Movie Review: ‘The Best Man’

Review by James Lindorf

Countless jokes exist about movies pitched as “Die Hard” in a blank or “Die Hard” on a blank. It is hard to imagine that the name of the greatest action movie ever was not invoked during the planning or pitch for director Shane Dax Taylor’s latest film, “The Best Man,” which is essentially “Die Hard” at a tropical resort. Terrorists check in when Saban Films releases “The Best Man” day and date in theaters and on streaming on April 21st.

Shane Dax Taylor co-authored the screenplay of a wedding party of special-ops mercenaries vs. terrorists with C. Alec Rossel based on an original story by Daniel Zirilli. Cal (Luke Wilson) is set to marry Brook (Nicky Whelan) in front of their friends and family, who are the only guests at a remote resort thanks to Brook’s millionaire father. Standing with Brook is her sister Hailey (Scout Taylor-Compton), and joining Cal as his best man is Bradley (Brendan Fehr). In the crowd, ready to step into the role if Bradley continues to be undependable, is Cal’s former right-hand man Anders (Dolph Lundgren). When a team of ruthless terrorists violently seizes control of the resort, the best man will have to step up if anyone is going to make it to the honeymoon.

Seeing an actor with the name recognition of Luke Wilson or Dolph Lundgren attached to a smaller film conjures thoughts of just how many minutes they will be a part of the film. I fully expected Wilson to be a wedding guest who gets held hostage and maybe not even have the impact of Bonnie Bedelia in “Die Hard.” It was a total surprise that not only was he the leader of the mercs but that he is in the middle of the fighting to save everyone just as much as the titular best man.

Brendan Fehr may not be a name you recognize. Still, thanks to several successful stints on television and supporting roles in films, most people will know his face. His greatest asset is his charisma. He frequently plays characters who may screw things up occasionally but are hard not to love. Bradley is a character right in his wheelhouse. He may forget the rings, but he can warm cold feet and charm the maid of honor. Fehr has a good rapport with Scout Taylor-Compton, who he spends most of the film playing off as the pair flirt, flee, and fight.

Dolph Lundgren’s Anders is also on the loose and in a familiar role he has played dozens of times. Lundgren is by far the most natural of the trio, thanks to decades worth of action films. He isn’t completely dominating the proceedings because he is 65 years old and not physically capable of what he used to do. Dolph has been around my entire life, and it can be hard to separate the nostalgia for the present at times. The physical may not be what it once was, but over time his line delivery has improved, making him almost as fun to watch as he ever was, and at 6’5″, he is still an intimidating presence.

The three men are like the three stages of John McClain. Cal is set on taking out the leader, Bradley is doing his best to reach someone for help, and Anders is trying to take out the technical elements behind the attack. Also, like John, their fights are rough and tumble without all the flash of most modern action films. No one is pulling out fancy footwork, and it all comes down to a gun, a knife, but more often than not, a fist, and their constitution. The action as a whole is lackluster. It is led by an aged action star and two men seemingly unfamiliar with the required physicality and with little help from the production team. Great action requires the kind of budget they didn’t have here, which was no help to the actors. Great action requires time and additional actors and crew. You need time to reshoot scenes when the choreography misses a step, stunt men to handle the work when actors can’t, and special effects artists for gunfire, explosions, latex wound application, and gallons of fake blood. All things cost money, and Taylor had a budget that had to be dominated by the location fees and the actors’ salaries, which left no room for anything beyond barebones action.

“The Best Man” is a bit of a misnomer because he is not alone. He wasn’t even asked to do anything he wouldn’t have done in the military. The wedding party, or the groomsmen, both would have made better titles. A naming issue and a lack of adrenalized action prevent “The Best Man” from joining the ranks of “Speed” and “Under Siege” as the best “Die Hard” inspired films. However, it is miles above some movies like Anna Nicole Smith’s “Skyscraper.” It is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon or while doing a mindless chore like folding laundry. The three leads and Taylor-Compton all give good charismatic performances. The story is interesting enough and easy to follow if you need to step out to hit the fridge for a minute. “The Best Man” earns a 2.5 out of 5 on the backs of its actors, which carried it beyond what the budget and script allowed for.

Rating: R
Genre: Action
Director: Shane Dax Taylor
Producer: Daniel Cummings, Scott Martin, Jack Sheehan, Michael Thomas Slifkin, Daniel Zirilli
Writer: C. Alec Rossel, Shane Dax Taylor
Release Date Theatrical and Streaming: April 21, 2023 Limited
Runtime: 1h 33m
Distributor: Saban Films