Sometimes it’s fun to throw on an action flick and enjoy the ride. For some, The Doorman might be one of those kinds of movies. With a badass female lead and thrilling combat, there are some things to appreciate about the film. But it’s weighed down by a poorly paced first half and highly predictable plot - problems that could turn viewers off from the movie before the fun even begins. 

In The Doorman, a former marine, Ali (Ruby Rose, The Meg, John Wick: Chapter 2), takes on the job of a doorman in New York. It turns out this complex is home to her sister’s family. What’s more, this complex is home to valuable paintings hidden in the walls of one of the units. When thieves learn the paintings happen to be secured within Ali’s family’s unit, a hostage situation ensues, and Ali puts her marine training into action to keep her niece and nephew safe.

Unfortunately for The Doorman, there’s not an original enough story to be excited about the premise. And the best of the action is weighted on the latter half of the film - too late to redeem the film’s pitfalls, especially since dialogue in between the action is less than compelling.

Ruby Rose is the main attraction here, and she seems to do the best she can with the material she’s given. Where she shines is in gun fight and combat sequences. Once the action gets going, Ruby gets her game face on and keeps these sequences exciting. Interesting camera tricks also help sprinkle a dramatic element on some of the fights.

But ultimately, The Doorman brings nothing new to the table. It’s easy to predict where the story is going, what’s going to happen to each character, and when something is being introduced to be just to be reused later in the film. While some may be able to overlook The Doorman’s flaws, these and other cinema sins could render this movie dead on arrival for others.

Acting and Casting - 1 | Visual Effects and Editing - 1 | Story and Message - 0 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 0 | What does this mean?

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