Former Super Man Tom Weilling continues his descent into direct-to-home market action in his latest project, "Mafia Wars," from Saban Films. Scott Windhauser writes and directs the film, featuring Cam Gigandet, Cher Cosenza, Chris Mullinax, Al Linea, Sidhartha Mallya, Alessia Alciati, and newcomer Sterling Griffin.
Terry Jacobs (Tom Welling) is a recently paroled felon thrust into a high-stakes mission to make some money to save his niece. He must go undercover with six other men to bring down Griff (Cam Gigandet), the head of Italy's most infamous mob syndicate. However, things take a turn on the first day when the other five are all killed. Now, Terry must use all of the street smarts to succeed.
As someone who grew up on Cannon films and other low-budget actioners, I was hopeful about the potential of 'Mafia Wars.' There's nothing wrong with a mindless actioner, and as a fan of the director's 2018 written film, 'The Hurricane Heist,' I was optimistic despite the low budget.
Tom Welling, who was excellent in "Smallville" and tried to shake that role for years, is miscast here as Terry. His dialogue ranges from robot to bewildered and lacks the weight to suggest a man struggling with the twin devils of his past and the present dangers of his new life. His grit comes off as misdirected like this is someone who might be a criminal, but he's only an actor struggling with the material.
Cam Gigandet is the foundation of many of the problems in the film. As evident in "Never Back Down" and "Twilight," Gigadet could always pull off a villain, but he is the mob boss archetype without weight. He's a wet noodle and comes off as a forgettable cartoon villain. Both men are capable of better.
The script is filled with clichés: the faithful sidekick, the innocent love interest, and the creeping threat of betrayal, as if the writers went down a mob movie checklist to include every possible cliché. The dialogue is full of stilted, forced lines and screams. A third-act plot twist involving one character is laughable and doesn't land as the writers hoped.
 Furthermore, The visuals try to evoke the romantic atmosphere of Bel Passe. However, the camerawork is anemic — the camera work is inoffensive in the way that canned tomatoes are inoffensive and not much else: it leaves you old. Even the action sequences were weak. There is no moment of tension or suspense. Like every other part of the film, even the chases seem mundane. This film is very much one you would expect from a mafia-themed slot machine game.
"Mafia Wars" is just another mediocre crime d ama. There are wooden performances, a derivative script, unimaginative direction, and a general sense that even the most uncomplicated premise can be watered down by poor execution.
Final Grade : D
"Mafia Wars" is Available on Digital and On Demand on October 11th
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