Dangerous movie review & film summary (2021)

Speaking of Linda: she doesn’t add much to Eastwood’s character beyond a general sense that something’s missing. Something important, too, seeing as how everybody walks on eggshells around Dylan, including sympathetic hotel employee Jo (Destiny Millns) and Dylan’s impressionable young nephew Freddie (Atlee Smallman). These supporting characters allot “Dangerous” its most distinguishing qualities, as they’re not hemmed by corny accents (looking at you, Foghorn Leghorn-heavy Chad Rook), lame bad guy taunts, or uninspired gunplay. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much given that “Dangerous” doesn’t share enough about Dylan’s past or his brother Sean.

Instead, we only get some hints of Dylan’s threatening potential. He’s initially defined by his tidy routine, shown in an equally fastidious montage: he returns to his nondescript apartment, takes medication, lifts weights, then repeats. This pattern is interrupted as soon as Dylan learns of Sean’s death and also disarms a stranger in his apartment. The SWAT team approach Dylan’s home in slow motion, and Janssen’s character discovers a bloodied (but alive!) heavy in Dylan’s shower. Could this be the handiwork of Dylan Forrester, the emotionless killer that Shaughnessy’s been chasing for some time, as she explains in a too-tight close-up in her car? Could be, though it’s hard to tell based on Dylan’s underwhelming fight scenes and even more underwhelming dialogue, like when he observes that “I’ve been hunted before. I can handle it.”

Eastwood makes one gesture that suggests that there could have been something to “Dangerous,” and it goes beyond all the generic paternal hissing that he’s clearly inherited (or wants us to think he’s inherited) from his dad. In this scene, Dylan helps Sean’s archaeologist buddy Massey (Brendan Fletcher) by pumping Massey’s shotgun for him. Massey is a bit of a drunk, and therefore useless in the fight, so it’s up to Dylan to help him locate his inner alpha. Eastwood rises to the occasion, and for one brief, charged moment, Dylan seems to have an inner life beyond tough guy preening. That moment passes swiftly, but it’s enough to make you want to root for Eastwood, and hope that one day, he, too, will be able to coast on sheer chutzpah alone. 

Now playing in theaters and available on demand.