As it turns out, there are still people in Hollywood who want nothing more than to entertain audiences with movies offering a fun escape. It also turns out that it is possible to accomplish that goal without preaching liberalism. One of those people is director John Stalberg. Stalberg helmed such movies as Executive Decision, starring Kurt Russell (1996), Land of Bad (2024), and Muzzle (2023).

Stalberg’s latest film is Muzzle: City of Wolves. It brings back the character Jake Rosser, played by Aaron Eckhart. Rosser, a police officer, suffers from PTSD stemming from his days as a K-9 officer, but when he tries to retire and live peacefully, his  wife Mia, and their baby are attacked in their home by a gang looking to settle a score. To follow this film, it helps to have seen the first Muzzle, which sets the stage.

In that first film, Rosser’s fellow officer, a dog, is killed in the middle of a bust during which Rosser overreacts. Rosser is then placed on leave, but instead of resting, he goes on the hunt for the criminals who ruined his life. His new dog, Socks, has also suffered severe trauma. Together, Socks and Rosser help heal each other as they look for the bad guys.

The drug cartels don’t like being messed with, however, and this is where City of Wolves begins. After he escapes an attempted assassination, Rosser and his current canine partner, Argos, explore the vast underbelly of crime, where they uncover widespread corruption and take down many bad guys. Stalberg and screenwriter Jacob Michael King have done something smart by making Rosser a family man; too many action movies feature a stoic loner (John Wick), but in City of Wolves, the stakes are much higher.

Above all, Jake is a man of honor. “It’s not a question of legality,” he says, “It’s a matter of morality.” This code, along with Eckart’s portrayal, lifts City of Wolves above most action fare. Too many action heroes come across as unfeeling machines—the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Clint Eastwood model—or glib, hyper-competent jokesters like those in the Marvel universe.

Eckart here portrays a full human being, both brave and competent, yet vulnerable and uncertain about how to navigate his personal relationships. He is not a monster, but he is not a soy boy either. In describing Eckart, I once cited an observation first made by Jeff Bridges. Bridges said it took him years to learn “how to be still on camera.” Eckhart is a much better actor than Keanu Reeves as John Wick because he can remain still on screen while conveying emotion with only his face. The rest of the cast is also excellent, particularly Tanya van Graan as Mia and Lindy Abromowitz as counselor Tamara Beekman.

Stalberg is fantastic at shooting the fight scenes, where the action flows without the plot getting confusing. The scenes where Rosser is driving in his truck, talking to Argos, man’s best friend, about his problems are funny and touching—but also realistic. There are more than a few men who talk to their dogs about balancing work, family, and saving the world from the bad guys.

Like Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, Rosser is answering to a higher authority than the media or the police department. In following his code, he finds not only justice, but new life. Rosser is very explicit about the impact becoming a father has had on his work and his purpose. It’s rare for a Hollywood movie to depict fatherhood as a key to genuine freedom. In the final James Bond film, No Time to Die (2021), for example, the producers decides to kill off Bond once he discovers that he is a father. It’s as if life, and the hero, ceases to be interesting when kids arrive.

I’ve had the occasion to speak with City of Wolves director Stalberg a few times over the years, and I can say with confidence that he is one of the good guys. He is the kind of talent Hollywood needs. It’s not surprising that the public loves his movies. Like his other films, Muzzle: City of Wolves can expect a high audience approval rating and low ratings from the critics. Another way to understand it is that conservatives will like it while the left will hate it. It’s certainly not a movie for our present elites.