Urban Vengeance

A dark comedy action feature written and directed by Will Martin and starring himself and Gabe Shebesta, Victoria Lydia Rodriguez, Kelvin Girdy and Carson Goldsmith.

Jack Urban (Martin) is a high-school student living in Austin, texas and he also fights crime like some sort of vigilante. And he tends to do so with his skateboard. The city that he lives in is being torn apart by crime and his sister (Goldsmith) was murdered by a local gang leader known as The King (Girdy). Now, along with his friend, Blind (Shebesta) and a girl named Dorothy (Rodriguez), Jack must battle crime and corruption and put an end to The King's illegal activities and avenge his sister.

A teenaged boy who uses his skateboard to fight criminals. Cool concept. And it certainly is fun watching him as he hits bad guys with his skateboard and sometimes shoots them with guns. There are plenty of action scenes, be it hand-to-hand combat, firing guns, car chases, motorcycle chases and (of course) skateboard chases. It is quite a ride. Apart from the action, the screenplay focuses on exploring the characters and developing the story. The cinematography by Chad Treanor and the electronic music by Derlis A. Gonzalez create an atmosphere that generates a sort of 70's or early 80's feeling, which is intriguing.

The production quality indicates that the budget was low and the acting in general is not very convincing. Plus, the script is unrealistic, particularly regarding the action scenes, where, for instance one character fights off multiple rivals and a youngster going up against dangerous criminals is not a plot that can be taken seriously. Nevertheless, these aspects do not really damage the film as this is not a viewing that needs to be taken seriously and rather, enjoyed as an action/revenge story.

The characters are interesting. Jack is the hero. A brave, tough young guy who dislikes school. His mission is to take down the one responsible for his sister's death, however, he is also a bit of a loner and has negative perspectives regarding the world. Girdy plays the antagonist, a ruthless criminal, the typical action movie bad guy. Dorothy is a tough girl, whose role is that of an ally to Jack, while Blind could be described as Jack's eccentric sidekick.

Primarily, this is a story about crime, especially gang activities and corruption. Through Jack's character, the film also explores revenge, loss, alienation and fighting for justice.

A low-budget feature filled with action and criminals. Arguably, the action scenes are the highlight, but the plot and the characters contribute significantly in making this an amusing viewing. Overall, this is a fun action film that is likely to appeal to those who like fight scenes, chases and skateboards.