Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (TV Movie 2011)

Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe: Directed by Jeffrey Donovan. With Bruce Campbell, Kiele Sanchez, RonReaco Lee, Pedro Pascal. Follows Sam Axe on a mission in Latin America and gives us a glimpse into his military past.

“Between season 4 and 5 of Burn Notice, this prequel movie of sorts was produced that focuses on Sam who, when we join him, is undergoing an informal military u0026quot;interviewu0026quot; over his actions during a mission in Columbia. This flashback structure takes us away from the normal settings in the main but (hopefully) still allows for the easy mix of style, comedy and action that makes Burn Notice a u0026quot;safe pair of handsu0026quot; when it comes to prime time. From the start it does feel like we are in a u0026quot;lesseru0026quot; product though because the camera work and sets seem to lack the style, colour and flair of the TV show proper. It feels and looks like either less money was available for it or the makers were playing it in a slightly different way.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe result is somewhat of a B-movie thriller except with an oddly uneven tone running across it. Sometimes it is amusing but it is never hilarious; sometimes it has action but it is never exciting; it just tends to have a little bit of everything to make it passable for those willing to go along with it. If you sat to watch it without any vested interested in the character of Sam then probably youu0026#39;ll not get much from it but then this is because it doesnu0026#39;t offer a huge amount for you. The main selling point here is Campbell and he does make it more entertaining than it deserves to be because his performance and his character are quite fun. The in-jokes for his fans are a nice touch if a little clunky, while he throws himself into it with energy and good comic timing. The supporting cast are never more than average though and it does hurt the overall film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe effects are solid enough and the A-Team-esque action is decent and bloodless enough to distract. The direction is surprisingly u0026quot;straightu0026quot; though; the TV show has lots of music and quick cuts and sliding transitions but here the presentation is a lot more drab by comparison – a bit of u0026quot;oomphu0026quot; in this regard would have helped the film feel slicker and more fun as works for the show. Overall The Fall of Sam Axe is a distracting bit of filler to those fans of Burn Notice, even though it never gets to the same level of entertainment or fun as the actual show does. Bruce Campbell fans will get a kick out of it and it is certainly an u0026quot;easyu0026quot; watch but nothing more than that.”