Starring: Jason Statham, James Franco, Kate Bosworth, Winona Ryder.
Directed by: Gary Fleder
Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Open Road
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
Plenty of action and an ending you see coming in the first 20 minutes doesn’t take away from the adrenaline packed thrill ride that Jason Statham’s new film, “Homefront,” takes you on.
Phil Broker (Statham) is a former undercover DEA agents who’s cover was blown. He is now in hiding with a false identity and raising a young daughter in Louisiana. They are living a peaceful and quiet life until his daughter sticks up for herself on the playground and bloodies the school bully’s nose. It is this act that straps you in for the rollercoaster ride to come. Her actions bring along a feud that grows between the bully’s strung out mother Cassie Bodine (Bosworth), her brother Gator (Franco) and Broker. Brother Gator is a big fish in a small pond, making his living as the town’s main meth manufacturer and dealer. He’s large and in charge and those in authority, even the local Sheriff (Clancy Brown), are in his corner. His only beef with Broker comes when his sister, upset her son got his butt whipped by a girl, asks him to “scare” Broker. In fact, it is the volatile relationship between Franco and Bosworth that is the underlying antagonist of the film. Wanting to keep his sister happy, Gator obliges, breaks in to Broker’s house and discovers his undercover police reports. His true identity uncovered, Broker and his daughter now find themselves on the run from a group that includes Gator, his girlfriend (Ryder) and the gang of bikers that originally blew Broker’s cover.
Written by Sylvester Stallone, this is the rare film that packs plenty of action around an actual story line. Before the film started, I wrote down the four things that I figured I, and the majority of the people who go see this film, should probably expect to see;
1. Trouble Finds Good Guy,
2. There will be shooting,
3. There will be multiple chase scenes; on foot, by car, by boat, etc..
4. Good guy gets last laugh.
After the film I glanced at the list and can happily say I wasn’t disappointed. If you want to see Jason Statham, a real action star, kick some real ass than this is the film for you.
