Big Game

2015

Big Game

Critics Consensus

Big Game's enthusiastic throwback vibe will appeal to fans of low-budget '80s action movies, but co-writer/director Jalmari Helander adds a level of smarts and skill that make it more than just an homage.

78%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 88

34%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 8,947

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Movie Info

In the rugged countryside of Finland, a young thirteen-year-old (Onni Tommila) embarks on a traditional quest to prove himself by spending 24 hours alone in the wild, armed with only a bow and arrow. After witnessing a spectacular crash, he discovers the escape pod from Air Force One, containing the President of the United States (Samuel L. Jackson). When they realize a group of kidnappers is hot on their trail with the intention of taking the president, this unlikely duo must escape their hunters as they search for the American Special Forces team sent out to find them. (C) Relativity

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Cast

Samuel L. Jackson
as U.S. President William Alan Moore
Onni Tommila
as Oskari
Felicity Huffman
as CIA Director
Jim Broadbent
as Herbert
Jorma Tommila
as Tapio
Ray Stevenson
as Morris
Mehmet Kurtulus
as Hazar
Victor Garber
as Vice President
Ted Levine
as General Underwood
Risto Salmi
as Hamara
Rauno Juvonen
as Safari Pilot
Jaymes Butler
as Otis
Jason Steffan
as Dexter/Navy Seal 2
Jean-Luc Julien
as Clay
Erik Markus Schuetz
as Stanley
Adrian Can
as Hazar's Cameraman
Philipp Rafferty
as Air Force One Pilot
Gabriel Raab
as Afo Analyst 1
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Critic Reviews for Big Game

All Critics (88) | Top Critics (22)

  • The story penned by Helander with Petri Jokiranta goes heavy on the hokum, not to mention the CGI fireworks, but a dialled-down Jackson and a fired-up Tommila make for an entertaining pair.

    Jul 9, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Peter Howell

    Toronto Star
    Top Critic

  • There are times when it seems impossible that it could possibly exist as a real thing and not just as a parody trailer that accidentally got inflated to feature length.

    Jun 26, 2015 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    Peter Sobczynski

    RogerEbert.com
    Top Critic

  • Gleefully dumb but eager to entertain, this is cheeseball stuff baked with deliciously outsized performances and low comedy and photographed across mighty beautiful landscapes.

    Jun 25, 2015 | Full Review…

    Robert Abele

    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic

  • Mr. Jackson has never seemed so unblustery; his scenes with the younger actor have ease and humor. The authority is there but also the soul you'd want from the leader of the free world.

    Jun 25, 2015 | Full Review…

    Andy Webster

    New York Times
    Top Critic

  • "Big Game" never once feels credible, and that's why it's so entertaining. Almost nothing that takes place in this movie could occur in the real world, and there's something comforting about that.

    Jun 25, 2015 | Rating: 3.0

    Richard Roeper

    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic

  • As a throwback, Big Game understands the thrills of retro action but never earns its big moments.

    Jun 25, 2015 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

    Kevin P. Sullivan

    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (88)

Audience Reviews for Big Game

  • Oct 31, 2018
    A very safe film that doesn't attempt anything grand or epic, definitely a throwback to the 80s. The casting of Jackson might have been better had the film gone for the hard R rating instead of the please all rating we ended up with. The film has its moments and some of the chemistry is between the likable stars. I thought the film was fun and the filmmaker has a huge future in the action genre, some of the special effects scenes top some of Hollywood's lacklustre efforts. The film never forgets its characters and has a lot of fun along the way. You can do much worse than checking out this action film. 30/10/2018.
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • May 28, 2016
    The film moves fast and is so much fun that you won't notice the flaws.
    Marcus W Super Reviewer
  • Dec 21, 2015
    Big Game is stupid to the point that it's entertaining. It runs fast enough that it kept my attention enough that I can recall the story. I can see what they were going for, but it all went wrong in the writing and nobody bothered fixing it through production and filming. Samuel Jackson's talents with profanity are handicapped by the PG-13 rating. Tommila, the boy in the film, does an OK job, but nobody else is worth mentioning. I watched it for free on a movie channel and that seemed about right. I wouldn't pay for Big Game, but it's a decent enough way to kill the time.
    Jason C Super Reviewer
  • Nov 30, 2015
    http://cinephilecrocodile.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/big-game-dir-jalmari-helander-2015-big.html
    Anthony L Super Reviewer
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