Boy Kills World
In a city ruled by the Van Der Koy clan, rebellious citizens are rounded up to be executed on live television in an annual event known as The Culling. Left deaf, mute and traumatized when his mother and sister were shot as he held their hands, Boy (Bill Skarsgård, "It's" Pennywise), who was saved by the Shaman (Yayan Ruhian, "The Raid: Redemption"), has been training intensely under his tutelage for years in order to exact revenge in “Boy Kills World.”
Laura's Review: C-
Every now and then, along comes a movie that just irritates you. Beginning with its “Hunger Games” opening through its lifting of imagery from “The Crow” to its “Deadpool” snark, nyuk-nyuk humor, “Boy Kills World” is imitative and juvenile. For those who would point out its energetic action sequences, I guide you towards “Monkey Man,” which happens to also use Sharlto Copley as a bad guy, instead.
Director Moritz Mohr makes his feature directorial debut with a script (Tyler Burton Smith ("Child's Play") and "Snowflake's" Arend Remmers) most will be surprised is not an adaptation of a video game. One can see Remmers, of the gonzo German movie “Schneeflöckchen,” influence here, but that was a better movie.
There are a few neat touches and genuine laughs to be had, like the drug induced hallucinations of Boy as he observes a hand reaching out of the Shaman’s mouth or the guy’s eyeballs going all googly before floating out of his head like bubbles to be replaced by countless new ones or the caustic observations of the ghost of Boy’s sister Nina (Quinn Copeland). There is also Boy’s inability to lip read Benny (Isaiah Mustafa, "It: Chapter Two"), resulting in some amusing translations and the use of June 27’s (Jessica Rothe, "Happy Death Day") helmet visor to display text messages. But I dare anyone who’s ever watched a few episodes of ‘Bob’s Burgers’ to get past the voice of Bob Belcher himself, Harry Jon Benjamin, providing Boy’s constant stream of internal narration.
Skarsgård is in peak physical shape here and Nicholas and Cameron Crovetti of 2022's "Goodnight Mommy are well matched as his younger self unlike Benjamin’s voice, a deeper one chosen, we are told, from Boy’s favorite video game. Famke Janssen ("X-Men") is initially presented as the chief Van Der Koy villain, Hilda, only to disappear until the film’s last act. The family is mostly represented by “Downton Abbey’s” Michelle Dockery as her daughter Melanie, Copley as Melanie’s husband Glen and Brett Gelman ("Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile") as her son Gideon, with only the latter creating any interest. “Bullet Train’s” Andrew Koji is Boy’s humorously underwhelming partner Basho.
I’m sure there’s an audience for “Boy Kills World,” mainly those deeply into video gaming. Others may feel like they’ve wandered into a violent cartoon pitched at an age group well below the film’s R-rating.
Robin's Review: C
When Boy (Bill Skarsgard) was young, he witnessed the execution of his family by the hand of Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), the evil matriarch of the corrupt corporation ruling the earth. Now a warrior, it is up to him to put a stop to the annual culling of dissidents demanded by Hilda in “Boy Kills World.”
OK. As the story begins, we learn that Boy is a deaf mute who follows his inner voice. That voice is provided by H. Jon Benjamin, who you may be familiar with as Bob Belcher, the owner of “Bob’s Burgers” animated series on TV. If you are familiar with that voice, you may agree with me that it takes one out of the picture every time I hear him speak to Boy.
This is a major distraction as I sat down to watch “Boy Kills World,” a movie set in the future, near or distant, where the hated/beloved Van Der Koy family rules with an iron fist. But, there is a resistance movement and Boy is recruited and trained by the Shaman (Yayan Ruhian) to fight against evil – the Van Der Koys.
The story flashes back and forth frequently with Boy’s back-story laid out, beginning with the loss of his family, including his little sister, Nina (Quinn Copeland). Nina, though, sticks with her older brother, in hallucination, and acts as his mentor and muse.
The real reason for “Boy Kills World” to exist, though, is in its non-stop action with copious amounts of butchery and blood. It is all done stylishly and harkens to the “John Wick” franchise with its high body count and imaginative in its mayhem. The makers also borrow heavily, in image at least, from “The Crow (1994)” and “The Karate Kid (1984).”
There is a story by Tyler Burton Smith, Arend Remmers and director Moritz Mohr that is about warrior training, hallucinogenics and revenge against those who took his family from him. All the while, Boy’s inner voice instructs, debates and questions everything going on. Unfortunately, that voice totally distracted me by its inadvertent humor using Bob Belcher’s voice. It adds an unintentional slapstick element that takes away from the action.
There is the hint, blatant as it is, for a sequel. But, the scattershot story, ambiguously bad bad guys and an overt attempt to distract with bombast, mayhem and a whole lot of noise left me wondering what the hell is going on and why are we here. Beats me.
Bill Skarsgard fits the physical role of muscle and mayhem but the “voice” seems to distract Boy (and me, too). The Van Der Koy family gets star power with Hilda (Janssen) running the show, sister Melanie (Michelle Dockery) in her shadow, brothers Glen (Sharlto Copley), the shill, and Gideon (Brett Gelman) there to do Hilda’s bidding. None, by the way, are likable.
Something, beside my obvious criticism above, is missing from “Boy Kills World,” and needs to be fixed to make it better – structured writing and judicious editing would be a start, before the sequel would be a good idea.
Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate release “Boy Meets World” in theaters on 4/26/24.
