Rated R for language and violence
Starring Jason Statham, James Franco, Izabela Vidovic, Winona Ryder
Directed by Gary Fleder
The Story:
Phil Broker (Statham) is a former DEA agent who has retired to the country in Louisiana to raise his daughter. However, he soon tangles with the locals, and they bring their country justice to bear against him in the form of Gator (Franco) a local meth manufacturer with dreams of going big time. When he learns Broker's secret, he puts together a plot to give Broker and his daughter over to the man who rots in prison because of Broker, and then Gator can become the king of Louisiana meth.
It's like Justified... in the swamps!
And I mean that in a good way.
This is more of a drama than your typical Statham actioner, but when they unleash Statham in the finale, you get some nice bursts of action sequences to cap off the film.
Otherwise, the movie is a nice, slow build as Phil and his daughter (Vidovic) try and live peacefully with their neighbors, but when the daughter is bullied one time too often, she fights back and sets off a chain of events that will nearly see her and her daddy killed.
But otherwise, it's a great moment on the playground, and a nice taste of Statham action when he is attacked...so to speak...by the bully's dad.
It's a shame that Sylvester Stallone and Chuck Logan felt the need to have the backwoods characters curse like a bunch of sailors every time they opened their mouths.
Unneeded and unnecessary, and seemingly the only reason that the film had to warrant the R rating.
Again, I see some of these movies and think they could appeal to a wider audience if they simply dial back the language. Embrace the lower rating if you've got a good story to tell.
Franco is perfect as the drug pushing psycho who takes a request from his sister (Kate Bosworth) to get even with Phil to the extreme. Add in Winona Ryder as the creepy girlfriend, and you've got your usually loveable leads playing against character, but playing it well.
Then you have Jason Statham playing himself.
I've decided that when I grow up, I want to be Jason Statham.
Because, that would just be cool.
:)
Final Grade: Solid B
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Aside from the language problem, it's a pretty engaging story and I wouldn't mind adding this one to the Statham section of the DVD library.
