I am not usually a huge watcher of superhero/comic book movies, which means I’m pretty low on suitable reference points for violent Finnish comic book-esque Rendel: Dark Vengeance. Unfortunately, Rendel did not convert me to loving the genre, although I expect people who are already on board with the familiar tropes and themes will get quite a lot out of this.
Synopsis: A Finnish superhero, a masked vigilante Rendel seeks for revenge and fights against VALA, the huge criminal organization.
An early sequence with somewhat stilted violence set to pop music is quite entertaining and pitched well, as is some of the dry comedy used throughout. It does, undoubtedly achieve that comic-book style with many shots taken in isolation appearing exactly as comic panels would, which is impressive. There are also an appropriate amount of squelchy, thumping sound effects which punctuate the violence well.
Rendel is introduced without us knowing who exactly he is, although it is not made particularly difficult to figure out but the way in which the film allows the story to move from two different timelines without too much signposting is refreshing. The film knows it isn’t excessively complicated and puts a certain amount of trust in the viewer to put it together.
Rämö (Kristofer Gummerus, also pulling masked duty as the titular Rendel) is suitably sympathetic in his early appearances as a doting father and husband. However, for someone in a reasonably high position a short montage of immediate job rejections doesn’t really tally and this does appear as a bit of shorthand for a situation which probably shouldn’t be so desperate so quickly. Similarly, his wife’s resentment is also pretty immediate which sits at odds with the very close-knit family first presented.
Rotikka (Rami Rusinen) is a suitable villain and his double act with henchman Lahtaaja (Renne Korppila) is entertaining. The comedy does sometimes throw off the building of them as evil, but not to the point where all tension is lost. A sequence in which Radek (Johnny Vivash) desperately telephones a number of potential assassins to take out Rendel ends up anticlimactic as the introductions of each character feels like it takes longer than it does for them to be dispatched. Still, there’s some adequate fight choreography along the way to keep interest to a point.
Where the film struggles is during its final act. A serious of moments which seek to show the determination of Rendel to keep fighting ends up feeling like a bit of a slog as the same kind of sequence is repeated without adding any extra energy. While it establishes the unstoppable nature of Rendel, it could be more dynamic to watch.
Overall, Rendel feels like a decent entry into the comic book genre, bringing with it some style and wit. I found my attention wandering, but that has a lot to do with my overall superhero fatigue rather than anything specific to this film. Those who appreciate the format are likely to gel with it and with a sequel already announced, have much to look forward to.
scaredsheepless 