the performances, except for Eastwood, who is excellent, are sub-par. If you are offended by racial slurs then stay away from this one.

Rating: 6 out of 10