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The Weapon (2023), directed by and starring Tony Schiena, is an action thriller that promises a relentless, bone-crunching ride through a world of biker gangs, mob bosses, and betrayal. Featuring a cast that includes Cuba Gooding Jr., Sean Patrick Flanery, Jack Kesy, AnnaLynne McCord, and Bruce Dern, the film follows Dallas, a mysterious one-man killing machine on a rampage against the Vegas underworld. Despite its ambitious premise and star-studded cast, The Weapon struggles to deliver a cohesive narrative, earning mixed reactions from audiences and critics. This review dives into the film’s highs and lows, exploring whether it lives up to its explosive marketing.

Plot Summary: A Chaotic Rampage Through Vegas

The Weapon centers on Dallas Ultio (Tony Schiena), a former special forces operative turned hitman who takes on biker gangs and meth labs in a violent crusade. His actions anger a Vegas mob boss, Lars (Richard Grieco), who retaliates by kidnapping Dallas’s girlfriend, Iris (AnnaLynne McCord). As Dallas fights to rescue her, he’s pursued by cops, criminals, and wild cards like Blue (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Voner (Jeff Fahey). The plot teases mystery—whom is Dallas working for?—but unfolds through a series of disjointed flashbacks and action sequences that often leave viewers confused.

The screenplay, written by Michael Caissie, attempts to shake up the generic action formula with a complex web of characters and motives. However, the narrative’s lack of clarity and overabundance of underdeveloped characters undermine its potential, making it hard to invest in Dallas’s mission. While the film aims for high stakes and gritty drama, it often feels like a patchwork of ideas that don’t fully connect.

Action and Cinematography: Hits and Misses

The Weapon markets itself as a “bone-crunching action thriller,” and it delivers on that front in spurts. Some fight scenes, particularly those involving Dallas’s encounters with biker gangs, are competently choreographed, offering the raw, brutal combat promised in the trailer. The film’s gritty aesthetic, sH๏τ by cinematographer Mark Atkins, captures the seedy underbelly of its Vegas setting, with dimly lit bars and desert landscapes adding to the atmosphere.

However, the action is marred by technical flaws. Critics have noted sloppy moments, such as visible cameramen, mistimed sound effects, and leftover frames from editing, which disrupt the immersion. The low-budget nature of the production is evident in unconvincing CGI and inconsistent sound design, which detract from the film’s polished moments. While the fight choreography occasionally shines, the clumsy camera angles and editing make many sequences feel amateurish.

Performances: A Star-Studded Cast Underutilized

The film boasts a notable cast, including Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Sean Patrick Flanery, Jack Kesy, Jeff Fahey, and Bruce Dern. Unfortunately, most of these actors are relegated to brief appearances, with Gooding Jr. and Dern appearing for mere minutes. Gooding Jr.’s performance as Blue is a highlight, bringing charisma to his limited screen time, but it feels like a missed opportunity. Flanery, as U.S. Marshal Antano, and Kesy, as Vinny, also deliver solid performances but are underused, appearing in just a handful of scenes.

Tony Schiena, who directs and stars as Dallas, struggles to carry the film. Critics have described his acting as wooden and unconvincing, lacking the depth needed to make Dallas a compelling protagonist. The character is portrayed as a stoic, invincible hero, but without a meaningful backstory or emotional arc, he feels one-dimensional. Supporting actors like AnnaLynne McCord and Richard Grieco add some energy, but the script’s lack of character development limits their impact.

Themes and Tone: Trying Too Hard

The Weapon aims for a gritty, high-stakes tone, blending elements of revenge thrillers and crime dramas. It touches on themes of justice, betrayal, and redemption, but these are overshadowed by a convoluted plot and an overreliance on action clichés. The film’s attempt to add depth through flashbacks—such as Dallas’s rescue of a Sєx trafficking victim—feels disjointed due to poor editing, leaving viewers struggling to piece together the timeline.

The tone wavers between trying to be cool and overly emotional, with a soundtrack by Mark Atkins that swings from intense to melodramatic without consistency. This lack of tonal coherence, combined with a script that introduces too many characters without clear purpose, makes The Weapon feel like a vanity project for Schiena, as noted by critics.

Reception and Criticism: A Divisive Action Flick

The Weapon has received largely negative reviews, with critics calling it “incoherent,” “amateurish,” and a “career low” for its cast. On IMDb, it holds a 2.6/10 rating, with user reviews lamenting its poor acting, weak script, and shoddy production values. Jeffrey Anderson of Common Sense Media gave it one star, criticizing its cynicism and lack of narrative clarity. However, some viewers, as seen in an X post, praise its “explosive chaos” and “slick gunplay,” giving it an enthusiastic 8.3/10 for its adrenaline-fueled action.

The polarized reception highlights the film’s niche appeal. Action fans who enjoy low-budget, high-energy B-movies may find moments to appreciate, but those expecting a polished thriller or meaningful performances from Gooding Jr. and Dern will likely be disappointed.

Where to Watch The Weapon (2023)

As of May 2025, The Weapon is available on digital platforms like Amazon Video, Apple TV, YouTube, and Fandango at Home, as well as free streaming on Tubi with ads. It was released on DVD on March 28, 2023. Check your preferred platform for availability in your region.

