Long Gone Heroes (2024)

 

 

Movie Name/Year: Long Gone Heroes (2024)

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Length: 2h 3min

Rating: R

Director: John Swab

Writers: John Swab, Santiago Manes Moreno

Actors:Frank Grillo, Josh Hutcherson, Mekhi Phifer, Eden Brolin, Melissa Leo, Andy Garcia, Beau Knapp, Juan Pablo Raba

 

Lionsgate Blurb: Gunner, a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat, is forced back into the field of battle to save his niece, who is being held in South America. As the fight intensifies, Gunner and his team discover that her disappearance is part of a corrupt private operation that hits way too close to home. Acclaimed actors Andy Garcia, Melissa Leo, Josh Hutcherson, and Frank Grillo star in a nonstop action-thriller that will leave you breathless.

 

Frank Grillo as “Gunner” in the action drama LONG GONE HEROES, a Lionsgate release.
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I've been looking forward to watching Long Gone Heroes. While it hadn't really been on my radar prior to putting September's Top 20 article together, after watching the trailer I knew had to place this movie on the list.

 

So the big questions here are simple to get out of the way first. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I really did. Was Long Gone Heroes everything I expected it to be following the teaser clips in the trailer? Not exactly, but not in a way that made me mad about it. I'll elaborate.

 

In my article entry for Long Gone Heroes, I explained (and you probably have seen me say this before) that I am quite fond of the adrenaline rush from action movies. I had connected to this film's trailer a bit more than the other Frank Grillo (What If...?, Lights Out, Hounds of War) movie coming out this month, and was anticipating a compelling story layered into some special-forces style infiltrate and extraction action.

 

[L-R] Juan Pablo Raba as “Guapo,” Frank Grillo as “Gunner,” and Josh Hutcherson as “David”
in the action drama LONG GONE HEROES, a Lionsgate release.
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

 

I did get that to a degree, but perhaps just not with the same combat quotient that I expected. That's not saying that it was wrong, or bad, though. Long Gone Heroes was more of a long burn of intensity with sporadic explosive action. There was some solid close-quarters combat combined with stealth, sniping, and a lot of gunfire exchange. Underlying that was family drama on multiple fronts and humanitarian gravitas. The plight of the Venezuelan people and the level of crime and chaos might have seemed a little over-the-top to some, but that country's real-world conditions have been spiraling downward consistently in recent years with political unrest, shortages of basic and necessary resources, and steady economic deterioration. The events within Long Gone Heroes were actually solidly believable.

 

The trailer seemed to allude to a more fast-paced scenario, so anyone going in expecting that might be a little frustrated if they're the impatient type. As audiences, we've been spoiled by this genre type delving into a quick-time and hard-hitting level of nonstop edge-of-the-seat action such as Extraction (2020) and its sequel. Long Gone Heroes does have intensity – it's just different and not quite at the same level.

 

I will also say that the story transitioned into the rescue mission to an epic soundtrack with Pantera's “Cowboy from Hell.” I was rather giddy about that.

 

While I'm talking about content within this film, however, I feel I need to address the R rating to parents out there. This is not going to be one of the action movies you'd want to show your kids. The rating isn't solely based on violence and language. There are some rather graphic scenes of nudity and sexual content. These come in small flashes as part of settings, rather than any sort of drawn out part of the story. It's an ambiance thing, but it's still present to the point that you wouldn't want young kids to be watching this on their own. These scenes would be easy to do a quick 'cover the eyes' maneuver for, however.

 

Andy Garcia as “Roman” in the action drama LONG GONE HEROES, a Lionsgate release.
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

 

Let's talk cast.

 

Grillo was everything I'd anticipated from the trailer, and as an action veteran. I also love that he's not all surly expressions, waving guns, throwing military hand signs as well as punches. I continue to be appreciative to the nuanced performances he can bring to the table. There's one scene where his eye ticks in reaction to something told to him and it was glorious that he got that that level of immersion to his character. I'm no Hollywood professional, but I know very few people who can achieve an eye-tick on command and make it look natural. I continue to also be impressed with Josh Hutcherson's (57 Seconds, Five Nights at Freddy's, The Beekeeper) range and enjoyed his character's contribution to this story, as well.

 

Andy Garcia (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Expendables 4, Pain Hustlers) and Mekhi Phifer (8 Mile, Frequency, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat) were great as adversaries here – especially with their business-like and heartless drive to accomplish their goals. I was really impressed with Eden Brolin (Emerald City, Beyond, The Cleaner) and Beau Knapp (Ida Red, The Bikeriders, Road House) also. I definitely want to see more of their work, and will likely seek out some of their existing projects to catch up on their performances, too.

 

[L-R] Eden Brolin as “Julia” and Juan Pablo Raba as “Guapo” in the action drama LONG GONE HEROES, a Lionsgate release.
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

 

Juan Pablo Raba (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Narcos, The Marksman) was able to round out this cast of battle brothers with some serious authenticity for his role. His South American heritage really paid off in making things flow smoothly. Though, I am aware that his country of origin, Argentina, is on the opposite end of the continent from Venezuela. To my layman's eyes, it really gave him an edge here. Finally, I always seem to grin when I see Melissa Leo (The Equalizer, Novitiate, King Ivory) on the screen, because her role as Sally from Oblivion (2013) pops into my head with that sweet as sugar southern drawl. This role was nothing like that, and shouldn't be compared … but that's what my brain does sometimes. I could feel the desperation of her character even if I wasn't 100% immersed in her performance.

 

All told, I enjoyed my experience watching Long Gone Heroes and I wouldn't be upset if I ended up watching it again. If you're a fan of the genre, it's definitely worth giving a shot.

 

Long Gone Heroes will hit theater screens as well as releasing to Digital and On Demand Friday, September 20^th, 2024.

 

Melissa Leo as “Olivia” in the action drama LONG GONE HEROES, a Lionsgate release.
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None

Metascore – None

Metacritic User Score – None

IMDB Score – None

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

 

Movie Trailer: