On paper, "Samaritan" had the potential of being a great film. With Sylvester Stallone at the helm, playing Joe Smith, the reclusive, garbage collector neighbor of a young Sam Cleary (Javon Walton), the pieces are there. Walton gained popularity after playing Ashtray in "Euphoria" and Stan in "The Umbrella Academy," but this is his first live-action film credit. Stallone is forever a magnet, with even his weakest performances being fun. After reprising his infamous role of Rocky Balboa in "Creed" and "Creed II," Stallone has been in a career renaissance, as his turn here in "Samaritan" pairs well with his new starring role in the "Tulsa King" series on Paramount+.
In "Samaritan," Joe Smith is harboring a great secret: He is Samaritan, the vigilante superhero and twin brother of Granite City's greatest villain, Nemesis. The only issue is, Samaritan was pronounced dead 20 years ago. But the young Sam is on to Joe, though, suspicious about his past identity. New antagonists, the gang leader Cyrus (Pilou Asbaek) and member Reza (Moises Arias), along with the mystical Nemesis, are back to wreak havoc on Granite City, and it's up to Sam to pull Joe out of his shell so he can save the day again, like old times.
"Samaritan" is a good superhero flick, especially in the sense of it branching away from the genre stalwarts of DC Comics and Marvel. Though it didn't register a good critical response, clocking in at a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's fun seeing Stallone in the saddle again, having a good time beating people up in the name of justice.