Boss Level is a science-fiction action film that tells the story of Roy Lumber (Frank Grillo), a retired special forces soldier who finds himself in a never-ending time loop which ends when he dies and has to start a new day all over again.
The film is kind of an action movie equivalent of Groundhog Day as it shows Roy living the same day over and over again with mixed results each day and while Frank Grillo doesn’t quite have the same range as Bill Murray, he is still entertaining to watch as an action hero. He goes through the same routine each day and remembers the succession of events that he needs to follow, as well as defeating each assassin that attempts to kill him and overcoming other obstacles along the way.
The film contains narration from Roy as he goes through his failed attempts to escape the time loop. Each new attempt shows up on the screen with a new number, which is reminiscent of when you start a new level in a video game. In fact, at times this film feels like when you are playing a difficult level in a video game that you can’t quite complete, but you get closer with each new attempt, making the film both fun to watch but also tense at the same time. The film contains quite a few references to retro video games such as Double Dragon and Street Fighter, which I did appreciate, as I played those games when I was a kid. The actions scenes can be a little over the top, but in a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously like this one, it makes the action sequences all the more fun.
While I did enjoy Boss Level, I felt that the film was a little monotonous at some points while Roy is in his time loop, but I guess that is to be expected considering the plot. I also felt that Naomi Watts as Jemma Wells and Mel Gibson as his character Col. Clive Ventor were a little underutilised in this film. Mel Gibson as the main villain never comes across as much of a threat as he should have, which was a bit disappointing, but apart from that it is still a very enjoyable film.
Boss Level is a film with only minor flaws but with its fun action and comic relief, this is certainly a movie that will keep you entertained from start to finish.