Rage

Back in 2009, after Nicolas Cage discovered that he owed the IRS $6.3 million in back taxes, his two houses in New Orleans (along with other properties) went into foreclosure. Subsequently, the Leaving Las Vegas Oscar-winner has simply been collecting paychecks in one tedious, dim-witted action thriller after another. After vowing to leave his gangster past behind, Paul Maguire (Cage) has become a respectable real estate developer with a trophy wife, Vanessa (Rachel Nichols), and nearly 16-year-old daughter, Caitlin (Aubrey Peeples). One night, when Paul and Vanessa are out at a restaurant, Caitlin, who was at home with two teenage friends, is abducted and later found murdered. When ballistics indicates that the weapon used was a Tokarev pistol, grief-stricken Paul and his burly construction crew (Max Ryan, Michael McGrady) go after a gang of Russian thugs with whom they've tangled in the past—despite warnings from Paul's mobster mentor (Peter Stormare), and a local detective (Danny Glover). But there's no chance of stopping vengeful, psychopathic Paul, who is determined to get to the mob boss, Chernov (Pasha D. Lychnikoff). Perfunctorily directed by Paco Cabezas, who serves up gratuitous, gruesome violence in a film that is senselessly punctuated by dull car chases and perfunctory knife fights, this is not recommended. (S. Granger)