“Bloodshot” (MA) ** and a half

THE mind boggles. In his feature directorial debut, David SF Wilson spends 105 minutes steering muscle-man Vin Diesel through a screenplay by Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer adapting a comic book by Wadlow and three others.

Why does the mind boggle? Well, it’s like this. Diesel plays Special Forces soldier Ray, who’s killed not far into the film. No, we don’t see Diesel in flashback. Suddenly, we meet scientist Emil Harting (Guy Pearce), whose field is improving the severely wounded by implants that not only repair the wound but also improve the user’s powers. Harting’s real ambition knows no bounds – think world domination!

The acme of Harting’s achievements has been to resurrect Ray as a new super hero, called Bloodshot, able to self-repair whenever and however he’s injured, to perform incredible physical gyrations, and to understand Harting’s techno-babble.

Bloodshot doesn’t immediately remember what Ray was doing immediately before he died. But he will, and in time he does. Ray had sworn to kill the Aussie hit-man who shot both him and his bosomy blonde wife. Harting wants Bloodshot to forget vengeance and terminate Wigans (Lamorne Morris), a techno-whiz of whom Harting doesn’t approve. And there’s lots more like that.

The estimated cost of producing “Bloodshot” was $US45 million, largely for the CG, no surprise given its fantasy content of violent moments that defy every relevant natural law. In its first three weeks, it has taken only $US1.5 million worldwide, which says something about its public acceptance. The acting of merit comes from Pearce, Morris and Eiza Gonzalez as the obligatory woman on the team.

At Dendy, Hoyts and Limelight