Alan Ritchson has rapidly gained popularity as a leading actor in action films. His newest role continues that trend, but it’s also a much bolder and more innovative project.
The film Motor City tries for a visually striking, almost silent action movie experience where viewers can really concentrate on the characters and what’s happening. However, it doesn’t fully succeed in achieving that goal.
I recently watched Motor City, and it’s a gritty 1970s Detroit story. It centers around John Miller, played by Ritchson, a regular auto worker who gets wrongly accused of a drug crime and thrown in prison. From there, things unfold with a mix of expected and unexpected twists as he tries to clear his name and protect the woman he cares about. It’s a pretty classic setup, but still engaging!
I really think this movie could have been great – it’s got a fantastic cast, including Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, Ben McKenzie, and Pablo Schreiber. But honestly, a few mistakes here and there held it back from being truly special. It had all the right pieces, but they didn’t quite come together as perfectly as I’d hoped.
Motor City Rests on Alan Ritchson’s Physical Performance
Mike Ritchson is known for his strong and imposing presence in films, and that’s definitely true in Motor City. Since the movie has very little dialogue, the actors’ physical performances are especially important – and Ritchson excels at them.
He projects a sense of threat towards anyone who opposes him, but Alan Ritchson’s performance reveals much more depth. He skillfully communicates emotions like empathy, happiness, and affection through subtle facial expressions and body language.
Despite Joe Manganiello’s strong performance, the film surprisingly doesn’t feature him as much as it could. Even though he’s the lead in Motor City and commands attention whenever he’s on screen, his talents feel underused.
The film Motor City focuses heavily on Ben Foster’s character, Reynolds, who plays the villain. However, Foster’s performance doesn’t quite have the same impact as Jack Ritchson’s. Scenes between Foster and Shailene Woodley feel like they need more conversation, a problem that doesn’t exist when Woodley acts opposite Ritchson.
This creates a sense of disorientation during scenes featuring Foster, and it’s particularly noticeable when there’s no conversation to re-engage viewers with the story.
As a big fan of action movies, I felt like Motor City had a bit of an identity crisis. Miller is exactly who you want leading a revenge thriller – strong, driven, all that good stuff! But the film kept pausing to show us Reynolds’ side and almost wanted me to feel bad for him. It created this weird tug-of-war between the characters that didn’t quite work for me; it just felt unbalanced.
Even though the film establishes Reynolds as a villain, it surprisingly gives equal weight to his feelings for Woodley’s character, portraying it with the same importance as the connection between Miller and Sophia. This diminishes the impact of Foster as the antagonist and ultimately undermines the core conflict of the story.
Motor City’s Dialogue-Free Concept Is Ambitious, but the Soundtrack Doesn’t Pull Its Weight
To succeed, a movie with such an ambitious idea needs exciting action and a powerful soundtrack – whether using popular songs or a traditional orchestral score. Motor City really aimed to capture the same musical vibe as Baby Driver, but unfortunately, its music doesn’t enhance the experience. Although there are some period-appropriate song choices and original music included, the sound doesn’t quite mesh well with what you see on screen.
Despite having an interesting idea, the movie doesn’t quite come together because the visuals and music don’t feel connected. This causes the film to be underwhelming overall. While the action sequences are visually exciting and well-scored, the rest of the movie relies heavily on strong acting to stay engaging.
Motor City Needs More Action and a Tighter Runtime
Despite being just over an hour and forty minutes long, Motor City feels a bit too slow at times and could use some editing. The film is strongest when focused on the action and the lead actor, Ritchson, with one scene being particularly intense and impressive. While the revenge story works well, the movie occasionally shifts into slower, character-focused moments that don’t quite keep the same momentum.
This kind of movie relies on constantly building suspense and excitement to keep viewers engaged. Motor City aims for that effect, but doesn’t quite hit the mark. While the action scenes with Ritchson are thrilling, the story itself feels slow-paced and lacks originality.
Motor City is an action film that relies heavily on quiet moments and tries to showcase actor Ritchson’s growing popularity. Though Ritchson delivers a strong performance – his scenes are definitely the best part – the movie as a whole feels incomplete. It hints at something bigger, but ultimately doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
Motor City is now in theaters.
2026-07-25 01:36