All the comments here about the leads poor fighting skills - in the real world people don't fight like Jason Bourne and John Wick, fighting is thuggish and brutal, with little finesse and the character is called the Beast for Pete's sake. But when you've been raised on a diet of sterile Hollywood pap of the past few decades then it's understandable that you think fighting should be stylised, clinical and frankly boring. This film was by no means perfect, but it is a solid 6.
90 Reviews
The Italian version of Liam Neeson??
toddcha27 November 2020
Liam Neeson has held a tough guy/image of a father since TAKEN.
After five minutes THE BEAST starts I can see so many similarities.
But THE BEAST is missing one key element: the power of kick after each punch.
Movies like these are not just about the family/love bond, but also seek "violence".
The title is violent but not the content.
From many scenes I can see the actor is trying to catch breath which is something you don't see in Liam Neeson's.
BTW the soundtrack where his past is described is nice, trying to find the title of the song lol.
In general, it's not bad but if you are looking for movies that can bring you excitement or help you shake off chose from reality then you may want to choose another one.
In general, it's not bad but if you are looking for movies that can bring you excitement or help you shake off chose from reality then you may want to choose another one.
Slow Mo Action / Plot gaps & mess
LordLobby28 November 2020
Bad at Fighting
PennyForMyThoughts28 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Yes this movie is formulaic, but that's not what bothered me. Am I to believe that a 30 year veteran of the special forces is really going to be that bad at fighting? And also to show up unarmed (not even a knife?) to the compound full of criminals where his daughter is being held? And then to basically just get his ass kicked and accomplish nothing?
I didn't think that the acting or cinematography were really that bad, it just would have made more sense if the protagonist was some "average Joe" rather than an elite special forces veteran if we're supposed to believe he would be as bad at fighting as he was.
The ending also bothered me, like oh, it's great that he's prison because now he's finally going to get some group therapy? Doesn't track.
I didn't think that the acting or cinematography were really that bad, it just would have made more sense if the protagonist was some "average Joe" rather than an elite special forces veteran if we're supposed to believe he would be as bad at fighting as he was.
The ending also bothered me, like oh, it's great that he's prison because now he's finally going to get some group therapy? Doesn't track.
Unstoppable
kosmasp2 December 2020
They say there is nothing like Mama Bear (I think they say that, but you know what I mean in any case) ... well get a hold of Papa Bear(d)! He ain't playing around either. Seemingly unstoppable - or is he? One thing is for sure, he aims for the throat and he goes right for the target. No distractions and alll that other stuff police has to worry about.
Which of course make him a target for the police too. A very down and dirty movie ... gritty and unapologetic! With a main performance that is quite mesmerizing to say the least. If that sounds like something you can agree and watch, than look no further. So can you dig it? And can you stomach it?
Which of course make him a target for the police too. A very down and dirty movie ... gritty and unapologetic! With a main performance that is quite mesmerizing to say the least. If that sounds like something you can agree and watch, than look no further. So can you dig it? And can you stomach it?
Action movie with terrible action
thusspokebrandon29 November 2020
Guy's a punching bag.
Buffettlvr30 November 2020
Doesn't really ring true.....
s327616928 November 2020
"The Beast" as the title translates, doesn't really ring true.
Akin to films like "Taken" (which is also implausible) the primary issue with this film is one of realism. The key protagonist is apparently a highly skilled, special forces operative. Yet his situational awareness is poor, as is his judgement. Of course, we are told he has PTSD. Even so, that level of experience becomes instinctive, so this is a thin excuse.
He blunders into multiple hostile situations. His combat skills look more like those of a simplistic street fighter. They lack polish and precision. No one with that kind of background would go in unarmed, either. A hammer, a box cutter, kitchen knife, or even a crow bar, can make a huge difference.
Just as improbable, his adversaries leave him for dead at one point, rather than finishing him off. All this after he proves he is at the least a tangible, if disorganised, threat.
Acting by contrast, is excellent. The main character is believable but he's let down by a script that fails to seriously ask how a soldier with this degree of training and experience, would really perform in this kind of scenario.
The outcome is a film that's more or less watchable but for anyone with any real training, it offer's up far too many "yeah right' moments to be convincing.
5/10 from me.
Akin to films like "Taken" (which is also implausible) the primary issue with this film is one of realism. The key protagonist is apparently a highly skilled, special forces operative. Yet his situational awareness is poor, as is his judgement. Of course, we are told he has PTSD. Even so, that level of experience becomes instinctive, so this is a thin excuse.
