Homefront

Starring: Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Izabela Vidovic, Kate Bosworth, Marcus Hester, Clancy Brown, Frank Grillo, Pruitt Taylor Vince
Directed by: Gary Fleder
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A former DEA Agent (Jason Statham) runs afoul of a dangerous drug dealer (James Franco) in a small town.

Review:

Tim: Homefront is an interesting movie- it was first developed as a potential Rambo movie, with Sylvester Stallone working on the screenplay. It was never filmed, and years later, found a second life as a Jason Statham vehicle. While Statham has made some bad movies as of late, Homefront is surprisingly good. True, this movie offers very little new that we haven't seen before, but it's still a competently made action film.

I'm actually a big fan of Gary Fleder's movies. While he's not as recognizable as many big time directors, he has quite an impressive resume. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I just always seem to enjoy his movies. You can add Homefront to that list. This is a movie that easily could have been a throwaway, pointless film. Fleder turns it into something more memorable.

What I liked about the film is how it portrayed how an innocent event can spiral out of control. Statham's character retires from being a DEA Agent and moves to a small town. His daughter fights back against a bully, and his parents have a confrontation with Statham, which leads to a desire for revenge. It was interesting to watch how a fairly innocuous event could trigger this chain reaction that ultimately brings in James Franco as an unstable drug dealer. In a time when Hollywood seems to be trying to save the world with every film, I loved seeing a throwback film to the small action movie days. This movie is just about a father trying to protect his daughter. The small-scale plot allows for great drama and action. It was refreshing to see a movie with smaller (but still vital) stakes.

I always want to like Jason Statham more than I do. Besides The Transporter, he's made a ton of bad movies and has given more than a few lackluster performances. This is actually one of the best performances I've ever seen of his. He's not great, but he was enjoyable and believable as a father who is forced to confront shady characters in an effort to protect his daughter. I really liked him in the role. I also liked pitting Statham against James Franco, mostly because that is a duel I never expected to see. Franco's not exactly good, but he's fun in an over-the-top way. It was entertaining to see him play this dark, dangerous, unhinged character. I also liked seeing Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth play against type. Both added good performances that were unexpected. It was also fun seeing Frank Grillo in a small role (he's on the up-and-up, I suspect). As a whole, the cast is very strong in this film.

Now, while I thoroughly enjoyed the film, I admit it does require some suspension of disbelief. The manner in which Franco finds out about Statham's past is so laughable and convenient that it nearly derailed the movie. I actually groaned out loud when I watched that scene because it's pure Hollywood. There's no way that would ever happen in real life. The climax of the film also gets a bit out of hand, but I understand the desire to go out with a bang. Again, this movie isn't reinventing the genre or showing us anything we haven't seen before. What it does is deliver an engrossing, entertaining movie that was far better than it should have been. I had a fun time with Homefront and I really didn't expect to like it nearly as much as I did.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Man on Fire