Not flawless, but more then watchable

Rating: 7/10 (15 August 2018)

Despite the film's predictability, thanks to Denzel Washington's presence, it manages to stay interesting throughout.
A typical revenge story here, with Denzel playing a mysterious bodyguard, who, seeking redemption for his past sins, accepts a job offer to guard rich parents' (Radha Mitchell and Marc Anthony) daughter named Lupita (Dakota Fanning) in the midst of a highly active kidnapping the rich kids season in Mexico City.
What makes this film standout from amongst it's genre peers is the level of intensity, which isn't lowered from beginning to end, with a few minor coffee breaks here and there.
It is well acted, with Washington stealing the show with his portrayal of this complex character, with barely any backstory, but still interesting enough to root for. The supporting cast consisting of such well-established names in Hollywood as Christopher Walker and Mickey Rourke felt kinda misused, and their screen time is extremely short. Especially Rourke. With his charisma, there could have been so much more to his lawyer character then we got.
I absolutely loved direction and effective editing, with it all being flavored by an awesome soundtrack.
The plot, though, could have been better structured then it is done here. The antagonist is an empty space. As sad as it sounds. I did not buy into the whole "plot twist" either. The script just seemed unfinished, as if it was completed as they were going.
Overall, the film is more then watchable. The ending is surprisingly satisfying, and the production is top notch. But the story and it's main concept was a huge ditch, leaving much to be desired. I'm scoring it 7/10. It's a great film, but could have been so much better.