Bloodshot has driven home that Vin Diesel needs the Fast & Furious series, and likely more than he would care to admit. The latest effort from the Dom Toretto actor has struggled for success. Bloodshot has received negative reviews from critics, although the audiences who have turned out for it have seemed to like it. Credit can be given to Diesel for trying something new, even if he isn’t pushing himself far from his comfort zone, but it hasn’t worked out.
The plot of Bloodshot is simple and acts as an origin story for the character. Vin Diesel plays former Marine Ray Garrison who is murdered along with his wife. He is resurrected by Rising Spirit Tech., an organization that uses nanotechnology to help out injured veterans. The nanites implanted in his body give him superhuman abilities, but his memories are washed away. He spends time training with fellow super-soldiers until his memories return, or so he thinks. Bloodshot is a revenge thriller with a sinister twist that gives this film something of an edge.
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Bloodshot debuted on the pages of Valiant Comics in 1992, and two decades later, talk of a film adaptation finally gained traction. Multiple names were attached and subsequently dropped from it, before it finally reached the big screen with Vin Diesel in the lead role. This was said to be the first installment in the Valiant Comics cinematic universe. As it stands, however, Bloodshot’s poor performance has put this larger project in jeopardy. It isn’t off-base to say that Diesel’s stoic performance is lacking. It’s not the only reason why the film has underperformed, but it hasn’t helped either. If anything, Bloodshot has driven the point home that the Fast & Furious franchise is where Vin Diesel belongs. They need each other to be mutually successful.
Bloodshot Is The Latest Non-Fast & Furious Vin Diesel Flop
Bloodshot hasn’t been at hit so far, neither commercially nor critically. The negative reviews for Bloodshot mean it sits at 31% certified rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. General audiences have come to like it, with the film boasting a much more respective 78% audience score, but the trouble is not that many people have seen it. Bloodshot only made around $9.3 million in its opening weekend, with audiences likely put off by weak marketing and those poor viewers. The recent coronavirus outbreak has compounded its box office failure, since so many were unable to get to the theater, and now they’re closing down. Still, pandemic or otherwise, it seems as though the interest in it just isn’t there (although an early VOD release might help Bloodshot somewhat). This has become typical of Diesel’s non-Fast & Furious exploits. He has a lengthy list of films that never got off the ground.
The past few years have been tough for Diesel. He has tried to branch out from Fast & Furious, but things haven’t panned out, as the majority of his attempts have missed the mark. Movies like The Last Witch Hunter, xXx: Return of Xander Cage and Riddick spring to mind as being less than stellar outings for the actor. They have seen varying degrees of success commercially, however, their critical response was fairly negative. They came across as cookie-cutter, to say the least, and their one-dimensional storytelling did not get past anyone who paid to view them. At the heart of these films was Vin Diesel, who struggled to vary his acting style.
A large problem with these movies is their presentation. They are generic with by-the-numbers stories that leave audiences bored. The action is flashy but is often all the film has to stand on. Vin Diesel has become one of those actors who is a similar character in every movie. His performances leave a lot to be desired and don’t add anything to the narrative. Despite him being the leading man, he has become detrimental to already unsuccessful films. Bloodshot is no different. The blame doesn’t fall solely on Diesel, but he plays a role in their lack of critical and financial viability.
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Vin Diesel Is Still Essential To The Fast & Furious Success
Despite his struggles to launch another franchise, Vin Diesel is still incredibly important to Fast & Furious. He is one of the few cast members who has been a part of the franchise since the beginning. The motorhead Dom Toretto is an iconic name in popular culture because of Diesel, and crucial to these films. Him being a constant in The Fast Saga has generated audience expectation for each movie. Without him, the franchise would lose out on a lot of the following it has. The series needs him to be a success, with both fans and the box office.
At the same time, his solo outings have shown the opposite is true as well. The bulk of his other on-screen ventures have not fared well Vin Diesel needs the Fast & Furious franchise as much as it needs him. Those movies have launched him into superstardom. The series has made over $5 billion worldwide, giving him and his co-stars’ bank accounts a nice boost. Whenever he tries to move away from them, he finds middling success at best. Bloodshot has only fueled the fire in this regard. It has been a disaster thanks to a variety of issues. It may be in Diesel’s best interest to stick to what he knows for the time being. It’s worth remembering that it’s the character of Dom, more so than Diesel himself, who is the core part of the Fast & Furious machine; Hobbs & Shaw fared far worse than the recent mainline Fast & Furious movies without him, despite the star power of Dwayne Johnson. Vin Diesel is Dom, and people come to The Fast Saga for Toretto.
The next installment, F9, is among many movies currently delayed due to coronavirus, but Vin Diesel should (and will) hop back on that franchise as soon as the coast is clear. Credit is deserved for trying to branch out, but it hasn’t worked. He has taken up projects that even he could not save, and has arguably made worse. Dom Toretto is a huge piece of Fast & Furious’ good fortune. It is a role that suits him, he thrives in the franchise. Diesel also has that role to thank for his celebrity status. Bloodshot has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Vin Diesel and Fast & Furious need each other more than the actor knows.
Source: Screenrant, by SHANE O’NEILL