Rogue is about a gang of mercenaries who rescue hostages from a group of African rebels. Their exit plan falls through and end up having to protect themselves from not just the rebels but also a rogue lioness. This is one of those movies that is just there. Not particularly bad nor particularly memorable.
I do feel a little guilty that this film wasn't doing it for me. Director and co-writer M.J. Bassett (who helmed Solomon Kane, which I feel is underrated) was definitely making an effort. This was a competently written script that generally flowed well. All the characters had clear personalities and backgrounds, even the lioness had motivations for why she isn't killing just for food. There are a couple scenes that feature some pretty good visual ideas.
Buuutttt, nothing is knocked out of the park. The script and dialogue is adequate but doesn't stand out.
The action doesn't stand out. The fight scenes often have way too many quick jumps to close-ups; cinematography is lackluster. This was a low-budget movie and the lioness is fairly cheap-looking. On the plus side, they do manage incorporate an actual lioness for a few shots when practical.
The acting, that's right you guessed it!, doesn't stand out. These are mostly decent actors, but they won't stay with you. It doesn't help that the mercenaries feel a little repetitive of other films about a rag tag team. When I say the actors are "mostly" decent, I am referring to a weak point: lead Megan Fox as the head of the mercenaries. She does alright at times, but falters at the more emotional parts. Also, I just can't buy her as veteran soldier.
I'm not recommending this as there are so many stronger films out there. Although if you like those low-budget monster/killer animal movies on Sy-Fy, this is up your alley. The script is stronger than a lot of them.
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