He blunders into multiple hostile situations. His combat skills look more like those of a simplistic street fighter. They lack polish and precision. No one with that kind of background would go in unarmed, either. A hammer, a box cutter, kitchen knife, or even a crow bar, can make a huge difference.
Just as improbable, his adversaries leave him for dead at one point, rather than finishing him off. All this after he proves he is at the least a tangible, if disorganised, threat.
Acting by contrast, is excellent. The main character is believable but he's let down by a script that fails to seriously ask how a soldier with this degree of training and experience, would really perform in this kind of scenario.
The outcome is a film that's more or less watchable but for anyone with any real training, it offer's up far too many "yeah right' moments to be convincing.
5/10 from me.
An Italian attempt at making Taken (2008) but with far less substance and thrills. This is not a film I will remember
James_Denton28 November 2020
If only they had added "I have a particular set of skills..." it might have been better.
Netflix advertises this film well showing Fabrizio Gifuni as a tough, no nonsense, 'get the job done' ex-military father who is central to the movie. Sadly though, the film didn't meet the hope or expectations I had for it.
The good and the bad:
The negatives could go on, but it would be like shooting fish in a barrel (i.e. easy).
La Belva (2020) is not a film I will remember, and much like Sabotage (2014) this review will be the only reminder I once saw it.
Netflix advertises this film well showing Fabrizio Gifuni as a tough, no nonsense, 'get the job done' ex-military father who is central to the movie. Sadly though, the film didn't meet the hope or expectations I had for it.
The good and the bad:
- When the end graphic 'La Belva' (The Beast) is better than the movie, you know something went wrong.
- From a broad view the story is fine, even if it has been told many times: A young family member is kidnapped leaving the father to get them back.
- Fabrizio Gifuni almost looks the part, grizzled with an over the top beard. However, for a man who supposedly spent 30 years in special forces he is a scrawny
- Stemming from the last point, the only relevance I can see in learning he was in special forces for 30 years was to give the impression he has a 'particular set of skills which make men like him dangerous to people who might kidnap his daughter'. However, he doesn't display any more skill than a determined father who can handle himself.
- The film fails to develop the characters leaving the viewer not caring much for them. For example, we don't learn much about the young girl who is kidnapped other than her big brother leaves her eating chips at a table where, predictably, it all goes wrong.
- Typical to the Italian stereotype, the film has great hype but no substance.
The negatives could go on, but it would be like shooting fish in a barrel (i.e. easy).
La Belva (2020) is not a film I will remember, and much like Sabotage (2014) this review will be the only reminder I once saw it.
Waste of time
ErkalTaskin28 November 2020
A vulnerable hero! Don't miss it!
dmavroudis784 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Do not listen to bad reviews from people who are used to super heros. Our hero was a special forces Capten with a difficult past, full of tortures. Now, away from all of that he is trying to get by, fighting his demons through drug medication. He is alienated from his family (son and wife) but his little daughter loves him greately.
One time, when going to see their father, the two kids stop at a burger house. The son didn't want to go to his father's house. Instead, he meets with sone friends there and, suddenly, his sister is kidnapped.
Then, their dad goes "hunting", trying to find his daughter.
In a few words, this is not another "Taken" movie. Our hero can be hurt, hit and lose. But he stands again to continue fighting. He has a brutal past, but that doesn't make him invicible. That's what's great in this movie. The vulnerability of the character. Last but not least, the movie is also very emotional, especially in the end, when son and father bond again. Don't miss it
Too slow
lucianofp29 November 2020
The movie has a good beginning and the Beast character is perfect. But then the plot becomes really slow, the action is slow, the hero looses his strength and falls in serious danger. It is not clear the intention of the movie: an action movie, a family/love movie, both of the them ? Well in my opinion none of them had success. Finally with its rhytms movie is too long (I risked to fall asleep).
But Ludovico Di Martino has really good possibilities (scenes, lights, actors), so c'mon let show them.
bearded actor
tatu_lahnajarvi1 December 2020
I think: very good acting from the bearded actor. I like Warner Bros, because I like Warner Bros Finland, I gather I must somehow like Warner Bros Italy also. and they usually produce quality, no matter if it's films or documents.
One of the worst
markuspoyhonen28 November 2020
Over used and nothing new here.
searchanddestroy-14 December 2020
That Italian flick tries something already used and overused by the US film industry: a former Special Forces member suffering of post traumatic disorder and whose daughter was abducted. I expected something new from this European film, especially released on Netflix, I expected something daring, more brutal, gritty, why not nasty, disgusting, disturbing. But directing and acting are more than OK though.
