It was a pretty decent action flick IMO. Very intense throughout, but a bit clichéed and contrived in places.

But I love Vera Farmiga!

Quoted from Death Monkey a bit clichéed and contrived in places.

I disagree with that.  I didn't think there was anything contrived at all, I think this is one of the most original action films out there, they style, the performances, it was like nothing I have ever seen.

Well it's a few months since I saw it, but I remember hating the hooker with the heart of gold. That's one of the biggest stereotypes of all time. Also the kid seemed do some pretty stupid things with the gun, just so the plot could keep going. It's like Prison Break. They keep throwing ridiculous hurdles in the way, that don't really have anything meaningful to do with the plot, just to delay the payoff.

Aside from the initial action sequence the style of the film wasn't overwhelming, IMO.

SPOILER

I liked the creepy pedophiles, but I thought it was sort of out of character for Vera Farmiga to shoot them. I don't think the film had even hinted that she was capable of committing murder (with seemingly no moral qualms?).

A lot of small glitches for me, but overall I still though the film was entertaining and a good ride. Just not anything spectacular or novel.

Loved this movie!! I'm usually so weary of any Paul Walker films (except "Roadkill/Joyride" which is awesome), but this flick totally redeems him and also shows how great of an actor he truly is. I really think he doesn't pick enough good movies to show his acting range, but then maybe he isn't inundated with offers for good movies...

I bought this for my friend to make sure he checks it out. I believe that if you liked "Fight Club" you won't really be disappointed with this. The direction was fantastic, script was tight and I'd say there was a lot of originality here too.

Creepy, un-nerving, gruesome, sharp and sexual, this movie is a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

A  must-see movie which is truly deserving of some belated (underground) success... word of mouth people!!!

Andy x

PS - Stew, if you haven't seen this, we must get it next time!

After reading the stellar reviews you guys had given this, I'd meaning to watch it for awhile and tonight I finally got around to it.  I actually bought it for $6.95 at Block Buster, which is a bargain considering I'd gone in there to rent it for $4.95.

Anyway, thanks for the tip. It was great.  I’d never seen anything with Paul Walker in it before and I thought he was pretty good. I also thought the Russian stepfather was a well developed character for a supporting role; his connection with John Wayne was a nice touch.  

Cheers.   

YAY! Another fan!!! Woop-woop!!!

I've told TONS of people about this movie and so far, they've all loved it too. Glad you were able to check it out!!

xxx

Ugh, I didn't like this movie at all. I understand what this Wayne Kramer guy was trying to do, but it never really worked for me. It was stylish, but that was really all it was. I think my main problem with this movie was that it's just bad people doing bad things to people who were even worse. I didn't care if Vera Farmiga rescued the kid from those creepy pedophiles, coz the kid is an asshole. And mostly I was just hopeing that someone would shoot Paul Walker in the head, because if you ask me, he was a worse person than any of the villains. I guess it's okay for some movies, and it does work (there aren't really any likable characters in Deliverance for example) sometimes, but I guess I just like my movie heroes to have some kind of redeeming quality.

And would someone please explain to me that scene where Paul Walker is playing the kid music and the kid tells him that he is Russian? Walker snaps his head off, goes off on some out-of-nowhere patriotic bullshit tyraid about being American because he was born in a America. What, the kid's no allowed to be proud of his heritage? He's not allowed to accept his culture? In that moment, I almost turned the movie off because I was just so sick of Paul Walker's bullshit. I know it's not his fault really, he's just reading his lines (badly for the most part, don't know where all this "proving he can act" crap has come from) but still.

Like almost every movie -- I can think of one or two off the top of my head that lack this -- the movie did have some good things. Some of the angles, and the way Kramer shot the action was fairly impressive, the opening scene with the shotguns and what not was probably my favourite, and the shootout on the ice at the end was very well done. The cinematography was great, it was a great looking movie. Also, the scenes with the pedophiles were appropriately creepy, the highlight of the movie for me. Why couldn't the rest of it be like this? The end credits were also well done, but does that really count?

Overall, the bad outweighed the good for me. It was a series of out of the frying pan and into the fire situations, all leading up to an easily forgettable and entirely predictable ending that had my eyeballs doing sommersaults. Wayne Kramer is a promising writer/director, and with better material, I think he could really pull it off one day. I just didn't have a good time watching this movie, which is strange because this kinda stuff is right up my alley. Oh well.


Matt.