No Press Screenings For Joe Carnahan's ‘El Chicano'

I wouldn’t mind seeing Joe Carnahan’s “El Chicano,” despite its 38% Rotten score. It’s supposed to be an ultra-violent superhero movie, but very much set in today’s reality, infused with heavy Mexican lore.

I’ve always found Carnahan to be a decent pulp-influenced director -- In fact, he's been amassing quite an amount of fans these last few years. Good on him; His style is strongly influenced by both Tarantino and Michael Bay, but he still manages to bring out his own voice to the mix. He’s almost like a 21st century version of Peckinpah but injected with a mass amount of steroids. The Peckinpah similarities do get enhanced once you learn that Carnahan also describes himself as a " functioning alcoholic." His debut feature “Narc,” starring Ray Liotta and Jason Patric, is still his best movie, followed closely by the Liam Neeson wolf movie “The Grey.” I wouldn’t put anything else he’s done in a category with those, but there are minor merits to be had in Carnahan-directed movies as “Smokin’ Aces” “Stretch,” and “The A-Team.”

“El Chicano” synopsis:

“When LAPD Detective Diego Hernandez is assigned a career-making case investigating a vicious cartel, he uncovers links to his brother's supposed suicide and a turf battle that's about to swallow his neighborhood. Torn between playing by the book and seeking justice, he resurrects the masked street legend El Chicano. Now, out to take down his childhood buddy turned gang boss, he sets off a bloody war to defend his city and avenge his brother's murder.”