The Pitch: “Hey, Sly has a great action screenplay that he was gonna use for Rambo available. It’s based on a book by Chuck Hogan. Sly says Jason Statham is up for the lead.”
“Let’s do it!”
The Tagline: “How far would you go to protect your home?”
The Overview: Jason Statham plays Phil Broker, a retired under-cover DEA agent who moved to rural Louisiana to raise his 9 year old daughter after the death of his wife. When his daughter bloodies the nose of a class bully (who happens the be the child of the local meth dealer) things quickly escalate and Statham’s past as a DEA agent becomes known. Soon an outlaw motorcycle gang and local thugs are both looking for revenge.
*** Beware – minor spoilers can be found below ***
The Good:
- The cast. Kate Bosworth kills in her role as, Cassie Bodine Klum, a redneck, methhead who is used to getting her way thanks to her brother being the local “Walter White.” James Franco as “Gator” Bodine is surprisingly effective in a role that wouldn’t at first seem to fit him. Winona Ryder, Clancy Brown and Chuck Zito all make welcome appearances. Jason Statham is of course Jason Statham (that’s good).
- Broker does his best to avoid trouble, but there is a line he won’t cross and God help you if you cross it!
- The fight scenes and the fact that they avoided Statham giving “wise-cracks.”
- Broker mistakenly thinks that Jimmy Klum is behind the threats to him.
The Bad:
- What happens when you don’t let Broker finish filling his tank.
- When you are a friend of Broker’s and go to pick up his horses.
- If you’re the class bully and you decide to pick on Broker’s daughter.
- Being married to Cassie Bodine Klum.
The Ugly:
- One of Gator Bodine’s thugs ankles after Broker has had enough.
- When you raise your gun towards dozens of cops who are armed, hyped up and have warned you to drop it.
- That Homefront is doing better at the box office.
Rating: 4 out of 5
