The Couchpotatoes If you look for an easy to watch action drama then look no further. Bad Country clearly deserves more than it's actual ratings. People that write bad reviews about this movie clearly didn't get the point that it's a police versus bad guys movie. In this genre it's a good movie. If you don't see that then you should watch other genres like rom-coms or so, that will fit you better. The cast is full of good actors and they all did well in their respective characters. The two lead roles are for Willem Dafoe and Matt Dillon and besides their wrong mustaches I can't say anything bad about their acting performances. The surroundings of the sweaty Bayou, the fast paced action scenes and the excellent cast makes Bad Country a good movie to watch.

Ed-Shullivan This is definitely a crime genre film with a dark message of violence and fear embedded throughout. The two big stars Willem Dafoe who plays detective Bud Carter of Louisiana, and Matt Dillon as ex-con Jesse Weiland play well against each others persona. The ex-con and hired killer Jesse Weiland gets trapped into becoming an undercover rat for detective Bud Carter to avoid a 200 year jail term and miss out on spending time with his devoted wife Lynn played by the sexy Amy Smart and their newborn son Tommy.Jesse used to work for the big hog Louisiana crime boss Lutin Adams played well by character actor Tom Berenger. As Bud Carter's informant Jesse provides more and more intelligence on the criminal activities of his crime boss Lutin Adams, the noose keeps tightening around Jesse and his vulnerable wife and son to become pawns in this dangerous game of chess. Jesse is fearless but he is not stupid, unless you start to wonder like I did why after a life of crime and killing he has no bankroll to support his wife and son?This is not as strong a storyline as the Godfather or Goodfellas, but it is an interesting macho crime story that kept me interested and not too disappointed with the way the film ends. I give this film a 7 out of 10 due to some strong acting performances by Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon and Tom Berenger. It is well worth a watch for the seedy and dark location shoots and for being a decent crime genre film.

Peter Pluymers "South Louisiana in the 1980s was a different kind of time and place. Some called it lawless. But it wasn't. Others said we just got a certain way of doing things down here. But it ain't that either. Instead, I call it what it was. Hell with the lid off." "Bad Country" is the last thing Chris Brinker created as a filmmaker. He passed away while finishing this. The first and only film he directed. An allegedly brutal crime film in which a police officer from Baton Rouge (Willem Dafoe) is trying to round up an entire criminal gang. And that with the help of a former gang member (Matt Dillon) who tries to escape from being locked up in prison for a long time. All this set in Louisiana in the 80's with his sultry climate. The criminal gang is led by a posh looking, rich and ruthless chief of the crime syndicate who looks like a cotton plantation owner of the 18th century : sophisticated dressed and living in a generously sized house with white columns. Only the whip was missing. "White power" was clearly the dominant message which you also could conclude after seeing the inventory of Bud Carter and the collection of tattoos that adorns his body.Despite the impressive cast (Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon, Tom Berenger, Bill Duke, Neal McDonough), of which there are a few who proved several times in the past that they are able to play a criminal or crime fighter, it's just a crime movie like so many others, in which all known clichés are used. You can expect a load of wasted ammunition because of the back and forth firing with a considerable arsenal of firearms without apparently knowing where and at who to shoot. A lot of boys bragging and macho talk. A not so kosher negotiation techniques. An FBI delegation who loves to interfere again, seem to know everything and eventually make a complete mess of it. Promises aren't kept which results in a decisive revenge. And then there's the final round where everyone and no one is a winner.Willem Dafoe did a great job as a detective who knows how to run an investigation thoroughly and at the same time takes his responsibilities. A beautiful interpretation at times. Matt Dillon on the other hand, whose recent roles in "Pawn Shop Chronicles" and "The Art of the Steal" weren't that memorable either, disappointed and didn't carry weight in this movie, even though he is the owner of a giant walrus mustache which many balding guys would envy because they could use the hairpiece as a toupee. It even seemed as if the two protagonists were in competition about that. Tom Berenger (the last time I saw him acting was in "Training Day") was convincing as the ruthless crime lord Lutin with the looks of a Pavarotti. A nice supporting role was played by Bill Duke and Neal McDonough. The first as the high-ranking official from Washington Nokes (with a memorable scene where Jesse Weiland agrees to cooperate and Nokes briefly dots a few i's) and the second one as Lutin's sneaky counselor."Bad Country" for me is a "meh" movie. You can't really say it's a terribly bad movie, but it's also not a movie that impresses you. Put all existing films that deal with organized crime in a line, and this one won't be noticed between all of them in terms of originality and inventiveness. Unfortunately we will never know what Chris Brinker still had up his sleeve and if he could overwhelm us with some other filmic creations. Too bad ! More reviews at http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be

Film Watchin Fool Why You Might Like It: The film has plenty of big names (Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Amy Smart) that all do a solid job in their roles. No one stands out as being amazing, but they all play their parts well. I thought the most impressive thing about the movie was that the stage is set very nicely by some great cinematography and scenery that seems to put you in the film. There is plenty of action, drama, and suspense to keep you entertained and it makes for a good crime/thriller film.Why You Might Not Like It: As mentioned, while the cast is well put together, I didn't feel any of them were outstanding in the film. I think the biggest downfall will be that viewers might expect this movie to better than the product that they view, but it is honestly just a slightly above average film in the crime/thriller genre. There is nothing about the film that is terrible, but not really anything that makes it stand out either.Acting/Casting: 6* Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 6.5*Plot/Characters: 6* Entertainment Value: 6* Total - 6+6.5+6+6 = 24.5/4 = 6.125*