The new revenge thriller Dead Man Down opens today and from its advertising promises a no holds barred bloodbath. What the film actually delivers is a slow, moody, character study with a few action set pieces to keep the pace flowing. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but instead a welcome surprise that manages to entertain despite many obvious flaws.

Dead Man Down is the American language debut of director Niels Arden Oplev who previously made the original Swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. As far as crossovers go, he could’ve done a lot worse. The film plays best as a revenge story between protagonist Victor (Colin Farrell) and the Albanian mob who murdered his family and left him for dead. Also competing for equal attention is a parallel love story between Victor and lonely soul Beatrice (Noomi Rapace, also from the original Girl With the Dragon Tattoo). Their association is mostly based on blackmail and their scenes together are the weak link in Dead Man Down.

Successfully juggling these coexisting narratives in any movie would be difficult but Dead Man Down is more complicated than it has to be. At its core the movie is B-level pulp with A-level aspirations that never add up. The film celebrates the ridiculous one minute but pulls back the next. It’s a frustrating experience since Dead Man Down succeeds most when it’s being trashy.

Colin Farrell’s performance as Victor (a Hungarian immigrant) is also questionable. He generously doesn’t attempt a Hungarian accent but the minimal dialogue he does have he spends yelling at the camera. Faring a bit better is Terrence Howard who plays against type and chews the scenery as one of the mob bosses responsible for killing Victor’s family. His character is appropriately slimy and if he had a mustache he would definitely twirl it. That’s the kind of movie Dead Man Down is and it’s unfortunate the end result is so schizophrenic. And speaking of odd behavior, spectacular French actress Isabelle Huppert has a supporting role as Beatrice’s overbearing mother proving that even the most beloved thespians have to pay the bills.

Dead Man Down is a bi-polar mess that never seems to know what it wants to be. Stuck in this storytelling limbo for most of its running time, it makes sense why the only real action of the movie is saved for the finale.

Grade: C

Rated: R (for violence, language throughout and a scene of sexuality)

Dead Man Down opens in theaters on March 8, 2013.