Bloodshot turned out to be a surprisingly clever and thoughtful science fiction film. It initially seems like just another mindless action flick, spending its entire first half leading us down that path. But right when you’re convinced it's exactly what it appears to be, the movie shifts gears and reveals itself with such skill that any frustration over being misled quickly disappears. The experience is akin to those Russian nesting dolls—except instead of a smaller doll inside, there's a much more intricate and rewarding film waiting to be discovered. Everything we see before the midpoint feels incredibly generic, and Bloodshot acknowledges this as much (“You’ve already copied every movie cliché there is. I think ‘Psycho Killer and a lunatic dancing in a slaughterhouse is enough”). Vin Diesel’s character embodies elements of Frankenstein's monster, Neo, Robocop, the Universal Soldier, Wolverine, and the T-1000. After conveniently hearing a specific song just once, his lost memories flood back—not gradually, but all at once, like Celine Dion bringing everything rushing back. Without any training montage to bridge the gap, Diesel effortlessly utilizes his newfound abilities to exact revenge on those who killed him and his wife with over an hour still remaining. Bloodshot essentially takes the saying "buying a pig in a poke" and completely reverses its meaning. Director David S.F. Wilson and screenwriters Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer aren't simply copying action movie tropes; they’re cleverly manipulating them—subverting them to their advantage, and ours as well. I was so pleasantly surprised that I'm willing to find positives in a few areas. 1) The protagonist is an indestructible, unstoppable one-man army – the usual formula, except Diesel possesses a genuine personality and demonstrates introspection, unlike many modern action heroes. 2) A sequence later on, where he battles some adversaries, intentionally resembles a video game cutscene, but it's still more engaging than watching someone else play. And 3) While there’s a comic relief sidekick and a romantic subplot, the former is acceptable, and the latter is understated and doesn’t intrude. Overall, Bloodshot’s biggest shortcoming is that it’s intended to be the first chapter in a series of films forming the Valiant Comics shared cinematic universe (though notably, the name "Bloodshot" isn't actually used in the film; I suspect they are saving it for a future installment, along with the subtly suggested romantic connection between the two main characters). The initial movie in any franchise is frequently its strongest, but Bloodshot stands well on its own.

Source on TMDB