“Grizzled tough old guy comes back for one more fight” is an unassailable movie trope. I don’t care how often I’ve seen that exact premise, I will watch it an infinite amount of times. The same is also true of a Sylvester Stallone action flick. If Sly is punching bad guys I’m in. All in. But his upcoming movie does more than just combine those two elements. It also puts a new spin on the superhero genre. And if the fantastic first trailer for Samaritan is any indication, that will make for one highly entertaining film.
…Yes. Inject this straight into my eyeballs and then cover up my eyes lest this movie escape my sight. Old Stallone befriending a youngster and kicking ass when the world needs him most? All as a former superhero with a dark past? Hell yeah. I already love everything about this film, including its official synopsis from Prime Video:
Thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary (Javon “Wanna” Walton) suspects that his mysterious and reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith is actually a legend hiding in plain sight. Twenty five years ago, Granite City’s super powered vigilante, Samaritan, was reported dead after a fiery warehouse battle with his rival, Nemesis. Most believe Samaritan perished in the fire, but some in the city, like Sam, have hope that he is still alive. With crime on the rise and the city on the brink of chaos, Sam makes it his mission to coax his neighbor out of hiding to save the city from ruin.
Might buy this poster, too. And, right after watching this trailer, start working on my Samaritan super suit cosplay to channel Sylvester Stallone. (Though, in all honesty, I can pull off the broken down Mr. Smith look a lot easier.)
I must know why Samaratin went into hiding like a fish needs water. Only this is much more important than that. Unfortunately I’ll have to wait a little longer to learn his secret. In addition to Sylvester Stallone, Samaritan also stars Pilou Asbæk, Martin Starr, and Dascha Polanco. It comes to Prime Video on August 26, 2022.
Just enough time for me to get ready by watching countless other movies about an old warrior coming back for one more hurrah. A bunch of which star Sly, just not as a superhero.
