Survivor

Not Fair for 5.6 Ratings, Had its Edge of Seat Movements even though it had some Flaws, But Would Definitely Recommend it to Everyone who Love's Spy & Homeland kind of Action Thrillers. Please Don't have a Second Thought of watching this one, it's Worth Your Time & Data.

I have to say that I feel that the reviews of this film have been a bit harsh. I've seen many movies that I've enjoyed a whole lot more and I've also seen many others that I've enjoyed a whole lot less. Perhaps our anticipation plays a big part in our assessment of a movie? Survivor has a simple plot and if taken as a simple action movie then it's an acceptable, if easily forgettable, piece of cinematic entertainment.

If you go to see this movie on the basis of its trailer or the 'starry' cast and expect a solid well-planned action movie you will be very disappointed: the scriptwriting and direction are not sub-par, they are downright abysmal and the plot can only aspire to be abysmal but I've enjoyed a lot of 'B' movies over the decades that suffered from the same issues.

Bottom Line? The movie should have been sold as a medium burger with a bit of dressing and not a six or eight course meal. Accept is as such and I don't think you'll come away feeling cheated.

This thriller is centred on Kate Abbott, a member of the Diplomatic Security Service, who has recently been posted to the US Embassy in London. Here it is her job to oversee visa applications for those wishing to visit the United States. One day she decides that a doctor hoping to attend a conference in New York warrants further attention... she doesn't know it at the time but he is a vital part of a terrorist plot. Others involved, notably an assassin known as 'The Watchmaker' decide to eliminate her. The bomb used in the murder attempt kills many of her colleagues but she survives. Unfortunately for her she is soon the chief suspect. Kate must now avoid the authorities and the killers if she is to get to the bottom of the plot and prevent the terrorist attack. She will have very few allies.

I thought this was a pretty solid thriller. The central idea of a protagonist trying to stop a crime while on the run from the villains and the authorities is hardly new but it is effective. Little time is wasted before the main action starts and once it does things remain tense till the finale. The action is nicely varied with chases, shooting, fights and explosions. Milla Jovovich is great as Kate and Pierce Brosnan is suitably menacing as The Watchmaker, without tipping into pantomime villain territory. The rest of the cast, which includes many familiar faces, is pretty good too. The film makes good use of London locations without finding a need to show the usual tourist sights. Overall I thought this was a good little thriller; it may not be a must see but it is well worth watching if you enjoy the genre.

boring from start to finish...........acting as good as statutes and scenes as clear and interesting as mud. This movie is an exemplar of how little imagination throws together actors ending their careers in ignominy. If you can accept and connect the beginning to the plodding plot points that follow perhaps this is the movie for poor you.

ridiculous plot points arrive one after the other (I do not say one follows the other).

The writer is identified as Philip Shelby. My bet is this is a made up name. no one involved in something as uncreative as this would allow his name on the

Watch out of the director, James McTeigue. I looked him up and found him only directing stinkers since V for Vendetta.

I rated it as high as "2" for a few nicely photographed scenes of New York City on new years eve.

I am pretty sure that if you have seen your share of thrillers, you will have a great feeling of deja vu while watching "Survivor". The same basic plot has been done many times before. To be fair, there are a few fresh touches, like the fact that the heroine of the movie is not a superwoman, just very smart. And Milla Jovovich does do pretty well in this role. And for what was just reportedly just a $20 million budget, the movie generally looks pretty good. Anyway, I wouldn't have minded that fairly predictable script had the main problem I had with the movie not existed, and that problem is that the movie isn't very exciting or tense enough. There's almost a matter-of-fact feeling throughout. We don't sense that the heroine is in real danger or that something very bad is brewing that could bring a major disaster. Maybe had the budget been higher, the production could have not only put in a few more action sequences, but made them more elaborate, which might have gotten the blood really pumping. This movie really isn't bad, but it's without much needed bite. By the way, fans of Angela Bassett and/or Robert Forster should be warned that they are given precious little to do.