A brilliant Action Movie

Rating: 8/10 (3 July 2005)

OK... I don't care what other people say, I think this movie is one of the best action movies around.
Why?
Well for starters, the film has plenty of action sequences. "So what?" I hear say. Well the difference is between the ones in this movie, and others, is the fact that they are far more "stylized". By that, I mean the fighting action is like a mixture of Hong Kong Kung Fu action, and the kind of action that you would normally find in an action movie. It's John Woo for the West!
The second is probably far more important: Realism. OK, I can agree that the movie's plot is a bit far-fetched, and this does make the movie seem unrealistic, but it's the small things that make this movie stand out. Take the shooting scenes for example - We see the bullets (Albeit in tracer form). How many movies can you see the bullets in? This adds to the realism of the movie and the tension. Also, when Frank Martin is chasing after the lorry, he's not in a cool looking car or one that can go at over 150 MPH... No! He's in a rubbishy, small MANUAL car. Yes, MANUAL. Unlike most movies where every single car seems to be automatic transmission, we can actually see gear changes! OK, the last point may seem trivial, but it's that along with the fact Frank Martin uses another guy's breath to breathe underwater, and uses the pedals on a bike to stand up in slippery oil, that make the film stand out, showing that the main character is not just muscles and testosterone... He actually THINKS.
Overall, the movies rocks. Jason Statham is a credit to us... The British.