Iconic action leading man Bruce Willis makes his way into another turkey in American Siege from Vertical Entertainment. Edward Drake directs the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Corey Large. Washed-up Sheriff Ben Watts (Bruce Willis) guards the secrets of the wealthy residents of a small Georgia town. When three outlaws take a prominent town doctor hostage, searching for a missing woman, Sheriff Watts gets the call to handle the situation before the FBI arrives.
In a race against time, Mayor Charles Routledge (Timothy V. Murphy) pressures Sheriff Watts to launch an assault on the hostage-takers and eliminate all witnesses. When the Sheriff realizes he may be a pawn in a larger scheme, he carves a bloody warpath to expose the truth behind the town's dark secrets, including the decades-old disappearance of teenager Brigit Baker.
American Siege is the ninth film to hit the streaming market starring Willis in less than a year.
Now I don't know if Willis truly loves what he's doing or owes someone money, but the actor continues to deliver flat performances. Willis no longer has the charm or machoism of John McClane or Joe Hallenbeck, his characters from the Die Hard films and The Last Boy Scout. Instead, Willis has turned into a parody of himself as it appears every character is now Bruce Willis playing Bruce Willis.
American Siege is the third time Drake has directed Willis, following the stinkers Cosmic Sin and Apex. Per the production notes, the film only took eight days to complete, and Wills shot all of his scenes in one day. The supporting cast isn't much better, as they all fall into pointless Deep South stereotypes.
As for the little action in the film, don't expect much. Outside of a few things towards the film's climax, you will find more action in an episode of Cobra Kai. Hopefully, Bruce Willis will return to his glory days one day, but as it seems now, every Willis film is a shoot and miss.
Final Grade: D-
American Siege opens in limited theaters today and is also available On Demand.