The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot Review

If the world only judged movies by their titles, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot and Avatar would trade places in top box office grossing. Ones mind races at the schlocky, grandiose possibilities of what a film with such name could produce. Instead, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot delivers a much more grounded story than the B-movie title may suggest, and unfortunately leaves much to be desired.

The title for writer/director Robert D. Krzykowski’s debut feature is eye catching, but it’s also hard to take seriously. Films that present themselves with an outlandishly meta title often suffer from an over ambitious plot and a lack of budget to visually achieve it. The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot is the opposite though, showcasing beyond competent film making through a linear, surprisingly underwhelming story.

The film follows the life of Calvin Barr, a stoic yet haunted individual who assassinated Adolf Hitler during his time as an officer in WWII. This was at the cost of nearly everything, and a now elderly Barr reflects on his actions, as well as missed opportunities. This is until Calvin is approached by the FBI with a new task, travel to Canada and kill Bigfoot in order to prevent a new plague from wiping out humanity.

It’s a ludicrous premise, but Krzykowski’s way of telling the story gives it all a much more down-to-earth feel. Giving much more humanity to its lead than films of this genre tend to. However, this is at the cost of excitement, and although the film delivers on what the title promises, it does so in a way that is minimally engaging. The thing you'd expect the film to truly deliver turns out to be its biggest absence, and its biggest problem.

What the film does achieve however, is the perfect casting for its titular man. Sam Elliot’s smooth baritone voice and reluctancy to kill gives life to Calvin Barr. But unfortunately, the writing doesn’t achieve the same thing. The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot is less of an action film and more of a melancholy, but Krzykowski fails to make Calvin complex past his actions.

In the end, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot results in a movie that does not live up to its title. But creative editing, Sam Elliot, and the attempt to take the material into a more character driven direction help make Robert D. Krzykowski’s debut a little more than forgettable.

Sam Elliot's performance as protagonist Calvin Barr helps save The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot from an unfortunate lack of action.

Produced By: Epic Pictures Group
Runtime: 98 minutes
Rating: Not Rated