He might be an iconic star but Once Upon A Time In Venice proved Bruce Willis doesn't really want to be a leading man anymore. Willis first broke through with 1980s series Moonlighting, where his natural charisma and chemistry with co-star Cybil Shepherd made it must-watch TV. He was far from the first choice for Die Hard, with everyone from Richard Gere to Frank Sinatra passing before he signed on. This movie made him a movie star overnight and has since become a classic action movie.
In the 1990s, Bruce Willis would jump between action movies like the Die Hard sequels or The Last Boy Scout to stretching his acting muscles elsewhere, including very well-received turns in Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense. Like every star, he had some duds along the way like North or lurid erotic thriller Color Of Night, but he still built up an impressive list of credits. He also showed he loved a good scene-stealing cameo, including surprise appearance in the likes of National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 or a guest spot on Friends.
Bruce Willis remained very busy during the 2000s too, from star vehicles like 16 Blocks to supporting turns in Sin City, but for the last decade or so, the quality of both his performances and projects has taken a noticeable dip. The last five years have seen Willis making a slew of supporting turns in STV action fare like Precious Cargo, where he's well paid for a few day's work. Even the best of these offerings barely rise above mediocre, and his turn in 2017's Once Upon A Time In Venice seemingly proves he's not interested in putting in the work required of a lead performance anymore.
Once Upon A Time In Venice casts Bruce Willis as a private eye whose dog Buddy is kidnapped by a drug dealer played by Jason Momoa, who forces him to complete a series of tasks to get Buddy back. Despite being surrounded by a great cast, which also includes John Goodman and Famke Janssen, Willis' listless turn saps most of the energy out of the movie. While it's not the most original premise - and is weirdly similiar to John Wick - there's comic potential to be had with it. The issue is Willis seems mostly disengaged and bored throughout, and he probably would have been happier with a smaller role than carrying the whole movie.
In the last couple of years, Willis has shown he can still turn in good work when he's engaged, such as Glass or Motherless Brooklyn. Sadly, his low energy turn in Once Upon A Time In Venice only served to show he's now much happier as a supporting player than a leading man.