The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) Reviews

• Despite the outrageous title, a slow character study centered on loss and regret...

  terrorfirmer-ie2019-02-10

  This is not the movie you might reasonably have expected from the title - while both killings are part of the movie, they play second fiddle to the story of a man who has sacrified everything for what he believes is in service of the greater good. Really took me by surprise, Sam Elliot really delivers a superb performance, which is pretty much what the movie hangs on. Yes, it's a bit bizarre to have a movie where the assassination of Hitler and killing of Bigfoot - by the main character - are mere sidenotes in a slow-burn character study.... But it worked for me, I can see why it wouldn't for others, but it's genuinely a good movie and not the b-movie schlock-fest the title implies.

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• Allegory of america

  jerusha-774072019-02-19

  My mother gave me this insight (she's a genius). This movie is an allegory of the US and the struggle against first the nazi's and then communism. See dialog between young Barr and the Russian who shaves him. Calls him Mr. America. Says they will be cursed and do not truly know each other. Will be enemies? Gin versus vodka. He kills hitler, but does not feel he's accomplished his mission. The man killed did not kill the idea. See the rock he cannot get out of his shoe. Fast forward. Flag pin (American government) asks him to kill THE Bigfoot, not a Bigfoot. Something that will destroy the world. A virus that will spread to the whole world (communism). Must be nuked. Barr is immune (the American soldier/patriot). Others are too old or too young. His (the bigfoot's) footprint is not THAT big. He breaks a pinky and loses an ear (the curse from the Russian, but not fatal blows). The Bigfoot is not an animal. It is a zombie-like evil. He tries to show mercy (they won't get your body buddy) only to have the evil turn on him again. Evil must be met with brutality. Once he is vanquished, the American soldier feels his mission is complete (rock out of shoe). The soldier (uniform and medals) was buried. See dates on tombstone. Very close to Russian revolution then fall of Soviet Union. However, the "box" was dug up again for the American soldier to stand guard "one more day". The fight does not end. The American soldier cannot rest. So many other symbols. Just food for thought. I can't find anything to corroborate, but everything fits. Very thought provoking and enjoyable film. More there to be uncovered with the brother and girlfriend (those left at home). Sam Elliot is excellent.

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• A unexpected character drama with the most cheesy plot.

  GODZILLA_Alpha_Predator2019-02-10

  This is a movie with the most campy title and premise that is more character-driven drama then guilty b-movie action entertainment. Its surprising prestige that elevates its genre setting comes a lot from Sam Elliot's performance and director Robert D. Kryzowski's focus on the emotional weight of the protagonist's journey. Elliot carries this strange absurd premise as Calvin Barr, a retired veteran living in solitude. As the man who assassinated the titled Nazis leader in secrecy during WW2 (played by Aiden Turner as the young Calvin), he feels regret that his mission mattered very little to world while the love of his life, Maxine (Caitlin FitzGerald) had to move on herself when he returned home. When an American agent (played by Ron Livingston) asks for Calvin's skills and service to kill the titled creature to prevent it from spreading humanity-ending disease, it becomes a catalyst for Calvin to find some form of redemption to give purpose in his life. Elliot doesn't just rely on his usual charm and charisma but shows vulnerability in his character's state of mind. From moments where he breaks down into sadness when thinking about the life he could have had or being forced to inflict harm on another thing, we are shown that Calvin is not the war hero that lived a happy life but instead is this old warrior fading away into nothing more then a myth that glorifies his violent actions. And it surprisingly fits thematically when the film explores him killing Hitler and the Bigfoot (as the title says so not a complete spoiler). The two well-known figures are interpreted in ways one would not expect as Hitler's evil was more powerful and contagious then history described and Bigfoot is seen less as a classical movie monster but as this damaged being in pain much like Calvin is internally. You still get a memorable bloody fight between Calvin and the legendary creature (even if gets too silly) but by the end you feel the tragedy for both Calvin and the Bigfoot. Outside of Elliot's performance and his character's journey, the movie does have weak aspects. When it tries to embrace its b-movie cheesy elements they feel forced and distracting to the point it hurts the serious weight the story has built. While the film doesn't spend too time much trying to justify or explain its ridiculous plot, the slow pace can feel like its dragging even near the end. Plus the music felt like it was from a 90's hallmark soap opera that didn't feel like it fit. As silly as this movie gets, I never felt it was trying to entertainment me with cheap thrills. Elliot's awards-worthy performance and its examination on the glorification of myth and history made for an engaging piece of dramatic art to analyze and appreciate. Give this movie a watch. It will certainly be a memorable and surprising experience even if gets too crazy for its own good at times.

