By

Blood Father

Welcome back, Mel

A battered, ex-drunk, ex-outlaw biker, ex-con and perennial screw-up (Mel Gibson) spectacularly breaks parole to come to the aid of his estranged, wayward 17-year- old daughter (Erin Moriarty), who’s being chased by some very nasty narcos. This is grindhouse pulp at it’s guilty-pleasure best. Well-paced, unpredictable, and pretty funny. Say what you will about Gibson’s loathsome off-screen persona; few do rabid self-righteousness as well as he. And his comic timing’s still spot on. As comeback efforts go, this one’s a pip, mixing an amused, self-aware Marty Riggs from Lethal Weapon with a dash of Mad Max. (88 min)