A DEA agent provides former Marine Tim Kearney with a way out of his prison sentence: impersonate Bobby Z, a recently deceased drug dealer, in a hostage switch with a crime lord. When the negotiations go awry, Kearney flees, with Z's son in tow.
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Although I've never really been a fan of action films, "The Death and Life of Bobby Z" is a film that I saw when I was much younger, and it's one of the few of the genre that I can still remember of. Last night I watched it again, and I may now understand why it's so good: it has a very cool plot. This story's writers have invented a lot of messy situations in which corrupt people and criminals try to fool each other, and the one who gets away with it is, obviously, our nostalgic actor Paul Walker. He plays a convicted that needs to pretend being the famous Bobby Z, in order to escape from his certain next conviction. It feels right, for me, to state that Walker does his job perfectly, despite the fact that he looks more like a model than like a bandit. His character in here is similar to Van Damme's in 1999's "Inferno". Directing is also very well done, delivering plenty of enjoyable scenes, which end up bringing irony and fun, instead of suspense-- which is more often in action films. So, long story short, "The Death and Life of Bobby Z" is a project that proves to be GREAT, and I really want to know why it's still so unknown in mainstream.
Paul Walker, Laurence Fishburne, and Olivia Wilde definitely earned their keep in this one.The most random and unlikely of situations land Paul Walker in the drug cartel with 3 different groups of people out to kill him and no one thinks he is the same person.The only questionable acting in this movie was from the kid (Paul Walkers kid).The action is heavy, the plot good, and the ending very unlikely.I think it was a great movie though and if you have a chance to see it, please do.
Feeling, and looking, like an extended episode of CSI, "The Death and Life of Bobby Z" is uninspiring and boring. The story is silly and convoluted, involving a usually lack-lustre Paul Walker impersonating a legendary Drug Dealer, played by the deliciously floppy haired Jason Lewis. Laurence Fishburne plods along with a by-the-numbers bad guy role and Olivia Wilde as the love-interest, female lead is dull and mediocre. Paul walker is one of the worst actors in Hollywood today. How does he keep on getting work? Not very inspired but less than discerning viewers may enjoy all the running and shooting and explosions. Snooze!
Almost non-stop action. Tim Kearney(Paul Walker)is a former Marine, and a three time loser and is serving his time in prison. His life has the chance to change when a scheming DEA agent, Ted Gruza(Laurence Fishburne), needs somebody to impersonate drug lord Bobby Z(Jason Lewis), who has died of a heart attack while in a prison in the Philippines. Gruza wants to trade Bobby for a DEA agent held in Mexico. Kearney is a dead ringer and sees his chance to pull a double cross and remain a free man. Soon things go awry and he is chased by a biker gang, Mexican drug profiteers and Gruza with his own agenda. Tim gets valuable help from one of the real Bobby Z's ex-girlfriends(Olivia Wilde). Plenty of explosive action and a story that sucks you in. Others featured: Keith Carradine, Rebecca Chaney, Joaquim De Almeida, Jason Flemyng and JR Villarreal.