Low budget movie
idelfuschini3 December 2020
Worse of the worst
desdinova-3648028 November 2020
the italian version of "taken"
horrorules30 November 2020
I am Italian, and I am always happy when I see one of our products well made and this "The Beast" is a well made product, it certainly takes its cue from "taken" with Liam Neeson, but it is not a defect, indeed, it is an advantage. The cast is great, the action scenes are very well shot and the violence is raw and real.
It is not a masterpiece of course, but it certainly deserves a higher rating, but unfortunately the kids of today are drooling for filth like the various idiotic cinecomics of marvel, the three hundredth sequel to that fast & furious trash and various crap.
Punish me
calirachela2 January 2021
Not really a beast
valleyjohn3 January 2021
With the recent resurgence of Italian crime dramas thanks to the like of Gomorrah and Subbura , Amazon and Netflix are taking advantage of their popularity and are backing films like la Belva ( The Beast) and I'm pleased they are .
This is the story of Riva , a gloomy, solitary war veteran, once Captain of the Army's special forces. Life and work have driven Riva apart from his family. His eldest son, Mattia, has never forgiven him while his daughter, Teresa, loves him unconditionally. However, a tragic event will force Leonida to transform into something he thought he had long buried in the past.
The Beast is an entertaining, revenge thriller without pulling up too many trees. It's violent, as you would expect but surprisingly slow paced . Fabrizio Gifuni who plays Riva is convincing as the PTSD suffering father , it's just a shame that the bad guys are a little bit stereotyped and unimaginative.
I found this entertaining but it's not a patch on some of the high class Italian drama I've seen in recent years .
This is the story of Riva , a gloomy, solitary war veteran, once Captain of the Army's special forces. Life and work have driven Riva apart from his family. His eldest son, Mattia, has never forgiven him while his daughter, Teresa, loves him unconditionally. However, a tragic event will force Leonida to transform into something he thought he had long buried in the past.
The Beast is an entertaining, revenge thriller without pulling up too many trees. It's violent, as you would expect but surprisingly slow paced . Fabrizio Gifuni who plays Riva is convincing as the PTSD suffering father , it's just a shame that the bad guys are a little bit stereotyped and unimaginative.
I found this entertaining but it's not a patch on some of the high class Italian drama I've seen in recent years .
Would have been great if he has the skills
emotosuwa-8870323 January 2021
Everything is great but the character is lacking. He is not the beast but just an ordinary person who doesn't even know how to hold a gun or deflect a knife. I thought he is a captain, But he has no combat skills. It's so sad to watch him. I don't know who thought that this show be called a beast must change the name to " I catch a bullet"
Break your Balls!
m_winship30 November 2020
If you don't mind the casual violence and nudity, there is a great story here. Fabrizio is seeing red and he steals a car to save a young lady in distress. Apparently it takes copious amounts of cocaine to pump him up like the Hulk (the Beast). He even robs a drag queen of her goods at a gas station. He a lovable vigilante that has a death wish IMHO. What do you think of the violent maniac saving your life on the streets? Oh well! I believe in Pax and Benevolence.....altruism is the name of my game, (and also my superhero too!). Cheers! Murf
Worth watching!!
seandun111130 November 2020
Acting is way below average.
rehabdoc28 November 2020
Acting is a little worse than you'd expect in your typical bad B action movie. Like "first time acting gig for an athlete" bad. Think Rhonda Roussey in Expendables X. Or Worse than Chuck Norris when he started way back when.
Script and tone are outdated. Cartoonishly written.
Fight scenes are very amateurish and outright slow. Unexciting. Made for TV.
Why is this trending on Netflix?
Why is this trending on Netflix?
Well, Beats a Stick in the Eye...
emortland29 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Yeah, an Italian version of "Taken," but on a kind of stupid and guttural level. The fight scenes are pretty basic and sophomoric, and you have to wonder why the bad guys just don't shoot our hero instead of waiting to be punched out by him, one by one.
There's some decent filmmaking here, they obviously had a budget, they just needed to spend more on a better script and fight choreographer. They left it open for a sequel, aye, hope it's better than this.
There's some decent filmmaking here, they obviously had a budget, they just needed to spend more on a better script and fight choreographer. They left it open for a sequel, aye, hope it's better than this.
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