Pretty much the definition of “not terrible but certainly not memorable” action movies. Nothing here felt wholly incompetent, yet at the same time there wasn’t much that particularly stood out either. Terrible waste of Clive Owen.
Kinda crazy that this was directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale forever one of the best action movies ever). That said, given his other recent output has been genuinely atrocious, this feels like something of a step up.
Definitely gives off “My Old Ass of 2025” vibes. Very slow burn with a powerful ending that re-contextualizes the rest of the film. Didn’t hit me personally in quite the same way as last year’s aforementioned overlooked movie (although I think this may depend on which film resonates more closely with your own personal experiences) and the emotional highs aren’t quite as high, but it’s a solid little movie.
It’s kind of funny that I decide to rewatch this (for the first time in… nearly a decade?) right after watching American Beauty for the first time. Because while I could go on and on about how great every technical aspect of this movie is - not to mention Heath Ledger’s performance - I would really just be parroting what every review on here has been saying for the last 17 years. What I want to say here certainly isn’t…
