A Reel Review: HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN

Rutger Hauer jumps head-first into a 1970’s Grindhouse-style bloodbath in the form of HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN; a throwback to the old vigilante flicks that made names like Bronson famous. Heavy on blood and cheese, HOBO is far from winning any Oscars, but close to earning a reputation as the film that names like Tarantino and Rodriguez have been trying to make for years.

The Hobo (Hauer) arrives at a crime-ridden town via boxcar (of course), looking to earn money to start his lawn-mowing business. He witnesses a beheading courtesy of crime-lord Drake (Brian Downey), and his thug sons Slick (Gregory Smith) and Ivan (Nick Bateman). The Hobo saves a young prostitute Abby (Molly Dunsworth) from the clutches of Ivan, and manages to acquire a shotgun on his way to blasting crime away from the city, one shell at a time.

HOBO is a film that is clearly not meant to be taken seriously. Chock full of gore and cheesy lines, with decapitations and vulgarity throughout, it is a hard throwback to the B and C-movies of the 70’s. As such a film, it works. The film is shot in oversaturated colors and grain that makes it look 1970’s authentic, right down to the “filmed in Technicolor” opening credit.

As a standalone film, it’s a tough watch. Newcomers to the genre might not “get it”, and walk away after the first 10 minutes. The storyline is thin, and centers only upon The Hobo and his will to survive. Character development comes in bit and pieces, but nothing to really latch on to. It cannot be called a story of revenge, as there is nothing to gain vengeance on. It cannot be called a vigilante story, as there is nothing to gain revenge on. This is a movie all about blasting people away. Period.

What really puts the film over the top is Hauer’s ferocious performance. He fits the part perfectly and adds a bit of legitimacy to the zany ridiculousness of it all. His character finds himself in some pretty ugly and sickening situations, and one often has to wonder how/why Hauer agreed to pimp himself out to such low crap. Acting across the whole is awful, and it’s hard to tell whether or not it’s done purposefully to push across the B-movie message.

HOBO is a great watch for lovers of the genre. For newcomers, it would be an appalling piece of shit. It manages to be serious and mocking at the same time (figure that one out), and never fails to entertain. As a homage, it works beautifully. As a movie, it’s crap. Figure that one out too.

BOTTOM LINE: Rent it