"The producers of Potsy Ponciroli's take the "strong, silent type" to extremes in the playful "Motor City," a movie that plays like a grittier cousin of John Woo's " Silent Night " in that it's another action flick with almost no dialogue. Ponciroli struggles sometimes to land on a tone, waffling between choices that feel more like action parody and brutal realism, leaving it kind of lost in an uncanny valley of storytelling that makes it feel much longer than its relatively brief runtime."
"Alan Ritchson has watched his star rise as the new face of Prime Video's smash hit "Reacher," a character not exactly known for his verbosity. An underrated performer on that show, he can convey a lot with a sly look or even a comforting smile, but he smartly doesn't lean into the dialogue-free nature of "Motor City," opting for a relatively subtle approach compared to other performers."
Motor City is a largely dialogue-free action film that amplifies the silent, stoic-hero archetype while mixing action parody and brutal realism. Tonal inconsistency causes moments that drift toward uncanny-valley storytelling and can make the runtime feel longer than it is. The plot follows ex-con John Miller, who falls for Sophia and becomes targeted by her employer, 1970s Detroit crime boss Reynolds, aided by crooked police chief Savick. Miller plots revenge with skeptical cop Kent. Casting anchors the film, with Alan Ritchson providing stoic subtlety and strong physical presence. The film culminates in two ludicrous, violent showdowns: an elevator bloodbath and a street confrontation.
Read at Roger Ebert
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