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When I heard Jason Statham was playing the lead in Safe, I knew what to expect – an adrenaline-fuelled frenzy that would deliver the perfect amount of wit and action.
Starring in legendary action films like the Transporter trilogy and Crank, I was hoping he would return to his true form since his track record deteriorated with the 2010 disaster The Expendables and the more recent devastation that was Killer Elite.
Safe is definitely a return to form, conveying his rough dexterity. And, just when you thought Statham could never shed a tear, the movie adds a dollop of authentic emotion.
Despite the predictable plot, violence and guns, Boaz Yakin, famous for Remember the Titans, directs an enjoyable box-ticking action/crime story.
Set in New York, the Chinese Triads, the Russian Mafia and corrupt New York policemen are all itching to get their hands on $30 million that is kept hidden in a safe.
The combination of this safe is stored in 10-year-old Mei’s memory, with the three different gangs willing to maim and kill indiscriminately to get it. The Chinese schoolgirl is kidnapped and brought to Manhattan to work for her uncle, using her brain as their computer, leaving no traces of information.
Meanwhile, Luke Wright, an ex-cop who is now cage fighter, is about to throw himself under a subway train after Russian mobsters kill his pregnant wife. However, he snaps out of his depression when he spots Mei being threatened on the subway platform. The math prodigy becomes Luke’s main priority, protecting her whilst toying with all three gangs.
Luke fights through the New York underworld in the course of one night, but as the viewer, there is no time to ponder the irrationality of the plot, because we are too focused on the energy and witty one-liners, as well as Statham’s clever action manoeuvres.
A majority of this film is in a Chinese dialect as well as Russian, but the story is still invigorating regardless of the language used. Statham delivers a testosterone-overloaded mess. Yes, most of the films he stars in consist of the same hard-headed Statham, driving recklessly while dodging bullets but ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
He knows what the audience wants of him and he successfully delivers this time.
However, although the film only takes 30-minutes for the real feud to begin, you find yourself waiting for the build up and excitement to happen. The clumsy attempt at introducing the characters in the beginning was a waste of time. I just wanted the action.
On the other hand, if you’re a fan of Statham you won’t care. He stands out from the rest of the cast because, as questionable as his acting abilities are, he still overcomes the predictable clichés and racial stereotypes within the film.
Yakin may be playing it ‘safe’ by making a movie that may as well be called Transporter 4, where the actor is once again seen paving his way to victory while diminishing the evil from the good, but he provided the fans with what they’ve been missing … the mischievous shrewd character we all love.
I did not go into this movie expecting it to be an award-winner; I went in expecting a phenomenal car chase with an absurd number of deaths. The movie was short, sweet and simple.
Statham was due for another good action flick and Safe definitely revived my faith.
*Showing in Cineco and Seef II
