Have you ever watched ‘Taken’ and wished that Liam Neeson would be replaced by an aging, recovering alcoholic and who moonlights as a tattoo artist out of his trailer? Have you also wished that the character would be played by Mel Gibson? Well if you have, then Blood Father is literally the movie for you. All jokes aside, Blood Father stars Mel Gibson as everything I’ve mentioned above, including being a neglectful father who is thrust back into his daughter’s life after she gets in with the wrong crowd and needs help. While the daughter (played by Jessica Jones’ Erin Moriarty) drives the plot, Gibson is the one who steals every scene. He has a mini monologue at the beginning of the movie that is clearly a reference to his real life troubles, and how he’s squandered away what could of been one of the greatest careers in Hollywood history. Once upon a time, Gibson was the guy you went to when you wanted a layup at the box office, but his personal demons got the best of him and almost exiled him out of show business for good. I’m glad he’s back here in some capacity though, because he’s a hell of an actor, and nobody does action/war movies better than Mel Gibson. While Blood Father might not get a lot of recognition, Gibson’s next effort, which he co-wrote and directed, received a 10 minute standing ovation at it’s world premiere in Venice on Sunday night. Hacksaw Ridge, which tells the real life story of US army medic Desmond Doss and his heroic feat during the battle of Okinawa in World War II, will be released on November 4th. For now though, check out Blood Father, and try to not to cheer too hard for a full fledged Mel Gibson comeback.

-Ryan