Catch .44 is the embodiment of style over substance.

The film looks great. Writer/director Aaron Harvey clearly has a good eye. If the budget is as low as he implies in the audio commentary, Harvey needs to marry his production designer and his cinematographer. A lot of the visual effects are a little clunky (think the fight sequences in Deadliest Warrior), but good for the budget (which bodes well for the future of indie film).

The acting is also very strong, which is not unexpected given a cast that includes veterans Bruce Willis, Brad Dourif, and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker. Most of the fun that can be squeezed from watching Catch .44 is seeing the actors play.

But the twisty crime thriller genre is all about story, and there just isn’t one here. Unlike The Usual Suspects and Reservoir Dogs, to which the marketing compares the film, Catch.44 doesn’t have any surprises, any secrets, or any tension. It’s mostly just people saying they are going to shoot each other and then, in fact, shooting each other.

The characters are poorly drawn and, with the possible exception of Whitaker’s confused psycho, unmemorable. Most have no arcs to speak of. The script doesn’t even keep you entertained with clever banter or intimidating tough-guy talk, another staple of the genre. The dialogue in Catch .44 is clumsy and lacking originality.

Hard to believe it, but with Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs nearly 20 years old, it only makes sense that up-and-coming writer/director combos are going to start making their homages to Quentin Tarantino for what’ he’s done to the cinematic community. That’s the first thing that comes to mind with the trailer for Catch .44.

The film has an interesting vibe, most of which can be attributed to several periods of Tarantino’s work, from neo-noir to grindhouse. Here’s the film’s synopsis to shed a bit more light.

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis and Malin Akerman lead an all-star cast in this suspense thriller where everyone has an agenda… and a Magnum to back it up! For Tes (Akerman) and her two cohorts Kara (Nikki Reed, the “TWILIGHT” franchise) and Tara (Deborah Ann Woll, “True Blood”), the job sounded simple enough: intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss Mel (Willis) at an isolated diner.

But when an unstoppable chain of events unfolds, everyone soon realizes no one is who they seem and the job may be something other than eliminating the competition. What started as simple instructions has now turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game – with large guns pointed at everyone.

You won’t get to catch this film in theaters, as its going straight to DVD and Blu-Ray on December 20th. Take a look at the first trailer after the jump.