Homefront (2013)
2013
R
100 Minutes
Phil Broker is a former DEA agent who has gone through a crisis after his action against a biker gang went horribly wrong and it cost the life of his boss' son. He is recently widowed and is left w...
User Review
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Homefront is easily one of Statham's stronger action dramas. With every film I watch of his, my admiration for him heightens to explosive levels. His commitment to the stunt work, the cheesy one liners, the mediocre American accent. He negates the critics and just does what he does best, being Jason Statham. Homefront is no different, but he has much better support. Having recently moved to a new town, a father and his daughter are embroiled in a feud with another family that soon escalates into a murderous plan for drug distribution. Bearing in mind this a screenplay adapted by Sylvester Stallone (who is no Shakespeare) and directed by Gary Fleder (yeah, me neither...), it's a damn enjoyable action drama. Illustrating the affection and protectiveness between father and daughter, shrouding these two strangers in a small community and portraying the lust for money and success from a crazed lunatic who is willing to shoot his own relatives and flee the scene. This isn't a Statham film where he is invincible, jumping out skyscraper windows landing on his feet with barely a scratch on him. No, he is actually human. A father just trying to move on with his life and avoid trouble. But alas, trouble always finds him, and so Statham does what Statham does best: annihilate the enemy. The violence is pretty damn edgy, where every punch, kick and gun shot feels surprisingly real. I've never seen so many head smashes into car windows in a film, however the result is strangely captivating. It's gritty, visceral and energetic action which I'm sure everyone wanted to see. Statham is well supported by Franco, Ryder and Bosworth who all play unlikable yet realistic characters. They are not completely one-dimensional, more like...one and a half dimensions? Franco needs to be an antagonist in more films, he can be rather intimidating. Granted, the script isn't exactly special and does become more absurd as the film comes to its conclusion. The excessive quick cuts also made for disorientating action, however I had a good time. I knew what I wanted, and I got it. Statham satisfaction at its finest.1 member likes this review.
