Guillaume Pierret has a good eye for choreographing action sequences. His Lost Bullet trilogy only proves this statement. However, these films also prove that Pierret isn't that good when it comes to telling a story. I don't remember what happened in the prequels, nor do I even care about the events. A film like this is made for a violent spectacle. You watch Mission: Impossible, John Wick, or Fast & Furious for the stunts. The story? That's the secondary aspect, and it's also disposable. The USP, after all, is the opportunity to see Tom Cruise hanging or jumping from a mountain, a helicopter, or a building. Or to see Keanu Reeves hacking his way through an army of assassins. Or to witness the destruction of vehicles and public property during high-speed chase sequences. This is why the opening scenes of Last Bullet/Balle Perdue 3 are terribly unexciting. In fact, whenever the movie stops the action and starts dispensing plot-related information, it almost puts you to sleep. I didn't care who was double-crossing whom and was certainly not holding my breath to see which character would make it out alive. Last Bullet is as predictable as these movies tend to be. The first part is still the weakest of the trilogy, and it's the sequel (Lost Bullet 2) that actually puts energy into this franchise. Last Bullet lies somewhere in between. It's not as bad as Lost Bullet, but it also falls short of the highs achieved by the 2022 action thriller.
Last Bullet actually begins from the moment we get a bike chase sequence. This first action set piece immediately makes you feel Pierret's joy in executing such scenes. The bikes, swift and sinuous like a snake, slither on the road, and when a body comes crashing out of a truck's windshield, you almost hear Pierret screaming excitedly. If you need more proof regarding the director's firm grip on adrenaline-fueled scenes, consider the chase involving Lino (Alban Lenoir), Julia (Stéfi Celma), and Areski (Nicolas Duvauchelle). An ordinary director would have lost the momentum after Lino's car crash, but for Pierret, it's just a moment where he takes a deep breath. As soon as we cut to Julia, who's busy following Areski, the momentum and vigor return to the screen. Yet, something else becomes apparent while watching this film: Pierret's over-reliance on editor Sophie Fourdrinoy for providing force to the chase scenes. Her quick cuts add charge to the set pieces, and it's noticeable due to the mostly unremarkable routine of these high-intensity scenes. For all their energy, the edge-of-your-seat action consists of just vehicles running from one point to another point. There is little imagination involved in the mix. The one impressive thing Pierret does is that he gives you a modified vehicle launching firecrackers at the enemy. The concept sounds interesting, and you can detect some promise in this idea on the screen. But this moment, alas, lacks something crucial. There is no sense of wonder - no giddiness, no delight. It feels as if Pierret came up with an entertaining concept but failed to elevate his vision with visual creativity. Despite all those colorful, sparkling firecrackers, the scene looks dull and pallid. In my Lost Bullet 2 review, I wrote, "Pierret uses cars like a kid using a toy. He loves playing with four-wheeled metals, and his joy becomes palpable when cars blow up like firecrackers." This kid and his joy are missing from this final film.
Final Score- [4/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
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Publisher at Midgard Times