Harsh Times = Bad Time

I really, really wanted to like “Harsh Times.” David Ayer directed it. Ayer also wrote it. Okay, you ask, “so who is David Ayer?” He’s the talented writer of such films as “Training Day,” “Dark Blue,” and “The Fast and the Furious” among others. Ayer also directed “Street Kings” which I really enjoyed. So even though “Harsh Times” starred Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria and Terry Crews [in a small role], it was Ayer who was the major selling point for me.

The Pitch: “Training Day” meets “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” without the comedy and where Ferris is an over-the-edge ex-marine.

The Good: The scene when Bale & Rodriguez attempt to sell a handgun in a Tex-Mex bar. The tension throughout the movie — who’s going to die?

The Bad: There’s a lack of redeeming characters. The movie is dark, dark, dark.

The Ugly: How disappointed I am, that I didn’t like the movie more.

The Summary: “Harsh Times” was too bleak for me. Good director, good cast, but without characters that I could really get behind.