Gunheavy

• Directed By: Angelo Lopes
• Written By: Angelo Lopes
• Country: USA
• Released: 2008
• Running Time: 65 minutes
• Buy It: Brink DVD
• Action, Reviews, Science Fiction

It’s a pretty big claim to say that Gunheavy has more firepower than any other film in history and writer/director, Angelo Lopes is certainly ambitious, claiming on the back of the DVD that the film proves “that inside the digital film making revolution, very impressive special effects don’t need massive budgets.” This post-apocalyptic military dystopia is certainly an audacious film and in many ways it’s this sheer audacity that is the most impressive aspect of the film.

Gunheavy is set in a world where civilisation has collapsed and guns are more prevalent than people. The heavily militaristic Republican Commonwealth, seeking to take control, have developed a robot gun but the weapon is smarter than expected and its creators are unable to control it. The plot involves a small band of insurgents – deserters from the Commonwealth – who are also trying to track down the gun in order to gain control of it. Massive firepower ensues.

The team behind Gunheavy have set out to make the sort of spectacular SF action film that usually costs millions and have adamantly – and impressively – refused to let any budgetary constraints hold them back. In many ways this is an impressive achievement.

The film has a very stylised look, largely thanks to the cinematography, and this makes for a very atmospheric experience. Lopes also clearly understands the value of a decent location and the film boasts a wealth of superb settings. Bunkers, aircraft carriers and warehouses are expertly used and effectively populated to give us a world that is both dystopian and appropriately militaristic.

Where the film is less effective is in the characterisation. For a film that runs for a little over an hour, a huge number of characters are introduced and far too quickly thrown into the action. Very little time is spent establishing who these characters are and how they relate to each other and this, combined with the uniformity of military fatigues being worn, makes it increasingly difficult to keep track of who is shooting at who as the film progresses.

The film’s background, as described and hinted at, certainly has a great deal of potential and I would like to have seen more done with this. Lopes, however, largely ignores this in the rush get to the action and to maintain an often frenetic pace.

Gunheavy does work as an action film and will certainly satisfy anyone looking for ordnance heavy thrills. The real strength of the film, however, is in the darkly stylish atmosphere that Lopes manages to bring to the screen.