Final Verdict: A Missed Opportunity

The Weapon (2023) aims to be a high-octane action thriller but stumbles due to its incoherent plot, amateurish execution, and underutilized cast. While it offers flashes of decent action and benefits from brief but strong performances by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sean Patrick Flanery, the film’s technical flaws and lack of narrative depth hold it back. For die-hard action fans, it might serve as a guilty pleasure, but it falls short of the intensity and polish promised in its marketing.

Rating: 4/10
Perfect for: Fans of low-budget action flicks who can overlook technical flaws.
Skip if: You’re expecting a cohesive story or significant roles from Gooding Jr. or Dern.

If you’re craving a gritty action fix, The Weapon might deliver some thrills, but temper expectations for a polished experience. Stream it for a chaotic, if flawed, ride through the Vegas underworld.

Keywords: The Weapon 2023, Tony Schiena, Cuba Gooding Jr., Sean Patrick Flanery, action thriller, Vegas mob, low-budget action movie, movie review 2025, AnnaLynne McCord, Bruce Dern.

A Farmer’s Misplaced Hammer Led to the Largest Roman Treasure in Britain

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November 16, 1992 was the day which changed Suffolk-resident Eric Lawes’ life in a huge way. What he thought would have been an innocent search for a hammer he had misplaced on his farm in Hoxne Village, Suffolk, England ended up bringing him much more than he had bargained for — namely, uncovering the hiding spot of a long-hidden treasure. Based on the Guardian’s coverage of the story, Eric Lawes had been previously gifted a metal detector upon his retirement as a parting token. He decided to put his retirement gift to good use in order to locate the hammer which he had had some trouble finding. According to a 2018 Smithsonian Magazine article, when the device started recording that there was a strong signal coming from the earth, he knew that he was about to discover something big. As he started digging, it soon became clear to him that he had unearthed a treasure trove.

The Guardian reports that, when Lawes saw that his preliminary digging had yielded a few gold coins and silver spoons, he immediately contacted both the local archaeological society and the police department. Archaeologists came to the property the following day and had the area of earth holding the treasure carefully sectioned-off and removed. Their hope was that at a later stage, in their laboratory, they could examined the items in order to identify both their age and how they were stored.

When all was said and done, close to 60 pounds of items made from silver and gold were found on the site. These included more than 15,000 Roman coins, 200 gold objects, and several silver spoons. For archaeologists, this find — which later became labeled as the Hoxne Hoard — was an incredible discovery. AP News reported that archaeologist Judith Plouviez was over-the-moon about the discovery, saying that it was “an incredibly exciting and amazing find.” What’s more, another archaeologist, Rachel Wilkinson, told Smithsonian Magazine that this discovery was “the largest and latest ever found in Britain.”

Ordinarily, archaeologists would use radiocarbon dating as a means of identifying the age of ancient relics. However, they couldn’t locate any suitable material from the haul. Consequently, they determined the age by examining writing on the coins, as well as the ruler carved into them, estimating that the treasure was probably buried in either 408 or 409 AD.

Roman-era archaeologist Peter Guest told Smithsonian Magazine that “if you look at them a little more carefully, then they should be dated to the period after the separation of Britain from the Roman Empire.” He offers as part of his evidence the fact that almost all of the coins found in the Hoxne Hoard were clipped – in other words, small chunks of their edges had been taken off. These clippings would have been used to create coins which were similar to the Roman coins of that era.

Guest has a logical reason for this, arguing that “The Roman Empire wasn’t supplying Britain with new gold and silver coins, and in light of that, the population tried to get over this sudden cutoff in the supply of their precious metals by making the existing supplies go further.”

Archaeologists also believe that the treasure belonged to a Romano-British family. During that time, considering that there was so much societal discord and upheaval, it was common for Romans who had settled in Britain to bury their most prized possessions.

That said, one archaeologist is of the belief that the hoard had a lot of sentimental value for the Romano-British family to whom it is believed to have belonged. In her book The Hoxne Late Roman Treasure: Gold Jewellery and Silver Plate, Catherine Johns claims that the manner in which the treasure was kept supported this claim. Some of the items which were recovered had been packaged in small, wooden boxes which were lined with leather. What’s more, pieces of wood, locks, and nails, among other things, surrounded the gold and silver pieces. This leads Catherine to assert that the package was carefully buried and not simply chucked away in a rush.

Interestingly enough, the items unearthed might shed some light on the identity of the family who owned them. They cite a gold bracelet bearing the inscription “UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE,” which roughly translates to “use this happily Lady Juliane”. A second name “Aurelius Ursicinus” has also been discovered. This has consequently led some to believe that Juliane and Aurelius were the couple and the original owners of the treasure. That said, that has yet to be confirmed.

All in all, the discovery was a real treasure for archaeologists, and by extension, for Lawes. According to Smithsonian Magazine, in recognition of his discovery and willingness to contact authorities, the British government rewarded him with over £1.7 million, an amount which he shared with the farmer whose land was dug out in order to get the treasure. Funnily enough, apart from the treasure, Lawes also found his lost hammer — which now resides in the British Museum.