First take an actor who has played the same role for nearly a decade. Next, develop a story about a police-mob conspiracy that has been done so many times I start to wonder why the characters are ever surprised. At last, add in a little girl to play a main role. Make sure the girl can't act. Give her random lines that make her English sound horrible despite her ability to speak perfectly through the rest of the movie. Pile on a few hundred dead bodies and you have Safe.
I respect Jason Statham as an actor. I've enjoyed too many movies with him to dismiss him outright. His problem is how he picks his movies. Movies like Death Race, the Expendables, and Crank 2 should never have been made. Statham has the ability to play dramatic roles. His problem is that he relies too heavily on his ability to play the action hero (or villain). If he recognized his own ability to do a dramatic role, he would not have picked up a script like Safe and thought it was a good idea.
The story of Safe is intriguing at first. The idea of a young girl who can memorize numbers so there is no paper trail is fascinating. But that's where its originality runs dry. If you are going to do a movie about New York City police and mobsters, you have to put a lot of thought into it. Some of the best movies in Hollywood have already perfected this kind of script. By using a hollow shell for a storyline and filling it with bodies, you accomplish nothing.
I must say something about the body count. Only one movie I have ever seen has successfully pulled off the "kill everyone from the footman to the boss." That movie was Taken. It achieved its brilliance through a small body count that felt realistic. By the end of Safe¬—as with too many Statham movies—you will start to wonder if he's killed every bad guy in Manhattan. It was overkill. Add in the fact that the camera gets all shaky during action scenes (which is always), and you have an extremely lackluster movie.
The only reason anyone would see this is if they are Jason Statham addicts (I know there are plenty of you out there). If you do not fall into that category, you will not enjoy this movie. The shaky camera and endless action is tiring. There are far too many good action movies out this year that should hold you over (The Grey and Chronicle). Don't waste your money on this garbage (man).
reillyreviews.wordpress.com
I respect Jason Statham as an actor. I've enjoyed too many movies with him to dismiss him outright. His problem is how he picks his movies. Movies like Death Race, the Expendables, and Crank 2 should never have been made. Statham has the ability to play dramatic roles. His problem is that he relies too heavily on his ability to play the action hero (or villain). If he recognized his own ability to do a dramatic role, he would not have picked up a script like Safe and thought it was a good idea.
The story of Safe is intriguing at first. The idea of a young girl who can memorize numbers so there is no paper trail is fascinating. But that's where its originality runs dry. If you are going to do a movie about New York City police and mobsters, you have to put a lot of thought into it. Some of the best movies in Hollywood have already perfected this kind of script. By using a hollow shell for a storyline and filling it with bodies, you accomplish nothing.
I must say something about the body count. Only one movie I have ever seen has successfully pulled off the "kill everyone from the footman to the boss." That movie was Taken. It achieved its brilliance through a small body count that felt realistic. By the end of Safe¬—as with too many Statham movies—you will start to wonder if he's killed every bad guy in Manhattan. It was overkill. Add in the fact that the camera gets all shaky during action scenes (which is always), and you have an extremely lackluster movie.
The only reason anyone would see this is if they are Jason Statham addicts (I know there are plenty of you out there). If you do not fall into that category, you will not enjoy this movie. The shaky camera and endless action is tiring. There are far too many good action movies out this year that should hold you over (The Grey and Chronicle). Don't waste your money on this garbage (man).
reillyreviews.wordpress.com