Parents' Guide to Clear Cut

This outdoorsy action thriller tries to build its underlying story through strategically placed flashbacks, and it nearly works, but the more information we get, the less logical it all becomes. It's difficult to discuss details without giving away some surprises, but suffice it to say that, in Clear Cut, new details don't necessarily clarify, or excuse, poorly conceived behavior. And then there's the fact that there's tidbit of information involving a "cold deck" that Jack uses as part of his plan, even though he didn't know what a "cold deck" was at the beginning of the story. (The alternative is that it's just a wild coincidence, which is equally lazy.)

In essence, Jack sometimes appears to be running for his life and is sometimes on the attack. Sometimes his attacks are brutally effective, and sometimes they're useless. Sometimes the flashbacks make him more relatable, and other times they make him look pretty stupid. (Certainly his first questionable act results in the brutal death of an otherwise decent character, and there are no consequences.) At least Munro, who's becoming a regular character actor in these kinds of B movies, brings his A game. Otherwise, Clear Cut gets points for its ambitious screenplay, but it required a little more thought (and perhaps another draft) for it to work.