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Feb 18, 2016 By Zach Hollwedel Web Exclusive

It has been two decades since father and son actors, Donald and Kiefer Sutherland, appeared in the same film. Prior to A Time to Kill, that had only ever happened once before, back in 1983, in Max Dugan Returns, Kiefer’s first film. Yet, in neither of those movies did both warrant top billing. Kiefer typically had a minor or supporting role, and the two did not necessarily share any scenes. Director Jon Cassar’s Forsaken is the first time the two appear together as leading men, and they do so while portraying father and son, no less.

Given the momentous occasion of the Sutherland double billing, a fantastic Forsaken would have been pure ecstasy. Unfortunately, Kiefer and Donald would probably have been wise to hold out for a better script before making their debut as co-stars. The fairly hackneyed story from writer Brad Mirman follows a reformed gunslinger (Kiefer as John Henry Clayton) who returns home—unaware his mother has long since passed away—and attempts to make amends with his disapproving father, Reverend Clayton (Donald). However, a greedy, manipulative land baron (Brian Cox) and the group of murderous thugs he’s hired to do his dirty work test John Henry’s resolve to not take up the gun again.

The script is rife with obvious, manipulated plot points designed to alternatingly tempt John Henry into fighting and to steel his resolve against doing so. Kiefer does an admirable job trying to convey John Henry’s inner vacillation, but there are only so many times one can expect the character to turn the other cheek or take a whooping lying down. Donald Sutherland is powerful as Reverend Clayton (even if his various sermons about resisting violence and turning to the grace of God become redundant); then again, the veteran actor is always impressive. Side by side on screen together, the elder Sutherland out-acts the younger in virtually every scene. This isn’t so much a derision of Kiefer’s talents, but rather a tribute to Donald’s. He’s just good—even when the films he appears in are not, Donald Sutherland is always stellar.

Forsaken offers sufficient gun battles, standoffs, and shot-him-dead moments to keep fans of superficial Westerns entertained, but its revenge story is unfalteringly by-the-books; it follows the standard formula without adding anything new to the genre. Had Forsaken not been the Sutherland dual debut, it might not have been such a let down. Then again, given the trite story and Cassar’s uninspired direction, without Kiefer and Donald, this film might never have gotten made.

forsakenthefilm.com

Author rating: 4/10