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• You're watching the wrong film

  IndyTed2019-02-18

  As a 63-year-old man, I saw a very different film. This is a man at the end of his life, full of regrets, trying desperately to rewrite his life's story. One of the few"real" moments in this film is the opening scene in the bar. A lonely old man having a drink by himself. The bartender suggests a change. He responds he'll quit drinking--but they both know that won't happen. As a young man he was shy and ineffectual. He couldn't even propose to his girlfriend, letting more dominant personalities overwhelm him at critical moments. So he fantasizes about going off to war and being an unsung hero. But since it's a fantasy, it's ineffectual as well--killing Hitler for no good purpose (maybe a substitute for the actual death that surrounded him as a WWII infantryman?). His girlfriend moved away. All he had was a ring he kept in a box. And an imaginary pebble he his shoe that reminded him of... Fast forward to his bleak elderly life of TV dinners and solitary existence. Another fantasy develops, about Bigfoot, triggered by what he's seen on TV while dozing off. His younger brother plays along while giving him a haircut, listening to him speak ominously about a man he killed in the war. Then later his younger brother responds gently to the notion of his going on a secret mission--remember the late night park scene about "truth"? The truth spoken of is the truth of love in the face of harsh realities. And later, if he was dead and buried, why didn't people say anything when he shows up for the children's play? Perhaps he did go to war. Perhaps he was traumatized and the uniform in the closet was real. Be that as it may, here's what happens as you grow older: You start writing the story of your life. As time goes on you rewrite it so that whatever happens, it all makes sense and has a purpose. You justify your actions, and you become the unsung hero (or victim). Some tells: During the carjacking the thug burns the cherished picture of his girlfriend and he does nothing--passive as usual. But he responds when they try to take his car? Are the sirens responding to his injuries, not the thugs'? The biggest tell of all: the movie's title and plot line. It's screaming "Hello viewers, this is a total, impossibly absurd fantasy. An Allegory." So obvious, but then there are people still trying to figure out what happened in the final scene of The Sopranos (yes, they were all shot). Now...all that said...this was a beautifully conceived and crafted film--if you know which film you're watching. Sam's best work.So in the end he finds the pebble--the universal symbol of a nagging annoyance. And with his box of memories he starts accepting life on life's terms. And it ain't so bad. He's got a dog and a brother who loves him. And that's enough.

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• Flawed but fascinating

  joannamaryward-498522019-04-20

  It has taken me a long time to decide how I feel about this flawed but fascinating movie. On the one hand, kudos to everyone involved for committing to a quirky heartfelt, genre-defying labour of love. On the other, there are swathes of one-star reviews on Amazon from people who feel short-changed and I've some sympathy with them. But not much. Perhaps the title wrong-footed them, but some of them seem to have missed the point entirely. Where to start? Spoilers are almost not a problem, because it does exactly what it says on the tin. The man, Calvin Barr (Sam Elliott) kills Hitler and then the Bigfoot. What is more interesting is what falls into the gaps in between. This is a slow-burning movie about regret and loss, as Elliott's character reflects on the killing of a monster and the realisation that while he can kill the man he can never destroy his poisonous ideology. The sacrifice he made to do so, in losing his young love, is something he must now feel was hardly worth it, with the far right on the march in the States and the erosion of common decency, which Sam Elliott so perfectly embodies. The scenes with the younger version of his character, played by Poldark's Aidan Turner (who more than passes for a young Sam Elliott) are among the most striking and poignant in the film. You almost wish director Robert Krzykowski had left it there. The later Bigfoot scenes seem clumsy and pointless, unless you buy into the symbolism. There's plenty of it and it always leaves you wondering. Better take it as the story of an old man wrestling with his demons, rather than a literal scrap with an actual monster. Special effects on this are almost comically bad, but deliberately so, as if the story's interests lie elsewhere and doesn't want us too caught up in the drama. The performances are universally great. Ironic that Elliott was Oscar-nominated for A Star is Born the same year, while this little gem of a performance slipped under the radar. Caitlin FitzGerald does her best with an under-written female lead, while Aidan Turner (scarily sexy in an S.S. uniform) shines as the diffident young man who killed Hitler. Ambition is no bad quality in a director and this is Robert Krzykowski's debut feature. You can't help but feel his reach may have exceeded his grasp on this. By all means watch and be bemused, or moved. But in either case, learn to pronounce Krzykowski, because this is a name to watch.

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