Tommy Ward (Josh Duhamel,The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Transformers) is a London-based hitman who refuses to accept that he’s getting older and might need glasses. After he accidentally kills the wrong person, his former boss, Freddy Darby (Aidan Gillen, Game of Thrones), puts a bounty on his head, forcing Tommy to flee the country.

For the past year, Tommy has been miserable in Los Angeles, working for local crime boss Benson (Rick Hoffman, Suits). He just wants to go back to London, where he can spend time with his son. Meanwhile, Benson’s 18-year-old son Julian (Jeremy Ray Taylor, It) continues to be a major disappointment to his own father. Julian likes to dress up and go LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) in the park, and usually comes home beaten up by bullies. Benson sees any hopes of his son taking over the business falling apart. So, he offers to provide Tommy with safe passage back to London, if Tommy agrees to take Julian on his next hit, to help his son finally man up. However, when word gets back to Freddy Darby that Tommy is in Los Angeles, the mobster gets on a plane for L.A. to finally get justice for his wife’s cousin.

I had never heard of London Calling until the DVD arrived for review. I was pleasantly-surprised by the movie, which turned out to be a really fun action-comedy. Tommy is getting a bit old in the tooth for the hitman game, and often makes mistakes. Now he has to take this inexperienced. nerdy teen along for the ride and take him under his wings—Benson has insisted that it’s his son who ultimately kills the targets. As Tommy and Julian track down their marks, they get into some crazy and dangerous situations, and wackiness ensues. But sheer luck somehow always seems to be on their side, as things always seem to end up working out. There are some great action sequences, explosions, shoot-outs and brawls along the way, and all done with lots of laughs and humor sprinkled throughout. Josh Duhamel and Jeremy Ray Taylor have great comedic and dramatic chemistry and make a fun and unusual action/comedy buddy duo.

At the core of the film are these two stories of parents trying to do the best for their children. Tommy is divorced and lost custody of his son, and now just wants to get back to London so he can spend time with his child. Meanwhile, Benson lost his wife, and has adopted a tough love way of raising his son. He doesn’t believe in asking for help, and that everyone should just man up and solve their problems on their own. While he loves his son, Julian is a bit of an embarrassment, and nothing like him. So when Julian joins Tommy for his latest job, Tommy quickly has to become a kind of father figure to him. Julian is almost a complete disaster when it comes to being a hitman, constantly stumbling and making mistakes that put their lives in danger. However, this mismatched duo actually ends up working quite well as a team, making up for one another’s shortcomings and mishaps. There is this really fun bond that forms between these two characters, each helping one another to accept and overcome their faults.

Quiver Distribution has released London Calling on physical media only on DVD, but the film is also available on Digital in HD. We were sent the DVD for review. I am used to watching everything in 4K or HD these days, so I found the SD picture quality to be a bit of a disappointment. It was a bit dull and dark overall, and lacking that extra level of clarity you get with an HD or 4K release. That said, this didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the film. The audio track fares much better with a very immersive 5.1 Dolby Digital track. Dialogue is clear throughout, and the track captures all the action and excitement of the film. The DVD includes an 8-minute behind-the-scenes featurette. The DVD disc is placed in a standard DVD keepcase—our review copy also included a cardboard slipcover. There is no digital copy included.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:54:17)

DVD:
• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, English 2,0 Dolby Digital Stereo
• Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:

• Behind the Scenes: The Making of London Calling (8:11)
  A trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes play back-to-back. The cast and crew discuss The Story, The Action and The Comedy. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/director Allan Ungar, producers Kyle Ambrose Delon Bakker & Nathan Klingher, stunt coordinator Grant Powell, SFX supervisor Mickey Kirsten, and stars Josh Duhamel (“Tommy Ward”), Aiden Gillen (“Freddy Darby”), Jeremy Ray Taylor (“Julian”) & Rick Hoffman (“Benson”).

Final Thoughts:

London Calling is a fun R-rated action/comedy that I can easily see myself rewatching. Stars Josh Duhamel and Jeremy Ray Taylor make a great duo, and the supporting cast is filled with recognizable faces. Unfortunately there is no Blu-ray release, and the DVD picture quality is a bit lacking. But the release still comes recommended based on the film itself. I’ll likely pick up the HD digital version at some point. The film is also currently streaming on Hulu for those who subscribe and want to check it out first.