by Jayden Leggett, Editor

Within just a few minutes of viewing Bullet in the Face for the very first time, it became very clear to me what I could expect from this show. Stylized over-the-top acting (complete with cliched accents), excessive violence, morbid humour and a psychotic lead character are all key ingredients to this very quirky yet strangely enjoyable meal.

Gunter Vogler (Max Williams, The Lucky 7), a homicidally insane criminal, is shot in the face during a violent jewellery store robbery. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the security guards or the police that shot him, but rather his partner-in-crime and girlfriend Martine (Kate Kelton, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle). As if suffering and surviving both a brutal betrayal and a gunshot wound to the face wasn’t bad enough, Vogler awakens in hospital to find that he is now wearing the face of a police officer he had just killed earlier via a Face Off style face transplant.

To make matters worse, Vogler is blackmailed by chief of police Eva Braden (Jessica Steen, Armageddon) to work for them alongside Lt. Karl Hagerman (Neil Napier, The Business), the partner of the policeman Vogler previously killed, in order to prevent a full scale gang war between Vogler’s former boss Heinrich Tannhauser (Eddie Izzard, My Super Ex-Girlfriend) and rival mob lord Racken (Eric Roberts, The Dark Knight). Naturally, boatloads of chaos, violence and bloodshed ensue within the fictional city of Bruteville.

In case the above story outline doesn’t make it obvious enough, Bullet in the Face is definitely not your average police show. Even as a “police officer” Gunter Vogler is still as psychotic and murderous as ever, yet his “boss” Eva Braden constantly turns a blind eye to the atrocities that he commits as long as continues to take out the gangs, while all his partner Hagerman can do is constantly scold him on how evil he is and how he doesn’t deserve to wear the face of the man he “loved more than a brother”. Yes, Hagerman is the constant butt of many jokes about him being a closet homosexual still hiding within a very see-through closet.

Despite the absurdity of it all I really loved the story. The dialogue is full of cheesy jokes and absurd phrases that the writers were clearly aware were ludicrous, which makes it all the more endearing. Many of the characters are very enjoyable due to their quirky and unrealistic nature, and I found that the constant betrayals and mystery about who Volger (and even his ex-Martine) are truly loyal to was a very effective plot device that made me want to keep watching more. That, and the violence.

You can call me a deranged freak all you like, but there is just something about watching a guy stuff uncooked popcorn kernels down an interrogation suspect’s mouth and then using a hair dryer to make them explode that is just so wrong that it’s good (even worse when the interrogation suspect happens to be a teenager). Or watching various fights break out in a dental center or residential kitchen, with nearby items such as dental drills, anesthetic needles, a saucepan of boiling water and an electric turkey knife being used with ridiculous but hilarious results.

What else made this series so enjoyable for me were the performances by many of the core cast of actors. As previously mentioned, Max Williams’ portrayal of a criminally insane police officer who, just as you think may develop a sliver of hope for his evil soul, proceeds to do something dastardly like slaughter a bunch of innocent men playing basketball, laughing maniacally all the while, truly makes him a guy that you love to hate, and want to invest more of your viewing time in as a result.

William’s supporting cast were also great in their own unique roles. Kate Kelton plays the mysterious French femme fatale well, as does Jessica Steen as the hard ass police chief. Neil Napier scored some giggles as the gravelly voiced but constantly sobbing Lt. Karl Hagerman. And Eric Roberts and Eddie Izzard constantly had me in stitches as the rival mob bosses. Robert’s portrayal of the stereotypical but dim witted mob boss Racken was a delightful piss take of The Sopranos style wise guys, while Izzard’s often flamboyant and philosophical Heinrich Tannhauser was always funny to watch.

While the cinematography, music and so on were of a very good standard overall, the series loses some points for the sometimes grainy film quality in the dimly lit scenes (obviously due to lower budget cameras being used), but the editing and quickly cut flashback montages were very creative and entertaining. And those who crave extra features on their Blu-Rays will be sorely disappointed as Bullet in the Face doesn’t even feature so much as a trailer, let alone any behind the scenes footage or even subtitle options!

While Bullet in the Face definitely won’t suit everybody’s tastes, I really dug this series, and unlike so many other “meh” police shows, featured a story that I actually enjoyed and wanted to see how everything played out. Hell, I even watched all six episodes in one sitting, and I have the attention span of a goldfish, which is a huge compliment to the entertainment value of this show.

ComicsOnline recommends Australian and New Zealand residents purchase their copy of Bullet in the Face from one of the retailers listed on the Beyond Home Entertainment website or directly from the JB Hi-Fi online store.

Rating:

ComicsOnline gives Bullet in the Face 4 out of 5 deadly Japanese women committing seppuku with a pen.

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