Setup
Director: Mike Gunther
Starring: Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Ryan Phillipe and Bruce Willis
**
The first in a long line of planned movies from his production company Cheetah Vision, Jackson stars alongside Phillipe and the screen legend Willis in the crime thriller Setup. Jackson stars as Sonny, a bank robber betrayed by his best friend and partner Vince (Phillipe) who shoots him and leaves him for dead. Alive, and chased by some powerful gangsters, he teams up with a powerful mob boss (Willis) to find Vince and exact revenge. A film that relies far more on the fame of its stars than the contents of its story, this low-budget action-thriller is a very basic crime movie, attempting to highlight the "talents" of its star. In reality, Jackson is at best average as Sonny, with his mumbling, monotone narration an odd bedfellow to the jarring and awkward script. His scenes with Willis highlight how far the rapper-turned-actor is from being a bona fide movie star, even if the Die Hard actor looks uninterested. Gunther also brings in odd direction, with sudden, jerky camera movements giving the feel of a television drama. There are plus points, such as the occasional humour in the script, but overall, awkward is the best word to describe this disjointed and strained film.
