Haywire was a much different movie than I was expecting. In a good way. Not to say there aren't weaknesses: the plot is contrived and the elevator-like music during the otherwise thrilling action sequences is absurd. Those give way to the tension in the chases followed by the brutal hand to hand combat sequences. Newcomer and retired MMA fighter Gina Carano more than holds her own in a cast littered with talent. She gets to kick some all star ass in a very convincing manner. The way she throws punches and kicks is different than the way a typical actor would. There are cool moves here and there, yet, it's not at all stylized.
The movie centers on Mallory Kane, a contract black ops agent who suddenly finds herself hunted by everyone she comes across – seemingly like all thrillers of this sort. Unlike others in this genre, Mallory hasn't seemingly done anything to deserve this. We're never led to believe she knows too much or was too nosy. Many reviewers have called this an inferior version of the Bourne movies. I think it's better than all but the original Bourne, largely thanks to A-list director Steven Soderbergh. The comparisons beyond that are moot.
In many ways Haywire is a nonstop action film. There's terrific tension at all times because we know right from the beginning that Mallory is being hunted. There's nothing new about the "show me the middle of the movie first" structure, but it's hardly this well utilized. From her first uneasy meeting with Aaron (Channing Tatum in his best acting turn yet), we're in her shoes. We don't trust anyone. There is a particular long chase scene where Mallory is simply trying to get away from the scene by walking down the street. Her glances spot her tail across the way. She doesn't just start running. She continues walking and waits until she turns a corner and has the upper hand to break into a sprint. She's also not dumb enough to look back until she thinks she's in the clear.
That's what seems to separate Mallory and the rest of Haywire from lesser action thrillers. Mallory is smart. She knows when to snoop. She knows when to walk. She knows when she's in over her head and is more than willing to run instead of fight. Perhaps this is her first separation from her male protagonists that typically dominate the genre. She's patient, calculating. Is she a bad ass capable of taking out two swat officers at the same time? Sure, but she'll wait until she really has the advantage to do it.
In terms of more raw action, there are a few one-on-one fights with men where we never question if she can hold her own. None of the fights are the same. She faces adversaries that are either young and athletic, polished and professional, or more comfortable behind a desk. Thank God for once the desk job guy doesn't have some secret fighting ability that he's been hiding the entire time for some reason. Her friends and foes are played by the likes of Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Fassbender. That's as well rounded a cast as you'll ever see in a movie like this.
The not-so-subtle name Mallory has an etymology meaning "bad," which is ironic as Mallory isn't a contract killer. She carries out jobs requiring a high level of military skill. She believes the work she is doing is good. The first job we follow her on is a hostage rescue. The next is to be eye candy with an MI6 agent. Of course, neither turns out to be as it seems at first, but that's what they are in her eyes.
For more reviews like this one as well as other movie musings, go to http://thethreeacts.wordpress.com/
The movie centers on Mallory Kane, a contract black ops agent who suddenly finds herself hunted by everyone she comes across – seemingly like all thrillers of this sort. Unlike others in this genre, Mallory hasn't seemingly done anything to deserve this. We're never led to believe she knows too much or was too nosy. Many reviewers have called this an inferior version of the Bourne movies. I think it's better than all but the original Bourne, largely thanks to A-list director Steven Soderbergh. The comparisons beyond that are moot.
In many ways Haywire is a nonstop action film. There's terrific tension at all times because we know right from the beginning that Mallory is being hunted. There's nothing new about the "show me the middle of the movie first" structure, but it's hardly this well utilized. From her first uneasy meeting with Aaron (Channing Tatum in his best acting turn yet), we're in her shoes. We don't trust anyone. There is a particular long chase scene where Mallory is simply trying to get away from the scene by walking down the street. Her glances spot her tail across the way. She doesn't just start running. She continues walking and waits until she turns a corner and has the upper hand to break into a sprint. She's also not dumb enough to look back until she thinks she's in the clear.
That's what seems to separate Mallory and the rest of Haywire from lesser action thrillers. Mallory is smart. She knows when to snoop. She knows when to walk. She knows when she's in over her head and is more than willing to run instead of fight. Perhaps this is her first separation from her male protagonists that typically dominate the genre. She's patient, calculating. Is she a bad ass capable of taking out two swat officers at the same time? Sure, but she'll wait until she really has the advantage to do it.
In terms of more raw action, there are a few one-on-one fights with men where we never question if she can hold her own. None of the fights are the same. She faces adversaries that are either young and athletic, polished and professional, or more comfortable behind a desk. Thank God for once the desk job guy doesn't have some secret fighting ability that he's been hiding the entire time for some reason. Her friends and foes are played by the likes of Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Fassbender. That's as well rounded a cast as you'll ever see in a movie like this.
The not-so-subtle name Mallory has an etymology meaning "bad," which is ironic as Mallory isn't a contract killer. She carries out jobs requiring a high level of military skill. She believes the work she is doing is good. The first job we follow her on is a hostage rescue. The next is to be eye candy with an MI6 agent. Of course, neither turns out to be as it seems at first, but that's what they are in her eyes.
For more reviews like this one as well as other movie musings, go to http://thethreeacts.wordpress.com/