A Guilty Pleasure

Rating: 7/10 (29 March 2006)

I first saw this a few years ago, on a rainy day and I nipped into the cinema in the late afternoon to get dry and warm. How glad am i? A film that basically came out of nowhere and helped secure Jason Statham's reputation as being the hardest Englishman in the business (Vinnie Jones? Please!) and one of the most popular actors in America. Its pure adrenaline from the first car case, right through to the homo-erotic but brilliantly choreographed oil fight. Statham's no Tom Hanks in the acting stakes - but then he is not required to be. He's required to look hard as nails and run, jump and punch a lot. Which he does - a lot. The biggest let down of the film was the weak ending. You know that the girl will save his life and kill her father, you know it - but you really don't want it to happen and when it does, well - lets just say that every time i watch the ending I want to throw the TV out the window. Anyway - pure blokes film, great fights, great stunts, cars, guns, sexy woman and it may never win any awards for best screenplay, but that doesn't mean its not worth checking out. And if your girlfriend/boyfriend complains - just mention buffed up men with no shirts on, covered in oil.