“Bad Ass” is a fairly comedic action flick starring Danny Trejo (“Machete”, “Desperado”). The film is loosely based on a viral video of an altercation between two men on a bus. I think this might be the first movie based on a viral video. It’s actually much better than I thought it would be. However, it never goes all the way like “Machete”.

In “Bad Ass”, Frank Vega (Trejo) is a Vietnam veteran that becomes a local celebrity when he is filmed fighting off some thugs on a bus. When his best friend (Harrison Page “A.W.O.L.: Absent Without Leave”) is killed, Frank will stop at nothing to find the men responsible.

It is satisfying watching an elderly Danny Trejo go around and pound his way through a collection of criminals. He gives a decent performance but the tone of the movie is a little bit confusing. Are we meant to genuinely empathise with Frank or are we just meant to laugh at the absurdity of watching a guy this old beat up so many people? Another character in the movie I really liked was Martin (John Duffy), a young kid that swears like Eddie Murphy. Other characters are okay but I thought Ron Perlman (“Alien: Resurrection”) was weak as the villain.

“Bad Ass” is like a spoof of the “Death Wish” franchise and half the Steven Seagal films from the 2000s. It’s got some entertaining moments but there’s nothing particularly memorable on offer here. The climactic chase sequence involving two buses actually uses lots of footage from the bus chase in “Red Heat” with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I liked “Machete” quite a bit more than “Bad Ass” because that movie was outrageous at times. If you are big fan of Danny Trejo and action films with a comedic slant then maybe check this one out.