Detective Knight: Independence (2023) Film Review
Edward Drake’s Knight trilogy is all about really believable and compelling character arcs. They can be good or bad guys, or they can be bad guys redeemed enough to come to the good side, but one thing’s for sure: Drake never goes beyond his limits in creating something that can appeal to audience, and seem logical to a massive storyline about a detective whose moral code is realistically corrupted, but he will always be the good guy in the end.
Part 1 was a solid introduction which starred relatively known faces (one of my favorite actors Michael Eklund had a prominent role in that one) and also included newcomers that stole the show from beginning to end. Willis’ Knight was pretty secondary.
Part 2 was more of a comeback in which he faced a character that was solid and reliable to make for a compelling antagonism that lasted throughout to the end. Already familiar faces stole the show. But again, Bruce Willis seemed to stay behind. It’s his show, but not completely.
But in the closure, Detective Knight: Independence, the film lies on his shoulders as his storyline becomes crucial to the main story in this one. This is now Willis’ territory and he’s not afraid to show it.
Independence tells the story of a young man whose vigilante views are extreme and are materialized in a showdown that feels definitely too long and flimsy. The film’s dramatic standpoint is light and not strong enough to make us believe in this character’s agenda. He never feels dangerous. He just feels he was put there to say a few words and seem like a madman in the trilogy’s resolution.
Sure, this will end the trilogy but there’s a lukewarm aspect to how the whole arc is presented and solved. This time it wasn’t as fun, and Drake relies on a script that’s solid but feels like a lesser version of what he did before. Some faces are a no-show this time and this is felt all the time. Yes, Rhodes and his moral swirls were missed.
Regardless, it’s still a well-made film that shows us a strong version of Willis’ capacity in his current days. How the movie solves his conflict by involving his family is simple, and is a master move by a director who needs one last glance by Willis to end his trilogy. It’s almost inevitable to clap in the end when justice is served and Knight gets a chance to rest.
We will miss him for sure. The Knight trilogy was a good business presentation by a director who has more than what he shows in a first view. There’s talent in his stories and his films simply look great, regardless of some lighting that’s really fake. But not to worry, these are acceptable creative takes by someone whose “freedom” worked well until the end because his films never feel manipulated by someone else. That, in current action cinema, feels very rare.
He was responsible for making Willis’ rise from the ashes. I just feel he can do the same for some other actors who simply deserve another shot at doing what they do best.
