Even during a pandemic — you know, ”in these trying times” — it seems that all of the anxiety and strife has not been enough to put a stop to the social justice warriors. You might think with so many important problems to deal with that getting hysterical about the perceived racism in a disposable thriller movie. Nope, there is always time for imbalanced virtue signaling.
With theaters closed for a duration yet to go there has been a shift to releasing new titles directly to the Video On Demand market, and the latest from Mel Gibson had its trailer released this week. Mel plays an island resident, a former cop, as a major hurricane is bearing down on the territory when during the storm a group of criminals stage a heist.
Force of Nature: Trailer pic.twitter.com/gq81p0d3e7
— Mel Gibson (@MelGibsonFilms) May 18, 2020
This looks like your boilerplate direct-to-video thriller plot, with a weather-related twist added in, leading to a mildly distracting hour-and-a-half.
Wait…please hold — we are getting some more information…
Oh, pardon our error. No, it turns out this innocuous movie that we figured to be a mild distraction and easily forgotten is actually a painfully offensive hate-crime against culture and all people who are decent!!!
It’s outright disrespectful to the people who went through the traumatic experience that was Hurricane Maria, for Mel Gibson and any Hollywood company to come to Puerto Rico and make a movie where the islanders are the bad guys, and he and the white people are the good guys.
— gile (@mvriegil) May 19, 2020
Approximately 4,645 people died because of this hurricane. Approximately, because it was bad enough we don't even have exact numbers. People buried their dead in their backyards. People were without food, water, homes, electricity, for MONTHS.
This is not an okay movie to make.
— THE FUTURE IS BULLETPROOF (@pielisse007) May 18, 2020
Recommended
MEL GIBSON IS STARRING IN A MOVIE WHERE HE REFUSES TO EVACUATE HIS HOME IN PUERTO RICO THATS ABOUT TO BE HIT BY A CAT 5 HURRICANE?! WHAT IN THE CAUSACITY? WHOS IDEA WAS THIS?!?!?!!
— ????????? ♡ (@deviIette) May 18, 2020
In case the ALL CAPS did not tip it off for you all, she is very upset about this.
Not sure how she has such detailed critiques on a film she has yet to see, but maybe she got a screener. But knowing people from Puerto Rico it can be noted that there are in fact plenty of gringos living on the island, so this is not a ”racist” stretch.
Dude, the eye of the hurricane skipped my house by just a couple miles. They could've made it be a fictional hurricane or place but they didn't. They chose a real one, with devastating consequences. They wouldn't do this with Katrina, why is it okay with Maria?
— THE FUTURE IS BULLETPROOF (@pielisse007) May 18, 2020
Man, these people are REALLY en fuego over this movie! It makes you wonder, as hateful as this is and offensive to all Puerto Rican natives, why the local government would approve of it being filmed there? Or why the cast of Puerto Rican actors decided to perform in it?? Or why the Puerto Rican producer decided to even make it???
For the record then, you should’ve also created a fictional Island and use Puerto Rico only for filming location purposes.
— D. (@doris_medina13) May 20, 2020
You have to be kidding, right? Had they gone to that length these same people would be barking about the erasing of the Puerto Rican culture, or such.
Mel Gibson is trending because he dared to act in a movie set in Puerto Rico and he's not Hispanic. This is how stupid twitter has become. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Grow up!
— Joe Pags Pagliarulo (@JoeTalkShow) May 19, 2020
Stop with your FAKE OUTRAGE — Mel Gibson is awesome. I'm a box-cutter carrying, rice and beans eating, loud music playing Puerto Rican… Mel, do you, homie! It's mostly white kids, filled with guilt who want to appear culturally "in-tune" anyway bitching about this nonsense.
— Victor Cotto (@RaidersVCotto) May 19, 2020
”Force Of Nature” will be available for streaming on most platforms, June 30.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member