Statham does what he does, nothing particularly new about this incarnation which he's been trading on since 2002's The Transporter. He's compelling particularly in the action sequences but he, and the movie as a whole, really struggle when it veers into actually taking itself seriously. The emotion doesn't really track, the feinting at actual human trafficking and drug issues really doesn't work. It seems writer/director David Ayer took the wrong lesson from the surprise success of last year's The Beekeeper, it wasn't the reality that made that movie fun it was that it was clearly heightened, clearly a fantasy. The cast is talented but there's clearly confusion about the tone and many of the European actors struggle with their American accents.
The movie looks good, gotta give Ayer that, he knows how to put together a solid flick on a mid-sized budget(Hollywood take note). Although it is clearly shot in the UK and is set in Chicago splicing in drone footage and dash cam shots of the actual city with locations that are clearly not in the US let alone Chicago. It's an odd choice and given the subject matter a bit insulting, the Chicago in the movie is painted like a Fox News lawless Thunderdome run by the Russian mob. This heightened portrayal wouldn't matter as much if there was some coherence in tone. Excellent, over-the-top action sequences are spliced with 'heartfelt' scenes of Statham and his daughter he's battling custody for, drugged up torture scenes follow grief-stricken scenes with Statham and Michael Peña(the father of the kidnapped teen). It's just bizarre and incongruous and on top of that at about two hours the pacing isn't great.
Still, not terrible, and nice to see more entries in the action genre at the mid-budget level. This will most definitely make a profit and serves as a reminder that exhibition needs variety and that that will be rewarded by the movie going public.
Currently in theaters.
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