Wild Card

Great movie. Admittedly, I'm a big Jason Statham fan, since he's about the only action star worth watching anymore, but what makes this work is the director doesn't ask too much of him. No big demands on his acting, just let him be himself and show off his martial arts skills -- which, after all, is what we watch him for.

Statham plays a compulsive gambler who earns his living in Las Vegas by providing his unique services to people who need help. When a prostitute gets beat up by a "made" man, he sets out to act as a go-between in order to seek compensation. Complications ensue and he has to fight his way out of trouble.

You might complain that the action doesn't really rev up until the last thirty minutes or so and the ending is kind of a cop out, but what does it matter? It's great to see Statham doing what he does best. Jason, take some advice: you're not much of an actor. Accept it and stick to scripts like this that recognize your limitations and work around them.

'WILD CARD': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Remake of the 1986 crime thriller 'HEAT'; about a recovering gambler, working as a bodyguard in Las Vegas, who gets into trouble with the mob there. Both films are based on the 1985 novel 'Heat', written by William Goldman; Goldman also wrote the screenplay adaptations for both movies (as well as such other popular books, and screenplays, as 'THE PRINCESS BRIDE', 'MARATHON MAN' and many others). Jason Statham takes over the lead role, from Burt Reynolds, and the movie costars Michael Angarano, Milo Ventimiglia, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Hope Davis, Sofia Vergara, Anne Heche, Jason Alexander and Stanley Tucci. It was directed by Simon West; who also recently directed Statham in the action films 'THE EXPENDABLES 2' and 'THE MECHANIC'. I loved the movie, and think it's one of Statham's best!

Statham plays Nick Wild; a bodyguard working in Las Vegas, who's also trying to get over a compulsive gambling problem. When a lady friend of his (Garcia-Lorido) is brutally beaten and raped, Nick helps her get revenge. He later finds out that the rapist, he helped her humiliate (Ventimiglia), is also the son of a very powerful mobster. Nick resorts to his biggest weakness, gambling, in order to try and earn enough money to escape Vegas for good. He has help from a young rich kid (Angarano), who recently hired him for protection.

The movie is very dialogue heavy, for a Jason Statham movie, and it's brilliantly written, by the great William Goldman! Simon West also does an excellent job directing the flick; which has some of the best fight scenes I've ever seen in a Statham film! I'm a fan of Statham, but I had come to expect a lot less from him, in recent years. He's great in the movie as well, and he has a lot of good support from the rest of the cast (I wish Vergara was in it a lot more, though). The film pretty much has everything you could want, in a cool crime thriller; especially if you're a Jason Statham fan!

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When i saw the users review i lost my interest in the movie. But because of the fact that Jason Statham plays in it, i gave the movie a chance.

In all honesty this movie has no story whatsoever. It's just a multiple occurrences of different things happening, following Jason Statham's character. It's like the writers managed to create the script for this movie in a couple hours. And that's why it got a lower rating...

The movie is enjoyable because of the fight scenes portrait in it. Jason Statham shows some real lethal skills and that's why i loved the movie.

Watch this movie without any expectation. But do expect some sick skills from Jason Statham, when fighting.

It's sad that someone like Jason Statham, so talented accepts roles in movies like this. A star like him should be doing something bigger than this. Even seeing Jason in a movie like The raid, would be better than movies like this (wild card).

I gave it a 6/10 because i enjoyed it, only because of the fight scenes.

...If you can make it to the last 1/2 hour, then it gets good. I'm a Statham fan, so had to see it. It's a little slow, but it was worth watching. Not too many fight scenes, but when they happen, they're good! Kinda 'The Gambler' meets 'The Equalizer' movie. Milo Ventimiglia best known from Heroes as Peter Petrelli does a great job as the bad guy in this film. Wish he had more roles in mainstream movies. Not a huge blockbuster but worth the watch if you can wait until the story gets going. I cant think of much more to write but i have to have ten lines to submit my review so here they are. ( i think short reviews will get better responses. It was great; it was bad, don't see it, etc..) Why do we need such a long review? I myself don't like to read long reviews, just tell me if the movie was good or not!

The trailer for Wild Card is very misleading, the film is not just a revenge movie staring Martial Art expert, ass-kicking, lethal weapon Jason Statham. It's actually surprising, well though-out, and more about Nick Wild's character than mindless fight scenes.

Well, the problem might not just be the trailer. There are a lot of side stories in this one film, the stories give you context, a get better sense of who Nick Wild (Statham) is, but in this case it's a little bit much. Because if you pick any of the side stories and make trailer of it, you'll have a completely different film, which is why the movie feels like a draft, jumbled, messy. I am aware that I'm saying this about a film written by an academy award winning screenwriter but that's how it is.

In way it reflects Nick Wild's state of mind and where he's at in his life. The deeper you get into the movie the more layers you find and realize what he's struggling with but as the movie start to scratch the surface it ends. I like Wild Card for one thing because it shown Jason Statham in a new light. He talks as much as he fights in this film and if you like Statham throwing fits and handling knives you'll be pleasantly surprise to him talk.

Wild Card is a better movie than I expected, don't get me wrong it's not movie of the year, but it's kind of good and entertaining.