There are no surprises here. Paradise City looks like exactly the kind of movie Bruce Willis has been making for the past decade, albeit with a higher gloss and some bigger names. It’s also going to be one the last chances we have to see Willis on screen, following his retirement announcement and the revelation that he’s dealing with the brain disorder anaphasia. The revenge action flick didn’t announce a release date in this fun-loving trailer, but we shouldn’t have to wait too long. Plus, Willis is set to be in back-to-back Detective Knight movies set for December 2022 and January 2023 before saying goodbye to the silver screen.
Here’s the official synopsis for Paradise City:
“When bounty hunter Ian Swan (Willis) is shot and presumed dead after disappearing in Maui waters, Swan’s son, Ryan (Blake Jenner), his ex-partner (Stephen Dorff), and a local detective (Praya Lundberg) set out to find his killers. After being threatened by a ruthless power broker (John Travolta), it appears Ryan and his team are out of options — until an excursion to the closely guarded island community of Paradise City unites them with an unforeseen ally.”
A lengthy rivalry, some quippy one-liners, and a lot of kick-punching offer exactly what we want and expect from a movie like this. There also seem to be plenty of scenes where the good guys and bad guys talk menacingly at each other, which is almost always a recipe for magic. On top of being a Pulp Fiction reunion for Travolta and Willis, it’s also directed by Chuck Russell, who last notably directed Scorpion King (and who also made The Mask), so there are some serious 90s vibes clashing on the island wonderland.