El redentor

Just finished watching "Redemption"/Hummingbird" and was most impressed with this movie as entertainment,I knew nothing about it except my favorite"Action Man"Jason Statham was in it so that was enough to gain my interest and I was not disappointed however it was a movie not in the usual style I expected of Jason Statham,after I got past the first fifteen minutes started to seriously get into the story. I won't go on with with all the details of the Plot,if you have taken the trouble to read my review you will know that information. This is a movie for anyone who enjoys good Drama/action with a small hint of romance and revenge also some redemption thrown in almost at the end, there I think I covered it all,was also impressed with Agata Buzek a new actress to me who is now on my Radar,her character of "Cristina" the Nun was very believable.I gave this film a seven because I enjoyed and was entertained which is why one goes to the movies.......

*Warning. This review is only short, I don't like to write long reviews, so please don't hate this review because its short and everything in the film isn't summarized, thank you.

I'm a huge Jason Statham fan and when I first saw the trailer for this film I was a bit skeptical whether or not, he could pull a dramatic drama performance off. And after reading some of the reviews I wasn't putting my hopes up too much, when the credits showed up, I was shocked.

Jason Statham was excellent, he wasn't the best. But what a transformation from being a *badass action hero, into playing a dramatic war veteran. This movie rocked. There was plenty of great scenes in here, and you can really tell he tried to put on his best performance.You could really feel the emotions of what his character was going through. The directing was also good and the cinematography was also great at times. You could really feel the darkish atmosphere and the danger the homeless people were in. This was most definitely a powerful drama.

So if your a fan of Jason Statham and want to watch something different from him then I recommend this. But please don't expect to see another Transporter film, the class of this one is much higher then many of his previous films.

Im going to give Hummingbird(Or Redemption in the U.S) 3 1/2 Stars. (7/10)

*Hes still badass in this film.

Although it could of have been better and is far from perfect, but it was a joy just watching Statham take on this type of role.

The first 20-30 minutes will make or break the movie for you. Those who expect a crazy pace and action non stop, will be disappointed for sure. It is more than likely that people will say/write, that Statham should stick to action roles. But I think it's a good thing he tries to evolve a bit. He has the action thing down now, why not go out and dip/try something else? The drama part does work entirely as is true with the rest of the story, but it does have something to tell, whether you agree with the arguments or not, it is different! And after the initial (slow) beginning of the movie, it does have some action to deliver too. But is there "Redemption" (as the German title of the movie suggests)?

Now i'm a definite fan of Jason Statham. After reading the reviews of this film iv'e realized that no matter what this man does he will not please the critics. Whenever he does what he is good at(action movies), he is just one note and doesn't do anything else. When he tries something different like in this movie, he isn't good enough for a dramatic role.Well I for one enjoyed this film as a welcome change of pace as this is his most serious/dramatic role which I felt he did a good job.

The story is dark, gritty and down to earth as many war vets suffer psychological problems and as a result end up homeless or drug addicts.The movie is very character driven, layered which adds some needed depth to a Statham movie. He plays Joey Jones, a homeless war vet traumatized by his experiences and much of the story is about his character's experience's in the underworld of London. The movie feels authentic, the way its shot on the dark London streets and also reading that their was research done on Statham's part preparing for the role.It's good to see he can do a dramatic role plus use his action strengths and kick ass when he does.

Overall, If your expecting an all out action film maybe you should watch Safe instead. However, if you want to see a darker, grittier film more deep than your typical Statham film and welcome the change of pace. I'd give it a watch and see how you like it.

Overall: 7/10

Reviews seem evenly split between 'masterpiece' and 'disaster,' so let me cast a tie-breaking vote. You can look at Redemption as either a thoughtful action movie or a violent art film... but it's very good either way.

The acting is definitely worthwhile. Statham has always been better than the average action star, and here he's given more emotional material to chew on than in most of his vehicles. Buzek is equally solid as the Polish nun. She's far from a conventional beauty, and seems perfectly cast.

The production is excellent, with a gritty, super-saturated urban look to it. And the story? I think it holds up extremely well. This is a bit of a fable, a vignette out of the middle of a turbulent life. Joey made me think of a more-thoughtful, less self-assured Jack Reacher. He's a product of our violent world, who's trying to do the right thing and thereby buy back his soul.

The film doesn't pull back from the contradictions of his attempt to find inner peace through extreme violence. And it gives us many memorable vignettes along the way. The business with the red dress. The opera. The pizza parties at the soup kitchen. These build up a very effective portrait of Joey. The ending is unconventional, and, I think, extremely appropriate. It says something not just about Joey, but about the needlessly violent world we've built - or allowed to be built in our name.

Redemption may not be a timeless classic of the cinema, but it's hard to deny that it is a very good little film, with many admirable qualities. It's a film I'll certainly enjoy watching more than once.