Action cinema’s primary selling point isn’t chitchat. Nonetheless, Motor City takes the muscle-over-mouthiness template to an aggravatingly unfulfilling extreme.

There are only a handful of functional lines of dialogue in Potsy Ponciroli’s film. Instead, the conceit is that this aggro revenge saga tells by showing, using endless affectations, over-the-top performances, and an eclectic score by executive producer Jack White to convey the particulars of its by-the-books story.

Aside from a couple of vicious set pieces, however, this genre effort’s gimmickry results in derivative cornball melodrama. It would have benefited greatly from speaking louder while carrying a big stick.

Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, Motor City kicks into gear in its opening sequence, in

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