The Mother

I Wouldn't have been surprised if Steven Segal just showed up and did a sit down flight scene with J-Lo.

It didnt take me long to realise the kind of film I was watching, and truthfully I only made it past the first act. Some scenes were straight up rip offs of other Hollywood films that did the same sequences much better. J-Lo got very annoying very quickly with her "Im a badass boss" attitude that didnt waiver long enough for me to get to know any other traits of her character. One straight face monotonous performance that got very cold very fast.

Netflix is smart, because they dont care about reviews, they know for a fact people are going to click on this film because its a click away, they know they will prolly make some money from this barely passable film.

I don't know why but, since a decade now, and more than fifteen years after Luc Besson's NIKITA, back in 1990, no one can deny that there legions, batches of action flicks showing female fighters, fist, gun fighters. Women playing men's roles. Of course this kind of scheme was common in the American Indie industry during the seventies, remember the Grindhouse movies, destined for drive in audiences, Grindhouse or psychotronic, exploitation features taking advantage to the women's liberation movements that spread all over the country and even beyond.... Hollywood could not affaord to approve, so the independant movies did it instead. And also women's prison movies. It stopped during the eighties, for one decade, then it came back for a short while before appearing again since the 2010s and especially since the Harvey Weinstein affair and the feminist fashion that rapidly followed,spreading all over the world. Only now, the quality is a bit better, with once in a while a prestigious cast; here Jenny Lopez or a couple of years ago Jessica Chastain - AVA.... This movie is surprise less but efficient, a excellent time waster despite an expected ending.

Right, an action thriller starring Jennifer Lopez, I can't really claim that I was particularly harboring much of any grand expectations to the movie as I stumbled upon it on Netflix. In fact, I had actually never heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it.

The synopsis for the movie seemed fair enough, and I will say that writers Misha Green, Andrea Berloff and Peter Craig put together a fair enough script and storyline for the movie. It wasn't exactly a story that brought much innovation with it, but I will say that "The Mother" was sufficiently entertaining for a single viewing. And it should be noted that the storyline was actually somewhat cliché and generic, which made it rather predictable.

The pacing of the narrative throughout the 115 minutes that the movie ran for was okay. The movie did feel a bit sluggish at times, and could perhaps have benefitted from a more efficient trim in the editing room.

The acting performances in the movie were fair enough, and Jennifer Lopez actually fared adequately enough in the movie and in this type of genre. So she has the ability to perform outside of romantic comedies. She was joined on the screen by Omari Hardwick and Joseph Fiennes, as the only familiar faces among the cast list for me.

All in all, "The Mother" is a watchable movie, entertaining enough for what it turned out to be. Just don't expect to be in for anything that haven't already been done or seen in the genre before. However, it is a movie that ultimately doesn't have enough meat on it to support more than just a single viewing. And the movie's predictability sort of stole away from both the action and thriller aspects of the script.

My rating of director Niki Caro's 2023 action thriller "The Mother" lands on a five out of ten stars.

This film demonstrates proficiency, which makes it an acceptable entry into the action genre. However, the film ultimately suffers from the familiar and foreseeable nature of its plot, failing to bring any new or innovative elements to the table.

The film is evident in its predictability, where viewers may anticipate the next plot twist or outcome. The villains, unfortunately, lack depth and development, leaving them feeling underdeveloped and lacking in impact.

While this film may still find favour with fans of Jennifer Lopez, others seeking a truly memorable and groundbreaking action thriller may be left wanting more. Its reliance on established tropes and formulaic storytelling hinders its ability to stand out among the vast array of films within the genre. Ultimately, while it offers some positive elements, it falls short of leaving a lasting impression or pushing the boundaries of the genre.

The trailer is deceiving.

It led me to think I was gonna watch something to the tune of NOBODY. Instead we get this bad-ass lady (by way of narration by a law enforcement officer as to her past accolades) who does bad ass things early in the movie and suddenly, seemingly it all finished. Then soon audiences are reminded oh wait another bad guy still has his portion to get through.

Plotholes, cliches, mentorship in badassery to her kid that doesn't pay off and just poor writing makes for this incoherent action flick.

Sure Lopez has done some (better) action flicks in the past but this won't be the one she will be remembered by.

Jessica Chastain does a better job, Jennifer Garner, heck even Michelle Rodriguez too at being an onscreen bad-ass chick.

The only badass scene here really is when she rode that HD 48.

Such a dissapointment.